wet floors under slides

Not sure if this is the right forum but Jim can move it if neccessary. We have 2006 3055RL,mfg date 2/06. When traveling in wet weather the floor under the entertainment slide gets soaking wet. similar but not as sever situation with the big slide. It seems to be a matter of water thrown up by the tires. all the slide seals appear good and I can find no trace of water on the bottom of the slide. the carpet is soaked in the living room. it seems to start about a foot back from the forward inside edge of the entertainment slide. Is it possible for water to get under the slide "guide" thats bolted to the floor and then soak into the carpet? I may have to fabricate a "mud flap" to protect this area. Any ideas would be appriciated.
Thanks Barney
 

Gary F

Well-known member
I have experienced this same problem with my 06 3200RL production date12/2004, living room slide only. It took me a while to figure out it was during wet highway travel.
The first time I noticed the carpet wet, I thought it was from a compromised slide seal while the trailer sat in storage not realizing when I carried the trailer to the storage facility, I drove through a hard rain shower.
After I noticed the soaked carpet, I vacuumed up the water and monitored it going so far as to water leak check the trailer with a garden hose around the slide seal.
It took me several camping trips to figure out where the water was coming from and after a trip back from the beach while driving in the rain, I opened up the trailer slides and discovered soaked carpeting in the same area in the back of the trailer within the rear cap area where the recliners sit. Slide side only

Now I plan camp-out traveling on dry weather days and one of these days my luck is going to run out.
 

sailorand

Past British Columbia Chapter Leader
wet floors

Just found that we have the same problem with water just at the slide openings. desk side is worst than living room slide side, but it is wet also. We have to go back to the dealer for the rest of our parts, so this will be #81 on the list. Hope it is dry on the way home...
 

Phil Smith

Retired South Carolina Chapter Leader
Gary,

I noticed some dampness one time while traveling with my 3200RL. It appeared the moisture was coming in around the refrigerator base. The water ran across the vinyl to the carpet. I haven't figured out where it leaked yet but I am keeping an eye on it.

Phil
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Some potential interior leaks points (I've had all of these once over the first 14 months):

1. If the kitchen sink is in a slide-out, the water and drain lines are of a flex, not Pex type. In my units not long after delivery, I had a leak under the kitchen/entertainment slide out onto the kitchen floor. It was the sink drain line causing it in mine. In some early Landmark units, a very rigid hose was used for the piece that slides back and forth. Later, more flexible hose was used. Mine kinked due to being too rigid which caused a backup which caused a leak at the transition into the PVC nearer the sink.

2. The kitchen faucet that is the pull-out sprayer type in my March-2005 built Landmark developed a leak in the spray-head area where the metal head threads onto a plastic piece, then the spray-hose threads onto the other end of that plastic piece. Under use, water would leak and seem to travel down the hose, under the sink and onto the floor and out into the open. Received a warranty replacement faucet and installed myself.

3. If your refer has an icemaker, the water line feeding it is tapped (teed) into another water line in the basement and feeds a 1/4" plastic line un into the back of the refer accessable from the outside only. It connects to the water solenoid (electric controlled water valve), then travels up the back of the refer (disappearing) and into the top of the refer to feed the ice maker. At the rally, Holmes on Wheels pulled my refer and found that Dometic was missing a brass collet in the line where the line connects at the top of the refer causing an intermittent water leak that was running out onto our kitchen floor.

N.o.n.e. of these may be the cause of your entertainment slide leak but I figured it may help others who have a small but pesky leak they have not yet tracked down.

Please let us know what the cause and fix for yours ends up being.

Jim

PS: I just realized that on this forum, you can't use the word n.o.n.e. because it is the code for the Angel smiley. That's crazy. I'll be looking into it.
 

sailorand

Past British Columbia Chapter Leader
I am sure this wet is NOT coming from the fridge or something like that. It has only happened when it rained. All is dried out now so hoping for no rain on the way home Sunday and Monday
 

nscaler2

Well-known member
Maybe I found it.

