Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Fleet | Keystone RV Models > Toy Haulers
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-17-2018, 11:12 AM   #1
OldKingKibitzer
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Southeastern
Posts: 43
Soft Spot in Roof near Patch

I was up cleaning off the massive number of leaves off of my roof...And I noticed I have a soft spot in the roof by a spot that appears to have been previously patched. There's a point right by the patch that is the softest however it has a bit of spongyness around it, the total area seems to be 2'x2' with the softest spot being 6"x6". There is no interior water marks/damage or signs of damage. No mold/mildew smell inside. Around the patch the rubber is slightly bubble and has some squish to it but not terrible raised. I wouldn't have ever noticed it unless I put weight on it. The patch itself is around 5"x5".

What's the best thing to do? Reseal to make sure no additional water is getting in? Attempt to repair the roof? Is the spongy feel due to prior water damage? Will that spongyness ever go away or is that the way it is unless I replace the wood?
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_3543.jpg
Views:	180
Size:	271.3 KB
ID:	18579   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_3541.jpg
Views:	437
Size:	229.5 KB
ID:	18580   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_3538.jpg
Views:	309
Size:	187.5 KB
ID:	18581  
OldKingKibitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 11:25 AM   #2
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,839
I think you're referring to a 2013 Fuzion that you purchased used and with limited history of maintenance, damage or repairs....

So, here's a few guesses:

1. There may have been a leak in the site where you think the roof was repaired and that leak allowed enough water intrusion to rot away the roof decking which is causing the spongy feel.

2. There may have been a "less than sure footed clutz" walking on the roof and when they tripped, they cracked the roof decking and there is no water intrusion, no rot and the patch is not related to the spongy feel.

3. There may have been a tree limb cut the roof membrane which was professionally repaired and is still a good patch and the spongy feel is not related to the patch or the damaged roof membrane but is possibly from another leak that you have not yet found......

As for repair, with a "new to you" purchase, if you have any kind of warranty, I'd be sure to identify this ASAP. If it is a "as is" sale, then I'd get someone who is very familiar with RV roofing to take a look at it and give you some advice. As for repairs, there are two schools of thought. First, if you want to do it inexpensively, is to cut out a part of the roof membrane to access the damage and repair the roof decking, then apply a patch over that area, sealing it well with Eternabond tape and sealing the edges with DICOR. The second, and much more expensive repair is to remove the entire roof membrane, repair the damaged area, inspect the rest of the roof, make repairs as needed and then to apply a new roof membrane so you're essentially "starting new"....

The first may be as inexpensive as a couple hundred bucks, the latter, well, if you can find someone to do it professionally for less than $8-9K, you'll be lucky.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 12:50 PM   #3
OldKingKibitzer
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Southeastern
Posts: 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
I think you're referring to a 2013 Fuzion that you purchased used and with limited history of maintenance, damage or repairs....

So, here's a few guesses:

1. There may have been a leak in the site where you think the roof was repaired and that leak allowed enough water intrusion to rot away the roof decking which is causing the spongy feel.

2. There may have been a "less than sure footed clutz" walking on the roof and when they tripped, they cracked the roof decking and there is no water intrusion, no rot and the patch is not related to the spongy feel.

3. There may have been a tree limb cut the roof membrane which was professionally repaired and is still a good patch and the spongy feel is not related to the patch or the damaged roof membrane but is possibly from another leak that you have not yet found......

As for repair, with a "new to you" purchase, if you have any kind of warranty, I'd be sure to identify this ASAP. If it is a "as is" sale, then I'd get someone who is very familiar with RV roofing to take a look at it and give you some advice. As for repairs, there are two schools of thought. First, if you want to do it inexpensively, is to cut out a part of the roof membrane to access the damage and repair the roof decking, then apply a patch over that area, sealing it well with Eternabond tape and sealing the edges with DICOR. The second, and much more expensive repair is to remove the entire roof membrane, repair the damaged area, inspect the rest of the roof, make repairs as needed and then to apply a new roof membrane so you're essentially "starting new"....

The first may be as inexpensive as a couple hundred bucks, the latter, well, if you can find someone to do it professionally for less than $8-9K, you'll be lucky.

Yes- This is in reference to the 2013 Fuzion. I actually was given maintenance records for the coach. I'll have to double check to see if I see anything regarding this patch. I didn't the last time I had looked through.

As far as options 1/3- If it was sealed correctly and properly, do I need to replace the wood underneath? Is there any danger in leaving it as is right now simply patched and spongy? If it does need to be repaired, what's the timeline- does it need to be an ASAP or am I able to wait until spring to be able to fix it?

I don't think it was option number 2 as I when I knock on the roof around the patch it is a dull thud rather than the more hollow sound I get elsewhere. Luckily I do have the remainder of a warranty that is in process of being transferred to me so I will be sure to contact them to figure out how to get this checked into!
OldKingKibitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 01:20 PM   #4
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,839
Without knowing if there is an active leak, I'd recommend "erring on the cautious side" and not leave it till spring. If this is a leak that started 2 months ago and has caused the damage this quickly, it will advance much further by spring. On the other hand, if this is a 5 year old problem that you just noticed and it's not advancing, that's entirely different and waiting until spring probably wouldn't make any difference.

The problem is trying to determine which one it is.... I wouldn't wait to determine if it's an active leak and progressing rot. If it is, the expense in the spring may be significantly more than the trailer is worth.

