Anyone know how to fix a saggy roof in a Boler??? (around roof vent)

[idiotsniff]

Was wondering if anyone knows how to fix a saggy roof in a boler? I have an 81 boler and the roof is sagging down around the roof vent. its just the stock light roof vent. the roof in the boler is already touching my head while I stand but in this spot its worse.

I don't want to add a piece of wood or metal across the ceiling inside the boler, because that will get in the way also and it looks stupid.

I'm wondering if its possible to support ithe area/push it back into place then heat it with a heat gun or something and once it cools it will stay there after its cooled? I know its not plastic, so that's why i'm asking if its possible to do it this way?

Aslo was thinking of putting it up into position then glassing over the area inside the trailer and once that cures hopefully that will fix the sag?

not sure if any of these ideas will remedy the issue here?

have thought of many other ideas but want it to look factory.

anyone have an advice?

thank you,

[rabbit]

It is "plastic" but thermosetting rather than thermoforming so you won't move it with heat once cured. Could be that propping in place and adding glass reinforcement or better, a contoured frame member (wood or metal) also glassed in might correct the sagging area.

jack

[WildBirder]

Does the trailer still have the support at the side of the kitchenette? I've seen this removed and cause sagging.

[idiotsniff]

hi rabbit, thanks for the post. the way it sagged down is on both sides of the 14 inch vent. mine vent is centered. I don't understand why it has sagged in the fashion it has. I don't have a camera here in the house at the moment so I can't take a picture for everyone to see (just sold all my equipment)

anyways, i don't want to add anything to the inside of the trailer, like wood or metal to make the roof even lower in that area. i was thinking fiberglass but a few layers, that wouldnt make the ceiling much lower. but was really hoping heat might work. something has made it sag the way it has? would the suns heat not do that over time? I can push it up fine, but it falls right back down.

I wanted to add a fantastic vent to my boler, and was thinking of glassing in a 1" piece of plywood to the outside of the trailer, if i go this route i will form the wood into the roof to make it look factory and blend it way out to the sides and to the front and back. I have to paint the trailer so that isnt an issue. I want to do this so the vent doesnt hang into the trailer, because i'll just hit my head on it and don't want that at all. we have to paint the trailer so doing this isnt a problem, I just don't like to ruin this trailer is all original and in excellent shape for the most part.

wildbirder, no the support to hold up the cabinets is still intact and hasnt been touched.

my wife will be home in a few days and i'll try and get a picture to show everyone to give you an idea of what is happening.

I almost think thickening the roof with plywood and fiberglass might be the option here because of the vent i want to install and not have it hang into the boler.

anyways, let me know if you guys have more ideas.

thanks,

[idiotsniff]

Just came across this on the internet:

" Poking around the web, I found just a few data sheets on resins which suggest typical heat deflection temperatures between 160 and 240°F... which means I should be able to reshape the material if I can get it that warm... "

another person posted: " Usually warpage occurs when fiberglass is subjected to heat and pressure, like the heat from the Sun and Weight "

I'm not sure if this works or not, I found it on another Forum about RC model boats.

I think i will have to try this, but is it easy to remove the Ensolite without ripping the rubber backing off it? not sure how well they spray mount the stuff onto the shell? I guess a sharp scraper should do? so it doesn't rip into the rubber.

I'm in no rush and have to wait till the spring anyways, so if anyone has any other suggestions i'd really appreciate it.


Joel

[Ron in BC]

One of the fenders for a car I was building was narrower than the other.

I used heat lamps to heat it, didn't measure the surface temperature, but it was too hot to touch.

At the same time I had a spreader bar pushing the fender wider. When the heat was on I could spread it about 1" wider, which was more than I needed.

To ensure it stayed at the new width I glassed a 1" wide piece of 1/8" plywood to the under side. Even a 1/8" batten glassed in with a single layer of cloth will add strength.

So I'd say, heat it, push it up, hold it in place and add a couple of battens. If it's pushed up to the original height then the 1/8" battens will hardly be noticable.

Ron

[idiotsniff]

hi Ron,

thanks for the info, i think heat might do the job. I'll have to try it once the spring weather comes. I really want to add a Fantastic vent to the roof and don't want the extra 1" hanging into the trailer to hit my head on all the time. so i maybe just add 1" of rigid foam to the roof and mold it in nicely to the trailers roof then glass it in. I think with heat and then glassing in this extra stuff will help keep its shape. if i wasnt putting in the vent i'd just try the heat and go from there. but really need a vent in there.

thanks a lot for your post.


