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Old 05-11-2018, 02:26 AM   #1
flyguyhelo
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walking on roof

Hello all,

I just became owner of a 2015 bullet premier 22ft, just picked it up yesterday.

One thing the previous owner was mentioning was that he never walked on the roof, If he had to go up there he would crawl on his belly.

All this seems excessive??? I owned a motorhome with a PDM roof and was up there often.

Of course I dont want to pick nick up there but my question here is: For Keystone trailers is it ok to walk on the roof for clean up, caulking, solar panel install ect...?

He set some doubt in my mind and I wanted to make sure and ask you guys so that I do not damage anything.

Thanks,
Larry
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Old 05-11-2018, 05:21 AM   #2
JRTJH
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Larry,

Keystone makes one of the largest lines of travel trailers of any manufacturer in the US. Some are "heavy as sin" and some are "light as a feather". Obviously both can't use the same materials in construction and have such a significant weight difference. Lighter, thinner material goes into the lighter trailers and with that "trade-off" comes reduced capacity in a number of areas. You simply can't walk on the roof of most "light weight, X-Lite or Ultra-Light" models. There are a large number of threads on this forum (and other forums) discussing this. One very recent thread is located here: http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...ad.php?t=32886

Years ago, a 1/2" plywood roof over 16" spaced trusses would support quite a "large owner". Today's 1/4" OSB roof over "engineered trusses that are strategically placed" does not offer the same strength, a tradeoff made to allow larger trailers that can be towed by smaller vehicles. As that process "evolved" many owners also grew from 150 pounds to 250 pounds, so the problem was "made even worse". So, even if one owner (who weighs 125 lbs) can walk on the roof of his Premier, that doesn't mean it's OK for another owner (who weighs 325 lbs) to do the same.

Generally, if there's a ladder installed by the factory, it's OK to access the roof. But that also has significant limits and doesn't mean "just anybody" can climb up there without concern for causing potential damage to the roof.

If you do a forum search for terms like, "Walkable Roof", "Roof Maintenance" or similar terms, you'll find enough information to keep you busy reading for hours, maybe days. Doing a little research will give you the information you're looking for, allow you to become an "expert in all things about the roof" and probably answer your questions about what to look for, how to repair and maintain your roof, what to use to clean it and how to reseal it. All of those are "the evolving questions in owning an RV".....

Welcome to RV ownership, and no, they aren't "like my house, so why can't I...?"

ADDED: Some roof systems (not structures) in some trailer brands don't even use trusses. They are constructed of an inner 1/8" luan sheet, 3" of foam and topped with another 1/8" luan sheet. This "sandwich construction" is even lighter, but obviously even weaker than what is on your trailer. As trailers get larger, lighter and as owners demand more "conveniences" be installed (adding more weight), the actual structural integrity will probably grow even weaker than you see today.

I remember sitting on the hood and the roof of my 1950 Chevrolet. I'd never dream of sitting on the hood or on the roof of any truck built today, much less on the roof of a modern car. The trailer industry is evolving to that as well. Some models are already there.
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Old 05-17-2018, 10:26 AM   #3
Charby
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Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyguyhelo View Post
Hello all,

I just became owner of a 2015 bullet premier 22ft, just picked it up yesterday.

One thing the previous owner was mentioning was that he never walked on the roof, If he had to go up there he would crawl on his belly.

All this seems excessive??? I owned a motorhome with a PDM roof and was up there often.

Of course I dont want to pick nick up there but my question here is: For Keystone trailers is it ok to walk on the roof for clean up, caulking, solar panel install ect...?

He set some doubt in my mind and I wanted to make sure and ask you guys so that I do not damage anything.

Thanks,
Larry
I have a 2014 Premier 19 and don't actually walk on it when needing on it, but rather craw. I weigh 160 and it still flexes while moving around. I usually do any cleaning from sides. I did install a Turbo Fan over the kitchen but crawling only. Oh and buffing the faded cap while on my belly.
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Old 06-18-2018, 09:34 PM   #4
lobatt
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If you check the manual for 2015 states that if no ladder no walkie on roof. Paraphrasing of course.
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Old 06-19-2018, 04:00 AM   #5
flyguyhelo
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thanks lobat, I didn't get much as far a manuals to. Mostly refrigerator, suspention, microwave ect... all the rest was very generic to all models and no mention of roof walking.
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Old 06-19-2018, 04:52 AM   #6
mlk1950
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We used to own a 1978 Allegro motor home. It had a ladder on the back, but I never walked directly on the roof. If I had to go up for periodic maintenance, I would use a 1' x 8' piece of 3/4" plywood to distribute the weight. I use the same procedure on the two travel trailers since. IMO, walking directly on the roof is just asking for trouble. We go to the NHRA drag races when they are in the area. When I see several people sitting up on the roofs of motor homes with lawn chairs, it just makes me cringe.
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Old 06-19-2018, 05:36 AM   #7
flyguyhelo
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Thanks 1950, that truly sounds like the best option, I will prepare a couple of sheets for that purpose.
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