Old issue. New fix... slide leak.

jerichorick · 06-10-2018, 08:00 PM

We have been doing our best to deal with a slide leak. This one was on the side of the bed closest to the closet.

When it rains hard, or for prolonged periods, the bottom of the slide gets wet. This water saturates the carpet that is rolled down from the top, behind the drawer facing. It also would drip onto the carpet below. Caulk did not help.

We are in WA and rain is common. As usual the leak was there. Today I decided to give it another look see. Well, don't yea know I did see a suspicious place in the gasket out side. The way it was turned around the corner, side to bottom, it seemed to form a funnel (in my humble opinion). So, with scissors in hand, I cut a notch out of the gasket at the apex of the turn.

As of this writing, I think I finally fixed the problem. We just had one walloping downpour. All is dry!

Has been now for several hours and several showers.

This is the second leak I have fixed. The first was from the shower skylight. The factory caulking job was not done well. By the time I realized where the problem was coming from the ceiling over the shower had been damaged. Some day I will have to remove that panel and do a proper ceiling repair. That will be a tough one. I need to get a good trim and stain, then find an area I can work in. Might happen this summer.

As far as the slide leak goes... no noticeable damage. hew!

Now the big challenge is keeping the bugs out of the slide lock drain vents. I hate it when those things get plugged with a bug nest. It seems that I can clean the port out and the following week we will have rain and the hole will be plugged. Usually happens at dinner time. Water runs down the wall inside the cupboard I am sitting under.

Those darn bugs!

Enough wining for today. Happy trails all.

Rick

CaptBill · 06-12-2018, 06:02 AM

This is great information for those with similar problem. Amazing how what appears on the surface to be just a small detail (orientation of the gasket radius), and the result of subtle differences.

I don't have a slide leak on my (older) coach, but thanks for posting this.

jerichorick · 06-13-2018, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptBill

This is great information for those with similar problem. Amazing how what appears on the surface to be just a small detail (orientation of the gasket radius), and the result of subtle differences.

I don't have a slide leak on my (older) coach, but thanks for posting this.

You are very welcome. This is what makes forums, such as this one, so functional in real time.

One other leak potential we all need to be aware of is where the slide roof meets the inside face of the slide. This takes a lot of stress each time we set up. I have had 2 slides on 2 different coaches leak in this area. If anyone reading this is having this problem, post for assistance before going to the dealer. We all, collectively, may have a better solution for you.

BobC · 06-13-2018, 02:25 PM

I had a similar problem on my 2002 Suncruiser 35U. In my case, the aft end of the bottom, horizontal, sealing flap had somehow pulled itself loose from behind the vertical, interior metal moulding strip that was supposed to hold it against the inside of the exterior wall.

I unscrewed the moulding, put everything back in place and so far, no more problems.

jerichorick · 06-14-2018, 09:36 AM

And now I have a new "Old Problem". The slide lock bucket over the 'J' couch is leaking AGAIN!!!!! This time it looks like the caulking has failed. In the past the main leaking was caused by bugs nesting in the drain hole. That could have been masking this new discovery I made this morning. It's a pain to get to when here in liquid sunshine WA. I have to pull the topper back and then dry the area around the bucket.

I wish I had seen this problem last time I was up there.

SarahW · 06-14-2018, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerichorick

And now I have a new "Old Problem". The slide lock bucket over the 'J' couch is leaking AGAIN!!!!! This time it looks like the caulking has failed. In the past the main leaking was caused by bugs nesting in the drain hole. That could have been masking this new discovery I made this morning. It's a pain to get to when here in liquid sunshine WA. I have to pull the topper back and then dry the area around the bucket.

I wish I had seen this problem last time I was up there.

The RVer's lament... "it's always something."

jerichorick · 06-15-2018, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SarahW

The RVer's lament... "it's always something."

So true. But, when things are going well it is nothing but HAPPY CAMPING!

Found that the caulking someone replaced the original with was not done well and the raised flange, plastic, was cracked in a few places. Used a better caulking and cleaned the area real well before applying it. The caulking is slow drying. I was a bit impatient and I put the topper back on too soon. Got it into the caulking.

I doubt it will do any harm. Won't be closing up for a week or two, and then only to wash the coach and work on the gutter sealant. After I repair any failures in it I am going to put helicopter tape over it as a final long term protection.

BobC · 06-15-2018, 11:27 AM

It doesn't work very well to just put caulking on top of a joint or seam. If at all possible, remove all the old caulking and whatever's being caulked, clean everything and re-mount the item with new caulking between it and whatever it's attached to. It's the caulking you can't see that's doing the job, not what's gooped on the top of something.

jerichorick · 06-16-2018, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

It doesn't work very well to just put caulking on top of a joint or seam. If at all possible, remove all the old caulking and whatever's being caulked, clean everything and re-mount the item with new caulking between it and whatever it's attached to. It's the caulking you can't see that's doing the job, not what's gooped on the top of something.

I believe you, Bob. As far as the roof to gutter seam goes, I did a deep cleaning of them a few year or so ago. More caulking in the channel now than from the factory.

One of the problems with the fiberglass roof is the way it is slid down into the channel and expected to stay in place by the caulking. So many folks don't maintain this continuity and then end up with a part of the roof being ripped off by road wind. Keeping a snug caulk fill in the channel is insurance. When you look at the design of the roof structure, the caulking is not for leak stopping on the majority of this junction. It is a mechanical wedge. No more.

Then seam across the roof, at the cap ends, is another story. My front cap was not fitted to the roof correctly. It stands off the roof by about 1/2". That is a massive funnel to plug. I ended up filling the gap with backer rod, caulking over that and then applying helicopter tape as a final seal. No more problems. If Winnebago had a functional QC program in back then this would have never left the factory without being addressed. Talking with many new coach owners, Winne is still avoiding QC.

