A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

OK, I've watched all the videos I can stand, so I'm ready to do something. I got up on the roof of the RV this morning and looked at the sealing gunk around the openings. Looked pretty good to me, but I realize that this trip was more about getting on the roof than inspecting anything. Did I mention that I'm just a bit afraid of heights? Getting up was easy peasy; getting down took a little maneuvering, but I did it. Yay me! Tomorrow morning I'll climb up again and look around more carefully. I'm a little afraid of unscrewing things. It's one thing to crawl around up there. It's quite another to work up there. So, who among us does this sort of thing herself and can give me some hints and encouragement? And if you don't do it yourself, what would you expect to pay to have it done?

Nikki

Maybe it would be better and safer to pay someone to check it out for you??!!

Linda

Beth has done her own re-sealing of seams......I am not coordinated enough to trust myself on top of the roof much less do a repair safely.

When I had the 5er, I replaced some of the caulk with Eternabond. When in Kansas during summer, I would have to climb up every couple of weeks to remove the cottonwood seeds from the A/C. When I get out of the dirt, I will climb up on the camper roof, remove the Maxxair vents so I can wash them and the vent covers. The worst time on the roof is when it is wet and slippery.

That said, if you don't like it up there, don't do it. Depending on who you find to do it, I would expect an hourly rate of $70 at the very least.

Getting on the ladder to come down has never been easy!

Sounds scary. I hope someone was there with you and that you had your cell phone handy. You should do what I told a friend to do after she went outdoors at 2:00 am in freezing weather to chase a raccoon out of her garage and fell on the ice and knocked herself out--call a friend before you do it, and then call again when you get back down. This way someone will miss you if you fall.

You can do it yourself but it needs to be done well. I had mine done by my mobile repair guy. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? YES! He removed ALL old sealant. No going over the old stuff. Also checked everything else up there: vents, AC, antenna etc. Worth it for my peace of mind. Leaks are the bane of any RV.

I'm a strong believer that everyone should be on their roof at least once a month to make sure things are ok... like the time I discovered one of my covers (over the fridge) had cracked. It was an inexpensive fix at that time, but I'm told if it had continued cracking and come off, could have been much worse. Also, if you travel in the east, especially, there are times I won't leave a cg without checking the roof for twigs, and sometimes big branches. Remember, if something blows off, you would be liable. After camping in the east under the trees, it was rare that I didn't need to go up top and sweep things off after any winds at all. Out west that really isn't much of a problem.

As for fixing things ... I have done some, but at the moment am going in to get another repair done on mine later this week. I probably should do this myself, but don't have the eternabond necessary or the caulking, and am hoping I can get it done at a reasonable rate. Otherwise, I might walk out and go buy what I need to do it myself. But doing that is NOT the reason I check my roof every month ... the first paragraph explains that better. Oh, and having it checked annually doesn't mean the cracked caulking won't happen one month after the check, and then the leak happen, and the damage from the leak, etc. So if you don't want to get on your own roof, you should find someone in your travels to keep an eye on it for you occasionally.

Thanks everyone. I'm on my way in a few minutes to take Betsy to a professional. I took up some vinyl in the kitchen area and found a lot of rot in the floor. To say I'm upset is an understatement. What was supposed to be a wonderful adventure has turned into a nightmare. At least that's how I feel right now. From what I've learned, fixing the floor will be very expensive. I paid a good price for Betsy, and now I know why. Still I take full responsibility for not doing my homework. Onward and upward. It is an interesting exercise to take full responsibility. The second I feel blame or self-pity, or anger creeping in, I bring myself back to neutral and focus on fixing the problem. Not easy but character building. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Nikki

Good luck Nikki! Hope you can find someone to do your repairs for a reasonable amount. Doesn't hurt to get bids on everything.

Linda

Nikki, I think we all run into these frustrations. Hang in there!!

Hang in there, Nikki. Perseverance builds character ... or so I've been told

Shame on your "good neighbor" who sold you the problem.. He HAD to have known the floor was soft as it was right by the door. On the other hand you got a good deal even with the repairs. Not sure you actually need an "RV" person to fix the floor.

Thanks for all the encouragement. I'm hanging in there. The rot is down to the metal, under the cabinets, and into the wall. So I think I'll leave the work to the pros. I'm going on vacation a week from today; the work can be done while I'm gone for two weeks. Years from now I'll laugh at my gullibility. In the meantime, my character is building muscle.

Nikki