Sagging Roof?
AuthorMessageDennis |
Can't Back-up Straight |
Joined: Apr 20, 2003 |
Posts: 1 |
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:49 pm Post subject: Sagging Roof? |
Hello, First of all I have to say that I have been following this and the old site for a year now. If not for all of the great information given here I would have bought a brand new Pop-Up. Thank you! |
I am curious if anyone has a solution for a sagging roof for one of my Ramada's. It appears that there was a heavy snow load on the roof at one time that caused the cross members to buckle. As of right now I have it set up with adjustable poles to keep the center high enough so the water does not come in through the roof vent. However, when it is down, know matter how high I have the tongue, water eventually gets in the vent with no tarp cover. I am sure I will figure it out but if someone else has had this experience or a solution it would be greatly appreciated. |
Thanks and have a great day, Dennis. |
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Moose |
Joined: Jul 25, 2003 |
Posts: 300 |
Location: saskatchewan |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 8:32 am Post subject: |
I have heard, As long as you have the tongue raised when its in the down position, the water wont come through the vent. There must be a bad seal around your vent or somthing |
I have never read anyware that the bow in the middle of the roof is fixable. The 74 Ramada "shed" I had found had a similer thing inside with adjustable poles pushing the roof up. I also have a bow in the middle, but not bad enough for water to come through the vent, I hav it raised at the tongue anyway. |
Sorry I couldnt help, maybe somone els can try?? |
Good luck!! |
spencer |
76 ramada |
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Ole' Elmer Like |
Joined: Jul 23, 2003 |
Posts: 775 |
Location: Keene, Texas (Fort Worth Area) |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:05 am Post subject: Sagging roof fix |
Parkland wrote:I have heard, As long as you have the tongue raised when its in the down position, the water wont come through the vent. There must be a bad seal around your vent or somthing |
I have never read anyware that the bow in the middle of the roof is fixable. The 74 Ramada "shed" I had found had a similer thing inside with adjustable poles pushing the roof up. I also have a bow in the middle, but not bad enough for water to come through the vent, I hav it raised at the tongue anyway. |
Sorry I couldnt help, maybe somone els can try?? |
Good luck!! |
spencer |
76 ramada |
I am going to remove my roof next weekend and put bubble silver insulation in but first I am going to try and fix the sagging roof from another suggestion by an Apache owner. I will get a screen door swivel tightener and cable. Then I will connect the cable to each side of the trailer in the middle by the door and over the stove side. Then with the swivel tightener tighten up the cable and pulling the walls closer in and thus raising the middle up by the vent cover to take away the sagging roof problem and to make the trailer to be able to drain water better. |
That is my goal. I will tell you all when done how it went. |
_________________ |
Alan |
Restoring a 1973 Ramada |
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Deer |
Joined: May 27, 2003 |
Posts: 202 |
Location: Connecticut |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:32 am Post subject: |
Hi. Be careful with the screen door tightener routine. It might be a better fix to replace or re-bend your roof struts. The struts are fairly thin and can lose their bow with the weight of accumulating snow/rain. Removing the struts and re-bending them to properly bow (maybe even flip them?) should help your roof to "dome" a bit. The roof width is somewhat "fixed" and I would restrain from "over-tightening" the walls together. Check with Tim on this. (Unless his suggestion is the "tightening cable"....then I would wholeheartedly agree.... there's little Tim hasn't done to an Apache.....hmmmmm...and probably in one. ) |
Good luck. |
_________________ |
Pete '67 |
Katie '69 |
Samantha '95 |
Shaun '96 |
Shannon '98 |
Ramada '74 |
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Ole' Elmer Like |
Joined: Jul 23, 2003 |
Posts: 775 |
Location: Keene, Texas (Fort Worth Area) |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:42 am Post subject: Sagging fix |
FiremanPete wrote:Hi. |
Be careful with the screen door tightener routine. It might be a better fix to replace or re-bend your roof struts. The struts are fairly thin and can lose their bow with the weight of accumulating snow/rain. |
Removing the struts and re-bending them to properly bow (maybe even flip them?) should help your roof to "dome" a bit. The roof width is somewhat "fixed" and I would restrain from "over-tightening" the walls together. |
Check with Tim on this. (Unless his suggestion is the "tightening cable"....then I would wholeheartedly agree.... there's little Tim hasn't done to an Apache.....hmmmmm...and probably in one. ) |
Good luck. |
