6 replies to this topic

[Kdawnz]

Anyone know whether the roof on a 2005 Hallmark would be rubber or metal? I know the composite didn't come until 2008, but I don't know what was going on in the years prior. I'm really interested in a 2005 Milner, but it's nearly twice the cost of comparable model years in Sun Lite and Northtstar, which are my other primary targets for pop ups. I don't want to spend the extra money if I'm just going to end up with an expensive camper that leaks.
Thanks!

[smlobx]

Don't quote me on this but I think the roofs they used prior to the composite roofs were a rubber compound.
If you look at the usd campers they sometimes have on their site they say that the previous roofs required yearly maintenance..

[Vic]

I believe in 05 they were still the rubber roofs that needed annual maintenance if its original.  Only reason I mention that is Hallmark regularly upgrades older campers with the new fiberglass roof and new canvas - about $5k if I recall.  It would be worth getting a picture of the roof of the unit for sale - depending on the sale you might get a heck of a deal if its already been upgraded.  

[DoGMAtix]

I think Smlobx and Vic are right that the roofs were rubber. Bill at Hallmark can confirm. Their phone number is on their web site. Be persistent, and don't bother writing, they rarely answer emails. I'm really happy we got an '08 with the composite roof. Leak free and looks like new still.

The other thing to know is that they didn't start installing the electric roof lift systems until some time (a year or two?) after the roofs were upgraded to composite. We've got an 08 with a composite roof and a hand-crank roof lift. The teeth of the crank/track are very soft metal and prone to stripping/cracking off if the crank is not fully inserted into the mechanism and held there firmly through the entire opening/closing process. It's a pain to deal with a damaged crank and track, but replacements can be bought.

Good luck! I really love Hallmark campers, if you can find an affordable deal on one with a composite roof and lift system in good shape I'd recommend it!

[WanderWasi]

We have a 2005 Milner and yes, the roof is rubber.  We did notice some stains on the headliner which indicated a water leak and had Andy at Hallmark check it out.  He said the roof was solid and dry so we resealed it. 

[WyoTITAN]

Rubber roof, yes.  Every year I have to get up on mine and make sure all of the seals around the vent, etc. are good.  I've also had to use the 4" wide rubber roof tape around the entire outside edge and double on the corners to prevent leaks.  Had one year that the tape leaked through and had water damage from rain every day in May event (set a record in KC that year).  The water entered at the corners and ran into the side wall (top was down) and leaked through the sewn seem soaking the bunk.  It was a mess to clean up.  Also, those cheap covers from Amazon will help keep it dry, but only seem to last about 2 years. I wished I could afford to have the roof replaced, but it cost 4.2x what I paid for the whole camper :-(

[DoGMAtix]

Yeah, it's not cheap to have any significant modifications done at Hallmark. I believe Bill quoted us around $5K for a new lift system. I'll just replace the tracks myself and get a couple of new hand cranks if the teeth continue to wear down, and pat myself on the back for raising the roof using good old fashioned elbow grease.

Having a camper that started its life with a composite roof (08 or newer) is probably your best bet if you can afford it, but a used older Hallmark with roof replaced after 2008 may be significantly cheaper. Not sure if you can reliably inspect for water damage, though, without tearing into walls (which the seller would not likely allow).

We found ours by searching "All of Craigslist" rather than waiting for someone else to post an awesome deal on the used camper forum. It's worth looking there too, but the really good deals posted there tend to go fast. We considered ourselves fortunate that we only had to drive 450 miles to get ours.