NOT "Singing in the rain"!

[ChopperBill]

"Singing in the rain' might be OK for Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds but my BIGHORN defiantly doesn't like it! Went on our week long trip to Utah. Rained big time on the way. Got to the camp site and and opened the slides. Carpet was wet on the full length of the entertainment slide and about 6 foot back from the fridge to the sofa! The carpet was not wet on the slide sides but in the interior of the coach. I caught some slits in the cheap plastic covering on the entertainment side and taped them up and thought I may be have eliminated this KNOWN problem. NOT! Looking under the wheel area I see NO splash protection for tire thrown water from the road. Hopefully my dealer AND THE FACTORY will fix this problem because I am not about to plan my trips on the weather report. As it is any folks with a BIGHORN 3055 or possibly any other model be aware of water ingesting into your living room as I see NO possible way, because of the design, that it wont.

 

[nscaler2]

Possible fix for you

ChopperBill,
Before we took our last trip, I did a fix for the problem that you and others have encountered. I went to Home Depot and bought 5ea 4foot pieces of galvenized 10 inch rectagular duct work. This stuff is al 'L" shaped piece of metal that when two are joined makes a 10 inch duct.The long leg of the L is 10 inches and the short slighty over 3 inches. I used tin snips and trimed the L shaped halves down to slide under the cheap plastic and frame and srewed the other short side of the L to the frame of the trailer. I then caulked all joints with GE silicone. We were on the driving for 4 days and every day it rained like a cow ****ing on a flat rock all day. The fix worked, we didn't get a drop from the wheels into the carpeting. I would take pics, however our 3055 is in the shop for other issues like black drain gate that won't completely close, cabinet doors that strike each other and won't close, a tear in the roof of the couch slide out caused by a stray screw and a meriad of other things. Anyway try the duct work sheet metal fix. I think you will be pleased. None

 

[ChopperBill]

Pics would be nice, but I understand it being at the dealer for warranty work. Going to let the dealer and HEARTLAND try and fix it as it needs to be company modification. No one should have to fix this "shouldn't be a problem" on their own.

 

[busted2341]

Had the same problem with the water. Dealer claims to have fixed it. We'll see when it rains again.

 

[sailorand]

I had this wet carpet posted in June!!! Dealer put spay foam over the area, but the service tech did not clean off the area where the foam went. It will be fixed again mid Oct.

 

[Loco]

Another fix to work on of course.

Hey guys
Same trouble on my cyclone slide. There is nothing but a little piece of rubber to stop the wheel well water from the tires. Also nothing to stop a tire if it happens to blow from ripping the under side of the trailer and outer wheel well all to pieces. I had this happen on a Fleet Wood. A tire came apart on the road and ripped the hole bottom out of the trailer over the wheels. I went in and built wheel wells out of 14 gauge steel and sealed all seams with auto body (trunk seal as some call it.) sealer. This stuff is bullet proof. Under coated also. It was a job to make them fit, so not to lose wheel well clearance above the tire. But I made it work. I am going to do the same thing to my Cyclone over the winter. I looked at right side wheel wells and they are just wood covered with plastic under the floor. So I going to make wheel wells for both sides. I will never have a tire take out the bottom again. Once was one to many. I will post picture of my fix when I have done it. Before and after pictures

 

[demonbear56]

Hey guys we just had our Bighorn 3600RL out in the rain for the first time this past weekend and we as well have major water under our sofa/dinette slide. Didn't notice on any of the other three but we will have it looked into as well, that is if we can ever get an appointment with our dealer. I agree that we should not have to fixing these problems ourselves. We have made enough modifications already just to have A/C, full water tank when dry camping, tightening up all the loose wires behind fuse box etc.

 

[svd]

Bill,
Have you had your slide seals replaced as other have on this forum? I just noticed this weekend that I can see daylight on the rear living room slide lower corner. I think we may need to do as other have to protect the wood underneath, as well as deal with the slide seals. Good luck.

 

[HappyKayakers]

We just finished our first trip driving through some rain. Will add this to the list for our next dealer visit.

 

[ChopperBill]

Took ours in and low and behold there was another BH waiting for parts to seal the slides. Water in the coach. When I got to scouting around I ran my fingers up to the original seals. NO WAY is water going to be stopped entering the coach. Checked out some other brands on their lot and they have a very good rubber seal that overlaps so no water can enter. Think the dealer is going to install something like those. They are aware of the problem because they have had other brands also that leaked water. He didn't quite know what to think about the torn plastic sheeting. I suggest covering with sheet metal like the above the wheels on the dinette side. If the don't, I will. Need this thing to last me a LONG time.

 

[DougLynne]

We took possession of our new 3055 a week ago Tues. and going through the PDI I checked for the "D" seal that is supposed to be a fix. I couldn't see anything under there that looked like a "D" so I asked the dealer. They were supposed to check into this with Heartland. It has to go in for a couple of things so will double check again. Doug

 

[billd]

I took my camera out to the Pomona RV show today to take pictures of our new Big Horn. I took a picture of the new "D" seal.

 

[Wild Wind]

Picture of new "D Seal"

After looking a the picture of the new "D Seal" and straching my head several times, by my way of thinking and doing things, the new seal is installed upside down. The rubber seal should be up against the bottom of the slide out floor . A course what do I know, compared to Hartlands way of doing things, 1/2 *** .

Last weekend, we look at 3 new Bighorns in Jackson, Mi. and found some of same continuing problems, Two off the units already had broken flexable wire supports. Some of the other slides had flex suports ripped down to only about 2" (a third of their wide) that ready to break.




Post edited by mod

 

[Scott]

You Are Wrong.

Wild Wind,
It's getting hard to understand you when you have your foot in your mouth.

The seal is not upside down. It mates to the seal along the floor which is installed the opposite direction.

This seal only comes into play when the room is closed.

A single, bottom wiper seal is standard in the RV industry. The D-seals which are used on the sides and top of slide out openings are added by some dealers and customers and now manufacturers (as shown in the photo), as an additional attempt to stem water flying up there on wet-riding roads.

I'm sorry for being blunt guys, but I don't like being called "half.. anything", and until you know what you are talking about Clarence - you really need to keep your mouth shut.

ST

 

[pickuphunt]

I have just talked with Coley Brady - son of the owner. He indicates that the problem did exist and that the problem has been addressed. I have looked closely at the new unit we are trading for and it appears that new sealing measures have been taken. We are getting a Big Horn 3670RL.

 

[ChopperBill]

I figure our unit was built about a week or two before they started tagging them as "07's"
So I guess I have to ask. How new is new?
Oh! And welcome the the forum!

 

[billd]

Chopper Bill,

On our 2007 3670RL the mfg date says 9/1/2007.


Bill