After spending the better part of the day scooting around under our 3055 with the slides extended, I think I have found what may be part of the wet floor problems. Under the entertainment slide out, there is a portion of the frame where the black plastic material, that they use to warp the entire frame before they start to install the floor, is exposed. This material was full of cracks. Some as long as a foot. The stuff seems to be similar to the material used in the plastic tarps that they sell for covering boats. We have a sailboat that I cover with this stuff. It has to be replaced every year. It just doesn't hold up long, it too cracks and separates but it's cheap. Looks like heartland really cut a corner here. Patched ours up with some duct tape. Should last for a while. Now that I know causes it I guess I can fix it every once in a while. It's really no fun owning something that cost so much that is built so poorly.:mad:
 

v92c

Texan
nscaler2 said:
After spending the better part of the day scooting around under our 3055 with the slides extended,:mad:

What did the dealer say about the leaks? Did they try to fix it or contact the factory?
 

sailorand

Past British Columbia Chapter Leader
I am taking it to the dealer July 6 and see what they have to say. In looking, to me it looks like the chalking is layed over the carpet and from the under side the water from driving when it is raining, can soak through the carpet to the inside. I know that if I were going to try a fix, I would chalk the seam with some urethane chalking, after cleaning throughly cleaning the whole area.
 
Sorry I haven'y been back lately. we are in Canada and Alaska and there is very little internet in the Yukon. Like was posted earlier, the water seems to be driven up into the carpet that is exposed under the slidout flange. I went to a local tire shop and got two tractor inner tubes, cut out a strip wide and long enough to cover the area , then using plumbers strap and self-tapping screws installed this "mud flap" over the whole area. the strips were somewhere in the size of 6 in. wide. we have driven through some pretty good storms since this was done and I'm happy to report,no wet carpet. I find it easier to repair it myself than to try to explain whats wrong and how I want it fixed to some RV "tech" thats getting paid minimim wage and is being pushed by the boss Hurry up.
I didn't even take it to the dealer, everything they've done I've had to redo. Oh well life it still good. Barney
 

sailorand

Past British Columbia Chapter Leader
wet floors under the slides

Just took my 3055rl to the dealer and they are going to look into the wet floors. Say they will take pictures and contact Heartland. Will just have to wait and see. Oh well it is sailing time on the west coast so will go sailing for 2 weeks and then see what everyone says.:eek:
 

kerry

Member
Wet floor under slides

Just came back from 10 days at Myrtle, the weather was great, only rained 1 day. However - On the way home we had to drive thru heavy rain for several hours. After a few days I slid the slides out to get to a few things, and suprise, wet carpet under the slide areas (3400 BH). I work at a dealership and had an idea where to look for the problem. Under the sildes (exterior) there is a rubber wiper strip attached to the camper. When the slides are out, the wiper is folded outward, and when the slides are slid in, the wiper folds itself in under between the bottom of the slide and inside floor of the camper. In a hard rain, the water coming off the wheels is like water from a pressure washer, forcing its way in; now we have wet carpet. Different brands of campers have different slide seal methods. I called customer service at Heartland and talked to Randy. He said the fix was a "D" strip, which is a rubber bulb adhesive type seal. The strip can be attached to the metal bar on the bottom of slide. When the slides are slid in, the rubber seal should press in tight against the edge of the floor where the rubber wiper is attached. It sounds like this should work, the seal is in the mail. I'll follow up with results. Anyone with any ?'s can e-mail me - ksears2@mindspring.com

Kerry
3400BH
 

Gary F

Well-known member
Thanks Kerry for the info. I'm having same issue (3200RL) and will call Randy @ Heartland for the weatherstrip.

Can you post some pictures of your installation ?

Thanks
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
When I took mine in for some re-dos one of the things I mentioned was I could see day light through one of the slide corners and asked them to check them all while it was there. When I asked if the found something they said they put an update on for the seals. Now I wish I would have asked a couple of more questions so I could have made a report.
 

kerry

Member
wet follr under slides - update

I talked to heartland again today. They now also have corner blocks to resolve the problem along with the "d" seal

Kerry
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
The question now becomes, is this something Heartland will be doing to all trailers being built to resolve the issue? I have a 3400RL somewhere in the build stage. I hope mine gets this "fix"
 
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