Seeking repair advice for a small roof crack

[Sak]

I just noticed a small crack at the roof behind the A/C. I don't think it's deep and I am not sure how it happened. Might have been this way from the factory or something fell from a tree and hit it? I park outside but I don't have any trees around my camper and I don't remember anything ever hitting the roof. Of course it could have happened when we camped out and not around the trailer. I submitted a ticket and waiting to hear back. In the mean time, what's the best way to repair? I thinking either silicon sealant or white Eternabond tape.

[John E Davies]

Either of those products is temporary, a permanent gelcoat repair should be done by a skilled fiberglass specialist, for example a local marine/ boat repair shop. OTH a small rock chip (crater) can be patched with a white epoxy like Marine Tex, but your crack must be ground away to see if there is any damage underneath. Where do you live, if you are near Tennessee the factory would be the very best choice for this.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[SeaDawg]

I wouldn't use eternabond, or caulk,  yet. If you can park under cover, leave it alone.  If you can't,  I'd use duct tape. Eternabond is difficult to remove.

 

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

Unlikely that there is any leak potential unless the shell is seriously damaged.  If there is just a gelcoat flaw, water will not penetrate further into the chopper gun layup.  If there is structural damage under the gelcoat you can often tell by taking a small brass hammer and lightly tapping the area surrounding the crack as well as the cracked area itself and listen for a change in tone.  Hard to explain the sound but fractured fibreglass has a distinct (hollow) sound as opposed to undamaged glass.  It is really not too hard to repair a damaged section of glass and there is a ton of how-to info available on the web.  It is very difficult to get that repair to exactly match the original color unless you can get Oliver to send you a bit of the gelcoat they use in manufacture.

My first step would be to talk to Oliver for their recommendation.  Your 2021 Oliver layup should still be under warrantee.

[SeaDawg]

Looking at this, and your other post, I'm wondering if you had a rock or other damage.

Best of luck. If the gelcoat crack is cosmetic,  it's not a huge repair , on the roof. It does look like impact damage, to me.

Open a service ticket, and see what Jason advises.

 

[Frank C]

What I find odd though is that there are a lot of other flaws in the gel coat around that cracked area.  Little craters and ripples that look like manufacturing defects. 
 

[Patriot]

As others have mentioned, take it to Oliver and they will make it look like new, they do excellent work. I would not take it to any local Fiberglas or gelcoat shop. Oliver knows fiberglass, its what they do and do well. 😊 

[SeaDawg]

1 hour ago, Frank C said:

What I find odd though is that there are a lot of other flaws in the gel coat around that cracked area.  Little craters and ripples that look like manufacturing defects. 
 

Those "ripples" show after an impact, in fiberglass. I'm truly guessing airborne rock or other hard object. I've seen similar where fiberglass boat hull meets piling, etc. Imo, a manufacturing defect would have raised its ugly head earlier. 

Btw, is this the same side as the cracked ac shroud ?

[Sak]

6 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Btw, is this the same side as the cracked ac shroud ?

This is the opposite side.