Country Coach Owners Forum Country Coach Motorcoach Forum

Where front cap meets roof - crack...

February 01, 2011, 02:48:22 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 68063

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Hi All,

While driving the rig in the rain, I hit chuck hole (Assume it was a chuck hole - suppose it could have been a meteor crater, about 200 feet deep, by the 'IMPACT' it had on the coach. Or, perhaps the final resting area of Jimmy Hoffa was undermined by the rain... Who know's, but probably a chuck hole.)
The impact was 'hard'. I think if I had been going faster, it would have not been as bad. I was doing about 25-30MPH, when this took place. Slow enough for the front wheel to really drop into the hole. Coach shook more then it ever has with us. And I slowed down to get a feel for the coach, which seemed to track ok, no shaking from a damaged wheel/tire/axle noted. Still pulled over when I could, and got out to look things over. Could see no damage to the tire, or wheel. (A+ to the chassis designers on this one.)
It was two days later, no more rain, when I was walking up to the coach that I noted something different on the edge of the roof line. Just around the curve from the side, where it transitions to the flat roof area. I've a crack about 7"-9" long (eye ball, not measured yet). Don't know how deep it is...

Suspect this is where the cap meets the roof.

Two questions please:
1) Are stress cracks common at this joints?
2) Does it seem to you that the hard impact could have triggered this crack? (Trying to decide if I should approach my insurance company on this.)

Next weekend I'll get up on the roof and look real close. Clean the area, and dicor or eternabond tape it, until I get it repaired permanently.
Appreciate any info from those of you that may have seen this with your coaches.

Best to all, and sorry for being as long winded as ever:)! Smitty

04 Allure 31017

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Re: Where front cap meets roof - crack...

Reply #1 – February 02, 2011, 12:26:45 am

Yahoo Message Number: 68085

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Smitty,

I know there have been issues with the Allure model getting cracks through the fiberglass at the area where the roof meets the front cap. Here is my sad story for a 2006 Allure.
Coach was purchased new in May 2006. In February 2008, with about 12,000 miles, I was parked at FMCA Pomona when it started to rain outside, and then inside, dripping from the front TV. Climbing onto the roof, I found a series of cracks going across the coach in the painted area just in front of the white flat roof. This is where the front cap meets the roof.
I took it to my local CC dealer, who photographed the damage and sent the info to the CC Factory. CC did not want to cover the repairs since I was outside my 1 year warranty period. They also stated they had not seen that problem before. Unfortunately, the local dealer had seen 4 Allures with similar problems from 2005 to 2007 model years.
I called CC directly, and they agreed to fix the damage only if I went to the factory for repairs. In April 2008, I drove to Junction City where the coach was taken in for repairs at (I thought) the CC paint shop. As I was driving around Junction City looking for something to do, I spotted my coach at the Guaranty RV repair facility. Being the curious type, I wandered into Guaranty to inquire. They stated they had been contracted to do the repair. They said they opened the seam about 12" back on either side of the roof seam and refilled the area with fiberglass. The work was shoddy at best and lasted about 30 days before the SAME CRACKS (I have the before and after photos) appeared again.
After a few more phone calls to CC, they agreed to have the repair redone in Sacramento. This happened in June 2008 with me paying much more attention. The tech opened the seam back about 12" from each side of the roof seam and dug out the filler material used at Guaranty. It turns out Guaranty only puttied over the cracks. What the tech found was no underlying support for that area of the roof. In other words, the seam was not supported and was free to flex, causing the fiberglass to crack over time. The tech filled the area with an expandable foam and re-fiberglassed the area. $3800 bill to CC.
That repair lasted until September 2009 when I again noticed new cracks forming in the same area. The cracks had not penetrated the roof but indicated a continuing problem with flexing in that area. After calling a number of RV paint shops, the only one that seemed to understand and guarantee their fix was Dave at The Paint Department in Chino, CA. The repair was done there in January 2010 and is still holding today. Dave stated he had opened the area about 3 feet, added a supporting layer where the roof meets the front cap, and re-fiberglassed the roof.

Fingers still crossed.
Al

2006 Allure #31440

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Re: Where front cap meets roof - crack...

Reply #2 – February 02, 2011, 12:41:34 am

Yahoo Message Number: 68088

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Your finding out why some of us think the Paint Department is the best and if they are not they're close.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731

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Re: Where front cap meets roof - crack...

Reply #3 – February 02, 2011, 10:18:52 am

Yahoo Message Number: 68096

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Al

This is an example of what continues to amaze me and that is the different kinds of issues we experience in supposedly similar coaches. I have a 2006 Allure #31348 and I have not had that issue. I personally clean and wax my roof regularly and I am sure I would have recognized a similar situation. I wonder if something got left out on your roof.

Dan 2006 Allure 31348

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Re: Where front cap meets roof - crack...

Reply #4 – February 02, 2011, 02:31:42 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 68110

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Al, Thomas - Thanks... But, OUCH!

Just assumed it was a stress crack from the hard impact... Figure no problems in over 7 years, so something prompted this. I'll get up on the roof this weekend for a good look.
How about other 04 Allure owners, cap to roof problems for any of you? (I tried the search, but no luck so far, will keep trying.)

Best to all,
Smitty

04 Allure 31017

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