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   Thor Forums > Thor Tech Forums > Maintenance and Repair
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-08-2019, 12:05 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
jeffpiercemagic's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Quantum RW28
State: Florida
Posts: 149
THOR #15031
Roof Bubbling

So this weekend I went up on my roof and noticed a few things. First, when laid, the rook does not seem to be straight. Second, there seem to be bubbles on one corner, third, there are deep cracks in some of the bonding material. A Thor rep said this is normal and should be found in a annual inspection for maintenance. I say the rig is only 5 months old and i don't think this is normal.

Any thoughts?

Jeff
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	1.jpg
Views:	195
Size:	264.1 KB
ID:	20721   Click image for larger version

Name:	2.jpg
Views:	201
Size:	238.3 KB
ID:	20722  


__________________
jeffpiercemagic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 12:44 PM   #2
Site Team
 
16ACE27's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: Florida
Posts: 14,123
THOR #7035
The bubbles are just poor workmanship but probably no cause for concern. The cracks in the lap sealant is indeed why you need to inspect and reseal at least every year with self-leveling lap sealant (Dicor is one brand) and why Thor only warrants the roof installation for 90 days.
__________________
Ted & Melinda
2016 ACE 27.1
2016 Chevy Sonic Toad - Selling
2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Runner Toad
2024 Chevrolet Trax 2RS - Soon 2B TOAD
16ACE27 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 01:21 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 ACE 29.3
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 242
THOR #4359
I got tired of constently maintaining the dicor lap sealent on these joints...
I removed the dicor sealent and put eternabond tape over on the front and back joints.
Took me a few hours but no more maitinence...
__________________
Tom and Jen
2015 ACE 29.3
Mousemate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 08:24 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Forest River Forester 235
State: Indiana
Posts: 4,883
THOR #6826
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffpiercemagic View Post
So this weekend I went up on my roof and noticed a few things. First, when laid, the rook does not seem to be straight. Second, there seem to be bubbles on one corner, third, there are deep cracks in some of the bonding material. A Thor rep said this is normal and should be found in a annual inspection for maintenance. I say the rig is only 5 months old and i don't think this is normal.



Any thoughts?



Jeff


It certainly could be neater but I don’t think this is abnormal or that it will cause any problem. Roof seals need to be addressed every two or three months. There is a lot of flex in an RVs structure and the roof takes a lot of heat and UV. There is a reason Thor and other manufacturers tell you to service sealing at least quarterly and only warranty them for 90 days. Dealers don’t tell you this or stress it enough when you buy but leaks can be quite subtle and are easily overlooked. They are common though and very damaging. Personally, I’m on my roof with fresh dicor at least every other month. Windows and side penetrations too!
__________________
Pete'sMH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 08:43 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Judge's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2020 Magnitude SV34
State: Florida
Posts: 4,147
THOR #12751
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mousemate View Post
I got tired of constently maintaining the dicor lap sealent on these joints...
I removed the dicor sealent and put eternabond tape over on the front and back joints.
Took me a few hours but no more maitinence...

I just picked up a 2020 Magnitude. I think I am going to put Eternabond on all of the joints right out of the gate.

I'm just trying to decide if I want to pull up the Dicor or just tape over it since it is fresh and will be protected from the weather.

How hard was it to remove the Eternabond and what method did you use so as not to damage the roof?
__________________
Judge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 08:48 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Judge's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2020 Magnitude SV34
State: Florida
Posts: 4,147
THOR #12751
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffpiercemagic View Post
So this weekend I went up on my roof and noticed a few things. First, when laid, the rook does not seem to be straight. Second, there seem to be bubbles on one corner, third, there are deep cracks in some of the bonding material. A Thor rep said this is normal and should be found in a annual inspection for maintenance. I say the rig is only 5 months old and i don't think this is normal.

Any thoughts?

