Crack coming from corner of front bed slide on 39 ft Meridian

[dixieland]

Has anyone had a issue with a crack starting a front of bed slide?
I had it fixed by a body shop and it came back right away. I called Winnebago and they told me to put a piece of molding over the crack but that just seems like a band aid to the problem. I personally think there is other structure issues. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[ByeTheWay]

I have one too. But when I don't think about it, it goes away.

[skigramp]

I have crack on lower back corner ... I did a very dumb thing which caused mine ...

Do you want to trade a front crack for a rear crack?

[Duner]

I've had a crack from the top rear corner of big slide. It's about 2 inches long and runs straight up to the aluminum gutter. I put clear poly-urethane sealant in the crack. That was about 8 yrs ago on my 12 yr old coach. I've not seen any water penetration or structural issues. You can use the same sealant that's used on the roof-to-sidewall joint. I just bought Henry's 212 Crystal Clear Sealant today at Home Depot so I can reseal the roof to sidewall joint.

I see that your from a pretty wet part of the country so you really want to keep the water from getting inside the layer of the wall which could cause delamination (ouch!).

What year is your coach? Post a picture of the crack, and maybe you'll get some other inputs.

Good luck,
Bill

[GG1]

What year coach do you have? I had a crack in the sidewall at the front of the bedroom slide driver side on an 02 39ft Journey. Winnebago paid for the repair twice at a local body shop. I was the original owner so they took care of the repair and agreed to fix it as long as I owned the coach. The coach was a year old when it happened there was a weakness in the wall support this is a common problem in some of the Winne coaches of that time period. I am not sure about the newer ones but if you are not the original owner and if the coach is not new Winnebago will tell you you are on your own. They will give a lot of free advice and thats all.

[Journey39n]

Lots of questions before help. The year of the coach will help determine the structure and design.


Is the crack in the main sidewall, just in front of the slide opening?
Is the crack horizontal, vertical, or diagonal? How long?
Where does the crack start and end? Near the bottom drip rail, how high, etc.?


If the crack is near the drip rail, running horizontal, it probably indicates the sidewall may be separating from the floor. If the crack is vertical, there could be extra stress from a vertical wall support member. Both of these can be fixed with some reinforcement and extra fasteners, then the crack repaired.


If diagonal, it means the floor (or roof) could be flexing/bending causing stress on that part of the sidewall. A much tougher problem to fix. (perhaps the former owner grossly overloaded the RV at the failure point, for example)


In any case, unless you solve the underlying cause, any surface repair to the sidewall, will continue to fail and the crack will re-appear.

[dixieland]

My motorhome is 2010 Itasca merdian 39ft. The crack comes from front corner of bed slide frame and going diagonal towards front of rv. It is about 6 inch long. I attached 2 picture of it. The one is the crack before it was fixed (wider crack) and the other is after it was fixed and cracked again...This picture is turned on its side .. It was not like this until I uploaded it on here.
The crack came back right away without a trailer hooked up to it and only going about 10 miles and moving it around in yard.

[lajuene]

We have same diagonal crack at leading edge of bedroom slide going on an angle down and toward the front at about a 45 degree angle. I smear a bit of clear silicone into the crack just to be sure it won't leak. I measure it every few months and it has grown from 2 to 9 inches in 4 1/2 years. Seems to have stopped increasing. I have read that there is a fix by removing wall and bracing it better but it would cost a mint do do it and the problem seems to be only appearance issue as long as silicone it kept in it. We have gotten to the point that we no longer worry about it. Just a design flaw that was probably worked out in later models. We love our coach AND it's minor flaw.

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[GG1]

Laguene Have you contacted Winnebago? They know there was a design flaw in those years, it not like the coach was a cheap economy model, maybe they can do something for you.

[lajuene]

Originally Posted by GG1

Laguene Have you contacted Winnebago? They know there was a design flaw in those years, it not like the coach was a cheap economy model, maybe they can do something for you.

When we were in Forest City we asked about it. Nope. They might give us a break on the price like they usually do when getting multiple jobs done but it was not covered by their graves. Cannot remember the estimated price but it was way more than we would ever pay.

[Duner]

Those of you with the cracks, OP et al, DO NOT use silicone sealer. After the surface is exposed to silicone, nothing will stick again, including more silicone. There might be some kind of strong solvent that could help get it off but may ruin the finish too.

A clear polyurethane sealant may work the best since it has good adhesion and stays flexible.

Laguene, what are you using and is it working well?

[Journey39n]

Since I have the same 2010 39n model, I think I have the idea of your sidewall, and its failure. Without a physical inspection, its impossible to know for sure the cause.


However, if the diagonal crack is going from the front bottom corner of the bed slide, with a slight angle to the front of the RV, it would appear that perhaps some of the weight of the slide itself is resting upon that edge of the sidewall. Just a guess.


Without fixing the underlying cause, the crack will continue to appear even after further repairs. There is a way, that works to keep most cracks from growing though. Works in many cases if the stress isn't too much. You drill a hole just through the outside fiberglass surface, right at the very end tip of the crack. In this case, perhaps a 1/2" hole. That will spread out the stress, and usually stops the progression of the crack. Then you can use an appropriate flexible urethane caulking to fill the hole, and crack. Won't look the best, but it will be waterproof. I guess you could cover it with a decal or painting of some sort?

[lajuene]

Originally Posted by Journey39n

You drill a hole just through the outside fiberglass surface, right at the very end tip of the crack. In this case, perhaps a 1/2" hole. That will spread out the stress, and usually stops the progression of the crack. Then you can use an appropriate flexible urethane caulking to fill the hole, and crack. Won't look the best, but it will be waterproof....

Thanks, I'll try that

[lajuene]

Originally Posted by Duner

Those of you with the cracks, OP et al, DO NOT use silicone sealer. After the surface is exposed to silicone, nothing will stick again, including more silicone. There might be some kind of strong solvent that could help get it off but may ruin the finish too.

A clear polyurethane sealant may work the best since it has good adhesion and stays flexible.

Laguene, what are you using and is it working well?

So far I've been using silicone but what you said makes sense. I'll try some polyurethane sealant after drilling the hole at the end of the crack.

[lajuene]

Just ordered some of this stuff:
3M 05206 Marine Adhesive/Sealant 5200, White / 1 oz.: Automotive Adhesives And Sealants: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

[rogo88]

There have been many posts re: this problem, including mine. A search will provide some in depth information.
Ron