Slide out leak

CC38EL · 11-14-2011, 09:03 PM

Our drivers side kitchen slide out leaks at the bottom and for the life of me I can't find out how.

The slide seals are in good condition. The top corner has a gap between the top slide seal and the side slide seal but I have put additional seal over the gap. This patch is connected by double sided industrial tape. The bottom is the only place where water enters and it comes in exactly at the bottom. No running water down the side of the slide (inside) or from the interior wall.

Over this past weekend, I found 5" wide (15' roll) thin slide gasket and added 2' at the top (18" of which is under the slide out topper) and completely covered the side gasket (about 5'). I attached the slide seal with velcro.....and it still leaked.

The bottom slide seal appears to make good contact with the slide out as does the top slide seal.

Now I know no one can provide a fix for this without seeing it, but I would like to hear possible remedies to make sure I haven't forgotten something. I thought I had fixed this problem a while back when I first applied the patch over the top corner gap. Went a whole year without leaking. Then the leak started again.

Extremely frustrated.

navychaps · 11-15-2011, 08:31 PM

The slide leaks:

When it is extended or retracted?

How are you checking for the leak (ie. is it during a rain, or driving or are you using pressure from the side)?

May not be able to help but this info may give us a clue.

CC38EL · 11-16-2011, 04:30 PM

Slide only leaks when extended.

Checking the bottom when it is raining. I always feel water in the carpet extending from the place where the inside slide flange is touching the inside wall.

RV Roadie · 11-16-2011, 05:35 PM

Jim just for grins maybe I can save you a lot of troubleshooting. Get a ladder and go outside and check the top of the window frame in the slide. If it has a gap then go back inside and try to carefully tighten them to snug. If they are stripped, the inside screws were most likely stripped at the factory and they loosened up over time on the road. I had that exact thing happen and i thought it was only with the slide out. But then I realized the slide was only in during travel and then perhaps the wind kept it drier than stopped.

I even went so far as to masking tape up a blue plastic tarp all over the top of the slide and over the roof so no rain could touch the slide on the top anywhere and yet it still leaked. I had it taped to the top edge of the slide so the outside window frame top was still exposed. Once I saw the gap that was in front of me the whole time, I resealed it and got new slightly bigger screws, snugged it down over the new putty and then used a tiny bead of Parr bond over the top and just around the radius corners of the window frame top and the leak was gone. It was leaking down the inside of the wall of the slide to the bottom.

Hope that helps.

Monacoach · 11-16-2011, 07:52 PM

I made the same mistake when only focusing on the slide rubber seals when in fact there are many more areas that water can penetrate. As mentioned above your windows and then in our case the outside seam needed re caulking. There are at least 12 seams on a slide out room, top bottom sides, outer face .

ditto · 11-16-2011, 11:12 PM

Not sure if the same design, but in my 09 Tour, the slides were designed to allow to "drain" into a well in the floor at forward and aft corners of the slide...the water then drained to the out side... When I encountered wet rugs, I found the drains were clogged with debri...

Catch14me · 11-17-2011, 09:21 AM

I have had a similar problem and been focused on the seals and seams but was unaware of the wells you mentioned which sound like a possibility. Can you tell me where exactly the wells are located so I can check? I thought I had looked pretty well but did not see the drain you mentioned. Thanks.

ditto · 11-17-2011, 10:26 PM

Sure..with the slide extended touch the floor at the lower corners of the slide ( forward and aft) if they are there ...you should feel the well about 3 inches long or so just past the transition from rug to plain sub floor...less than an inch deep. Out side under the slide you can see the drain under the sub floor too...Hope this helps

Jerry J · 11-18-2011, 02:36 PM

"Wells" possibly at the top of the slides under the awnings. Today mine leaked again running down the wall in the bedroom from a plugged drain and the snow and ice sagging on the awning cover. Condensation from under the awning cover drips on the slide top and into the "wells". With a pipe cleaner in the drain hole at the upper side of the slide, the drain is now clear and draining.
Don't know what slide drains you have but a possibility. Click here for Winnebago PDF.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catch14me

I have had a similar problem and been focused on the seals and seams but was unaware of the wells you mentioned which sound like a possibility. Can you tell me where exactly the wells are located so I can check? I thought I had looked pretty well but did not see the drain you mentioned. Thanks.

CC38EL · 11-18-2011, 04:24 PM

Thank you all. I've got some more checking to do tomorrow. Interesting thing about the 'wells'.....I'll be looking for those on the bottom of the slide. I don't have electric slide locks, so I don't have the wells on top.

The window I have in the slide out is on the outer wall. I'll check the seams/seals, but that's a long way to travel to get the carpet inside the coach. Down the outer wall, along the inside bottom of the slide and then to a corner and out to the carpet. I'm hoping it's not the case as that would mean more problems in the future with damage to the inside walls of the slide. I'll let you know.

CC38EL · 11-19-2011, 09:13 PM

No wells on my 02 Ultimate. Seals around windows are ok. I did find a crack below the outside seal under the slide. Definitely looks like water could seep in there.

Thanks for the suggestions.