Slide Out Leaks

[Gary521]

In the January 2019 issue of Trailer Life magazine, there is an article in the RV Resolutions area about someone who had a roof leak in the slide of a Bighorn 3270. They had it fixed at a RV repair facility who deemed the problem to be a design flaw in the way that the roof membrane is not sealed as it meets the interior moulding. Heartland later covered costs involved to fix the issue, according to the article. I have reported this problem in posts where people have experienced similar slide roof leaks. I have asked Heartland Customer Service about this issue and they stated that Heartland relies on the upper roof rubber wiper seal to keep out water. Well, this obviously does not work all the time and, in my case, did not work either. Check your units to see it the slide roof is sealed where it meets the inside upper fascia. You will need to pull the slide in a few inches and check it from the inside. I just used Dicor to fill the void.

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In the article that I mentioned, the owner was charged over $600 to fix this issue. I have no idea what the fix involved here but the cost is definitely excessive. What I did fixed the problem. There are other ways to fix this. Is this a design flaw or cost saving feature - you be the judge.

 

[danemayer]

I think the design is for the slide to be tilted slightly so water runs to the outside. If it weren't, water would pool or run toward the inside.

Is yours tilted?

 

[ram22]

Which Dicor product, patch sealing tape? How do you apply that to a seal on a moving slide?


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[Gary521]

I think the design is for the slide to be tilted slightly so water runs to the outside. If it weren't, water would pool or run toward the inside.

Is yours tilted?

I think its tilted BUT there is a sag in the middle which does not make for a good seal with the wiper rubber. If its raining hard or the wind is blowing a bit, the water will find its way into the void. With the slide open, the void is only about two inches from the outside.

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Which Dicor product, patch sealing tape? How do you apply that to a seal on a moving slide?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just used the self leveling stuff. It filled the void well. Where the void is nothing comes in contact with the Dicor.

 

[NHCelt]

I had the exact problem with my Bighorn bedroom slide.

I also determined it to be a design flaw....there is just no way that heavy blowing rain isn't going to get in. The design does not allow enough pitch. I also had a slight dip in the middle interior of the slide roof.

The op has one fix, but you may still end up with a wet rug if the water runs down the wall sides inboard of the interior water blocking gasket.

Another solution is to bond a piece of rubber gasket or other material to the roof membrane just inboard between the roof wipers when the silde is closed...side to side to block intrusion. Water should then run off to the sides instead of in under the fascia... the new water dam should be placed outboard of the side water barrier, which are the thin pieces of gasket material running down the sides of the slide... nearest to the inside fascia boards. The third is to install a slide topper. I used the second and third. Installing the slide topper was a breeze.

Of note...the problem on my unit is only on the Norco bedroom slide. The roof is just not pitched enough. Neither of my large Lippert slides have ever leaked.

 

[Shortest Straw]

I am not having any luck figuring out what void you are talking about.

 

[Gary521]

The slide out has a roof material like the upper roof. This roof material is not sealed where it meets the inner trim board (fascia ) on the slide roof. As I stated earlier, the only way to find this area is to slightly close a slide from the fully open position. Get up on a stool and view the roof from inside the trailer. I am not sure if all slide out roofs are made this way but its easy to check. The void will run the length of the roof just inside the decorative fascia and it will be about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch in width. Water moving past the upper rubber wiper seal will find its way into this non sealed void.

If you view the upper rubber wiper seal from the outside with the slide closed, it makes a great seal on the roof. However, if you view the same seal with the slide fully open, the rubber wiper seal barely touches the roof. The slope of the roof and the drop of the slide itself as it fully opens, changes the amount of contact of the rubber seal on the roof. If you have a slight sag of the roof, a branch or leaf under this rubber seal or slight contact of the rubber seal, water from a heavy rain or rain in a high wind will find its way in. With the side open this, void area in only a couple inches from the rubber seal.