Jeff

I agree with the general thoughts that this is poor workmanship is more cosmetic than anything else. The TPO is one piece and it looks like it was just not put on evenly.

I would not walk on the areas where it is bubbled up in cold weather because the TPO may be more brittle and I would not want to risk causing it to crack.

I would go the Eternabond tape route over continually maintaining it with Dicor. Depending on your weather, usage, etc., you will have to be inspecting it on a regular basis and fixing areas of sealant otherwise.
__________________
Judge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 09:08 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 29M
State: Texas
Posts: 2,672
THOR #11781
Another vote for poor workmanship on the roof installation, my 2018 is similar. I clean my roof twice a year and do the dicor refresh. I always find a crack or ten and have been thinking about the eternabond. Does every speck of dicor have to be removed before applying the tape?
__________________
Lt Keefer
2018 Hurricane 29M
CHF, Saf-T-Plus, SumoSprings
Lt Keefer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 09:27 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Forest River Forester 235
State: Indiana
Posts: 4,883
THOR #6826
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lt Keefer View Post
Another vote for poor workmanship on the roof installation, my 2018 is similar. I clean my roof twice a year and do the dicor refresh. I always find a crack or ten and have been thinking about the eternabond. Does every speck of dicor have to be removed before applying the tape?


I don’t see any reason to remove the old sealant before applying the tape. I think the tape would be quite difficult to remove. I haven’t considered doing this but I have wondered a time or two why they don’t apply this stuff at the factory.
__________________
Pete'sMH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2019, 10:13 PM   #9
Site Team
 
16ACE27's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: Florida
Posts: 14,123
THOR #7035
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete'sMH View Post
I don’t see any reason to remove the old sealant before applying the tape. I think the tape would be quite difficult to remove. I haven’t considered doing this but I have wondered a time or two why they don’t apply this stuff at the factory.
Cost
__________________
Ted & Melinda
2016 ACE 27.1
2016 Chevy Sonic Toad - Selling
2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Runner Toad
2024 Chevrolet Trax 2RS - Soon 2B TOAD
16ACE27 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2019, 02:03 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 ACE 29.3
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 242
THOR #4359
I removed the dicor so that the tape had over a inch or two on each side of the moulding. I think I used the 6" tape.
I used a heat gun on the dicor and it came right off . The most time was installing the new tape and making sure I got it all rollered down.
__________________
Tom and Jen
2015 ACE 29.3
Mousemate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2019, 10:46 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Thomas M's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: FourWinds SK 35
State: Virginia
Posts: 251
THOR #4706
Can you take a picture I would like to see the finish sounds like good idea
__________________
Thomas M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2019, 06:48 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 ACE 29.3
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 242
THOR #4359
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas M View Post
Can you take a picture I would like to see the finish sounds like good idea
Sorry for taking awile ...was away this past weekend and the internet was poor.
See attached pics of the front and rear
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	roof front.jpg
Views:	179
Size:	59.1 KB
ID:	20819   Click image for larger version

