Still Leaking

April 1, 2010

I had the motorhome back for one day - ONE DAY - and it rained - and the NEW roof leaked! I drove it back to the shop and they proceeded to screw a moulding strip over the Eternabond and caulk around it to prevent future leaks. The whole idea of getting the roof I did, with the Eternabond tape, was to do away with the moulding, which allows the water to pool in the upper corners of the motorhome instead of running off.  When I got home, I contacted a rep at Eternabond and he said that it probably wasn't applied properly, which I'm sure is true, because I can see that debris was left under the tape from the old roofing material. The techs at the shop told the service manager that "they've never seen the Eternabond tape leak before." I'd fight to have them re-do the whole thing except for the fact that I'm leaving for Alaska soon and don't have the time, which I think they're acutely aware of.

To say I'm mad is an understatement. For once, I'd appreciate a service industry treating my belongings with respect. Along with the compromised new roofing job, they've scratched the sides of my motorhome with their scaffolding, they serviced the generator and it still won't start, the new vent has to be replaced because the seam is bad, my awning has roofing material on it that won't come off, they gouged the linoleum floor and that needs to be repaired. All of this takes more time that I don't have.

The wing caps, which are also being replaced, have been on back order for over a month now. Each time I call the manufacturer they promise a new delivery date, which comes and goes. The latest is that they shipped last Friday and the shop should have them by the end of this week. I'll drive the motorhome back into the shop and have them replace or repair everything on my list. I've also asked for a warranty on the new roof in the event that it continues to leak once I'm on the road. Although I certainly don't know what good a warranty will be when I'm 3000 miles away from the shop in question!

I'm taking the motorhome on a shakedown cruise to Eastern Oregon for a week and then to the Oregon Coast for another week. We'll see how the roof holds in the rain I'm sure to get on the coast.