Wrinkling Rubber Roof - Any Experts on the Subject?

[xscursion]

The rubber roof on our 2 year-old coach is wrinkling at the radius corners. The manufacturer is telling us this is normal and they will not do any repairs at this time. Our warranty runs out in October. We are not sure what to make of this. We don't know anything about this but are not happy campers, and feel the manufacturer just is not standing behind their product. We do understand shrinkage and expansion, but we are talking about "wrinkling," which appears to be more than an acceptable amount and are very concerned with possibility of cracking and leakage. It was not like that when we purchased it new. One corner, the driver's corner, has no wrinkling whatsoever. We feel it is a manufacturing defect and should be taken care of by the manufacturer. Anybody have personal or professional experience with this? Would appreciate any information. Thank you very much.

[JerryH]

You need to put pressure on the manufacturer as they are just "buying time" until your warranty expires. What is your dealer's position on this? You need to take photos and document all your conversations with times and dates with both. If you have to file litigation in the future, this information will be a plus for you. This will eventually be an expensive repair on your part, if not handled now.
Jerry
_________________
International 4700 Custom Tow Truck &
38' King of the Road fifth wheel.
"Running the roads seeing God's Great Creation."

[Motor31]

Keep in mind that documentation needs to be specific and "official". I'd write a letter to the dealer and the manufacturer outlining the problem, disputing their claim it's "normal" and send it registered return receipt requested. Keep a copy of the letters and the receipts for later use if they prove recalcitrant. You might also contact an RV ombudsman and or the BBB in the area pertinant to each.
_________________
Mike, Nancy and the Fuzzies
2005 MS 38 RL3
2001 Volvo MH (HDT)
2004 R1150RT (piggyback)
1996 Jeep Cherokee (toad)

[xscursion]

Thank you everyone for your responses. We really appreciate the input. The dealer we purchased from is in another state and they were awful when we purchased, so don't feel they would be of any assistance whatsoever. The total problem we feel is FLEETWOOD, THE MANUFACTURER OF OUR 2004 FLEETWOOD EXCURSION. As you mentioned, we also feel they are putting us off while our warranty expires. I have indeed keep a record of names, dates, etc. with regard to this matter. My letter writing campaign is about to begin. Have been waiting to land for the season so I may do so. To be more specific about the wrinkling, it is occuring only on the radius corners of the coach, 3 corners with the exception of the drivers corner. We haved been working on this since January. We asked Fleetwood initially if we could bring the coach to the factory for repair and they refused. Have had the coach to 2 dealers. The dealers and Fleetwood are playing cat and mouse, dealers claiming Fleetwood isn't willing to pay them for enough hours to do the repair properly, which of course would leave them looking to us for the balance on the repair. The first dealer said they could not do it, said call Fleetwood. We did and they directed us to the second dealer. We asked the second dealer for an estimate, prior to their contacting Fleetwood regarding warranty. $2800 - on a 2 year old coach and the manufacturing doesn't want to cover it???????????? I am appalled, disappointed, disgusted and very angry at Fleetwood. All we are asking is that they stand behind their product. We purchased Fleetwood because we felt they were an old reliable company who has been in business for many years and expected to be taken care of should we have a problem. By the way, did everyone hear about the law suit Fleetwood just lost for $5000+ over their failure to take care of repairs on one of their motor homes????????? Will post any developments as they occur. Thanks again everyone.

[jeffreywg]

I would try writing a letter to Motorhome Magazine. They have a forum where they will investigate problems and act as a go-between between you and the dealer and/or manufacturer. They have a very high success rate. This definitely sounds like a problem they would be willing to help with. This situation is by no means "normal." Your dealer and Fleetwood should be put in their places. You can access Motorhome Magazine at their website. It will be interesting to see this covered in the magazine. Good Luck.

Jeff

[TonyK]

My Fleetwood Bounder has been doing the same thing since I've owned it (5 years). I don't think it hurts anything. I think that it just expands and contracts at a different rate than the roof underneath it. When they made the roof with aluminum, they tried to wrinkle too. They didn't roll over the edge where you could see it so easily, but they never laid flat all the time. Hope this helps

[Catdave]

The majority of the membrane-type roofs I've seen over the years have been wrinkled in the corners (and many along the edges too) regardless of coach or roof material manufacturer. And having just spent a few days at a very large dealership last week getting my rig serviced I can tell you that many motorhomes and trailers of all brands have wrinkled roofs sitting on the lot brand new. This would lead me to the conclusion that such is the norm. That may not make you feel any better however it has been my experience.

While I'm no expert on your roof, I can hazard a guess at the sequence of events that may have taken place at Fleetwood:

You made them aware of your concerns with the roof. I would imagine that Fleetwood's technical department consulted with the TPO roof manufacturer's engineers and determined that the wrinkling would not likely pose a problem during the normal service life of the roof and therefore does not need to be fixed or repaired for anything other than cosmetic reasons. (This would be understandable taking into consideration the nature of membrane-type roofs.) If this is the case and the roof manufacturer's engineering dept. says there is no problem other than your dislike for the wrinkles, and there is no physical damage present, case closed. You can fight till the cows come home but all it'll do is cost you aggravation, and if you take it to court, legal fees. A consumer's opinion that something "looks" defective vs. an engineer's expert assessment that there is no defect, well, it's not too difficult to figure out which way that decision will go.
Again, this is just my guess as to how such a situation may have been handled.

Fleetwood knows that if the roof fails while under warranty and interior damage is done to the coach, they are responsible. This is why it is very important for you to send registered letters to both Fleetwood and your dealer outlining (with pictures) your concerns while the coach is still under warranty. This will strengthen your position down the road in the event the roof begins to have serious problems.

In no way am I defending Fleetwood, nor am I supporting your position- I'm just trying to see both sides of the issue neutrally. I don't think Fleetwood is blowing you off till the warranty expires- they may just believe that $2800 for a roof repair is unacceptable given there is no damage due to water intrusion or other evidence of a defect. If I were the manufacturer and there was no evidence of any other problems other than the customer didn't like the way it looked, I doubt I'd pay to fix it either.
However, you have every right to be concerned as a roof is not a cheap item to replace. You can always try the magazine assistance folks, though with no water damage or leaks to present as evidence of a defect I wouldn't hold my breath for help from them either. But hey- it's worth a try...
Cover all your bases with registered letters and photos to protect your interests, and if Fleetwood continues to refuse to replace the roof, go about the business of enjoying your coach. Fleetwood has a pretty good reputation for customer support even after the warranty expires (within reason) especially when a problem was documented before warranty expiration. Hopefully the issue will never need to be pursued, but if it does all of your ducks will be in a row and Fleetwood will likely step up to the plate and provide any repairs necessary.

Best of luck and keep us updated on the situation.
_________________
2006 Fleetwood Excursion 39L
Spartan & 350 CAT
FMCA F349619

[thecheds]

Is there anyone who will come out and repair or replace the rubber roof, or does the trailer have to be brought in?, Also, about how much would this cost on a 33' 5th wheel trailer?
Thanks for any help.
Thecheds
_________________
Kamp Katrina

[sundevil6]

I'm having one put on my 30 ft. Class C and it's almost $3000.00. Can you say OUCH!! I wouldn't want them to do it anywhere but at their shop. Too much involved.