If you have a warranty, I would recommend reading it closely and if it covers the problem, then I'd brush my hands and talk them into replacing the roof before next camping season.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 02:16 PM   #5
66joej
Senior Member
 
66joej's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: radium hot springs bc
Posts: 2,007
The problem with making an insurance claim is the adjuster will ask if the current repair was made by an authorized RV repair facility or by the previous owner himself. Not saying they will not cover it but some companies are very reluctant to get involved with a repair done by a non professional.
Definitely worth the effort. YMMV
__________________

2018 Ram 3500 6.4 Harvest Edition
2018 Cougar 27RESWE
66joej is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 03:03 PM   #6
OldKingKibitzer
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Southeastern
Posts: 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Without knowing if there is an active leak, I'd recommend "erring on the cautious side" and not leave it till spring. If this is a leak that started 2 months ago and has caused the damage this quickly, it will advance much further by spring. On the other hand, if this is a 5 year old problem that you just noticed and it's not advancing, that's entirely different and waiting until spring probably wouldn't make any difference.

The problem is trying to determine which one it is.... I wouldn't wait to determine if it's an active leak and progressing rot. If it is, the expense in the spring may be significantly more than the trailer is worth.

If you have a warranty, I would recommend reading it closely and if it covers the problem, then I'd brush my hands and talk them into replacing the roof before next camping season.

Is there an easy way to tell if it's an active leak? I spoke with the previous owner and he said as much as he recalls its a repair from 2014-2015 and was caused by a branch. The camper was inspected this past year and the inspecting RV location said it needed to be resealed so they resealed the roof seals.
OldKingKibitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 03:04 PM   #7
OldKingKibitzer
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Southeastern
Posts: 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by 66joej View Post
The problem with making an insurance claim is the adjuster will ask if the current repair was made by an authorized RV repair facility or by the previous owner himself. Not saying they will not cover it but some companies are very reluctant to get involved with a repair done by a non professional.
Definitely worth the effort. YMMV
Very good point. I'll have to look back over the records and see what I can find. I do have the records from the original owner back to their invoice...I recall something about this being looked at but I'm not exactly sure. I'll have to find more info.
OldKingKibitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2018, 01:26 PM   #8
OldKingKibitzer
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Southeastern
Posts: 43
Is there a way to find if there is an active leak? I am not seeing any water damage inside and only see some bubbles in the rubber outside as well as the softness of the wood underneath. According to the prior owner this was fixed in 2014 or 2015.

Any guidance would be appreciated!
__________________
2013 Fuzion 310
OldKingKibitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2018, 02:37 PM   #9
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,839
You may be able to remove some interior lights or vents in the area of the suspected leak and visualize the underside of the OSB roof decking from those holes in the inside ceiling luan. You may also be able to remove the trim strips from the luan ceiling panels in that area, pull the staples and pull the luan down enough to see the underside of the OSB roof decking. There is a lot of "stuff" in the ceiling, ducting, electrical wiring, insulation, rafters etc, all of which will "be in the way" of an easy visualization, so be prepared to break a sweat when you start your inspection. It ain't going to be a 10 minute job.

If, when you can finally get a clear view of the roof decking, you should be able to tell if it's wet or if it's dry, but was wet before. That will essentially tell you if it's an active water leak or the results of damage caused by a "since repaired" problem.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2018, 03:01 PM   #10
wiredgeorge
Senior Member
 
wiredgeorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,392
The area of the patch is sagging. The patch looks like it is moldy. The rest of the roof looks prematurely worn. That is the black showing through the white coloring of the rubber roof (EPDM or whatever). I suggest you consider a new roof. I used RV-Armor who hands you a lifetime TRANSFERABLE warranty when complete and they come to your place so you don't have to drive the camper off somewhere for a long period. RV-Armor techs are certified RV techs and can and will make repairs to the OSB under the rubber roof if necessary.

If you don't like that option, you can buy EPDM (make sure that is the type roof you have) a 12" wide tape to fix spots on the roof. This is an option and you likely don't have to buy this long a roll:
https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-533RM-1.../dp/B000BRCKBO

That spot shows signs of water penetration and should be repaired before rolling up for the winter season.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
wiredgeorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2018, 03:18 PM   #11
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,599
By looking at that patch several things strike me;

It has mold on it and has apparently leaked or is leaking.

The way it is sagging into the hole they probably should have did a more extensive repair.

They didn't do a very good job of sealing the patch edges. It appears that on one side the sealant is more "on top" of the patch than sealing the edges. If so, water will seep under the patch.

I wouldn't dream of letting it sit until next year unless it was in an enclosed building.

My other thought would be what in the world has happened to that roof? It looks like the white side of the EPDM is wearing completely off. My roof has been in use for almost 5 full years and it still looks like new (except for a couple of patches over staples that are pushing up and a nice layer of dust from our last dust storm when I had the door open). Not knowing the history on it or why it looks like that I would keep a very keen and wary eye on all the sealant, edges, vents, ACs etc.
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2018, 07:20 PM   #12
flybouy
Site Team
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
Looks to me like a lot of tree sap that was scrubbed off and the brush wasn't used on the depression. Your stat's have your location SE PA so I'm dussing around Philly. Given the potential for snowfall and ice over the winter I wouldn't let it go over the winter.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
flybouy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
roof

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 08:49 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.