I have just climbed some steps to wash the van roof and found a dent in the roof with a strip of aluminium screwed onto the roof bridging the dent, I suppose to try and pull the dent back up, it looks a bit of a bodge up all round. The van is about nineteen months old and had to go back to the dealer for work on a roof light last May so I am thinking someone had big feet and has tried to cover it up but how do I prove that? Has anyone any advice before I phone the dealer and start swearing?
With great difficulty. I imagine they will deny any knowledge, just make sure it is watertight and then put a solar panel over the top, two birds one stone. Martin
UPDATE. I rang a Rapido dealer and asked about the strip of aluminium on the roof and thinks it's an original fitting designed to deflect water from the front skylight, so it looks like this strip of carpet gripper is Rapido's answer to a properly designed skylight defector. The problem I have now is somehow this strip and the roof are bent down in the middle creating a dip and I don't think the dealer is going to own up to this and there is no way I can get under it to push it back out so what do I do? Would sealing around the strip with Silkaflex make it watertight if a puddle collects if so which Silkaflex do I use? Maybe a solar panel later .
wonder how many of us actually check the roof !!!!! when we buy a new or second hand van ??? I know I check underneath and all the interior but I will admit I have not been up and checked the roof !!!
I did not when I bought mine new. But when I hit a tree in Spain I borrowed a ladder from the site to allow me to put some tape on the crack in the fibreglass. And found Autotrail's inspection department marks indicating work that should have been done prior to it leaving the factory!!
I covered my dents on the roof(3 of 'em) with strips of measured PVC sealed by Sikaflex, did the job, no leaks and no collecting of rainwater. B&Q and Wicks sell the strips from a thickness of 3mm to 1cm and up to 4m in length. I'm now thinking of covering the other side (which has no dents) just for appearance sake and I simply love messing about with the MH anyway, keeps me out of my wife's way and she never thinks of looking for me up on the roof!!
Always it's one of the first things I check as it's the main source of leaks and im paranoid about leaks lol ....roof edges, any joins ,rooflights, roof rack mountings etc ...i do that before looking inside That said I've never bought a brand new van ....although if it had a ladder I still think I'd be up there
