mission mike Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 A question about fibreglass and aluminum, I checked on the web about this and got two different answers! What I want to know is will fibreglass have a permanent seal when adhered to the aluminum roof of our winnie warrior, two reasons for asking, 1st one, at some time the middle roof vent has been glassed in place by a previous owner, still holding and no leaks. 2nd question, I liked waiters Idea for taking the sag out of a roof by fabricating fiberglass roof beams, (thanks waiter, a well thought out plan) I’ve always wanted to install a roof rack on our warrior, but never liked the thought of having to drill holes in the roof, so! could I use John’s plan to fabricate a roof rack beam to our aluminum roof? I’ve never done any fiber glassing and waiters Idea seems like it would keep my roof leak free. Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 This will NOT work on aluminum roofs (sorry). Yes, the fiberglass will bond to the aluminum, the problem is, the aluminum roof isn't bonded to anything. The structure I utlines is a truss support for the roof. This truss would hold the aluminum up, but I'm afraid after a couple good bumps, because of the flexing of the aluminum, it would probably break away. You vent isn't supporting any weight or doing a lot of flexing, so your probably OK. This will work with the Sunrader because the roof is fiberglass and is actually part of the structure. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission mike Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Thanks John. I guess its back to plan B for a roof rack!!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Polyester resin won't stick very well for any length of time to a bare aluminum roof but epoxy resin will stick to a properly prepared aluminum roof quite well. First, clean the area to be glassed with a rag dampened with acetone (wear gloves!). Second, sand the same area with 220 grit sandpaper. Third, clean the same area with acetone again and do your fiberglassing as soon as possible so that small bits of dust and junk don't blow into the area you're working in. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission mike Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 Thanks Dolphinite John and Karincorbin for input on this topic. I have seen one home built roof rack on a camper that I have considered making, it to spanned the roof from side to side as Karin suggested, but instead of bolts to hold it in place, it used ratchet straps on the four corners running down the walls to the frame of the truck, it seemed very sturdy and was carrying two kayaks, wished I'd taken a photo to better explain. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 After five years my canoe rack is holding up, no water damage. I did not bolt the rack down, but used lag screws. Water would have to get under the sealed composite decking boards, then under the sealed screw head, then past the screw threads. The only purpose of the lag screws is to keep the rack from moving around and Not to hold the rack to the roof, that is the job of the straps that secure the canoe to the front and rear bumper. http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3699 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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