Coleman with ABS Roof worth it?

[gucho]

I have an appointment with a coleman Fleetwood mesa, 1999. The unit looks pristine from the outside but the seller will show me throughout. He is asking $4k.
Is there anything that can be done with todays technology to mitigate the potential roof damage, Rhino coating? The Roof looks pristine I imagine garage kept)

Thoughts and opinion would be appreciated

 

[Mr_Custom]

I havE a 2003 Sun Valley and the roof is still in great shape. I have a couple of hairline cracks that I have drilled small holes to terminate the crack runs and siliconed over the cracks until I can put a layer of grizzly grip over the whole thing.

It has wintered under a shelter every winter and I mostly park it in the garage to avoid any deterioration. I have support bars and removed the AC a few years ago in favour of a fantastic fan vent.

I believe the new coatings would do the trick especially if the roof is in good shape.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

[gucho]

Im wondering if there are a people that have never had an issue with an ABS Roof, or if there are people that have had an ABS roof that was in good working order but decided to rhinocoat it anyways?
Anyone? Buler.... buler......Anyone?

 

[Mosbyranger]

The unit you are interested in is 16 yrs old. If it has not delammed by now it probably won't. Not all of those roofs had issues.
MR

 

[gucho]

i had a closer look at the unit and there is at least on set of cracks about 5" long. Also there were a series of small cracks around the black skirt molding. When i sighted the roof line you could see it sagging more along the half than the back half.

From what I have read and heard of, I think these are the signs of the begging of the end but I could be mistaken. Maybe a flexible rhino coat or somehting similar would help prevent it from going further?

 

[tfischer]

Is $4K the going rate for a 16 year old pup of that model? Seems a little high, potential roof issues notwithstanding.

We paid $3300 for our 2005 pup last year, although it wasn't the same model. And that was on the high side due to when we were buying (spring).

 

[bols2Dawall]

Yup I'd pass , I'd be lucky to get that for mine and it's newer with A/C and an aluminum roof.

 

[natty bumppo]

If the roof looks good I wouldn't let that kill the deal. Most horror stories you'll find on the ABS roof comes about because people let them get in such bad shape before doing any preventive maintenance. As far as Popup roofs go you can find owners having problems with all varieties of roofs. Caulking seams ,patching holes rotting wood etc. My Coleman ABS is a one piece roof with no seams to caulk . I don't believe there is any wood in the roof to rot if I'm wrong someone can correct me. It's basically a fiberglass roof covered by ABS plastic .Yes I've had cracks appear especially along the curvature on the sides and under the bag awning and there are several methods of maintenance. I started using Eternabond tape down the sides ,easy to apply and will outlast me. All in all I won't say it's priced too high,condition and factory accessories trump what model year it may be. You can find plenty of newer models that have sat out in the weather and deteriorated,you'd be surprised how many purchase a camper park it and never think about it until they get ready to use it. I believe Popup owners are more attuned to keeping their campers in good shape. I love to find that the camper has been garage kept or under a shelter. When judging the condition of the roof check under the bag awning and beware of a sagging roof.

 

[gucho]

I sighted the roof from one end and it was sagging on the back now that I think about it. Does the sagging lead to delamination? for us the 4K is a bit high based on the fact that the front compartment has a gap against the trailer and has let water in, and the roof. But I have read that there has been good success with people taking on the roof issue. Maybe they are only bandages, I dont know.

 

[cpunurse]

I think I would agree that 4K sounds pretty high for a camper that is 16 years old.

 

[gucho]

its getting to be quite discouraging. Every Coleman that we look at, people want double of what people tell us to pay. Plus the whole ABS roof has been a real learning experience. Some people have fixed them with virtually no issue and others have taken them completely apart. Obviously every one is different but bottom line is I can spend 4K and put money into it and still end up with a 3K trailer or buy one for more money that I dont have to struggle with, say a 07 cheyenne for 7k.

 

[shfd739]

We looked for about 6 weeks last summer before finding a decent '01 Niagara for $3750. I had to fix some cracking in the trunk and replace the trunk floor. Those were pretty easy projects. Our pup looks to have a warranty replacement filon type roof so no ABS worries. Actually all 4 or 5 pups I looked at in South/central Texas had non-ABS roofs.

Be patient. The right pup is out there. I know it's frustrating but done settle for one that isn't exactly what you want. You won't be happy and you'll regret it every time you use it.

 

[Canoe2fish]

Big gamble. Sounds like the roof is on the downward spiral. You can get lots of nice non-ABS trailers at that price.

 

[SmokeEater2]

Im wondering if there are a people that have never had an issue with an ABS Roof, or if there are people that have had an ABS roof that was in good working order but decided to rhinocoat it anyways?
Anyone? Buler.... buler......Anyone?

I've wondered that myself, Anyone had an ABS roof in good shape but went ahead and performed a preemptive strike and coated with Grizzly grip or something?

 

[tfischer]

its getting to be quite discouraging. Every Coleman that we look at, people want double of what people tell us to pay. Plus the whole ABS roof has been a real learning experience. Some people have fixed them with virtually no issue and others have taken them completely apart. Obviously every one is different but bottom line is I can spend 4K and put money into it and still end up with a 3K trailer or buy one for more money that I dont have to struggle with, say a 07 cheyenne for 7k.

Any reason you're specifically targeting Coleman trailers? I know people tend to love them here on the portal, but they've been out of business for over 5 years now and parts are going to only get harder to find as time goes on. There are other good brands out there, for example in another thread most Palomino owners (including me) are very happy with our campers, and Forrest River has excellent customer service.

 

[shfd739]

I've wondered that myself, Anyone had an ABS roof in good shape but went ahead and performed a preemptive strike and coated with Grizzly grip or something?

As long as the roof isn't sagged,showing signs of water damage/intrusion and the ABS has pulled loose then covering with Grizzly Grip or Monstaliner should work to preserve it.

We used Monstaliner on the ABS trunk of our Coleman and it effectively sealed some hairline cracks and stiffened the ABS where it had become brittle. I'm very happy the results and no longer have to worry about it cracking or breaking.

 

[Wild-Life]

Im wondering if there are a people that have never had an issue with an ABS Roof, or if there are people that have had an ABS roof that was in good working order but decided to rhinocoat it anyways?
Anyone? Buler.... buler......Anyone?

I have a 2002 that was stored outside for 11 years by the PO. It has no roof cracks and I have been completely satisfied. If you are seeing roof sag it is way overpriced. Even with a perfect roof, I would pass on the $4K if he wouldn't negotiate.

 

[gucho]

Any reason you're specifically targeting Coleman trailers? I know people tend to love them here on the portal, but they've been out of business for over 5 years now and parts are going to only get harder to find as time goes on. There are other good brands out there, for example in another thread most Palomino owners (including me) are very happy with our campers, and Forrest River has excellent customer service.

I thought it was going to be a good choice, but I did ask myself that same question yesterday Why not another trialer?. So today a Flagstaff 725d came up for sale near me and I'm going to check it out. They are wanting 5K, but I don't know what I should be concerned about with flagstaff trailers, its got the bump outs.

 

[mhrir]

When I first started looking a few months before I had done any research, I was interested in the one piece ABS roof. After reading here and elsewhere I decided it wasn't worth the risk. The best quote I recall was - It's not a matter of if it's going to fail but when.

After that I upped the budget and got a nice deal on a slightly used Rockwood High Wall.

 

[Dad2futurecampers]

So if I have a coleman abs roof with no damage so far would you recommend putting a layer of the Grizzly grip on or wait until I see problems.