Whats the best way to fill this crevice in the roof?

[TobyQuest]

This is a bad design aspect of the van. Has no purpose as far as I can tell.

It gathers rain every time and then doesnt dry out for days, then when its nice and dry and I have the window down I turn the corner and get soaked, lol

Plus the standing water will just eat into the silicon seal eventually causing a leak. I want to fill it and seal it properly before I fit the solar panels over the top of it.
What the best way to fill it?

My best plan so far is to fill it with cardboard so I have a flat surface, then put fibreglass matt down and add the resin, then put a layer of filler over the top of that, sand it back a bit and paint it. But Im welcome to better ideas.

 

[cmcardle75]

I'd cut a slot into the roof and fit an impluvium below, if the layout is suitable.

 

[cmcardle75]

Alternatively, it does look solar panel sized. You could get a rigid panel mount it directly and seal it all around. Probably cheaper than fixing it properly and you get free electricity thrown in!

 

[Vipar]

I would not use cardboard. How about making a fibreglass box to fill the depression, and then fibreglass over that?

 

[sedge]

Dunno exactly what the contours of the roof are on ours (not having a drone or an upstairs window to easily view the roof) but immediately above & behind the cab compartment, where the roof is curved backward and up toward the higher hab area behind it, is a curved fixed skylight, th roof beyond that is a mystery.

But when it rains or it's just been hosed, start the engine, move the van and whoosh down one of the cab windows, especially but not exclusively if we happen to be up ramps to begin with. This is awkward as the regime is that only Pete drives the van, my job is to retrieve the ramps but as he daren't open his door window 'in case' when I need him to just move another 2 inches in order to retrieve said Millenco Quattros, where the tyre tread is still grabbing onto them, it falls on deaf ears!

Welcome to our world!

It's perfectly possible that one or the other solar panels is affixed to the offending portion of roof but having lived with it for the past 7 years, we'll just carry on living with it. Every van has it's own idiosyncracies, after all.

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[TobyQuest]

hahahaha impluvium. I had to look that up! Would be great but I already have one roman bath inside as it is.

How would I make a fibreglass box?

 

[TobyQuest]

Regarding the idea of putting a panel over it, thanks for suggestion, it will actually have 2 panels in that area, but I dont want to mount directly to the roof because it will heat up the interior more, create heat spots inside the panel and Ive already bought all the proper mounts etc

 

[Simon Meadwell]

You could stick some ridged insulation into the hole then fibreglass over that. Sand flat then gel coat job done. Make sure you rough up where you sticking new fibreglass to the old .

 

[SpeedyDux]

It's the standard bird bath feature for the Japanese nature lover.

You really need a bird feeder as well.

 

[The Wino]

Makes you wonder why they made it like that maybe some have a big rooflight

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[Minxy]

Makes you wonder why they made it like that maybe some have a big rooflight

That's what I thought but then I wondered if having a pop-up roof was an option originally and that would have been the access point.

 

[Minxy]

Clean it, seal all edges then get some rigid (waterproof) insulation and fit it flush, seal all edges well then place a thin sheet of white acrylic over it all so it overlaps the roof, seal well again and then fit solar panel. No need for fibreglass etc, keep it simple.

 

[tonyidle]

Cut plastic board into slats (seal the hollow ends of the slats with silicone) then stick the slats down with PU adhesive. Or obtain a sheet of white finish grp bigger than the recess and stick that down with PU adhesive around the edges.

 

[peterc10]

Do not use cardboard. If it ever leaks it will attract water like a sponge and rot away, leaving a weak GRP layer to crack up and break. Use some inert impermeable insulation.

 

[appydaze]

.Bigger wheels on the back or smaller wheels on the front....simples

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[TobyQuest]

Thanks guys,
When you say waterproof insulation, what material exactly are you talking about? Ive never worked with insulation material before.

Minxy Girl, regarding the sheet of acrylic, that was one idea I had, I just figured the best way with an acrylic sheet is that it ovrlapped the edges of the crevice, but its at those very edges where I need to mount my solar panel mounts so I didnt want to have the mount sitting on the acrylic sheet. Hmm

 

[Minxy]

Thanks guys,
When you say waterproof insulation, what material exactly are you talking about? Ive never worked with insulation material before.

Minxy Girl, regarding the sheet of acrylic, that was one idea I had, I just figured the best way with an acrylic sheet is that it ovrlapped the edges of the crevice, but its at those very edges where I need to mount my solar panel mounts so I didnt want to have the mount sitting on the acrylic sheet. Hmm

That's not a problem, make the sheet wider so that there is enough to accommodate the mounts too, once you stick the sheet on it won't budge if you use the right adhesive.

 

[hymerman]

I'd get a professional body shop to do it , if you mess it up it will be difficult to convince a future buyer that it's just cosmetic and not a bodged repair to a leaking roof.

 

[Minxy]

Cut plastic board into slats (seal the hollow ends of the slats with silicone) then stick the slats down with PU adhesive. Or obtain a sheet of white finish grp bigger than the recess and stick that down with PU adhesive around the edges.

Trouble is it will likely sag in the middle so needs some support and as the rest of the roof will be insulated you'll be leaving a 'cold spot' so might as well fit some insulation anyway which will solve both issues.

 

[tonyidle]

Trouble is it will likely sag in the middle so needs some support and as the rest of the roof will be insulated you'll be leaving a 'cold spot' so might as well fit some insulation anyway which will solve both issues.

I meant cut them to fit inside the recess. GRP panel on the outside would be better though.

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[Paul and Kate]

Is this a daft answer.....
Put a heki roof light in looks the ideal size

 

[jockaneezer]

Is this a daft answer.....
Put a heki roof light in looks the ideal size

It's not a daft idea if he wants to check up on the underside of the solar panels that he's going to put on there. and

 

[jockaneezer]

Carve up a bit of blue Roofmate insulation foam. It's light but doesn't compress.

 

[Steve and Denise]

How about a piece of celotex available in many thicknesses and easy to cut.

 

[Just smiffy]

The answer is very simple... move to where it never rains...

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[Simon Meadwell]

You could always try Phil Mcaverty

 

[Taran_Las]

I'd cut a slot into the roof and fit an impluvium below, if the layout is suitable.

Just learnt a new word.

I shall be using it all day now!

​

 

[Northernraider]

I'd fit a large skylight and put the solar panels elsewhere.

Looks like it was designed to have a skylight

Must be very dark inside just now

 

[rosalan]

Looking at other EXE vans, I note that some had A/C built in but personally I would not reject the Solar panel out of hand. It should not make the van any warmer as they can be mounted with either an air gap underneath or I suppose plastic insulation board could fill the gap.
For certain you could become independent of electric hook-ups. At the Peterborough show they were selling flexible solar panels large enough to fill the space. These are stuck directly onto the roof.

 

[68c]

It is a common design fault, shaped fibreglass overcab mated to a flat roof. To make it easy they have the front section laying over the roof, a possible leak source. Then over the years the weight of the skylights make the roof sag, most vans sit nose down so on flat ground you have a bird bath on the roof. I have seriously been looking at adding a drain in the low area hidden by the curtain frame over the drop down bed. The fun bit is watching my OH dash out of the way as she directs me reversing onto the road when five gallons of water piss down.

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