Slide Leaks Rain Water into Trailer

28BHS

Member
Hi,

I am a newbie to the site. Please let me know if I should post this elsewhere on the site.

As my title indicates, we have 28BHS. This is a 2009 travel tailer. Generally we are quite happy with it. However we have discovered that during inclement weather (rain), the slide leaks water into the trailer. Typically the water leaks in at the front corner of the slide but we have had occassion where it also has leaked at the rear corner of the slide as well.

I have also had trouble with the black rubber seal on the roof not flipping out properly when extending the slide. I always have to get my ladder and manually flip the seal out, but yet the leak still occurs.

Any help to stop the leaking would be much appreiciated.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi Brad,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

I'm sure someone will jump in with a suggestion for you, but you might post what kind of Heartland trailer it is, North Trail, Sundance, ect.. Everyone does not know what the different model numbers are.

Enjoy the forum and your new travel trailer.

Jim M
 

santafedave

Santafedave
I have a Cyclone 3795 and my slides leaked during the rainy season. I took my TT to camping world and they recommeded slide covers for my rig. I talked to a guy down the street from me who has a tt with slides and he told me to extend the slides during the rainy season and I did and it stopped the leak. D.
 

28BHS

Member
Hi Brad,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

I'm sure someone will jump in with a suggestion for you, but you might post what kind of Heartland trailer it is, North Trail, Sundance, ect.. Everyone does not know what the different model numbers are.

Enjoy the forum and your new travel trailer.

Jim M

Thanks Jim. We have a 2009 North Trail. I hope somebody has some suggestions.

Thanks Again.
 

28BHS

Member
I have a Cyclone 3795 and my slides leaked during the rainy season. I took my TT to camping world and they recommeded slide covers for my rig. I talked to a guy down the street from me who has a tt with slides and he told me to extend the slides during the rainy season and I did and it stopped the leak. D.

Thanks santafedave. I should have mentioned this previously. We have a 2009 North Trail. What are slide covers? I have never heard of them.

Up until yesterday, I believed that our trailer only leaked when the slide was extended. I new it was going to rain yesterday, so I retracted the slide. When I got home from work yesterday I checked for leaks and discovered that the slide is still leaking in the same area??!! Wow.

Any more suggestions? Anybody?
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
You should contact your dealer and HL right away. You need to get it repaired soon. Winter is coming. Do the slides seal good to the out wall? If you are inside...slides closed....can you see any light coming through at the top, sides, or at the bottom? You could do a water test yourself. With hose on hand, start at the bottom and work your way up to the top on both sides and hit the top moving across the top seal. DONT blast it with water...just pretend that you are a rain shower. Move the hose very slowly...if you move to fast you will not find the exact spot that is leaking, only the general area. Have someone inside to watch for any water intrusion and yell when they see the leak.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Thanks santafedave. I should have mentioned this previously. We have a 2009 North Trail. What are slide covers? I have never heard of them.

Up until yesterday, I believed that our trailer only leaked when the slide was extended. I new it was going to rain yesterday, so I retracted the slide. When I got home from work yesterday I checked for leaks and discovered that the slide is still leaking in the same area??!! Wow.

Any more suggestions? Anybody?

Some folks call the Slide awnings slide covers.
 

280BH

Member
We have the same 28BHS 2009 model. Leaked like crazy in the same area last year during rain. We also have the same exact problem with our seal around the slide not flipping in or out as the slide moves. Most of the time I have to get the ladder out and manually fix the rubber seal myself. The dealer recommended using a rubber seal treatment that they sold to keep the rubberseal soft and see if that would help. Last winter we purchased a slide awning and that stops rain from direct contact with the top of the slide. This should be something Heartland includes on new models to prevent the leak problem.
Heartland is a good customer service company they helped us with a lamination problem we had with the front exterior when it started bubbling like a piece of bubble rap.
Also make sure that there are no leaves or other debris on top of the slide that may be causing slide seal to let water under it.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Since we've only use our trailer on a seasonal site, I also climb up and make sure all the seals are flexed out when setting up, even under the slide toppers (aka. slide awnings). Some folks in previous posts on this issue have attached strips of automotive trim molding on the slide walls and roof to help flex the seals in the proper direction. Spraying the seals with a silicone spray, like CRC, will help keep them supple.
 

camr

Well-known member
We had our slide leak only once. We have always tried to level the trailer to absolute perfection, but one time had the trailer levelled so that the slide side was ever so slightly higher than the door side. That brought the rain in. So now we make sure that the slide side is just slightly lower than the door side. Haven't had a problem since. I suppose a slide cover would help.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Ours is leaking when it is in and hasn't been extended for about a week. That is pretty bad if it has to be absolutley perfect in order for it not to leak. It has been raining buckets here, but that shouldn't matter, man the things they need to tell people.
We will see in about an hour what they have to say.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Perfectly level is not necessary if the seals are good. If it's leaking with the slide retracted, take a look at the top and side flanges to be sure they're in full contact with the outer seal. If you can stick your finger in there with ease, it could be it needs to be adjusted to fully engage the seal.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
It's back at the Dealers now, the bottom part of the slide was not all the way sealed up, so the water was tracking in from the outside. The Service Manager said since it was not sealed properly in the inside it was a sure bet it wasn't sealed right on the outside either.
It is the inside of the bottom of the slide behind the little couch. the first picture you can see the corner of the couch cushion. This is right next to the foot of the bed.

L3.jpg


L2.jpg


Leak1.jpg
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
After 14 days at the Dealers trying to fix the leak, they thought they finally got it fixed. We went camping for 3 days, got home Saturday, it rained a little yesterday and it was dry, I checked it at lunchtime today, (it's been raining hard all morning)it is so wet inside we couldn't believe it.
So we are taking it back to the Dealers this afternoon. Seems to be dripping in from the same spot, the slide is in and has been in since yesterday morning and the slide was bone dry bone dry when we put it.
 
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dbylinski

NE Reg Dir Retired
Marge, You may want your dealer to look here for a possible cause! Click Here for pics and a description of our slide leak. This past weekend we had three days of on and off rain and hard down pours last night. Ours stayed dry.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge, You may want your dealer to look here for a possible cause! Click Here for pics and a description of our slide leak. This past weekend we had three days of on and off rain and hard down pours last night. Ours stayed dry.
Hey thanks I e-mailed him this, we just took our trailer back to them.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Forgive me for the double post, but we have what should be good news, they are redoing the seal on our slideout, they are just waiting for whatever they need from Heartland. We sure have our fingers crossed.
We did get to use it for a three day trip to the beach clam digging over the last weekend. And we loved the trailer.
 

dbylinski

NE Reg Dir Retired
Forgive me for the double post, but we have what should be good news, they are redoing the seal on our slideout, they are just waiting for whatever they need from Heartland. We sure have our fingers crossed.
We did get to use it for a three day trip to the beach clam digging over the last weekend. And we loved the trailer.

Marge, Glad you were able to get out there and enjoy your North Trail. Hope the dealers current plan will get you fixed up so you can put these worries behind you. Heartland will come through for you!
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge, Glad you were able to get out there and enjoy your North Trail. Hope the dealers current plan will get you fixed up so you can put these worries behind you. Heartland will come through for you!
Thanks for the well wishes. This has been an emotional roller-coaster!
I keep thinking about sitting on the Oregon coast for 2 weeks, so if I keep that thought in mind, it helps calm the nerves.
 
Had the front of my slide leak today when i washed it. Its a 28BRS. Hope its just because I washed it. Gonna have to keep an eye on it
 
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