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Chris52

Bedroom Slideout Leak

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I have a class A Hurricane motor-home and have recently experienced excessive water leaks into the bedroom of our RV.  We have tried to re-level as suggested by many only to find that it started to leak on the other side ( left to right).  I did manual vs self-leveling to see if this solved the problem. 

I have also been told to bring the slide-out in and this would eliminate the problem.  However, this also did not resolve the issue. I am in a query as to exactly where this leak is coming from?  I have checked all gaskets in that area and have re-sealed others to see if this would solve the problem. I still have the water issue. Can someone tell me what else I can do? I am at my wit's end.    

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The slide leaks when it's out and when it is retracted?  That's really bad if I have that right.  Most slides leak a bit but they certainly should not have anything approaching "excessive" while opened or closed (especially when closed).

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I had 2007 Hurricane 34 B that leaked from day one. The front slide would leak right behind the drivers seat. The bedroom slide would leak and run out under the bed. I tried to make it leak with a garden house and even a power washer but no luck. We even tried shining a halogen light around the slide seals at night but nothing . Finally I just gave up and would close the slides when it rained. Then they started leaking even when they were closed. Started noticing delamination of the fiberglass which lead to finally finding out the windows were the culprit. I sealed around the windows with some black silicone solved my problem. I kept the coach until last year and bought the brand new nightmare I own now. 

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Phil.  LOL, bad to bad!  Good luck.

Chris 52.  As  Phil said.  But it also could be that you need your roof re sealed all the way around where cap meets sidewall.  Not knowing what year your coach is, makes it difficult to diagnose.  Have you called the factory and talked to Tech Dept?

Carl

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Chris.  It also could be a bad caulking around your rear AC...water runs a path of least resistance, capillary action!  Last year I had a bad leak also when it rained, I did not wait, I took coach into nearest shop, turned out to be a crack in the sky light above my shower...the water came out in the kitchen, under a wall cabinet. 

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12 hours ago, Philc said:

I had 2007 Hurricane 34 B that leaked from day one. The front slide would leak right behind the drivers seat. The bedroom slide would leak and run out under the bed. I tried to make it leak with a garden house and even a power washer but no luck. We even tried shining a halogen light around the slide seals at night but nothing . Finally I just gave up and would close the slides when it rained. Then they started leaking even when they were closed. Started noticing delamination of the fiberglass which lead to finally finding out the windows were the culprit. I sealed around the windows with some black silicone solved my problem. I kept the coach until last year and bought the brand new nightmare I own now. 

I feel your pain. Our last coach was a leaker and it was everything but the roof. I had the side walls pulled, wood replaced and fiberglass reinstalled, the place that did the work did a nice job on that but didn't seal the windows and appliances properly. So I pulled them all out when it started to delaminate again and repaired it myself, reinstalled the windows and appliances.

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10 hours ago, jleamont said:

I feel your pain. Our last coach was a leaker and it was everything but the roof. I had the side walls pulled, wood replaced and fiberglass reinstalled, the place that did the work did a nice job on that but didn't seal the windows and appliances properly. So I pulled them all out when it started to delaminate again and repaired it myself, reinstalled the windows and appliances.

Joe that's why I decided to step up to DP so far the only thing I'm impressed with is the fuel mileage 10.5 mpg @ 65 mph. I know I bought an entry level coach and have dealt with all the little gadgets that have had to be repaired but the last thing I ever thought of was how unreliable the Diesel engine has been, every time I start it up it's a different check engine light.

 

Phil

 

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Phil what year is you coach? The new engines can be a real pain in the tail. I'm surrounded by them all day at work dealing with the constant breakdowns and engine lights. I couldn't imagine dealing with it in our coach, my wife would flip.

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On my Discovery the gasket on the inside of the opening at the edge had fallen out of place.  The only way to reach it was to open the slide until about 6 inches from all the way and remove the flange on the edge of the slide so you can access the gasket area.

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There are a number of potential causes of water leaks around a slide-out. One cause is that the slide seals do not properly "flip" when the slide is run out. This can actually create a funnel effect that aims water toward the interior. I discovered this on my coach while at FMCA Int'l at Indy. As a design engineer I decided to just eliminate the problem by ensuring the seals "flip" and point out when the slide is out.