Joel

[Hambone]

I installed a maxiair unit and installed spacer on inside, was over bed/dinette and rat fur glued down to hide spacer, but in my opinion that spacer when glued?glassed to roof really strengthened roof even though it was only 1 inch wider than cutout for fan, you could put spacer of any size on roof glass it in, would think it would strengthen roof and still provide headroom

[idiotsniff]

it may worth without heating it first. you saying put the space inside? because i can't do that. the spacer has to go on the outside of the roof. i just want to heat it and at least get it to not bow down so much. if i use plywood and screw it to the top of the roof from inside i think that will put the roof back to its original shape, but i want to use foam and i know it will just bow with the fiberglass. I'm just to tall to have the spacer on the inside of the roof. its above the sink area right in middle of the trailer.

i wish the hole was above the bed/dinette area then i wouldnt have to worry about it other then fixing the sag in the roof, could just deal with the 1"+ difference being inside too because we don't stand up at that end of the trailer

[john warren]

im having trouble remembering the name of it, but.... they make a weatherproof inclosure for the vent thats larger then a normal vent, perhaps that would add enough strcture to solve your problem

[Hambone]

Joel
no I wasnt saying you should put your spacer on inside, I was saying I put my spacer on inside, glassed it in and seemed to add struture even though the plywood spacer was only a inch bigger than the opening.....try this link this is what I think you are thinking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlYDaU84XWw

Tom

[idiotsniff]

Hi Tom,

I was considering doing this also, but i want to use 1 1/2" thick rigid foam so i don't have to worry about rot issues later down the road. i want to blend it about 1" or more to the front and to the back of the trailer and to the sides (not sure how much) but want to do this to blend it way out into the curves of the roof so it doesnt look like such a hatchet job/eye sore. I was considering doing plywood, because it would more then likely be enough to raise that saggy part in the roof but the thought foam might be better, so i don't have to worry about rot. so I think if I go that route i'll have to heat the glass first then let it cool and then try glassing this flared out foam into the room.

thanks for the video,


Joel

[Hambone]

Joel,
just be sure to test the resins compatibility with the foam, sure would hate to work getting the roof flat and flared out just the way you wanted it, then, have the resin eat away your foam
Tom

[LukeP]

joel,
I don't know if this is helpful but I had the same issue on my Boler. I tackled it last summer. A sag near the vent that seemed to be from snow, or something else heavy on the roof. I cut in a maxxair vent (where the original vent was - offset. The sag was in the middle) and put my spacer on the inside (I understand you'd like yours on the outside). This alone did wonders and completely pulled the sag out. It wasn't overly rigid however and I wasn't certain that it would stay.


Then I glassed in a piece of flat aluminimum stock - can't remember the width - maybe 3"? And it was probably 1/8" thick. I'm not in danger of hitting the roof with my head, but I didn't want to be able to see the alum bar when I covered it. Glassing this in over my head sucked, especially since I'm no pro at it. But it went in and I glassed in a few layers over about a weeks time.


After this, I was shocked at how rigid it was. The reflectix and marine carpeting went right over, you can see a slight bump at an angle. Nobody who just walks in has even noticed.

I'll attach a pic after I put on a layer of glass. Then later after the reflectix/carpet was up (you can see the slight bump on the roof, above the light). Some of you guru's who are whiz's with these could do a smoother and cleaner job I'm sure - and I was just more than happy to be done with it all



Good luck!

[Camilla]

I just had a saggy roof fixed in my Playpac and they did a great job in Tennessee. I had more than a sag- ill bet it came down a good six inches. Anyway they jacked it back up and used a piece of plywood and glassed it all back. Can't even tell.

[Earl E. November]

I am guessing a combination of heat and pressure would help remove the sag..

Being an archer for many years I have repaired a number of fiberglass bows using a blow dryer and pressure.

You are dealing with a much larger animal here but if you can get enough heat to it without burning it, while forcing it back into position, then holding it in position while it cools, you should be able to help it..

However that doesn't mean it won't happen again, and some form of reinforcement would help the long term.

[Donna D.]

As said, everyone has an opinion and this is mine...

I would NOT put wood on a roof... even if fiberglassed. We've read too many stories from Trillium owners with window problems due to rotten wood framing... and that's on the sides. The roof takes the brunt of rain/snow and you will be drilling holes in whatever you use as a spacer.

Perhaps a wood composite like Trex or other brand that's used for home decks would be a better idea? It wouldn't need to be fiberglassed... just sealed with proper materials.

As I said, my opinion only... YMMV

[Siris]

I herd a lot of people with this same problem.
When I do the restorations on my bolers
I use two L shape pieces of metal and run both down each side of the bump on the boler
And than two flat pieces on ether side of the fantastic fan.
(I have the metal painted with por15 before install)
Than after they are set where I want them I fiberglass them in so 1 can't see them and 2 helps with more structure

Works great and you don't even see them after

Hope this helps
Siris

[LukeP]

Originally Posted by Siris

I herd a lot of people with this same problem.
When I do the restorations on my bolers
I use two L shape pieces of metal and run both down each side of the bump on the boler
And than two flat pieces on ether side of the fantastic fan.
(I have the metal painted with por15 before install)
Than after they are set where I want them I fiberglass them in so 1 can't see them and 2 helps with more structure

Works great and you don't even see them after

Hope this helps
Siris

@Siris, to clarify - you're running 2 L pieces lengthwise, then flat pieces widthwise on each side of the fan opening? Where do you find L shaped pieces that fit, or do you have the means to fabricate them to fit? My roof lines weren't at exactly a 90 deg angle.

I wonder what the newer Scamps do to reinforce the roofs to support roof A/C units... maybe something similiar to what you're doing?

[Siris]

Ya that's exactly how I do it
Any local metal fabrication place would
Have the metal
And
The metal I use I can bend by placing on the two points and a hitting it with a hammer To split it wider

As well it will bend some what for the curve of the boler
I use a two part urethane adhesive to secure it down befor the fiberglass is applied
Costs around 70 for the mod but well worth it