VW GC 600 cracked roof

[blazpikalupse]

Hi all,

I have encountered quite an odd issue with the GC 600 roof. The roof is made out of fiberglass + gelcoat, and it has been cracking around the roof windows (specifically towards the right side where the awning is). The van is three years old, and VW has performed around 4-5 repairs under the warranty, but they still have not been able to figure out why this is happening. Apparently, these are just gelcoat cracks, and the fiberglass itself seems to be fine. They have filled the cracks in many different ways during repairs, but they keep coming back.

I wonder if any of you are experiencing a similar issue with the GC 600 roof? It is driving me crazy, and the only solution I see fit after so many trials and efforts is to change the whole roof.

 

[Daggartukvan1]

Are they doing the repairs in the correct way i.e. cutting channels in the cracks prior to filling?

 

[blazpikalupse]

I do not know exactly what do you mean by that but so far I haven't done anything because everything was handled by VW due to the warranty. But I have feeling they have no clue at all how to deal with this issue. It seems that they are just filling the cracks. No one ever mentioned of anything else i.e. cutting channels. So, if anyone has knowledge about such repairs please share it with me

 

[Sven Ole]

Jeg vet ikke nøyaktig hva mener du med det, men så langt har jeg ikke gjort noe fordi alt ble håndtert av VW på grunn av garantien. Men jeg har følelsen av at de ikke har noen anelse i det hele tatt hvordan de skal håndtere dette problemet. Det ser ut til at de bare fyller sprekkene. Ingen nevnte noen gang noe annet, dvs. Så, hvis noen har kunnskap om slike reparasjoner kan du dele den med meg

Båttjeneste for glassfiberskrog.

 

[Corradobrit]

I do not know exactly what do you mean by that but so far I haven't done anything because everything was handled by VW due to the warranty. But I have feeling they have no clue at all how to deal with this issue. It seems that they are just filling the cracks. No one ever mentioned of anything else i.e. cutting channels. So, if anyone has knowledge about such repairs please share it with me

V shaped groves should be cut into the fiberglass and the channel filled with a flexible filler that is able to move slightly without cracking. The FG is going to flex with repeated heat and cooling cycles. Your cracks probably reappeared due to that movement and use of a solid filler.

 

[Corradobrit]

But there must have been a defect in manufacture for this to happen in the first place. Maybe the roof was not installed correctly before bonding to the side panels during the build. Any torsional distortion could result in cracks along weakened sections under different climatic conditions.
Personally I think a new roof needs to be installed. I assume you are out of bumper-to-bumper factory warranty now though and relying on the extended repair warranty.
I would also check on the new EU lemon law and see if it applies and a claim made.

 

[Daggartukvan1]

I do not know exactly what do you mean by that but so far I haven't done anything because everything was handled by VW due to the warranty. But I have feeling they have no clue at all how to deal with this issue. It seems that they are just filling the cracks. No one ever mentioned of anything else i.e. cutting channels. So, if anyone has knowledge about such repairs please share it with me

Corradobrit had explained the repair technique perfectly - if not done this way the cracks will reappear.

 

[blazpikalupse]

Thanks for that. The GC is still under the initial VW warranty (3 years) which is going to expire at the end of January.

VW is deciding at the moment to either repair again or change the roof. We pushed them for the new roof but thay have to make a final decision. And I am a bit worried if they would go and try to repair it again, and it would crack in 6 months they would just say, sorry but you are out of the warranty. And even worse, with the extended warranty the paintwork defects are not covered and it seems to me that they will try to avoid repairing it by saying that "unfortunatelly it does not fit into extended warranty policy" since people at VW are not realy warranty-friendly. And I imagine that changing the roof might cost them quite some money.

Thanks for that EU lemon law suggestion, I heard of it before but it might be worth to talk to some lawyer to be sure what exactly are my rights.

 

[RockinNRollin]

I don't think the fact the warranty has lapsed in an ongoing problem is an issue; the problem surfaced well within warranty and there have been multiple attempts at repair, they've just kept on failing. I'd be pushing for a new roof too

 

[Corradobrit]

Thanks for that. The GC is still under the initial VW warranty (3 years) which is going to expire at the end of January.

