WInnebago roof

[Lurker52]

HI all,

I am going to look at a 2004 Winnebago Adventurer with a fiberglass roof. I would like to here from those who have this kind of roof and if there is any big problems with them.

Also those of you who have a Winne how do you like it? From what I understand they have pretty good reputation as a quality RV.

This rig is 38' long. It is the 38R floor plan which we really like. It is a few feet longer than I was really wanting but it looks like a very comfortable floor plan.

What is it like driving a 38' with a toad on the back.

It has the Workhouse Gm Allison drive platform. Is this enough power for a Rv of this size.

Thanks,
Phil

[Mile_High]

So what you are saying is the roofs on these three Winnebagos just lifted even though they were properly sealed. One even leaked water, although impossible through that channel because the gutter sets about 2 inches below the top of the wall.

There are always incredible stories.

[catkins]

Owned a 2004 Winnebago that had the roof ready to lift up for about an 8' length from the front on both sides. Shop found it and repaired it. Not cheap. We always did annual inspections and recaulking as needed.

Two Friends both have Winnies and have had the same SAME ISSUE! One has had repeated water leaks coming down the interior wall(roof pulled away vertically over the front passenger window) ) and the other had the roof begin to peel up along the side as in the picture posted above. Both needed major repairs - water damage owner is a fanatic about maintenance and re-caulking, the roof peeling one was oblivious, not a good thing! They were very close to losing a large chunk of their roof.

The J channel design has been well reported as having issues. Loved my Winnie but the roof design became a source of major concern and significant expense. I cannot get on top and do maintenance but annual inspections are a must regardless of manufacturer. Don't forget windows and slide seals..........

Some here may have been very lucky to not encounter this issue. Check the owners forums for more information. May no one here ever encounter this issue.

[Mile_High]

Bruce Brown wrote:

Mile High wrote:

Bruce Brown wrote:
Serious question, on the part below, who requires more maintenance? We've owned 5 motorhomes (including an earlier Itasca) and a TT and I honestly don't know.

I've had RVs for 40 years and maintainting a bead of caulk on a roofline is light work compared to what some require.

I answered that in the same paragraph Bruce.

Somehow I'm missing it?

My question is what builder and/or roof system requires more checks and/or maintenance?

We've owned 5 motorhomes and a travel trailer and none of them had this type of required maintenance schedule.

I will admit washing a true EPDM rubber roof is a pain, but in the 5 years we owned that one I let nature wash it.

Bruce, our 5th wheel was what I used as a comparison. This is directly out of the manual:

• Inspect the roof every 90 days, paying particular attention to the seams where the areas of sheet metal, moldings, rubber and/or fiberglass are joined. Carefully inspect the sealant around any vents, skylights, air conditioners, etc.
• Every six months inspect all seals, including windows.

Now add to that:

• Rotate tires every 5,000 miles
• Repack wheel bearings every 6,000 miles or 6 months,
• If trailer has not moved for 2 months, repack wheel bearings before use
• Adjust brakes every 3,000 miles

Keep in mind, with the fancy 2+5 year warranty, these were Required maintenance items that had to be documented by yourself or through a Dealer to stay in warranty, and failure to produce the documents was used as a hammer to deny warranty in many many cases.

I take all recommended maintenance with a grain of salt, but for those that care to get anal about the requirements, I would much rather get on my roof every six months to check that seam than try to keep up with the 5th wheel requirements of every 3 months knowing every other time I have to also rotate tires, pack bearings, and adjust brakes.

[Bruce_Brown]

Mile High wrote:

Bruce Brown wrote:
Serious question, on the part below, who requires more maintenance? We've owned 5 motorhomes (including an earlier Itasca) and a TT and I honestly don't know.

I've had RVs for 40 years and maintainting a bead of caulk on a roofline is light work compared to what some require.

I answered that in the same paragraph Bruce.

Somehow I'm missing it?

My question is what builder and/or roof system requires more checks and/or maintenance?

We've owned 5 motorhomes and a travel trailer and none of them had this type of required maintenance schedule.

I will admit washing a true EPDM rubber roof is a pain, but in the 5 years we owned that one I let nature wash it.

[Wanderlost]

We have a 2004 Itasca Sunrise. Never had a problem with our fiberglass roof until 2015. A big blast of wind tore the roof into strips. Luckily, we were in an RV campground outside Amarillo, TX. Rodfathers RV Body Shop was only three miles away. They finished removing the old fiberglass sheet, found no damage to the actual roof, and put on a new fiberglass covering.

Instead of replacing it the way Winnebago installed it, they glassed the fiberglass to the roof. It's never gonna come off, and it looks great.

I think you'll like the fiberglass. It's a lot less maintenance work than rubber, as I've learned from past experience. Just check your caulk regularly.

