Need A New Roof & I'm Traveling

[oneway]

Looking at the weather, road reports, and maps it looks like SW bound to Knoxville area, then I-40 at least as far as Littlerock. Then I'll re evaluate from there.

[wildebill308]

Are you going to get your roof repaired in Texas or just go back to Ca.?

Bill

[oneway]

At this point the logistics of getting it fixed in TX are tough.

I need to be in Death Valley 3/30. I did like the Texas custom coach guy as well as Action RV.

The problem is we would have to drive back from TX to CA in the toad....a Jeep TJ with a 4" lift, and we have a golden retriever with us along with some valuables we don't really want to leave behind. Then I would have to fly back to TX for the return trip.

I leave for Alaska 6/1 but not in the RV, so I can give it up for a longer period when I get back.

We may still slip south after Little Rock depending on the weather so we'll just see what plays out. I know there is a Lazy Days in Tucson that does repairs and that's only 550 miles from home vs the 1500 from near San Antonio.

A little more tolerable so I may consider that option as well.

[oneway]

Update:

We left Roanoke Monday noon and went thru Gatlinburg to the distillery, now slightly off I-40 towards Chatanooga. We will try to go to the Tiffin factory in Red Bay AL and then possibly rejoin I-40 in Littlerock.

We couldn't give up the RV to Texas custom coach for the period of time they would need for the repair. We need something closer to home it seems.

[hermanmullins]

Oneway, I don't want to sound flippant, and I know you are very busy. So please don't take this the wrong way, but you may have to make some concessions to your schedule. Stop and think where you can reschedule your time so you can get the coach repaired before you do more damage.

We are on our way back to North Texas from Perry and are having to look at alternate routes due to the weather coming in. They are predicting heavy rains in Louisiana and Mississippi, and snow and freezing weather up on I-40 through Arkansas and Oklahoma. We are looking at going south to miss it.

Good luck on getting your roof repaired.

Herman

[oneway]

Herman,
No offense taken. None at all. I thought I had replied to this before, but I don't see my post. Let me tell you that yesterday we went to the Tiffin factory hoping for a tour and maybe some guidance on our roof. They only give tours at 9:30 am and it was 2:15 so we missed out but they guided us to Bunkhouse RV as a possible solution across the way.

I talked to the folks at Bunkhouse and they suggested putting a fiberglass roof over the existing rubber roof. I didn't like the idea for a couple of reasons. And they couldn't get me in right away anyway with the rains coming, so we moved on. We did ask if we could rent a spot under cover for the night somehow but they were unsympathetic to our plight.

We stopped at a 2nd shop who couldn't help us either and suggested that if Bunkhouse couldn't help us we might as well move on from the Red Bay Area.

We drove west and at Little Rock where the I-30 splits from I-40 we took a look again at the weather and decided to stay west on I-40.

We are currently in Russelville AR weathering a thunderstorm out. It's time to put faith in my tape job. After this line passes I'm hoping we can head west in the am in the clear.

The fact is we have tax appointments, and jury duty that can't be changed along with not being able to get in to a repair facility, or for that matter even get to a repair facility.

In CA I have a friend with an aircraft hangar that may be able to accommodate me until an appointment somewhere emerges. Other than that, it's duck and cover.

[manholt]

Oneway.

Hope your high and dry, somewhere. This Storm system is producing wind gusts in excess of 60+ mph...careful !

Have a good trip home.

Carl

[oneway]

Latest update:
We weathered that big storm, then ran SW out of Chocota OK towards DFW. Continued to join I-10 w bound to I-8 into Yuma. We blew a tire outside of Casa Grande on Saturday, got the spare on and limped into Yuma area. We are waiting to try and get 4 tires tomorrow before the final leg home. Now we have some body panel damages as well as the exhaust to repair on top of the roof damage.

Call me "lucky".

[blakeloke]

Oneway,

For the type of "luck" you are having you seem to be taking it in stride and better than I would. Good luck getting the remaining 4 tires and hope the rest of the trip into California is uneventful.

Blake

[mjs14]

Okay,

I should have explained in more detail so let me try. I wish I could post pictures here:

I have a TPO rubber roof (not EPDM).

The branch was huge. It fell so hard that it knocked the bulbs and covers off the interior light fixtures as well as cups,etc off the counter.

It not only penetrated the rubber roof membrane but it buckled the plywood base and exposed the styrofoam insulation. In more than 1 place. The gouges are so deep (easily 2" in places) that I wadded up some tin foil and shoved it inside the gash to provide "tenting" so water wouldn't pool there.

I then duct taped over each area. After I duct taped each of the areas (6), I then put sheet plastic over each area and duct taped again to maintain some water tight integrity.

I live in a small town and travel a bunch. There is no place near that can handle this job. Short of traveling to the Fleetwood factory there has to be someplace that has handled this type of repair on my way home. I was hoping someone here had an extensive roof repair done and could suggest a place.

I sent pictures to the customer service rep at the Fleetwood factory and she sent them to the service department which quoted me $38,000 to replace the whole roof and interior ceiling. There was no interior penetration so I don't get that part, but the labor alone was $30,000 at the factory.

I have contacted my insurance already. They will total my coach at that price and we just put a full new interior an new front tires on it.

So I believe that stripping the roof, new plywood and TPO membrane will fix it. Insurance estimates that can be done &10,000-$12,000 and I have never been down this road before.

Oh, and this was my 1st FMCA post. Long time Rv'er and just joined after Quartzsite in January.

From my experience with Never Leak RV Roofing in Florida they replaced my roof on a 36' 5er with wood replacement and a couple rafters new epdm rubber roof with a coating for under $6,000.00.

[oneway]

I'm really more concerned with the quality of repair than the price. I don't want a repair at any cost of course, and I don't need the cheapest. I want a quality dependable repair and a fair enough deal. Everyone's got to eat.
That being said it is an insurance claim job.

Here's the latest:
I successfully obtained 4 rear replacement tires today in Yuma thru the Michelin Advantage program. My wife and I actually believe we are getting a better ride with the switch from the Goodyear G670's we had in the rear. Interesting fact is that the RV next to mine was getting new Michelins after his tire blew (Michelin) while sitting in the campground. I never heard that before.

We drove to the Antelope Valley thru some hellacious wind where we are spending the night and will be home tomorrow when the wind dies down.

We have a plan to deliver the RV to a repair facility that can handle the roof and the blow out damage in about 2 weeks. That's the soonest we can do it. they will have the RV for a considerable time.

I'll report on the rest once it's finalized, and again after the repair.