VW is deciding at the moment to either repair again or change the roof. We pushed them for the new roof but thay have to make a final decision. And I am a bit worried if they would go and try to repair it again, and it would crack in 6 months they would just say, sorry but you are out of the warranty. And even worse, with the extended warranty the paintwork defects are not covered and it seems to me that they will try to avoid repairing it by saying that "unfortunatelly it does not fit into extended warranty policy" since people at VW are not realy warranty-friendly. And I imagine that changing the roof might cost them quite some money.

Thanks for that EU lemon law suggestion, I heard of it before but it might be worth to talk to some lawyer to be sure what exactly are my rights.

Did you purchase an additional year warranty? Normally only 2 years in Europe for the factory warranty. The risk is that you get a repair and then it fails again outside warranty. After so many attempts I would be pressing for a replacement roof section.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Expect VW just used a filler,and have not allowed for any flex / movement.

Take it to someone who specialises in boat / surfboard repairs and get it done properly.

 

[Corradobrit]

Expect VW just used a filler,and have not allowed for any flex / movement.

Take it to someone who specialises in boat / surfboard repairs and get it done properly.

Since its warranty work, VW would have to authorize a 3rd party repair and thats not something they are probably want to do.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Since its warranty work, VW would have to authorize a 3rd party repair and thats not something they are probably want to do.

VW will just continue with a bodge/cosmetic repair until the warranty expires, and will then wash their hands of the issue.

 

[LRGS253]

Gelcoat looks too thick. Probably missing a layer of material or no core. A panel the size should have core in it as monolithic lay would make it too heavy. Defect from manufacturing and layup.

 

[blazpikalupse]

Since its warranty work, VW would have to authorize a 3rd party repair and thats not something they are probably want to do.

We talked to them already about that and the VW workshop agreed but then it was rejected by VW in Hannover. The VW service for GC is just ridiculous...I have feeling that they released GC but never properly trained service workers. After 4 years they still have no clue about certain issues (not just related to the roof). It is a great car though but VW workshops are...yeah, they are bad, at least here in Germany.

 

[blazpikalupse]

VW will just continue with a bodge/cosmetic repair until the warranty expires, and will then wash their hands of the issue.

I am very sure that this is usually a scenario when the warranty expires.

 

[rod_vw]

We've never had any cracking problems with a Reimo high roof on a T6 (and we've had five of their roofs in the past) so there are German manufacturers that can make items correctly.

 

[WelshGas]

We've never had any cracking problems with a Reimo high roof on a T6 (and we've had five of their roofs in the past) so there are German manufacturers that can make items correctly.

Don't mention that on the Marco Polo Forum.

 

[Vagophile]

Dealing with cracked GRP is more complicated than you might think. I speak as an owner of fibreglass bodied cars since 1975. The accepted bible for both amateur and professional is:



Unfortunately it is out of print and my copy is currently on loan to another owner of a GRP bodied car.
@Corradobrit has given the gist of how to carry out a proper repair, but after cutting a groove in the crack, more specialist treatment is required, not the sort of repair that 99% of bodyshops would be familiar with.
@Ch1pbutty is correct; most boatbuilders who are regularly working with the material have the expertise.
The cracks photographed give rise to a suspicion that there is something wrong with the way the roof has been fixed.

 

[owen_h]

https://www.facebook.com/100039529462637/posts/pfbid099xVRisXNqDAsgaR64tFJL6ZvJX7k6ckNFsBJbGzBFwtc45DWzyxd11ba6ehVyFzl

If I’ve managed to do the links correctly the above is a series of photos showing the repair of a sea kayak (thankfully not mine). The first repair involves extra glass work but most would have initially only be hairline cracks through the gellcoat. These all need to be chased back and enlarged to solid gell and to allow the new material to have something to adhere to. Steve uses a dremmel i believe. If Vw are just filling then that will quickly fail due to flex or temp differences.
It’s not a particularly difficult task to somebody used to working with GRP. Don’t imagine there are many people in VW dealerships who have the skills to do it though.

 

[owen_h]

https://www.facebook.com/100039529462637/posts/pfbid099xVRisXNqDAsgaR64tFJL6ZvJX7k6ckNFsBJbGzBFwtc45DWzyxd11ba6ehVyFzl

Try again.
If this dousent doesn’t work search Southern sea kayaks on FB. Post from 2022

 

[Ch1pbutty]