Please note that some of our links are affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through & make a purchase. Happy clicking!
Background and Before
Then near the side door, where we removed the cushiony fabric insert to see the damage:
We made an appointment to have the roof resealed with our fingers crossed, because we did not want to pay for a complete RV roof replacement.
When we had nervously Googled the cost of a complete RV roof replacement, the estimate was between $5,000 to $8,000!
Old RV Roof Removal and Damage Photos
When Axl Roads came out of hibernation this spring, I had noticed the texture of the roof was starting to have little cracks and discolorations:
I thought this might be from condensation under the storage cover and would clear up on its own once it was aired out.
After we spotted the leak, I went up to investigate the roof. To my disappointment, the texture did not look any better.
In addition, the antenna crank, while still clearly attached to the roof membrane, did NOT appear to be attached to the solid plywood under the membrane. I could lift it slightly and wiggle it around.
On Monday morning, we immediately called our friends at K RV Parts and Service in Jeannette, PA.
They had completed our previous roof seal, as well as installed a new bumper when ours bent from the spare tire (a whole different story!).
When we spoke with them, it didn’t sound promising!
Indeed, the antenna crank was no longer attached to the underlay plywood. It was just floating, attached to the roof membrane. The leak from the crank had followed the seam and was going to buckle the roof under the air conditioner.
The water was running along that seam before dripping into the RV right above the side door.
We would need an entire roof replacement.
Once we agreed to the repair, we were told it would take approximately two and half weeks.
Fortunately, K RV was nice enough to take some nightmare-inducing photos of the damaged areas of the RV roof once the membrane was removed
This was the area around the crank, where the leak originated:
It didn’t look great in the back near the ladder, either…
The New RV Roof Replacement
Fortunately, the new RV roof replacement only took a week and a half to complete, and it looked amazing!
K RV said that the roof was made of a new material that wasn’t available in the late 90s when our RV was built. This new PVC version could last up to 30 years!
Another great benefit was that the new roof material would not cause ugly black streaks on the sides of the RV. In the past, we had found the perfect black streak remover – but now we wouldn’t even need it!
In addition, our old non-functional TV antenna was upgraded to a King Jack HDTV Over-The-Air Antenna. The next time it rains for 10 straight hours, we can watch some television instead of just the rain falling on Russ’s head!
One concern we had was what the interior ceiling would look like, but K RV said that they don’t touch the inside during this repair.
Once inside, we were glad to see we just needed to touch up the sky blue paint we used on the ceiling, and Axl Roads was back to normal!
The (LARGE) Receipt
RV roof replacements do not come cheap!
Here was our total- and as usual, labor costs far outweighed (doubled, actually) the cost of the parts:
OUCH! Over $5,200 total!
K RV offered a few hundred dollar discount for paying with a cashier’s check, which we took advantage of in this case.
Lessons Learned
Despite keeping a close eye and doing routine maintenance, an older RV of 20+ years may inevitably need an extremely expensive RV roof replacement.
Our advice is always to save a little bit of money each month for RV repairs. Even when a problem doesn’t sneak up on you, it’s still great to have a cash stash ready to go when something like this happens.
The second piece of advice is to keep a dedicated folder or binder of repair details and receipts to refer to.
Do you have experience with RV roof damage and/or replacement? Share below!
The DIY project demonstration was amazing. I always use ‘’RV Roof magic’’ RV roof repair or maintenance sealant on my RV roof that brings me a new, smooth seamless roof with an aesthetically pleasing look for a fraction of the cost (a better alternative to costly roof replacements). RV Roof Magic is the most beneficial and long-lasting sealant along with cost-effectiveness. Its viscous liquid easily seeps into small openings and miner defects making a strong, well-finished, and aesthetically pleasing look once fully cured. It is an ASTM certified solvent based product having an easily applicable process that one can apply on your own using a nap roller, without any need for a professional roofer aid and it gives remarkable advantages with 10 years warranty due to its highly adhesive nature and incomparable attributes that no other sealant has.
That sounds interesting- and might have worked if we weren’t aware of such severe damage near the antenna. Since we had a leak already, we wanted to make sure we repaired whatever was underneath…and that unfortunately ended up being expen$ive!
Very informative article! Could you say the how long your RV was? That’s interesting to me as trying to gauge the cost for a 40 foot trailer. Also, when you mention that the antenna was sort of loosely sitting there, that sounds like the wood had rotted. I wonder what they did to address any rotted wood on the roof. Thanks.
Yes! Our RV was 23 feet long.
We have a 2019 C class Forrester by forest river motorom, They went to replaced the solar panel and discovered some woodrod.
Trying to get an estimate on what it would cost to get this repaired
Good luck! I always hold my breath waiting for the estimate and hoping for the best 🙂
12 ft. X 8 ft. section of roof replaced? Boise Id.
I’m not sure how to calculate the cost of a certain size roof in a different region of the country. Our specific price was at a local shop for our size RV and the amount of damage it had.
Hi Guys! I saw the repiept over $5,000! Wow Replace all roof and fix the damages! I need a all roof replace! I am at Sandhill Park trailer park Port Rowan, Ontario
Yes! Quite a bit of $$$, so I wish you luck with yours!