Plywood Delaminating

Birchwood

Well-known member
The edges of our slides were delaminating until I applied black silicone along the
edges to shed the water.A lot of people are complaining about the delamination
problem but its a very easy fix if its caught in time.The question I have is why
didn't Heartland apply the silicone at the edges??? I do have some delamination
and in one area the plywood has a hole that requires filler and this won't be a
problem.
My question to everyone ..... what is the black coating on the bottom of the
slide.... is it high gloss paint or plactic coating or what?
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
IMHO, it is like a thin hard plastic laminate. We have it chipping off the edge of our door side slide leaving chips in the carpet.
Heartland sent a repair kit to the dealer. When we arrive back in SoCal the end of Sept they are going to repair it and I will know more.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
I thought HL got the message and started putting corner trim caps on the edges of the slides with late 2010 models. It's what those of us without them have been doing on our own. Some even bought/got the trim kits (not the Parkland Plastic stuff) from them. For $12.00 and about three hours on a sunny afternoon, I covered the edges on the three slides that were exposed. The bedroom slide came with trim on it.
 

Birchwood

Well-known member
I had it fixed with black silicone but had to remove the silicone from the underneath section
because it marked the carpet.IF I had used white I would not be on this thread.If its a thin
plastic laminate that means the entire panel has to be repalced and I just want to repair
a tiny little section.I am going to try some high gloss paint and run the slide in and out
and see what happens. Thanks everyone for the information.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
I have been seeing a product of Television. It is sold to coat the gutters on your roof. Says it is completely water proof. even put some on a screen door on the bottom of a boat. I am wondering if this product is any good. Maybe even a good use for your problem. I will have to pay close attention to the commercial. I was even thinking I could spray a coat on the steel I beams to keep the rust at bay.
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
The stuff on TV is called "Flex Seal" Also...HERE is a link to another thread that has been around for quite a while showning a fix for the slide delamination issue.

Our Big Country did come with the edge trim already installed. Most of the 2011's I have seen have this in place.
 
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aatauses

Well-known member
If you find one of my threads you will see that I had an issue after I had put the angles on. I went to the hardward store and bought some case hardner along with filler. I shaped this and put on the end of plywood that had rotted away. I may need to get a new floor someday, but for now the hardener seems to be working.
al
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
I thought HL got the message and started putting corner trim caps on the edges of the slides with late 2010 models. It's what those of us without them have been doing on our own. Some even bought/got the trim kits (not the Parkland Plastic stuff) from them. For $12.00 and about three hours on a sunny afternoon, I covered the edges on the three slides that were exposed. The bedroom slide came with trim on it.

John, I have a thin edge molding on my slides. However, this layer is chipping off to the inside of that edge on my door slide. (See pic). Rubbing the floor & leaving chips in the carpet.
As mentioned earlier, HL has okayed repairs and they are sending a "repair kit" of some kind to my dealer, which we will have fixed when we return that area.
I assume it is a skid strip of some kind they will put over this area. I won't be at the dealer for 4 weeks. I will try to repost later with the fix.
 

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JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
John, I have a thin edge molding on my slides. However, this layer is chipping off to the inside of that edge on my door slide. (See pic). Rubbing the floor & leaving chips in the carpet.
As mentioned earlier, HL has okayed repairs and they are sending a "repair kit" of some kind to my dealer, which we will have fixed when we return that area.
I assume it is a skid strip of some kind they will put over this area. I won't be at the dealer for 4 weeks. I will try to repost later with the fix.

Trace, I can see what looks like a corner trim cap on the slide. If the bottom of the slide is rubbing the floor to that extent, maybe the slide is out of adjustment. But it looks like the trim is not contacting anything. Is there something sticking up, like a screw head or roller support that is catching it?
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
Not that I can see right off hand. I will look a little harder to see if I missed something.
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
John, DW has better eyes than me and just checked. She says it only hits a silicone type strip that runs the length of the slide. No screws or anything showing that would interfere.
 