[Mile_High]

Bruce Brown wrote:
Serious question, on the part below, who requires more maintenance? We've owned 5 motorhomes (including an earlier Itasca) and a TT and I honestly don't know.

I've had RVs for 40 years and maintainting a bead of caulk on a roofline is light work compared to what some require.

I answered that in the same paragraph Bruce.

[FIRE_UP]

Well Gang,
I've stated this many, many times on these forums. WE (all who are on and ask or reply to the questions, statements, threads or posts) ONLY read of issues REPORTED on here and a couple of other forums about Winne roof seam issues. In all reality, of all the RVers that roam around the U.S. at any given time, and are Winne and Itasca owners, just how many ACTUALLY have the so-called roof issues?

As has been stated, apparently it's NOT a roof issue to Winnebago 'cause, THEY'RE STILL DOING IT THIS WAY! As for the comment about older folks that have no business climbing on ladders to do any form of inspection or, any maintenance, well, that's an easy one. If they can afford the coach, and cannot do that type of maintenance, then they can afford for a tech to do it for them.

This roof thing is not rocket science. It's a simple design and, some semi-annual checking is all that's needed to make sure things are what it's supposed to be. If one added fasteners, while you MIGHT assist the adhesive/sealant in retaining the roof, you'd also create hundreds of potential leak points, depending on how many screws you'd use.

Scott

[Bruce_Brown]

Serious question, on the part below, who requires more maintenance? We've owned 5 motorhomes (including an earlier Itasca) and a TT and I honestly don't know.

I've had RVs for 40 years and maintainting a bead of caulk on a roofline is light work compared to what some require.

[Mile_High]

2gypsies wrote:
The point is that an owner shouldn't have to make these fixes to keep their roof on. Over this much time and the many complaints Winnebago should have corrected their system.

Actually I think a few incidents gain a lot of traction on these forums but overall I think Winnebago believes it was a success, as they have had the same design for decades. Every time a Winnebago roof comes up, the same grumblers and same photos come up. I have no issues with the design and for me that is all that matters.

I've had RVs for 40 years and maintainting a bead of caulk on a roofline is light work compared to what some require. Our Winnie is 6 years old now and I've had to caulk about 2' of the roof. I'm good with that. Far less than the caulking and seal replacement we had to do on our 2 year old 5th wheel.

it's funny how opinionated folks without a dog on the show can get.

[the_silverback]

I owned a 2004 and a 2007 Winnie. No roof problems. Also belonged to4 Winnebago clubs and went on 7 Winnebago caravans. I am not aware of any roof problems.

[2gypsies1]

The point is that an owner shouldn't have to make these fixes to keep their roof on. Over this much time and the many complaints Winnebago should have corrected their system.

[janstey58]

I have owned two Fleetwood MHs and yes I do a visual inspection every couple of years, but have never had to re-caulk. Bad design by Bago (as evidenced by this thread) in my book, other brands I guess have one less maintenance item, and that's a good thing.

[Jim]

Lurker52 wrote:
HI all,

I am going to look at a 2004 Winnebago Adventurer with a fiberglass roof. I would like to here from those who have this kind of roof and if there is any big problems with them.

Also those of you who have a Winne how do you like it? From what I understand they have pretty good reputation as a quality RV.

This rig is 38' long. It is the 38R floor plan which we really like. It is a few feet longer than I was really wanting but it looks like a very comfortable floor plan.

What is it like driving a 38' with a toad on the back.

It has the Workhouse Gm Allison drive platform. Is this enough power for a Rv of this size.

Thanks,
Phil

My '02 Journey is 36' with two slides and I really like the fit and finish. PO didn't wear it out. Everything started out medium to high quality. It's a very comfortable living space. My only wish would be for another slide in the bedroom for more room there.

My roof is fiberglass with the caulking along the edge as shown earlier but like others I used 2" Eternabond along the entire length both sides. Then I used 4" tape on the end cap seams. Here's my blog write up about it: Winnebago Roof work... I'm expecting less maintenance work using the Eternabond and so far, that's been true.

I'm pulling a Saturn (2200 lbs) and with the Journey's 330HP Cat 3126 engine, it's hard to tell the car is back there. I do downshift going up hills and use higher RPMs to keep the engine temp at mid-scale or below. I'm not in a hurry so have no need to zoom up mountains at 65-70 stressing the engine. Since I have a diesel, I've no comment about your gas engines power but for that big of a rig, I'd be willing to bet you'd like diesel better.

[smlranger]

I owned two Winnebago motorhomes and think they were decent coaches. However, I also believe their method of attaching the roof edge in that metal channel is a poor design. Relying on some caulk to keep it in place is IMO just stupid. That said, I would not reject an otherwise properly maintained Winnebago coach.

I used 2" Eternabond tape along that seam and it held up just fine for the 8 years I owned my last Winnebago. If you use a good urethane caulk like 3M 4200/5200 or Geocel ProFlex it should last years.