"Folded flap" shows one side of slide with much of the flap still folded inward.  "Folded Flap 2" is other side of slide and even the top part of the flap is not flipping out.

I found some 15/16" x 8' polystyrene batten wall molding (Lowes #1422) that had a nice rounded profile and is only 3/16" thick so the flaps can slide over the molding easily. After applying some exterior grade 3M double sided tape and locating the inner edge of the flap when the slide was slid in. Note the rubber marks seen to right of molding in picture "RV flap guide 1"

I attached some pieces of the molding that would be inboard of the flaps when the slide was fully in. I angled the molding so it would gently "roll" the flap outward when the slide moves out.  End results are seen in "RV Flap guide" & "RV Flap guide 2".  You can see the flaps are fully out and should direct any rain away from the seals.

Total cost about $12. No special tools required as the Polystyrene molding cuts with a utility knife.  Just be sure the sides of the slide are clean with no wax or dirt so the tape has best chance of staying attached.

RV folded flap (Medium).JPG

RV folded flap 2 (Medium).JPG

Lowes molding 1422.jpg

Scotch tape.jpg

RV flap guide 1 (Medium).JPG

RV flap guide (Medium).JPG

RV flap 2 guide (Medium).JPG

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Roger, I have the same problem with ours. I'm replacing the seals next year since they are getting brittle, hoping new seals will flip properly. If not your fix is on my list!

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6 hours ago, jleamont said:

Roger, I have the same problem with ours. I'm replacing the seals next year since they are getting brittle, hoping new seals will flip properly. If not your fix is on my list!

Many seem to understand the 7 to 10 year life of rubber in tires but seem to forget all the other rubber components in a MH. Rubber is organic and unlike inorganic parts has a limited life. Your slide seals are 15 years old so ys, it's about time.

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Hmm! I was under the impression that those "flaps" are wiper blades to squeegee the water off the sides so that when the slide is in they don't drip all over the place.

The actual seals are the extreme edge on the flange a round the external slideout.  The same rubber seal is located on the inside flange in the MH and when the slide is out that is the seal that keeps water out.  Granted the flapper is a great help but it is not the sealing grace.

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Mine are below the inside wall, so if the outer flaps guide water in it puddles on the seals, eventually it leaks inside. Now the wall is capped with stainless steel where they rest so no rot. Either way I do not want water laying back there.

 I believe by design the inside are to block air and the "wipers" are to direct water away.

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Joe.  That is correct.  There are also, weep holes in floor, on each side of each slide to allow any rain water to drain out, when you retract slide!  Do not plug those holes...

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I might jinks myself, but I have used silicon and Protect all to clean and coat the seals and the slide sidewalls an roof to keep the seals in good condition. Same seals for 15 years and still keeping the water and dirt out, but the seals and surfaces need some TLC at least one a year. I try to clean and coat them twice a year, but that does not always happen.

Rich.

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I also thought the "flap" would seal and guide the water away but in my case the "flap" ended up pointing inward and created a funnel to guide the water inside the coach above the gear rack as seen in my "before" pictures. I had applied a slide seal lube spray but that did not help keep the lips pointed outward.  Maybe there are other designs for seals that need different approach. I'm happy with my "fix" for my design seals.

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I currently have a DS inside seal dangling half out...Linda and I will have fun this evening.  We leave for OK. tomorrow!

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Linda fixed it, she had the same happen on hers last year.  We took the whole wiper seal off and she had 3M sealant, then re set in grove.  Now my slide is 1/2 inn until morning to let it cure! :D Hard to find a handy DIY woman!:lol::wub:

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2 hours ago, manholt said:

Linda fixed it, she had the same happen on hers last year.  We took the whole wiper seal off and she had 3M sealant, then re set in grove.  Now my slide is 1/2 inn until morning to let it cure! :D Hard to find a handy DIY woman!:lol::wub:

Especially one who owns a big hammer.:P

Bill

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Roger,

Your fix looks like an easy solution to the wiper seals being out or turned in. They never turn in all the way, just part way up, etc.

I'm going to keep your fix in my mental housing group.

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