cool buddy, I may be askin you for tech advise to do it, lets hope not.

 

Speaking of resealing a skylight...

Any tips? 2007 Prowler, the skylight over the tub rotted and started cracking in late 2008 (I was not a happy camper >:-( ) I had just patched it to prevent leaks, but the rot got quite a bit worse, and the thing is basically disintegrating.

I am planning to measure it and get a replacement, but I'd hate for the same thing to happen again. My other idea was to make my own flat replacement out of lexan and cloud it.

 

Hi Rebel,

Skylights, man if I just had a nickel for every one I have tried to reseal. The single worse source for water leaks without a doubt. As you discovered, they handle sunlight very badly and become brittle very quickly. When I work with someone on a roof, my first rule is no one touch the skylight. I have had my hand go through more than one with virtually no pressure.

You can certainly try to make your own, but replacing what you have would be simpler. The existing skylight is likely Dicored in place and Dicor comes up pretty easily. I normally just use the edge of my thumb to free it from the rubber roof or, if necessary, a dull knife so as not to tear the rubber roofing, once it is unscrewed. Really not a big deal if you do, but just saves time, if you don't.

Some of the sizes are hard to find as Fleetwood was bad to use suppliers that did not always last long. If you tell me the size, I tell you what it is supposed to cost at the dealer's, provided I have a listing.

On any Fleetwood products, pay particular attention to the seals around the perimeter of the roof. Fleetwood barely carries the rubber roofing over the edge and into the insert molding, so leaks can cause damage very quickly, once they start. I encourage folks to "walk the edge" every spring and summer and reseal with Dicor self-leveling or comparable. The roof will usually go 12-15 years with nothing other than cleaning, unless a tree runs into it .

Good luck,

Steve

 

The hole is 22" x 14".

I don't know which was cause or effect, but the board that the skylight is on is warping which I believe has caused extra sress on the skylight...which cracked, which leaks... The board has not warped enough to tear the rubber, but more than I want to see. The local dealership that used to sell Prowler here said to just leave it alone as trying to repair the board would be more of a hastle than it is worth as long as it doesn't start leaking or come completely loose.

My plan is to just watch it and see how long it'll hold out before I just get an entirely new roof... probably fiberglass, hopefully fiberglass & aluminum.

 

I'm not sure who does high-end roof replacements in fiberglass or aluminum, although aluminum is easy to order by the foot in ample widths. Other than the cost, it is not harder to use than rubber as you can let the entire sheet float. The going rate for reroofing in rubber around here is $100 per foot of camper length, although it can be done for much less.

If it is just warping and the skylight is intact, you may want to consider sealing the perimeter of the skylight with Eternabond as many techs do. Eternabond with Dicor around the perimeter of the pieces really holds up very well.

I do agree with the dealer that reframing the opening for the skylight can really be a pain as you do have to open the roof and the interior opening. I probably don't need to say anything about the quality control in these things. Real job security for techs.

Steve

 

The outer skylight is shattered. Basically held together with duct tape right now. I'm sure it will disintegrate when I unscrew it. It has to be replaced.

the inner is already off. I got lucky that the skylight is over the tub... I just let it run through the grey tank and into the sewer when it rains.

The worst warping is on the other side of the trailer from the light, but the whole board now has a curve to it.

 

Man, have I seen that scenario about a thousand times.

Steve

 

It sounds like you have some water problems - from the warpage you mentioned.

Also, heck yeah - if the mounting surface for the skylight isn't flat it's sure to put a lot of stress on the dome. It may be possible to apply something like BONDO to the mating surface and sand it flat - then coat it with fiberglass to ensure that it's water sealed. NOT AS GOOD an answer as re-framing it, but potentially faster and less expensive. One reason it might not last is if the underlying frame continues to bow it will split the bondo off no matter what you do.

