Roofing. Let the games begin, Or, how I spent my summer.

CapnDirk · August 15, 2017, 10:10 AM

Since we can almost depend on the weather up here in August it is time to do the collapsed roof. Right rear area had totally sheered as I was about to find out. First pick shows roof with depression/sag in right rear area of AC. Next is how you can almost die in a fire from a mouse bed (:third one found in the coach) from the critter getting to the top of the fridge with a whole lot of paper towels on top of the coil. There must have been a tree lim on the roof as he had gotten under the bird screen for the vent cover.

Then we have the 2x1 inch ring of mose between the vents and the secondary cover. And notice the hole the the skylight in pic one. Everything came loose without too much trouble. Peeling the skin back was both easy and hard depending on where the skin glue had turned loose.

CapnDirk · August 15, 2017, 10:38 AM

Next pics show the sheered area right and back of the AC. The steel rib behind the ac had buckled and there is no structure but foam and lual crom there to the back cap.
My question is how did they get and arc to it when construction suggests that the ceiling and foam were done first anf then mounted to the walls followed by wiring, then roof ply, then aluminum skin?

The forum software will not allow me to post more pics saying the attachment already exists. Renaming the files results in the same message. I've tried six times.

Rickf1985 · August 15, 2017, 10:42 AM

That layout is exactly the same as mine so I will be watching this very closely. What is covering your roof? Is it thin aluminum? Are you removing that or going over it?

Rickf1985 · August 15, 2017, 10:50 AM

I have been using Postimage for my pics.

CapnDirk · August 15, 2017, 04:03 PM

The skin is aluminum and glued to the luan which is glued to the foam. The side rail of the roof on top of the wall is wood about 5" wide so I think I can notch it and add two more ribs. One problem I see is that one layer of the luan is still glued to the aluminum skin. Getting that off would be hell. Another problem is that the end of the roof is a few inches under the back cap. I sure don't want to take the back cap off to turn loose the roof.

Rickf1985 · August 15, 2017, 05:33 PM

OUCH!!!!!!!!!! Damn, You have more guts than me doing that outside! It would have been raining right in on me by now. Plus I need to take too many breaks due to my back. I need to have it under cover. I think that is what my Pace Arrow will look like. Your roof transitions differently on the side it looks like.

CapnDirk · August 16, 2017, 10:18 AM

Wish I did have some cover, but that would cost.

Latest activity last night. I found no way to get the the back of the roof to turn it loose . The back cap comes up and over a good five inches. This ewas not what I wanted to hear. So, pull all the screws on the side trim pieces where the back cap meets the wall. Removed the rear window frame inside but still not enough movement. Removed window outside and found skin had some glue whet it met the sheet metal outside of the back wall. Still not enough give, and found the junk bin over the spare tire was also screwed through the fiberglass to the wall. Once removed, the back cap tipped back.

Now, whats holding that last steel rib to the top of the wall? I figured the factory would have screwed downward to the top of the wall but NOOOOOO!! Horizontal from the back forward. And as you can see, they did not spare the screws. It's going to be fun getting those out.

Total time for side molding, back window, other screws, 1.5 hours and some of that was a good many screws that would just turn.

CapnDirk · August 16, 2017, 10:19 AM

And now the back of the roof exposed.

Rickf1985 · August 16, 2017, 10:30 AM

Any chance you could get a couple pics from a little further back? Sort of a overall shot of the back cap from the side. This is going to be the deciding factor in whether I do mine or not. Mine is nowhere near as bad as yours but I can feel it did get wet at one time before I finally found all the leaks.

CapnDirk · August 16, 2017, 10:41 AM

From the ground or elevation? You want to see the whole back end? I think an hour and a half is pretty good to turn loose the end cap. Got bless the inventor of the cordless screw gun.

Rickf1985 · August 16, 2017, 10:55 AM

I guess probably from the side at ground level. It looks like your roof to side transition is a straight 90 degree turn? Mine is a rounded cap. Here is a pic of mine. I know I have better pics but I have to find them.

WrigleysBraveWin · August 16, 2017, 12:02 PM

Pics of the top, overview!

CapnDirk · August 16, 2017, 03:59 PM

Rick, Looks like the same thing other than mine has that continental kit spare tire cover and the dog leg ladder back cap rolls to the side wall, and roof rolls the roof about 4 inches. Your trim piece is streight up and down where they meet, and mine is dog leg. Will post pics tonight.

Wrigley: Not sure what you mean?

Edit: Just re-read your post Rick and think I understand your question better: In my hand drawn diagram above the roof meets the side wall with a large quarter round (not shown) Hooks upward on that J piece and rolls onto the roof and screws down the the wood in the diagram. Once screws and glue were cut loose it fell right off.

Rickf1985 · August 16, 2017, 06:59 PM

I can't find my pics of when I caulked the roof to side seam. They might be on a different computer, I will look in a bit. That will show quite well how my roof edge is.

CapnDirk · August 16, 2017, 10:08 PM

Work day four tonight was pretty good and the coach Gods smiled at me. I was dreading trying to get out those 30 some screws that went horizontal into the rear roof steel rib as there was no way to get a straight on hit with an impact gun with the cap only back 4 inches from the end of the roof. I decided to give my 1/4 air ratchet a try with a Philips bit expecting to strip out the center, or snap the head off. The first one stripped out, and the rest came out willingly. What are the odds.

The rear five feet of roof are now loose as a section and since that section is only a sandwich of foam and two luan sheets with one of the two side rails with it, it should be easy to get it on the ground.

Another shot of the end cap.

CapnDirk · August 19, 2017, 09:23 PM

More progress.

Most of the failed roof is on the ground now. I was surprised to find steel straps glued into the mix but then realized that they were backings for screwing the ceiling cabinetry up. No attachment to the steel ribs, just floating.

Wood side rails rest on the top of the walls with ceiling paneling below and roof paneling above. A few steel ribs are in there, but the back 5 feet is just foam and paneling clear span. Not necessarily good, as a person going up on that ladder is going to step on to no substantial structure.

The picture of the roof on the ground is back end on the right. The little gap on the left is the failed steel rib behind the AC unit. Only one rib failed structurally, but they are REALLY rusty to the point ff bubbling. These ribs were not painted or galvanized. A clear indication that they were only intended to survive beyond warranty.