My engineer father-in-law (who designed many parts on the F-16 fighter jet) was telling me that once the struts had sagged that rebending is only temporary. They will resag after a short period of time do to the memory in the metal supports. I was thinking about at least two cables to even out the pull and to give long term support to the middle of the trailer. That is just my current thought for advice given to me. |
_________________ |
Alan |
Restoring a 1973 Ramada |
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Chipmunk |
Joined: Apr 21, 2003 |
Posts: 42 |
Location: Seattle, Washington |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:10 pm Post subject: |
You might look here |
to see the road cover removed from a Ramada. |
Mike |
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Ole' Elmer Like |
Joined: Jul 23, 2003 |
Posts: 775 |
Location: Keene, Texas (Fort Worth Area) |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:17 pm Post subject: Thanks Mike |
Blang wrote:You might look here |
to see the road cover removed from a Ramada. |
Mike |
Thanks. That site has some great restoration pictures for his trailer. |
Thanks again, |
_________________ |
Alan |
Restoring a 1973 Ramada |
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Moose |
Joined: Jul 25, 2003 |
Posts: 300 |
Location: saskatchewan |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:01 pm Post subject: |
I like the idea of geting new struts with a arch. Maybe a adjustable shower curtain rod would work |
I am not fimilier with the screen door thing... |
Good luck! |
spencer |
76ramada |
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Marshmallow Roaster |
Joined: Jul 05, 2003 |
Posts: 30 |
Location: Wetmore, U.P. Mi. |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:01 pm Post subject: sagging roofs |
In response to this thread I have designed and installed on my Ramada a permanent fix to my sagging roof that requires no disassembly and only the drilling of 4 pilot holes for sheet metal screws to install.You can look in "streetrod" user gallery for pic's of my installation. |
streetrod |
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Moose |
Joined: Jul 25, 2003 |
Posts: 300 |
Location: saskatchewan |
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:52 pm Post subject: |
Looks interesting. Do you have pictures of the exterior of the roof? That would help! spencer 76 ramada |
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Ole' Elmer Like |
Joined: Jul 23, 2003 |
Posts: 775 |
Location: Keene, Texas (Fort Worth Area) |
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2003 9:06 am Post subject: Re: sagging roofs |
streetrod wrote:In response to this thread I have designed and installed on my Ramada a permanent fix to my sagging roof that requires no disassembly and only the drilling of 4 pilot holes for sheet metal screws to install.You can look in "streetrod" user gallery for pic's of my installation. streetrod |
Your pictures look interesting. Do you hit your head on the cables or rods? Do you have pictures of the outside top? Where did you find your supplies? I am looking to fix mine on October 5. |
Thanks for your inspiration, |
_________________ |
Alan |
Restoring a 1973 Ramada |
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Marshmallow Roaster |
Joined: Jul 05, 2003 |
Posts: 30 |
Location: Wetmore, U.P. Mi. |
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2003 2:08 pm Post subject: sagging roofs |
My support rods are 1/2" higher than my original lights and the crown gives greater headroom than a sagging roof.There is no change to the outside roof cover.Tim Sch saw my roof supports last week,ask what he thinks of them. streetrod |
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Ole' Elmer Like |
Joined: Jul 23, 2003 |
Posts: 775 |
Location: Keene, Texas (Fort Worth Area) |
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:41 am Post subject: Re: sagging roofs |
streetrod wrote:In response to this thread I have designed and installed on my Ramada a permanent fix to my sagging roof that requires no disassembly and only the drilling of 4 pilot holes for sheet metal screws to install.You can look in "streetrod" user gallery for pic's of my installation. |
Wow, these are awesome. I purchased three from him and they worked PERFECTLY! It is awesome to have my camper roof looking like it was new from the factory and if anyone wishes to solve the sagging problem and to keep water from coming in the vent or to make your camper like new - - then email him and get the rods. |
The rods will make your camper like new! |
Thanks again for making them and shipping them to me quickly so that I was able to have them in time for our church campout. It was a pleasure doing business with you. |
_________________ |
Alan |
Restoring a 1973 Ramada |
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Apache Master |
Joined: Apr 20, 2003 |
Posts: 696 |
Location: Auburn Hills, MI |
ParklandThis post has been restored from the original Apachepopup forum that was discontinued. Select posts have been recovered and copied to the new forum to preserve their content.