Hi all - i'm new to this forum but am an oldie from the barrel horse group - have a question i hope that some of can shed some light on.  We had a bad storm last weekend that basically did a number on the roof of our JD Sutherland LQ horse trailer...the bathroom vent cover was smashed to pieces..and the tennis ball sized hail we had left a ripped hole on one of the seems above the bathroom..about a foot in front of the wall dividing the bathroom wall & the first horse stall.  The adjuster was here today & his recommendation was to replace the entire roof....here is where we are very nervous...first -  we have reservations about the idea of having to take the entire roof off - we are very worried that the LQ areas (cabinets, ceiling, etc) would be damaged during the repair - and just might not be as structurally sound as it was before...has anyone been thru anything similar? 

Thanks in advace,

Sandy

Replacing a large section of roofing as you suggest is a major consideration and undertaking. With a LQ involved, much attention has to be made for the accessories that protrude through the structure. If the skin is one piece or several, how it is attached to the sub structure, and how to duplicate the original materials and construction details are only some of the considerations.

I'm surprised the adjuster determined a total replacement, most will only repair the damaged areas. Your damage must be extensive.

I would first contact your trailer manufacturer to see if they can effect the necessary repairs. They would be the most qualified to perform this major work. Only a very skilled and knowledgeable repair facility should be involved in its reconstruction. Many times your insurance carrier will recommend a facility with whom it has done business in the past. The quality of this repair may very well depend on your future enjoyment of your trailer. If it's done incorrectly, leaks, oil canning and improper fit and finish may plague your continued ownership.

RTSmith sounds very versed in this maintenance. Only frequent a facility that has actually fabricated an entire new roof. Its experience will greatly surpass a fabricator that has effected repairs on smaller projects.

Your trailer must be repaired within an enclosed structure. Once the roofing is removed, your LQ interior will be open to the elements and could be permanently damaged by poor weather. The roof will have to be re insulated. It should be replaced with products that are at least as good as the original, or better if they are available.

This is a major project, and you want the best facility you can find. Ask many questions and talk to many people before you commit yourself to one type of repair.

Gard

In this part of the country, a whole roof replacement is more common. When we have hail storms we will have hail anywhere from pea size to softball size. I have had roofs replaced on my farm due to what the weather man called golf ball to baseball size hail.

I know people that have had the bottom side line and insulated and the top re-sealed if hail has not gone all the way through. I owned a trailer that this had been done to. I also owned an LQ that had a whole roof replacement (it had tears from the hail). The insurance wanted to replace everything behind the LQ and leave the rest. I refused that because it was changing a roof that did not have a seam as original equipment, and putting a seam in it. In my mind, one more 8' long possiblity of a leak. In my case the manufacturer replaced the roof. There are many manufacturers in Oklahoma that have service areas that will service trailers other than their own. This may be an option for you. Also, RT Smith has replaced roofs. I definitely agree with Gard on finding someone who has replaced the roof on a horse trailer before.

We have a friend with hail damage to his trailer. After pricing the roof replacement the insurance company was going to total the trailer, so the owner and insurance company decided to settle for half the insurance claim which totaled over $11,000.00 to the customer. The customer decided to patch what needed patching and insulated the horse area so that you couldn't see the damage. To totally replace the roof area would mean that the LQ area would have to be removed close to the roof line so that the roof could be removed and a new one riveted back in and sealed. Then the LQ had to be replaced. You can save alot of the interior but much of it would have to be replaced with new. It is very costly. It's not like replacing a house roof. I think the total was over $23,000.00. The AC was damaged also. It's amazing what hail can do.

I feel sorry for the animals that get caught in a hail storm that can't get under a shelter.