Roof repairs

[jncbon]

I just finished an interior roof rebuild on a 1993 Coleman Cape Cod.  The roof had leaked badly around the air conditioner.  The roof is made of the outer metal skin, a layer of foam rubber, A laminated luan-type plyboard with a waterproof vinyl coating.  Once water invades the wood layer the vinyl coating prevents it from drying.  The only way to remove the water is to strip out the wet areas.  I removed the top and put it upside down in my basement for the repair.  I stripped out the wet wood, leaving one thin layer of wood.  I let it dry for several weeks, with fans running.  I replaced the wood with luan paneling.  It was the thinnest wood I could find.  I had to sand out some areas to replace hardware in the corners.  I painted the new wood white.  It looks fantastic and the roof is solid as a rock.  Good luck.

[John McNamara]

We just got back from an 11-day journey with the camper. It rained heavy the last three or four days, which meant we were cooped up in there with windows closed and fan(s) running. No one showed any signs of mold exposure (I have allergies, so it wouldn't take long), and no bulges showed up on the inside. My wife and I talked about the problem at length during the trip and have decided to take the asbestos approach -- if it doesn't seem to be causing a problem, then don't disturb the beast. We'll close up the remaining cracks with Marine Tex and look into painting the roof (it's a mix of Marine Tex, ABS repair, Eternabond tape and some other filler used by a previous owner). Thanks for everyone's input.