Sweep seal on Adventurer 35P full wall slide

**macnut** · 05-20-2017, 08:19 AM

Here's a question about slideouts made by Lippert. The full wall slide on my 35P is the PowerGear model.

On our first trip my wife noticed sunlight coming in at the bottom of the dresser in the bedroom. I look outside underneath the slide, and there was a gap of about 3/8 of an inch between the bottom of the slide and the sweep seal. Looking in the gap I can see the inside of the coach!

It seems strange that all that separates the outside from the inside is that thin sweep seal. Actually, in my case, there is a gal in the sweep seal, so the interior is exposed to water, insects, etc.

When I took it into LaMesa RV to fix it, they adjusted the seal up a little, but it still does not meet the underside of the slide in many places.

The dealer service rep tried to explain to me that is normal and the way they are made. Of course I know that's BS. He agreed to call Winnebago and get their advice on what to do.

My thinking is that they need a larger sweep seal. That is a better solution that moving the slide lower...I would not want LaMesa to attempt that! Luckily I have an appointment in the Junction City Winnebago factory in June!

I love to hear what this group thinks about my situation. Is it really normal like the dealer claims? Has anyone had a similar problem?

Thanks!
Al

Jasper · 05-23-2017, 06:51 AM

Are you happy overall with your new 35P? We currently own a 2010 32H and have been very happy with it but are thinking of going a little bigger. Looking at the 35P and the Forsa 36G and 34T. Not sure if we want to go the pusher route as the gas units are less expensive and we have had such good luck with ours. Interested in your opinion of the livability in the 35P and if you are happy with the build quality.
Thanks

**macnut** · 05-23-2017, 07:27 AM

Jasper, we are thrilled with our 35P overall.

The livability is a huge change from our 26HE! You won't see quite a difference from your 32H, but it's a real step is for us. We really wanted a dinette on the passenger side so the 35P works great for us. The sofa is also very comfortable. The chairs position perfectly for watching TV, and add to the living space. I also like the large touch screen radio/camera/navigation unit built into the dash, with a second monitor for the passenger. It's very well-done.

The issues we have are fixable, and don't keep us from enjoying our Adventurer.

The main issue is the sweep seal. We have two other significant issues. A window that may need to be replaced because it does not close inside the frame properly, and seam tape was used to join two walls in the bathroom that were not cut properly. There are other minor issues on our punch list that La Mesa RV fixed. I don't trust them to do these, so I have an appointment at the Junction City factory to have these fixed.

Could/should Winnebago have found these? Yes, and I think their drive to get our more units have impacted quality. Instead of finding these at the factory after the build, I'd like them to build it right the first time. It will probably take several years for all RV manufacturers to grapple with that.

The dealers also have problems. They are selling so many units, the service department can't keep up. Even if they are good at what they do and care about the customers, they are almost overwhelmed with the volume.

So if you buy new, expect issues and realize the first year will be working out these problems, which means a little less camping.

So overall, we are very happy with the purchase because we went into it knowing what to expect. I plan to post in more detail about the problems that we had fixed and our experience with the Winnebago and La Mesa RV.

Jasper · 05-23-2017, 07:38 AM

Thanks for the response. We bought our 32H new and had only a couple of minor issues when we took delivery. We have really enjoyed it over the last 7 years. We get a little anxious thinking about buying new and reading all the issues folks have on these forums.
As for your slide issue, we have the same full wall slide. While down south this winter I did notice a small hole in the floor (about the diameter of pencil) at the far aft end of the slide that I could see light coming through. First time we saw this in seven years. The slide does not leak and we have never had insects or critters come in. I could not find the hole from the outside and when I stuck a straw through the hole from the inside it hit something hard about a half inch down. We decided not to worry about it.
Enjoy your 35P! It has a lot more wardrobe storage than our 32H and we really like the dinette slide out which ours does not have.

**macnut** · 05-23-2017, 08:41 AM

Yes, the storage is incredible! Since we only use it on long weekends and a vacation each year, it's really overkill for our needs now. However, when I retire, we will really love the extra storage space.

It sounds like on your slide, that the seal on the bottom of your slide actually touches the slide, which is good. In my case there is a gap, and I want them to fix it. I don't stress over any of the issues, however, as they are all vey fixable. :-)

Great to hear you have really enjoyed your 32H. I love the length and floor plan and would have probably bought that model if it was still available.

Take care!

Jasper · 05-23-2017, 12:02 PM

I would want that fixed as well and am sure they will take care of it. I've heard good things about the facility in Oregon. I'm hoping that takes some of the load off the Forest City location as we're only 70 miles from there. Heard there is quite a backlog in Forest City.

**macnut** · 05-23-2017, 09:10 PM

I talked to LaMesa RV in Davis, CA today. The service advisor said they talked to Winnebago and there was nothing more they could do for the slide or the window. Hmmm, when I talked to Winnebago, they took notes on the issues and assured me they would fix both issues. As a result, I am done with La Mesa RV and scheduled an appointment at the Winnebago Junction City factory service center next month. I'm looking forward to these problems getting fixed right! :-)

**macnut** · 05-24-2017, 08:30 PM

Picked up the RV today and they did a really nice job on the wall seam. Apparently it was pretty involved to realign the wall panels, but it looks great.

They also completely removed the sweep seal, cleaning off the old adhesive and repositioning it a little higher. It is still not right, but much better than before.

I also called Winnebago and they will take care of the window and slide when I visit.