A friend of ours, an RV industry insider who knows as much about RV repair and maintenance as anyone, once suggested a project to the leaders of the RV Industry Association that would help RVers maintain and repair their RVs. As an example, he suggested they could learn how to maintain and, if necessary, repair a roof leak. The two executives responded: “Oh, no, RV roofs never leak,” and they then added, “And RVs don’t break down either.”
The RV industry stance is exactly that. These industry leaders would rather keep the idea of a roof leak quiet—no need to concern any potential RV buyers about how a roof that is not well-maintained can cause damage that could result in thousands of dollars in repairs, if not $10,000 or more.
But as most veteran RVers know, RV roofs do, indeed, leak. And when they do, if the leak is not fixed or is simply ignored, it can all but doom an RV’s use without the owner coughing up a chunk of his kid’s college fund to repair it.
Ever seen an RV with a blue tarp strapped over its roof? There’s a good chance it’s because the rig was leaking and the RVer was not flush with cash to fix it. A $19 investment at Harbor Freight could, at least, stop the water intrusion while the RVer waited to win the lottery.
What about you? Has your present RV or one you previously owned ever had a serious leak that cost you a few years of lunch money to fix? Inquiring minds want to know.
And, please, leave a comment.
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Not expensive, but rather time consuming.
No roof leak but did have a hidden window frame leak that required replacement of the entire front wall of my previous TT
One of the best ways to prevent a roof leak is with preventive maintenance. Get up on the roof and look for anything that looks questionable. Dried and cracked sealant is one of the biggest problems. Caulking around vents, skylights, and anything that attaches to the roof, such as ladders, antennas. Plus, where the roof meets the front cap.
Also check for any holes and tears.
It’s not hard to remove most of the old sealant, clean and apply new sealant. It just takes time.
I said no but technically it may not be true. I had a big branch come through the roof that ended up totaling the RV. It wasn’t a repair, it was beyond repair damage that resulted in the insurance company totaling it.
expensive roof leak? I found two roof leaks at each end of my toy hauler and I did not fix the leaks, Instead I sold the RV for about half of what I would have sold it for without the leaks, and damage. It was the best solution.
We had a tree branch fall on the roof of our class A motorhome 4/20, for the ultimate roof leak. An insurance claim of $19K, all is good, no leaks since. Progressive insurance was great to work with.
Now you have a salvage title?
Preventive maintenance is key! It takes a lot more time and money for a repair than the maintenance.
It wasn’t a ‘roof’ leak, but a bad wall to floor seal on a slide room. The slide room in question was our kitchen. rain water got under an aluminum water shield under the RV frig. The shield was designed to keep defrosting water from getting to the floor. The shield then prevented the water from evaporating. Instead it rotted out the floor under the frig. Mostly due to labor to dismantle and reinstall the kitchen, replacing the floor cost $7K, Our RV insurance covered all but our $100 deductible.
We’ve had five fiberglass campers and none have ever leaked:
2000 Scamp 16
2007 Casita 17
2003 Bigfoot 25RQ
2018 Escape 5.0
2016 Bigfoot 25RQ
Pure fiberglass campers don’t leak at seams holding panels together or rubber roofs being cut by overhead branches, and there are other reasons non- fiberglass camper constantly complain about leaks.
Seams needed more sealant covered under warranty.
I’ve owned 9 motorhomes and other than the 1st one, I’ve never had a roof leak. That’s because I started using Eternabond over 20 years ago on all roof seams. I’ve kept several of those RV’s for many years and the Eternabond tape never deteriorated. Some people don’t like it, but I swear by it. No Leaks Ever!
same here…got tired of the endless sealant dance on the roof seams. Tape looks as new as the day I applied it.
I answered yes, but it was more roof damage. Tree landed on back AC unit during storm and smashed unit 4 inches deep. Had to replace AC unit, supporting structure and ceiling in bath. Opted for an entire new roof instead of patching because rig was 21 years old and we were full time. Got Flex Armor roof with life time warranty. $5000 for entire job in 2021.
Yes. Last year, my then 19 year old Salem LE leaked after an unusual winter where we had a big snow storm and then freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw, over and over. That split the front seam resulting in a leak and soft roofing at the front. So I had a choice, give away the rv, junk it, or fix it. I’m the original owner so I had it fixed for $4600 (complete roof replacement along with trim). Add in a new bathroom fan, awning, and tv antenna for a few bucks more. So now I have a 20 year old rv and chances are it will outlast me at my age.
I have a 2023 Winnebago View. After about 6 months, we noticed water under the front bunk area. It would leak out the center overhead console when we started to drive. Over the course of 3 years, we had the entire roof resealed twice (once by the dealer, once by Winnebago factory service center), plus several patch repairs. Nothing seemed to work, so I took on the work myself. So far, I have been as good as the professionals. Since I live in an area with little rain, I take a gallon of water and pour it over a spot, then wait a few hours to see if that’s where the leak is. I’ll keep going until I find it.
Have had a “roof” leak twice, once with each RV. In both cases the culprit was the sealant, or lack thereof, around a front marker light. In both cases the culprit was discovered and remedied within a day or two. Further, the rain that drew attention to the mis-sealed marker light ended and no damage occurred. Have a great week and safe travels!
had 2 leaks different times fixed them my self
Roof leak survey should have a third vote: Not yet