Exterior fiberglass wall separating from camper; slide underbelly issue

Hello folks. I have a 2011 North Country Lakeside 331QBDS which my family loves. After de-winterizing this year, I noticed 2 issues:

1) On both of my slides, at the front and rear edges where the underbelly meets the exterior wall, I noticed water damage to the edges of the underbelly (painted wood), where I'm guessing water, weather and sliding in and out, eventually has compromised those edges allowing water to penetrate. Not sure why the factory never covered those edges...its WOOD for crying out loud...just makes no sense to me at all. After pondering on what to do, I ended up applying silicone to the edges to seal them up as best as I could. My fear is over time, the silicone will break down and I'll have to do this again. I considered sealing it with some type of material, but I decided against it for fear of it catching my seals when I slide in/out.

2) At the back of the camper, on the door side, where that wall meets the rear wall, I noticed the exterior fiberglass wall is beginning to separate from the corner, ever so slightly, but enough so, that when it rains, I can be assured water will get into that crack. Not sure how I even begin to address getting that wall back to it's proper place...

Does anyone have any advice? Little frustrated at this point, as we discovered a couple issues with the camper the week after we bought it, and now this in season 2...argh.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

Tom, the issue with the slide out floor can be solved by using thin 1" aluminum angle. Buy enough to cover the front and rear areas. It can be slid past the slide seals and fastened with the same piece of trim that exists there now. Be sure to use plenty of sealant under the angle, both bottom and side. You can partially close the slide to get access to the part that's inside.
Regarding the rear corner, I can imagine what it is you are referring to but I really wouldn't know how to fix it unless I could see it. I'm guessing removal of the trim so you can try and get some adhesive up into the area that is delaminating. reattach the trim and reseal. Silicone isn't the best bet for RV sealant. It's best to buy Dicor or similar caulk from an RV dealer.

Thanks Ray. Your suggestion about the aluminum angle is what I was thinking, but I didn't realize I could apply it past the slide seals! I'm all over that solution. You mentioned Dicor - are you referring to the lap sealant, or, do they have some other sealant product better suited for what I am trying to do?

As for the rear corner, I'll get a picture of it this PM and post so all can see.

Regards,
Tom

ohman_stm said:

Thanks Ray. Your suggestion about the aluminum angle is what I was thinking, but I didn't realize I could apply it past the slide seals! I'm all over that solution. You mentioned Dicor - are you referring to the lap sealant, or, do they have some other sealant product better suited for what I am trying to do?

As for the rear corner, I'll get a picture of it this PM and post so all can see.

Regards,
Tom

Click to expand...

You may be right about the Dicor. That's the name that came to mind first. Here is a link to Proflex at what seems to be a good price.

Tried taking pictures, but just couldn't get my antiquated, digital camera to clearly capture the separation on the rear corner. Got some SikaFlex 505UV and Proflex RV White on order. My plan is to try to get as much SikaFlex into the gap to get some adhesion, and then seal it with the Proflex. The issue I foresee having is getting pressure on the exterior wall to get it to stick after I apply the SikaFlex...I'll have to rig something up.