Name:	roof.jpg
Views:	181
Size:	77.5 KB
ID:	20820  

__________________
Tom and Jen
2015 ACE 29.3
Mousemate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2019, 08:22 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Florida
Posts: 1,241
THOR #1249
It is one of the first things I do on all the RV's I have had is install Eternabond tape on the front and rear joints. I have never removed the lap sealant though and no leaks at those two joints, but have other places oh yeah. I do clean the lap sealant with paint thinner followed up with alcohol or other non residue solvent and let dry before installation of tape.
__________________
Former owner of 2015 Thor Vegas 24.1 in Ocala
mcr1010 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2019, 12:39 AM   #14
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: California
Posts: 14
THOR #16214
That is unbelievable. I would think it is a repair. You got this new from a dealer? I have a 35' Thor, 1997. I just removed the epdm and replaced all of the wood as well as added more 1"x1" cross supports. I then installed a whole new piece of rubber the whole length of the coach. It was my 1st time doing this. It looks great. I would be ashamed if my roof membrane had turned out like that. Wonder if there may be signs that it was a repair. The factory would not apply that much sealant as far as I know. I say this only because I am sure to paid a good dollar for a new coach. I would see if an independent thought it might be a repair. You may have some recourse. $
__________________
55Pont is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2019, 02:44 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 29M
State: Texas
Posts: 2,672
THOR #11781
Quote:
Originally Posted by 55Pont View Post
That is unbelievable. I would think it is a repair. You got this new from a dealer? I have a 35' Thor, 1997. I just removed the epdm and replaced all of the wood as well as added more 1"x1" cross supports. I then installed a whole new piece of rubber the whole length of the coach. It was my 1st time doing this. It looks great. I would be ashamed if my roof membrane had turned out like that. Wonder if there may be signs that it was a repair. The factory would not apply that much sealant as far as I know. I say this only because I am sure to paid a good dollar for a new coach. I would see if an independent thought it might be a repair. You may have some recourse. $
Based on my roof, this is not a repair just another example of Thor's poor quality.
__________________
Lt Keefer
2018 Hurricane 29M
CHF, Saf-T-Plus, SumoSprings
Lt Keefer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2019, 05:48 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Ewok's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Windsport 34P
State: Arizona
Posts: 131
THOR #5872
roof

Mine is the same way. Thor told me that it is not glued on the outside edges to allow for movement as you drive the rig. After all it is a moving earth quake.
__________________
Alan
US Navy E5
Vietnam Vet
Retired mechanic
Ewok is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2019, 11:21 PM   #17
Junior Member
 
Brand: KZ RV
Model: Sporttrek Touring 302VRB
State: Illinois
Posts: 8
THOR #16579
Poor workmanship for sure, but unfortunately not surprising. Just learn more about your rig and do the inspections as you have been. I second Eternabond.
__________________
FrankT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2019, 02:17 AM   #18
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Quantum RS26
State: Texas
Posts: 22
THOR #12938
Had the same issue with a 2005 Coachmen Aurora. Made the mistake of not inspecting the roof prior to taking delivery. Discovered it the first time I climbed up to clean the roof. I took pictures and showed them to a local RV repair facility who told me it was a common issue on all brands. Once the adhesive is applied to the roof there is a limited time to roll on the EPDM or TPO. Air can get trapped or wrinkles develop as the material is applied and many times it cannot be peeled back in time to reapply it. I lived with the wrinkles and bubbles for 18 years with no problems. It’s mostly a cosmetic problem.
I also applied Etrnabond at the front and rear caps and roof joints. Best mod I made before opting to downsize. This is my 4th M/H from 4 different manufacturers including Winnebago, Fleetwood, Coachmen, and now Thor and all had problems small and large.
I once asked a RV service tech if spending more on a coach would result in fewer problems and his response was “million dollar coaches have million dollar problems, be happy with what you have”.
__________________
Richie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2019, 02:03 AM   #19
Junior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Four Winds
State: Texas
Posts: 9
THOR #14721
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffpiercemagic View Post
So this weekend I went up on my roof and noticed a few things. First, when laid, the rook does not seem to be straight. Second, there seem to be bubbles on one corner, third, there are deep cracks in some of the bonding material. A Thor rep said this is normal and should be found in a annual inspection for maintenance. I say the rig is only 5 months old and i don't think this is normal.

Any thoughts?

Jeff
I have the exact same bubble problem on my roof after I went up this weekend to inspect it! I have a 2019 Thor Four Winds 28z and it's less than 9 months old. Very disappointing!
__________________
JeffTX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2019, 02:56 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 22E
State: New York
Posts: 322
THOR #12119
I used Eternabond on an older RV roof and it works great, for extra seal tight protection I used Dicor lap sealant on all the edges of the Eternabond tape.
__________________
bry899 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

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
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thor Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.




All times are GMT. The time now is 11:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2