Rusted Roof

[Pete]

Yeah, the only thing is that I know that the cancer is still there eating away at the remaining metal, and the next fix is only going to be worse!

[JWA]

For anyone reading this post and considering or facing the same thing........

Using "bondo" or its equal will NOT achieve any long lasting repairs. Body fillers (aka "bondo") are NOT water-proof, its intended to be covered by a high quality automotive finish. Finishes from off-the-shelf spray cans are not good substitutes for the longer term coverage.

Filler materials better suiting to large area or hole repairs as shown/discussed here will be of the fiberglass gel resin, one that is catalyzed (two part) to harden into a solid. The brand "Dura Glass" and its equals is a staple of most professional body shops, used for these same repairs.

Any rust repair requires the surrounding areas to be free of rust and properly protected from the elements otherwise the rust will return. It is indeed a cancer and will form or continue to grow unless its properly dealt with.

[sdwindansea]

I'm glad I found this post, although that is not to say I'm happy for the original poster. I just discovered a similar problem about a week ago. I was getting some leaking water into the van around the pillar at the driver's side windshield. I assumed there was a leak at the windshield seal and tried caulking any areas that looked suspect. That didn't fix a thing. So I started looking into other possibilities...

I found a pretty severe rusted out section between the gutter and the roof on the driver's side that was completely hidden by the PH roof when closed. If this happened on the passenger side, it would've been much more noticeable when camping. It appears like the roof is trying to separate from the gutter. I also noticed that I will probably have this same problem eventually on the rest of the roof as well.

I'm going to check with a local body shop to see what they have to recommend for a permanent fix. I did contact SMB but all I found out was that they've seen this problem before and that the "compound in the gutter is from Ford as part of the paint job, it is a flow seal used to fill any cracks".

[Youngster]

This seems to be a problem with dedicated surf vans that live near the coast.
It very often dews out at night near the coast in SoCal, year round, drip, drip. Add beach time, surf trips and salty air = roof rust. Keep your eyes on that roof!

[LenS]

"2007 Ford RB Diesel SMB 4x4 Pueblo Gold; Custom configuration (aisle layout); PIAA 580 driving lights; Picked up on Oct 19, 2007."
Don't Ford vehicles still come with a 10 year no perforation warranty???

[sdwindansea]

Originally Posted by LenS

"2007 Ford RB Diesel SMB 4x4 Pueblo Gold; Custom configuration (aisle layout); PIAA 580 driving lights; Picked up on Oct 19, 2007."
Don't Ford vehicles still come with a 10 year no perforation warranty???

Good question and not sure. However, I have a feeling they would claim the roof caused the issues and they are probably not wrong.

[LenS]

If I remember correctly there is also a 100,000 limit. 10yrs or 100k which ever comes first. If the area has not been damaged, previously repaired or modified it would not hurt to ask.

[sdwindansea]

It turns out the rust was most likely due to moisture being trapped under the tape. I can see other areas of tape with bubbles forming. I will be removing/replacing the tape. I had the repairs done by a private shop. They cut out the rusted metal and welded in the repair then painted to match. They did a fantastic job, cannot even tell a repair was done.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by sdwindansea

It turns out the rust was most likely due to moisture being trapped under the tape. I can see other areas of tape with bubbles forming. I will be removing/replacing the tape. I had the repairs done by a private shop. They cut out the rusted metal and welded in the repair then painted to match. They did a fantastic job, cannot even tell a repair was done.

Do you mind sharing with me who did the work? I need some help in this same department, as I'm sure you know.

[sdwindansea]

Originally Posted by Pete

Do you mind sharing with me who did the work? I need some help in this same department, as I'm sure you know.

See this thread - http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...nty-18962.html