Large hole in roof - Fiberglass RV
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Old 12-14-2011, 04:23 PM   #1
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Large hole in roof

Hello everyone , it's been a long time since i have been on here , 6 months in fact . When i recieved my boler it needed a ton of work and is still not finished . The PO cut a 2' X 3' hole in the roof , i first tried to repair it with fiberglass and it didn't work for me so i put a 1/2" plywood over the hole and bolted it on , it looks ok but i'm missing the ensolite for that area . I want to replace the ply with fiberglass to perfectly match the contures of the roof . Is there some place i can buy a piece of the stuff or do i have to set up a mold or something ? Any help would be greatly appreciated . Look in my profile for pictures of before and after .
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Old 12-14-2011, 04:26 PM   #2
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someone here suggested using a piece of a fiberglass shower insert to fill a gap. perhaps that might work for you as a starter.
any idea WHY they cut such a hole????
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Old 12-14-2011, 04:48 PM   #3
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The elderly lady i got it from , she gave it to me . Her husband used it for an Observation station , he was an avid astronamer . He put his telescope on the table . He made a metal hatch that slid back and forth then he spray painted around the hole with black paint including even the curtains . There was an electric motor attached to the rear of the trailer and a driveshaft that ran to the front underneath and right in the middle beside the axle he cut another hole about 10 inches . The lady told me he had a cherry picker lift it up over the pipe so it extended 6" above the floor , this was the pivot point at which the trailer would rotate so he could get the best view of the stars .
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Old 12-14-2011, 05:16 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by trailerlust View Post
Hello everyone , it's been a long time since i have been on here , 6 months in fact . When i recieved my boler it needed a ton of work and is still not finished . The PO cut a 2' X 3' hole in the roof , i first tried to repair it with fiberglass and it didn't work for me so i put a 1/2" plywood over the hole and bolted it on , it looks ok but i'm missing the ensolite for that area . I want to replace the ply with fiberglass to perfectly match the contures of the roof . Is there some place i can buy a piece of the stuff or do i have to set up a mold or something ? Any help would be greatly appreciated .
Last time I was at Scamp they let us take window cut outs from the scrap ben, How far are you from Backus?
BTW It was I who salvaged the tub surround and suggested it here, the thickness is good for your purpose.
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Old 12-14-2011, 05:23 PM   #5
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Last time I was at Scamp they let us take window cut outs from the scrap ben, How far are you from Backus?
BTW It was I who salvaged the tub surround and suggested it here, the thickness is good for your purpose.
I live in Kingston , Ontario , Canada
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Old 12-14-2011, 05:35 PM   #6
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I have purchased fiberglass (Mats and woven cloth) from both boat repair facilities and auto repair shops.

If you do that, you could attach your plywood on the inside, wax it really good where you would lay up the fiberglass then do your work laying the fiberglass from top side until you reach the desired thickness and being sure to overlap the seams all the way around on top. Woven fiberglass cloth is superior to mats.

The waxing of the plywood, or placing wax paper on the plywood first, prevents the resin from adhering to it. You may need to support the center of the plywood from the inside to prevent it from sagging and to give you a crown to match the camper top.

Heat will cure the resin quicker and if it is in the cold it could take forever.
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Old 12-14-2011, 09:16 PM   #7
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I live in Kingston , Ontario , Canada
Not sure where that is but Backus is close enough to say eh!Eh?
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Old 12-14-2011, 10:02 PM   #8
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You might also be able to use the remaining intact part of the roof as a mold. Lay a piece of thick plastic (like 3-6 mil) over the roof, and lay up the fiberglass on top of that. You may want to wet out the fiberglass on a table so you don't have to do it standing on a ladder. Press the glass down onto the plastic on the roof; when wet it should be heavy enough that you don't have to weigh it down unless there are unusual contours (and from what I can tell a Boler has a simple arc to the roof).
After the fiberglass cures, you can remove the plastic, slide the sheet over the hole, and glue it in place. Since the bottom of the sheet is facing your "mold", the inside will be smooth.
I agree with Darwin that cloth is better than mat, but you might want to sandwich one layer of mat in between two layers of glass because mat will add thickness and stiffness. I would use 18 oz (per square yard) glass. I recommend getting it at a specialty fiberglass supplier, either local or online, rather than at an automotive parts supplier, because they will have much better advice and their prices are better.
Bill
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Old 12-14-2011, 10:31 PM   #9
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Not sure where that is but Backus is close enough to say eh!Eh?
Kingston , Ontario is North of upper state New York . Watertown i think is about 150 km away .
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Old 12-15-2011, 10:37 AM   #10
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Cover it with Plexaglass and have a sky-lite then install a Black shade inside with the holes matching the stars (Big and little dipper) and close the shade in the day time and get your medical prescribed weed and chill. When your neighbor Dave comes a knocking you say " H A Y M A N W H O'S There and when he says DAVE you say M A N D A V E A I N T H E R E and when he says, lets trip around the park you say, M A N I ' M A L R E A D Y T R I P P IN. then when night comes, remove the black shade and trip looooking at the real stars. Anyway, I'm just saying.
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Old 12-15-2011, 11:19 AM   #11
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A skylight is a great idea. Our bigfoot has one with a shade. I know you want to use fiberglass but thought I would second the notion. Now about the wacky potion I have no devotion... one way or the other, brother.
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Old 12-15-2011, 07:54 PM   #12
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The Pglass is a good suggestion. You might be able to form it to the roof by using a heat gun.

(Heat Gun is an industrial type of a hair dryer - Harbor Freight around $20USD)
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Old 12-15-2011, 08:10 PM   #13
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Perry

There are a number of marinas and boat repair shops in the Kingston area. Have you contacted any of them for a price for doing this job ? With their expertise and on hand materials and tools, they may do the job as economically as you can.

I have a lot of experience in the fibreglass area and this is where I would start.

Bill Reilly
Picton, Ontario
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Old 12-15-2011, 08:18 PM   #14
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I vote for a skylight if you can find one to fit the hole. It has been talked about here for getting more headroom for tall folks. I don't remember if anyone actually installed one.
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Old 12-15-2011, 09:00 PM   #15
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I have installed many flip open air roofs in cars and trucks over the years, and I think that would be an excellent choice. It would actually increase the rigidity of the roof compared to a patch. Most of them are dot matrix and are not oppressive in daylight, but you might make a cover or avoid overnighting under a streetlight.

This is something which could be done for under $200 and is not difficult if you use the patterns and instructions supplied.
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Old 12-15-2011, 09:29 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Art VanDelay View Post
Cover it with Plexaglass and have a sky-lite then install a Black shade inside with the holes matching the stars (Big and little dipper) and close the shade in the day time and get your medical prescribed weed and chill. When your neighbor Dave comes a knocking you say " H A Y M A N W H O'S There and when he says DAVE you say M A N D A V E A I N T H E R E and when he says, lets trip around the park you say, M A N I ' M A L R E A D Y T R I P P IN. then when night comes, remove the black shade and trip looooking at the real stars. Anyway, I'm just saying.
Drizzle, Drazzle, Druzzle, Drome, time for this one to come home!
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