I would actually consider cutting a 1/4" thick flat plexiglass panel to lay over it, with screw holes all around the edges to be the replacement, because it would be a lot more flexible than a cast bubble, it's fairly easy to get, and it's a reasonably inexpensive material.

PLEXIGLASS can also BE SHAPED TO FIT by heating it with a heat gun after it is installed, or you can bend a metal sheet to fit the curve exactly - heat the plexy panel in an ELECTRIC (never gas!) oven to about 220 - 240 degrees while it is on top of that fitted metal sheet, and it will assume the exact shape of the metal mold... Most ovens are big enough to do that in.
*One of my first jobs after high school in the seventies was fabricating things out of plexiglass (AKA: Acrylic) tubes and sheets
I seldom talk about it though, because it was not a place that looks good on a resume.

If you do that, be sure to apply a layer of plumbers tape all around the edges under the plexi, and seal it on top with DICOR -going around the edges and over the screws so that nothing can get in anywhere.

Clear plexi can be "FROSTED" by sanding it, or you may want to leave it clear just to be different!

On roof coatings:

I don't really like the idea of aluminum roofs because I have seen a few that got acid-pinholed from leaves laying on them where they were stored. I recal in particular a "HI-LO" rig that I worked on at D&N that had a roof that was completely "Swiss Cheesed" with tiny holes.

Fiberglass can be a problem because hail can crack the daylights out of it from stem to stern!

Think it over carefully, and get as many opinions as you can before tackling that one.

 

Hi Greywolf,

I don't think there is a perfect answer. It is hard to beat rubber in terms of cost and flexibility, but I like Brite Tek better than plain EDPM, if for no other reason appearance. I haven't seen one piece aluminum for a while. I think Jayco was the last one using it. I liked the way Newmar offers options in terms of roofing, although I am not sure they do it with their towables. I also like Sunnybrook. From what I see on the lots, the big players are just sloppy with their construction. Of course, Excel does an incredible job with their honey comb fiberglass roofs. I don't think you could even shoot through, but the entry fee is nose bleed high!

You could probably also use plexi inside, possible using a foam gasket if the warp is too bad.

I think the key is making it look profession, no matter what you choose.

I have used the oven trick in the past but I haven't done it enough to be good with it.

Steve

 

yeah, that's what I was getting at with the lexan idea. the area with the skylight doesn't seem to be warped too much, but like RV_Tech pointed out earlier. Those things can get weak. There is a hole through this one right now, where I was gently applying duct tape... Knowing the force it took to do that, any expansion of the trailer could have easily caused the cracks that are present.

I'll give that a shot tomorrow... if nothing else it'll be harder to catch with a tree.

I'm not sure I want a clear skylight over my shower... but then again, maybe it would help me wake up in the mornings.

 

NNNNNNNAW! Ya THINK???
Shucks - I've found whole boxes of hardware inside of brand new ALFA fivers in areas you don't get to unless you open up the bottom.

The bright side to plexi (Acrylic, LEXAN, et all...) is that it can be easily shaped with a heatgun or the like. Also - it is forgiving of scratches. You can glaze plexi to a renewed clearness with a few passes of a portable oxy/acetalene torch which causes high spots to melt into low areas.

Sort of like running a hair drier over a scratched ice cube and letting it re-freeze.

Believe it or not...

DEEP scratches do need to be sanded - it won't work well on a serious "GOUGE"

But then - it's cheaply replaceable isn't it?

*A nice frosted appearance can be done by using a nine dollar sand blaster from any auto parts store to dust one side at about forty PSI or so.
At higher pressures you risk driving grains of sand right into the material, so go light. Start at ten and work your way up.

 

Hey guys 1 year and 2 months now! holding up fantastic!! not even any chalking!! cleans up real good and easy with dish soap! That stuff is the ticket, i'll take some credit for my prep work.

 

I recoated mine with the same stuff about 2 months ago. Took real pains with prep and it turned out great. I'm glad yours is holding up well and mine looks like it will as well. Seems to be good stuff if put on according to directions.