Questions about Passport 2521RL

[Fasttimes]

Hi folks, doing some homework on details of a 2020 Passport 2521RL and got a couple of questions. My sister has just purchased a lightly used one and I'm trying my best to help her out as I'm a pretty experienced RVer and she is a newb.



First off, can you walk on the roof of the Passport 2521RL? Can it support someone's weight? If not, how do you get up there for maintenance?


Regarding the roof, anybody know what type of rubber roof these trailers have? I need to have her get some lap sealant but not sure what kind of roof membrane they have.


Lastly, is there any battery cutoff on these campers? Or do you need to add one your self?


Any help is appreciated!

[notanlines]

Starting with the roof: Dicor 501LSW-1 Self-Leveling Lap Sealant is available at all RV dealers worth their salt. Don't walk on the roof, just slide a 4x4 piece of 3/8 or so plywood along and crawl along on it. It appears from the photos that this unit does NOT have a battery cutoff. Just disconnect the ground cable from the battery out front.
https://www.lifestylervs.com/product...ies-1042756-29

[travelin texans]

If it did come with a battery cut off from the factory it probably wouldn't totally disconnect all the parasitic drains & the battery would be dead in a week. Either disconnect the negative cable from the battery going directly to ground or add a disconnect to that cable or remove batteries to the garage & keep them on a battery tender checking water levels monthly.

[hlh1]

Originally Posted by Fasttimes

Hi folks, doing some homework on details of a 2020 Passport 2521RL and got a couple of questions. My sister has just purchased a lightly used one and I'm trying my best to help her out as I'm a pretty experienced RVer and she is a newb.



First off, can you walk on the roof of the Passport 2521RL? Can it support someone's weight? If not, how do you get up there for maintenance?


Regarding the roof, anybody know what type of rubber roof these trailers have? I need to have her get some lap sealant but not sure what kind of roof membrane they have.


Lastly, is there any battery cutoff on these campers? Or do you need to add one your self?


Any help is appreciated!

I have the 2520RL 2019 and there is no battery cutoff and I can't walk on the roof. I use a couple of 1/4 inch plywood squares to crawl around on the roof with. We have really liked this Keystone model as it's lite weight and has a lot of good features.

[Fasttimes]

Not walking on the roof seems really strange to me. How would they expect you to do maintenance? When they built the trailer someone had to go on the roof to install and apply things, I'm sure they had to walk around on that roof. Seems to me sliding around some plywood on the roof is just asking for the wood to damage the roof membrane.

[hlh1]

Originally Posted by Fasttimes

Not walking on the roof seems really strange to me. How would they expect you to do maintenance? When they built the trailer someone had to go on the roof to install and apply things, I'm sure they had to walk around on that roof. Seems to me sliding around some plywood on the roof is just asking for the wood to damage the roof membrane.

Well, it's what is required to truly be a "lite" trailer. Mine is 5000lbs "dry". And yes, I have to be careful when on the roof with plywood but I use two small pieces about 24" square and they're manageable.

[NH_Bulldog]

I have a Passport and the roof cannot be walked on in a regular sense. However, if you spread your weight across two trusses, there is no real issue. I use a 3’x3’ piece of 2” thick foam board when I am doing maintenance on the roof and have not had any issues. I am 6’4” and pushing 300 lbs. but again, I am not walking on the roof. As far as how they are built, watch any number of factory tour videos on YouTube and you will better understand. I reseal the roof accessories every year, have installed vent covers, and taken the AC unit apart to clean and service it and install a soft starter.

[wiredgeorge]

Anyone giving advice about crawling/walking on the roof of a light weight camper should be required to give their crawling/walking weight for context.

[hlh1]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Anyone giving advice about crawling/walking on the roof of a light weight camper should be required to give their crawling/walking weight for context.

Good point! I weigh 175.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Fasttimes

Not walking on the roof seems really strange to me. How would they expect you to do maintenance? When they built the trailer someone had to go on the roof to install and apply things, I'm sure they had to walk around on that roof. Seems to me sliding around some plywood on the roof is just asking for the wood to damage the roof membrane.