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JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Trace, I looked your photo again (magnified). It's weird. It looks like you have an almost straight edge loss at the back edge of the slide and then it gets ragged the further out you go. And in the photo, the wood looks like it's been gouged in a straight line direction. I know the plywood isn't what I'd build a cabinet from, but I don't think it's that rough.

That long white strip you mention is what the slide runs on. Now that I remember, the living room slide on mine does not have rollers. But I did attach the Parkland rub strips under that slide, as well. I ran one near either end and another in the middle. I applied them up to the edge of the white strip, but did not jack up the slide to get them past it. Seems to work fine.

View attachment 15765
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
I agree something looks fishy, but I can't see anything else up in there. Plywood is gouged, like you are saying.
Maybe the Parkland strips are the "repair kit" HL is sending to the dealer.
 

caissiel

Senior Member
The plywood is not wood like we are use to seeing,
I worked at local building supply store and we received 2 lifts of similar product.
When we took the straps off we saw the delaminating happening to the sheets and we told the Manager there was no way we were going to sell the product to our customers.
He told us to get ride of it for $5 with a warning, at it was gone in no time, but we never bought anymore.
Why would anyone use such a product at a location like a slide base floor.

I have been protecting mine as much as I could but the exposed sections just broke off and gouged sections that I had to fill for moisture not to get in as its the tires that wets the area.

I tought I had a problem with water spray with the last unit, but it was nothing compared to this stuff.
 

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Birchwood

Well-known member
I think Heatland assumes many of their rigs put the slides in and out a couple times a year
and they are probably correct in assuming that.Unfortunately some users travel with their
rigs and operate the slides over 20 times per year.What do you design for,that is the question,
should a few thousand dollars be added to the cost of a coach to accomodate multiple slide
usage?I do feel it shouldn't cost that much extra to design a slide that doesn't destroy itself
after a few uses.
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
I am told the Landmarks and Bighorns are rated for fulltiming now, so they are going to get more of a workout than other models.
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I have the mod on my 2008 and had to repair the front of my large slide. The mod still allowed water to invade the edge of the plywood. I don't know why they don't use marine plywood to resist water. One of the main enemy's of a RV is water. I use some puddy and other substance to fill in the rotted portion and put Gorillia tape over it. I did not know I had the mod on my triailer, so I called Heartland and had them send me the mod. I received it the other day and it is the same plastic angle that was on the edge. I am going to do the same thing that Alan did shown in his tread indicated above. Will probably add Eternabond tape. I looked at the rear of my large slide and the 1/2" plastic angle that Heartland used is coming loose also. I want something that goes up far enough for the screws to go into. I now have about $30+ plastic angle that is of no help. Go to Lowe's and get the bigger plastic flashing angel.

DSC_2786 [1024x768].JPG

This goes all the way over to the side of the trailer, but not quite as bad.

BC
 

WayneD

Member
I have been reading the post in this thread, and wow.I just bought a new 30' trail runner,the second day i had it home i noticed the plywood in the slide was coming apart, i called the dealer and they told me this was a common problem,bring it back and they will replace the floor, after many phone calls i took it back and they did replace the floor, i just got it back and it's a horrible job,when i put the slide out there is big black marks on the carpet where they siliconed the bottom of the floor, it also looks like the slide is off center because the front seal(where it slides in and out) is not touching and the back seal is very tight.I am very disapointed with the service from this dealer and i'm sure i will never go back to them,i am also disapointed in the response i got from Heartland when i called them,they told me they knew the floor was bad in this trailer even before it was sold to me,they had a call log from the dealer i bought it from a week before they sold it to me regarding the rotten floor. It is 200 miles one way from my house to the dealer.I really didn't think i should have to pay for this to be taken back to them for repairs, but they said too bad for me.i'm positive i will never buy another heartland trailer.
 
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