help with leak at bedroom slide, please

[twohappycampers]

Some help with this leak, please? It's soaking the carpet and the wallboard is coming away. It's the bedroom slide, bottom corner, at the front. I found it yesterday, the carpet was soaking wet and had soaked a towel that was on the floor as well. I dried it out using a hairdryer all day, to see if maybe it was condensation, and pulled the mattress out from the wall. This morning the area was totally dry, then it started raining (pouring!) and immediately the area got wet again. The area around the window shows no sign of leaking. It's wettest right at that bottom corner. I checked outside myself (Doug's at work) and could it possibly be coming in at one of the screws down there? I notice one of the screws is missing, too, not the one right on the corner. Don't laugh, I have no idea!

My hubby will be checking it out tomorrow. Could you please point us in some right directions on what to check for and the fixes? Thanks so much!

 

[danemayer]

Hi Lorna,

You'll probably have to take a close look at the outside while it's raining to see if you can spot the path of the water. There have been some posts about water following a path past the seals near the bottom of the slide, which then lets it go into the carpet and wood.
Take a look at this thread. If you can spot where the water comes in, Cookie's post #2 might help.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Lorna, At the top corners of the slide out, look at the flap seals. The seal that goes across the roof of the slide out should extend over the flaps on the side walls. This would be my first place to check.

 

[Garypowell]

Lorna. Recently had this problem on 3055 we owned. There is a piece of metal that holds the top rubber seal in place. This piece of metal holds the rubber seal in place with screws going through it. The caulking on the top of this metal strip had failed and water was going between it and the side of the unit and then getting into the unit.

 

[mobilcastle]

Are your seals changing direction when the slide goes out and in?

 

[aatauses]

Hope htis helps, not sure if your leak is on the far side of the slide or next to the coach, however here are a few places to look. On the side of the slide near the top is a piece of molding, sometimes water can get inside that molding and "run" toward the rubber molding and then underneath it and into the coach. Another place to check, at the bottom of the slide on the side is a "L" channel---sometimes water can hit the top of the "L" and run behind the rubber and into the coach.
Check the level of the slide to see that it is not tipped toward the coach.
You can check all this with a water hose, rather than waiting for the rain.
al

 

[Bob&Patty]

Lorna, if you try to find it with a water hose....always start at the bottom and work your way up. Dont blast the area....use a little water pressure. Have someone inside to yell if they see the leak start. You may need a flashlite also. Sometimes a water trail will show up when there is a little dust present, as it will move the dust. BTW, is there a window in that area?

 

[JohnDar]

1) Do you have slide toppers?
2) Can you get above the slide to see if the top seal (and the side ones) are fully flexed outwards?
3) Does water tend to pool against the top seal?
4) Is the tape seal for the outer wall of the slide fully seated or are there bubbles/gaps that water could enter?
5) Does water appear to run along the bottom trim of the slide and under the seals?
6) Are the side seals in full contact with the slide wall their entire length?

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

Not trying to be a smart a--, are the slides extended all the? Let us what you find out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[twohappycampers]

Just wanted to say thank-you to everybody who's replied with suggestions about our leaky slide. Did find one leak at the top front corner of the bedroom slide where the 90 degree angle of the exterior overlap had a large gap with no sealant. Sealing it up has helped a lot, but there's still a leak, a slower one though. Have ordered 800 stainless steel screws to replace all the screws on the exterior of this unit as I found many screws to be rusty when I backed them out, as well as many were broken off and the screwheads were barely on. I will install all the new screws with a shot of sealant as they go in. The next thing for me to do is to remove the window at the front of the slide and reseal and then reinstall.

I will go through all your suggestions until the leak stops! Thanks again everybody, you are a big help. This forum works! Any one else want to chime in with suggestions - all welcome. Doug & Lorna

 

[Bob&Patty]

Lorna, look at the caulking at the top and sides of the outside of the window frame. I had the same leak. After I cleaned off the old stuff and resealed it....no more leak. IT DOES NOT take much of an opening for water to get in. Water can puddle in a low spot until it fills up and then run in. Water leaks are tuff to find at best.