Cecil the Diesel Gets a New Roof!

Cecil the Diesel is just fine now, thanks!

April 10, 2017

As sadly recorded during my trip in January of 2017, I drove through a wind storm below Cajon Pass here in Kalifornistan with winds up to 60 MPH! It blew the fiberglass cover off the roof of the coach and I had to pull over in those awful winds to check the damage. I limped on to my destination in Oceanside to spend time with my son, Dean, and family but had to abort my annual trip on into Texas to find some January warmth and sunshine.

The wind damage was not pretty. The white covering above is fiberglass and I’ve had such roofs on all my coaches with no issues. This was an issue!

Every item on the roof had to be removed, new, very thin plywood “veneer” was placed over the wood to provide a smooth base for the new rubber coating which was then applied. Every item had to be reattached. It was a big job!

I made it on home a few days later, and fortunately there was no rain the entire trip as bare wood was all that was left on half the roof. I was frustrated with the insurance company’s slow pace of handling my claim, and even more by the adjuster’s admonition that they decline about 90% of such claims, blaming it on the construction of the roof. I documented the windstorm in detail, providing the recorded wind speeds (to 60 MPH!) at several sites in the area where the damage occurred. I also pointed out to them that when I purchased the comprehensive coverage that would cover such damage, they knew the history of such roofs, they could have inspected the roof before selling the policy, and they did not advise me of such problems. Yet they gladly took my money. Yes… that could have been considered a veiled threat and I certainly would have taken them to court had they denied my claim.

But, for whatever reason, I like to believe it was their sense of honesty and fair play, they agreed to cover my claim. The best place nearby to have my coach fixed, according to them, was Smooth as Glass, a firm in Riverbank, CA, not far from my home. When I contacted them they advised that I could leave it with them but that they couldn’t get started on repairs ’til mid-March and I wouldn’t get it back ’til the end of March. They had plenty of indoor space to keep the coach safe and dry as I waited, so I agreed. I delivered the coach to them in mid February.

The vents, antennas, etc. have been removed and the old fiberglass coating removed. 

The very thin, veneer-like plywood base being applied to provide a smooth surface for the new rubber coating.


Metal radials and gutters being installed.


The metal radials and gutters are installed and the new rubber coating is applied and awaiting the installation of all the vents, antennas, etc.

For a RV junkie like me, that was an awful long wait. Worse yet, I didn’t get the coach back ’til April 10, almost two months without the coach. On March 31, when I was to get it back, they said it would be another week. On Friday, April 7 it still wasn’t ready. They said it would be ready by the following Monday. And, finally, it was.
The new roof – and Cecil the Diesel was ready to hit the road again!

It was worth the wait! Our son, Craig, who lives nearby and has much experience in such things, agreed to drive me to the repair shop and look at the repair. With my old knees and sore hip I really didn’t want to climb up to the roof – and wouldn’t know just what to look for anyway!

Craig pronounced the repairs well done, and to top it off, the good folks at Smooth as Glass had washed it and had it waiting for me at the entrance to their large and well run facility. All the frustrations melted away as I reclaimed my baby, paid the man, and headed home.

The repairs came to over $10,000! My share was just my deductible, a relatively paltry $625. It amazes me that winds to 60 MPH could wreak such damage to such a well built coach as my Winnebago Journey diesel pusher, but they sure did!

And now… to roll up enough miles to make up for nearly two months without my favorite toy!

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