roof work

[PappaPiggy]

im sorry im sure these questions are answered a million times but after searching...

1) is it safe to walk on the roof of my 2004 towlite 17t?
2) while i see no sign of leakage inside the roof has a few areas that are bubbled and feels like there is water in-between the membrane and the roof?
does that make sense? is there an easy way to check/fix?

Thanks you guys were so helpful with my recent plumbing issue

 

[JackandJanet]

No question is discouraged, keep asking.

Yes, you can walk on your roof. I do it quite frequently, and have to when I put the cover on for storage.

My roof is metal (aluminum) over wood. Is yours possibly rubber? Or, is it possible that the prior owner painted it with elastomeric paint? My metal rood does not have the "membrane" that you speak of, but elastomeric paint would give that impression. Having used that paint on the roofs of homes in Arizona, I know that it can develop occasional bubbles underneath that I've always ignored on houses. I THINK they were air that was trapped underneath which expanded in the heat. They could have had moisture in them though.

To check, I'd prick one with a pin or the sharp point of a knife. Then, push on the bubble to see what comes out. If you have elastomeric paint over metal, unless there's a hole in the metal, nothing will go through.

If you have a rubber roof, though, wait till someone with a rubber roof replies. I know nothing about rubber roofs.

- Jack

 

[PappaPiggy]

No question is discouraged, keep asking.

Yes, you can walk on your roof. I do it quite frequently, and have to when I put the cover on for storage.

My roof is metal (aluminum) over wood. Is yours possibly rubber? Or, is it possible that the prior owner painted it with elastomeric paint? My metal rood does not have the "membrane" that you speak of, but elastomeric paint would give that impression. Having used that paint on the roofs of homes in Arizona, I know that it can develop occasional bubbles underneath that I've always ignored on houses. I THINK they were air that was trapped underneath which expanded in the heat. They could have had moisture in them though.

To check, I'd prick one with a pin or the sharp point of a knife. Then, push on the bubble to see what comes out. If you have elastomeric paint over metal, unless there's a hole in the metal, nothing will go through.

If you have a rubber roof, though, wait till someone with a rubber roof replies. I know nothing about rubber roofs.

- Jack

it looks like there is a black rubber skin over the whole roof that is held down by metal trim font and back, a "C" channel for awning on the font side and another metal strip along the back. The black rubber has been painted white.

 

[hilover]

Yeah I’ve got a 2004 24T and was wondering the same thing. I’m a total rookie, so how do I even tell what material my roof is made out of?

 

[JackandJanet]

hilover, welcome to the forum!

A metal roof will have a "pebble grain" appearance and feel, and will have raised seems running crosswise over the top. It will feel "hard", too, because the metal simply has a coat of paint on top. I think the seams will probably be about 4 ft apart.

Since I don't have a rubber roof, I can't tell you what they're like, but I suspect the surface will be smooth.

But, you should be able to walk on either kind.

- Jack

 

[r67northern]

Here’s a picture of our old metal roof under re-build. The metal part is the white part that’s left down the center of the trailer... of course on trailers that aren’t being taken apart, it would extend to the sides. You can see the seams though which is why I thought it might be helpful.

IMGP3825 by Lineswest, on

 

[JackandJanet]

That's interesting, r67northern. Your metal roof looks quite different from mine. I know my seams are both smaller and are spaced farther apart. My seams are only about 1/2" wide, I think. HiLo probably changed that component over the years. My trailer is a 2007 model year one.

There are a few pictures that show my roof in my solar panel thread: http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f28/my-new-200-watt-solar-installation-4354/ The solar panels are 48 inches long, and you can see they fit between the seams

- Jack

 

[Treeclimber]

r67, That's odd, I also had the same year 24'er and my metal roof was smooth and seams closer together, like Jacks talking about. Thin seams also. Could that be a re-roof or a Hi Lo change? I'm sure the ribbing adds strength.
Tree

 

[r67northern]

Gosh, I had no idea that the old roof on the trailer was something a bit different. But yes, the ribbing definitely added strength, I left as much as I could down the spine of the roof just for that reason, and when I'm up there I try and step on it vs. other parts.

I wonder if they had a few of these as a "running change" in their line for awhile before going a different direction? The trailer has been in the family since about 2004 so I'm pretty sure the roof is original factory. There was a rubber coating added to it after the first leaks showed up (probably 2011-ish), which is why the surface finish looks off. Underneath it though, the clean white aluminum you'd expect.