They didn't walk on it at the factory! They have catwalks on either side with a sliding walkway across the top used for all whether the roof is walkable or not.
If worried about damage put a piece carpet or foam under the wood or use thick pieces of foam board.
As George referred to, weight has a great deal to do with the size & thickness of whatever you use to distribute the weight.

[Cjblodgett]

We also have the same model, same year. We have not "walked on the roof". Lord knows we need to do our inspections after 2+ years.

More importantly, we installed a battery disconnect on the tongue, super easy and convenient. If you don't everything drains.

Now, I have a question for you. Have you thought about adding an outdoor access to the slide for the hard to reach under the dinette storage???

I am waiting for the warranty to expire to do mine. But, I am unable to get any specs on if there is wiring in the slide (for the access door to be installed). Has anyone modified their rig? I have a picture of exactly how it would look, if interested.

Oh, and the passport needs many upgrades, such as cheap bathroom fixtures, reinforced cabinet attachment, better lighting around control panels and lights in cabinets, and and and. I could go on. But, love the layout.

Cj

[NH_Bulldog]

I have thought about an exterior access door, but it would require cutting at least one if not two aluminum wall studs on the slide wall. That would negatively impact the rigidity of the slide structure in several ways, so I put the thought out of my mind. The time, effort and cost to install an access door (plus risk of structural issues) far eclipses any inconvenience I experience by simply pulling up the dinette cushion to access the space from inside.

At least for me, the cons outweigh the benefits.

[Cjblodgett]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

I have thought about an exterior access door, but it would require cutting at least one if not two aluminum wall studs on the slide wall. That would negatively impact the rigidity of the slide structure in several ways, so I put the thought out of my mind. The time, effort and cost to install an access door (plus risk of structural issues) far eclipses any inconvenience I experience by simply pulling up the dinette cushion to access the space from inside.

At least for me, the cons outweigh the benefits.

Were you able to get specs from Keystone on the slide? Do you know if it would be the same as on the 2521? I certainly would not want to compromise the slide. However, it seems that a small storage door could fit between the studs of the slide. I am still hoping.

[NH_Bulldog]

When the weather conditions are just right, you can “see” where all the structure components are by the condensation on the exterior. I have used a sharpie and marked with a discreet dot along the trim where all the studs and rafters are located on the sides, front, back and roof.

[Mike71954]

Originally Posted by Fasttimes

Not walking on the roof seems really strange to me. How would they expect you to do maintenance? When they built the trailer someone had to go on the roof to install and apply things, I'm sure they had to walk around on that roof. Seems to me sliding around some plywood on the roof is just asking for the wood to damage the roof membrane.

I have a 2016 Passport 195RB. I use a piece of high density 1 in thick polystyrene insulation panel to kneel on I find this works for me. Personally I would not try to walk on this roof. Good luck.

[Fasttimes]

Originally Posted by Mike71954

I have a 2016 Passport 195RB. I use a piece of high density 1 in thick polystyrene insulation panel to kneel on I find this works for me. Personally I would not try to walk on this roof. Good luck.

So how does one scrub and clean the roof? Move around the piece of panel while walking around with scrub brush and bucket? Seems like a major pain.



I'm 280 and walk all over my Winnebago Ultralite trailer. Is this a manufacture thing?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Fasttimes

So how does one scrub and clean the roof? Move around the piece of panel while walking around with scrub brush and bucket? Seems like a major pain.



I'm 280 and walk all over my Winnebago Ultralite trailer. Is this a manufacture thing?

It's pretty much an "industry thing", not exclusive to Keystone.

There's no way in the world to build a 4000 pound empty weight trailer that's 33' long without substantially reducing the weight of the materials that go into building it. That means ultra-light frames (NOCO) rather than heavy I-beams, lighter walls (thinner aluminum frames and smaller wood structure materials), smaller/lighter appliances, styrofoam floors in place of 7/8" plywood floors of 20 years ago.

Around 2012 or so, we were looking at a Flagstaff Ultra-Lite (or "Feather-Lite") fifth wheel. It had a styrofoam ceiling with minimal roof members and a 1/8" luan surface under the EPDM roof membrane. There was absolutely no way to walk on that roof system.