Rick

BobC · 06-16-2018, 08:24 AM

I've been applying Eternabond to my roof's problem areas and also used it on a new skylight and MaxAir vent and across the top of my windshield. I don't have full-body paint so it almost disappears against my coach's white fiberglass. Since it's a 2002, I'm much more concerned about avoiding leaks than I am about appearance. Besides, I think a nice band of Eternabond looks better than the blobs of caulking it's replaced.

jerichorick · 06-17-2018, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

I've been applying Eternabond to my roof's problem areas and also used it on a new skylight and MaxAir vent and across the top of my windshield. I don't have full-body paint so it almost disappears against my coach's white fiberglass. Since it's a 2002, I'm much more concerned about avoiding leaks than I am about appearance. Besides, I think a nice band of Eternabond looks better than the blobs of caulking it's replaced.

The factory in Junction City, OR asked me NOT to use it. They have had bad experiences with it deteriorating faster than the caulk they use. But, removing it for repairs is a real problem for them.

There are so many choices of products for this job. All boast of being the best. Only time and us talking about our experiences will help. My problem is I don't recall what I used many times. I am not a good at documenting.

BobC · 06-17-2018, 09:18 AM

The nice thing about Winnebago is they provide you with info on the proper sealant for every application. My issue isn't as much as with the factory caulking, it's the layers and layers of differing types of gunk the prior owners have applied over the past 16 years. I had a lot to do in a relatively short period of time. I come from a sailboating background and would never use Eternabond on a boat but, the top of a 16 year old motorhome covered with quarts of unknown caulking is a different matter.

After I removed all the owner-applied caulk from the front-cap to roof joint, the original Winnebago caulk between the two was still sound so I applied a strip of Eternabond to keep it that way.

My coach is never going to see the factory again and I'm never going to pay shop rates to have the Eternabond removed. Plus, I've come up with a fairly straightforward way of removing Eternabond and the like - first a not-too-hot heat gun and gentle scraping followed by mineral spirits. It's not much harder than removing a bunch of old caulking.

Time will tell if I've made the right choice. I guess the Eternabond or not debate is kind of like the gas vs. Diesel or Michelin vs. non-Michelin debates.

jerichorick · 06-18-2018, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

The nice thing about Winnebago is they provide you with info on the proper sealant for every application. My issue isn't as much as with the factory caulking, it's the layers and layers of differing types of gunk the prior owners have applied over the past 16 years. I had a lot to do in a relatively short period of time. I come from a sailboating background and would never use Eternabond on a boat but, the top of a 16 year old motorhome covered with quarts of unknown caulking is a different matter.

After I removed all the owner-applied caulk from the front-cap to roof joint, the original Winnebago caulk between the two was still sound so I applied a strip of Eternabond to keep it that way.

My coach is never going to see the factory again and I'm never going to pay shop rates to have the Eternabond removed. Plus, I've come up with a fairly straightforward way of removing Eternabond and the like - first a not-too-hot heat gun and gentle scraping followed by mineral spirits. It's not much harder than removing a bunch of old caulking.

Time will tell if I've made the right choice. I guess the Eternabond or not debate is kind of like the gas vs. Diesel or Michelin vs. non-Michelin debates.

Thanks, Bob. Good post. I think your sailboat experiences gives you a better prospective on this topic. Yea, the previous owners can really come up with some unique repairs. I am certain the new owners of my past coaches can probably say the same about me.

I like the idea of gently heating the caulking. But when the sun is hot on it the job may already be done. NOT caulking in the hot sun is a challenge in some regions.

Upinsmoke · 06-18-2018, 08:08 AM

Okay, I have to ask: what is the "slide lock bucket?" I don't have any leaks and I don't want any leaks and so, inquiring minds want to know. Maybe there's something I should be checking that I'm not. Thanks

BobC · 06-18-2018, 09:36 AM

The heat gun softens the bond between the top membrane and the sticky stuff. Once the top membrane is removed, the mineral spirits can soak into and remove the sticky stuff. It takes a little more than the hot sun.

LarryW · 06-18-2018, 01:54 PM

Great information and insight, jeri. Thank you for posting.

Journey39n · 06-18-2018, 04:06 PM

A slide-lock bucket refers to the chamber that the top slide lock is housed in. For our vintage of Winnebago, it is about 5" x 5" by 4" deep, houses a little aluminum arm that rotates to lock the top of the slide in when travelling.

Usually in the middle of the slide, the slide topper covers all, so water is usually not a problem, but when windy, and a big downpour, water can flow to it, and fill the bucket. The system is designed to let water weep out through a small hole in the sidewall.

After your first leak, you learn. Once in a while, we clean those 'weep' holes with a pipe cleaner and/or a shot of canned air. When not plugged the system works very well, when plugged you can get quite a stream of water leaking into the RV.

Some folks get very frustrated, and remove that top slide lock, and seal the bucket.

LarryW · 06-18-2018, 04:32 PM

Educational post, journey.

Upinsmoke · 06-19-2018, 01:52 AM

Journey, thanks for the explanation. I tried looking up the slide lock bucket to get a picture of it, but couldn't find one. Could you point me to any? Might it be in any of Winnebago drawings? If this bucket is under the topper (mid-slide) - does the topper have to come off in order to clean the weep hole? I am a fanatic when it comes to trying very hard to keep the RV dry inside. If I have to access/clean it, I'll post pics of the job. Thanks

jerichorick · 06-19-2018, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Upinsmoke

Okay, I have to ask: what is the "slide lock bucket?" I don't have any leaks and I don't want any leaks and so, inquiring minds want to know. Maybe there's something I should be checking that I'm not. Thanks

I have motorized slide locks. They are in a recess in the roof of the slides.