Walking on the roof

[Dejones57]

I have been going up on the roof of my Cougar fifth wheel to clean off the top of the slides before I run them in. I was wondering if anyone had advice on whether this is ok or not such a good idea.

[RaptorJB]

I'm 6'7" and weigh 270 lbs and do it all the time to clean the roof and or slides out. I try to walk as softly as I can.

[rhagfo]

I'm 6'7" and weigh 270 lbs and do it all the time to clean the roof and or slides out. I try to walk as softly as I can.

I try to step at the roof truss locations, about 210# myself. The roof will not be rock solid but will typically support at least a 250# person.

[JRTJH]

I have been going up on the roof of my Cougar fifth wheel to clean off the top of the slides before I run them in. I was wondering if anyone had advice on whether this is ok or not such a good idea.

Your question might cause some confusion with the information you provide. You say "my Cougar fifth wheel" and your profile indicates you have a 2017 Cougar Half Ton 279RKSWE. Cougar models are "full weight, full height" trailers and Cougar Half Ton models are "XLite/Ultralite, mid height" models. The construction is significantly different between the two brands of trailers.

Cougar has always had a walkable roof and a "solid floor" while the "lightweights" in that line, Cougar Half Ton and Cougar XLite have always had a "sandwich floor" and in some years, did not have a walkable roof. There have also been years where the WE models (Half Ton) were constructed differently from the "Goshen models" (XLite).

Generally, if your RV has a "roof ladder" mounted on the rear cap, it's a "walkable roof" model. If it doesn't, I'd urge you to verify with Keystone before you start walking around "up there"....

Remember, what's walkable for a 175 pound owner is not necessarily considered walkable for a 350 pound owner, so "walkable roof" is a very subjective term.

All that to say, "If you want to know for sure, contact your dealer or Keystone."

ADDED: I went to the Keystone RV website, downloaded the 2017 Cougar Half Ton brochure. In the "features list" the company advertises:

"Fully walkable roof and fully walkable slide roof" and "3/8” walkable roof decking" as standard features. So, depending on what you define as "walkable on 3/8" OSB" would determine whether you feel comfortable "walking around up there"...

[SteveC7010]

If you locate the roof joists, and then press down in the center between them, you either get some give or not. If it noticeably gives (flexes), it's likely that the roof sheathing is made of materials much lighter than 3/8" OSB. If it seems pretty firm, then it's most likely a walkable roof.

If there's any question left over, you can always drop the inside plastic shell of one of the roof vents. You should be able actually see the sheathing material then.

If it is not walkable, get yourself an old blanket and a piece of 1/2" or thicker plywood that will span at least 3 roof joists. The blanket protects the membrane roof from any sharp edges or splinters on the plywood. My '99 Sunline had a thick material (1/4"+) not terribly different from shirt cardboard for the sheathing. The membrane was bonded to that. it clearly needed the protection of the plywood whenever I worked up there.

FWIW, this pretty much applies to most any TT or 5er from most manufacturers. John's general info and advice in the previous post applies across the market as well. There's no magic here. They all use pretty much the same materials and appliances and there are only minor variations in assembly from brand to brand. There are exceptions, of course, but rarely seen in the Keystone products unless done on special order.

[FlyingAroundRV]

I've been wondering what I can do when I need to access the vents / AC units on top of my TT. I'm pretty sure ours won't have a walkable roof and I like the idea of some foam glued to a board, but two things worried me
1) The roof is curved and putting a flat rigid board on it would seem to cause pressure points underneath where I will be standing.
2) As we will have no fixed abode, there is a problem of where to store the platform.
So I came up with the idea of cutting the board into segments held together with the underlying foam. This will allow the board to follow the curve of the roof and also allow the board to be rolled up for easier storage.

[TLB]

So I came up with the idea of cutting the board into segments held together with the underlying foam. This will allow the board to follow the curve of the roof and also allow the board to be rolled up for easier storage.

Great idea.

[Wes Dalton]

snowshoes?