In nearly all travel trailers, the 1/2" plywood roof surface has been reduced to 3/8" or even 1/4". But the "moral of the story" is that it's not just the roof that's lighter and less sturdy, the ENTIRE trailer is built with lighter components and simply put, significantly less capable of supporting a "roof walker".

At nearly 300 pounds, I'd urge you to not consider walking on any "lite trailer" roof, regardless of manufacturer, without using some "weight dispersing mechanism" such as foam or plywood squares with carpet to prevent damage to the TPO membrane.

Also, remember that "driven vehicles" like motorhomes are constructed under entirely different "government requirements for safety" than travel trailers. And, with travel trailers, the industry has "fought tooth and nail" to prevent being "absorbed into the motorized vehicle categories" as well as fighting to prevent being "lumped into the same standards as mobile homes and double-wides".... Trailers are "a breed of their own" and the entire industry, more or less, follows the same construction techniques.

When you step back and look at the trailer industry as a whole, there's not much difference in any brand until you get into the "luxury/custom brands". Virtually all manufacturers, regardless of who owns the brand, are built using the same materials, same techniques and same limitations.

[Fasttimes]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

It's pretty much an "industry thing", not exclusive to Keystone.

There's no way in the world to build a 4000 pound empty weight trailer that's 33' long without substantially reducing the weight of the materials that go into building it. That means ultra-light frames (NOCO) rather than heavy I-beams, lighter walls (thinner aluminum frames and smaller wood structure materials), smaller/lighter appliances, styrofoam floors in place of 7/8" plywood floors of 20 years ago.

Around 2012 or so, we were looking at a Flagstaff Ultra-Lite (or "Feather-Lite") fifth wheel. It had a styrofoam ceiling with minimal roof members and a 1/8" luan surface under the EPDM roof membrane. There was absolutely no way to walk on that roof system.

In nearly all travel trailers, the 1/2" plywood roof surface has been reduced to 3/8" or even 1/4". But the "moral of the story" is that it's not just the roof that's lighter and less sturdy, the ENTIRE trailer is built with lighter components and simply put, significantly less capable of supporting a "roof walker".

At nearly 300 pounds, I'd urge you to not consider walking on any "lite trailer" roof, regardless of manufacturer, without using some "weight dispersing mechanism" such as foam or plywood squares with carpet to prevent damage to the TPO membrane.

Also, remember that "driven vehicles" like motorhomes are constructed under entirely different "government requirements for safety" than travel trailers. And, with travel trailers, the industry has "fought tooth and nail" to prevent being "absorbed into the motorized vehicle categories" as well as fighting to prevent being "lumped into the same standards as mobile homes and double-wides".... Trailers are "a breed of their own" and the entire industry, more or less, follows the same construction techniques.

When you step back and look at the trailer industry as a whole, there's not much difference in any brand until you get into the "luxury/custom brands". Virtually all manufacturers, regardless of who owns the brand, are built using the same materials, same techniques and same limitations.

That may be the case with these "light" trailers, but my "ulralite" trailer is rated to 300lbs roof access. They didn't put ladders on them for not to have access. My trailer is nearly 7000lbs. I've been walking on it for years.


But as you said, I can see it with these lighter trailers, but just don't' see the way to clean the roofs easily. Crawling around for inspections maybe, but a bucket and scrub brush sounds like a nightmare.

Either way, I'll let my sister know to put something up there to walk on.

[jb44588]

I have the 2020 Passport 3100BH and I can walk on my roof, no problem. You can call Keystone and they will tell you which roof you have and let you know if you walk on it. I have the Alpha Systems and I only use Dicor. Once you find out which you roof have, call the manufacture. I called Alpha and I learned a lot about the membrane, cleaning and maintenance. There is no battery disconnect, so I added one.

[CampNBrew2]

If you have the same tinfoil-thin roof trusses I do you'll definitely need something to span the load. A quick removal of the interior trim on a roof vent will show you what lies beneath her roof. Mine are galvanized stamped sheet metal, and calling them trusses is a stretch lol.
I clean mine from the side on a ladder with a pole mounted brush. I do use a board on a moving blanket while climbing around for resealing/inspection.