3400RL Leak in Kitchen Slide - Montana Owners Club

JimF · 03-10-2008, 11:54 AM

Anyone have this problem. The last 2 storms we have been in, the wind has come from the side that the 3 slides are on. During and or after the wind and rain we have found water under the refer and on the floor of the cabinet between the stove and refer. We have a drawer under the refer and water even drips into that. I can see a water stain on the support floor of the refer.

After the last rain I re-caulked any opening I found in that area. Took off the refer access panel outside and caulked any openings/ cracks, etc., found there.

Today it stormed again and oh my, it really leaked. The carpet under the refer and in the cabinet is soaked. I went out and checked inside the outside access panel to the refer and it was pretty darned dry. Has me stumped as to where the water is coming it at, anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

exav8tr · 03-10-2008, 03:31 PM

Jim, you don't mention whether you have the slide toppers or not. Could it be that water is getting in at the top and falling down the sides from the top down. I have the toppers and have never had a leak, YET!! Let us know what you find, please....

bsmeaton · 03-10-2008, 06:32 PM

Slide toppers are not a required option to stay dry in a Montana. I don't have slide toppers and I don't get wet in a thunderstorm. You need to find the root cause of the problem.

There was a post last year on a similar leak in the 3400 that involved the lower vent. I don't remember who posted it, but it involved pulling the refrigerator out and reworking the mount to where it wasn't pushing on the vent causing a small gap in the seal. That's all I remember.

Ozz · 03-11-2008, 02:53 AM

Are you certain that all flaps are sealed against the slide, even the top one?
Mine was leaking, same as yours, after my side seals were in the correct position. I didn't find much, but the caulk was missing, or not applied correctly, in the right corner where the door fits in-outside, I caulked all around there. I haven't had a real hard rain from that side to see if that did the trick. I hope that did the trick, but will not be surprised if it didn't fix it.

JimF · 03-11-2008, 03:36 AM

I have slide toppers but have not been up to see if the outer tape seal on the slide top is still intact. The slide seals look great, found no moisture in those areas. I did pull the lower access panel to the refer and caulked any opening i could find, that was no help. Next I need to pull the upper access panel and see if it is coming in thru that one.

The rain storm that we leaked in was heavy down pour, 1.5 inches/hr and the wind was about 30 gusting to 40 / 45. Raining sideways so to speak.

The main part of the water pooled at the wall dividing the cabinet and refer compartment and was coming in for hours after the rain stopped so it is pooling somewhere in there and runing down slowly.

Will post what I find.

Waynem · 03-11-2008, 05:04 AM

Jim,
Remember the old saying, "S...tuff runs down hill!" The leak could be anywhere and finding its way to the refer area via studs, wiring, etc. All the caulking you did around the refer openings should have stopped any leaking there. What about the roof vent, or any other roof areas. Or top flange of window area. Darn water will pool anywhere and not necessarily where the leak is.

JimF · 03-11-2008, 07:14 AM

Well darn, I went up the ladder to check out the slide top, lip seals, outer tape seal and things like that. Looks like the day it left the factory. No problems there. Took the top refer access panel off and it's dry as a bone in there. Can't find any trace of moisture at all. So back to the lower access panel, rechecked it and can find nothing at all. All windows, flanges, vents, et al, look good.

I am back to the belief that it was wind born rain that pushed up and in the lower access panel and then dripped down into the cabinets. I am exploring how to put some type rain shield over the panel vent openings, then hope for the best.

The last time it leaked the weather was also a strong side wind and HEAVY rain. I really "think" that is it, just don't want to swear to it.

TLightning · 03-11-2008, 10:06 AM

Be sure the slide is all the way out. I noticed our kitchen slide appeared to have a gap on the aft lower corner. Upon checking, it seems a small night light had fallen down there and stopped the slide about one inch before it got fully extended.

G McCall · 03-14-2008, 01:40 AM

My trailer has leaked only once when the the trailer was new and the slide seals failed to stay flipped outward when the slides were activated. I caulked above the slides where I thought it could be leaking also.

I check the slide seals now ever time I move the slides. I don't move the trailer that often so it has not been a problem to check every time. BTW, it seems there is always at least one seal that fails to go into place properly when I move the slides.

CanDo · 03-14-2008, 03:29 AM

JimF, we had the same issue with side winds and very heavy rain. Water under the fridge and in the pots and pan cabinet. After using every towel we own to soak up the water, we took everything out and directed a small oscillating fan into the areas to dry it out. We've been in some pretty heavy rains here in St. Mary's, GA (tornado warnings the other day), but no wide winds. Therefore, no rain into the slide. Our slide toppers were in place as were the slide seals. No sign of where it might have leaked except for that lower fridge access panel.

Needless to say, we will be following this topic closely.

JimF · 03-14-2008, 04:16 AM

Dave, thanks for your input, sounds exactly like what we are going through. I also think it is the refer access panel. Now I'm not so sure it isn't both upper and lower. Pulling the lower access panel there is a trim board at the top inside of the opening. It appears to have been wet, a lot, as it is soft and spoungie. I think the water is also coming in the top panel and running down the inside wall to the lower panel area, then going into the trailer by draining under the inside lip of the access panel trim on the bottom.

Wow, hope you understand that, not sure I do and I wrote it.

boat391 · 03-20-2008, 01:35 PM

Just a thought as we had this problem too I found the freezer drain in the lower access panel had let water into this area when we shut down the trailer for the winter went back into the trailer the next day and found water on the floor in the same area as yours I extended the drain so it goes out side through the access panel and have not seen this problem again knock on wood hope this helps a bit

randye · 03-22-2008, 05:05 PM

I had a leak in the same area. I found it, the shower stall base and walls had no calking. I ran a bead around it ,let it dry 48 hrs. The DW and I both took showers that night and no leak. Hope this helps. randye

randye · 03-22-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by randye

I had a leak in the same area. I found it, the shower stall base and walls had no calking. I ran a bead around it , let it dry 48 hrs. The DW and I both took showers that night and no leak. Hope this helps. randye

JimF · 03-24-2008, 05:33 AM

Thanks Randye, but I don't think that would happen in this case. My kitchen and the leak is in a slide, for the shower to be causing this the water would have to run up hill. We did have a shower leak as well, it drained into the basement. That was an easy fix.

fla hobo · 03-24-2008, 07:13 AM

i have the answer for you. the vent for the stove hood or in my camper it is the microwave vent. when it rains and blows it comes in the vent because it is angled up on the bottom and doesn't come down enough. i have checked inside the vent afterwards and it is wet. and of course there is no other one that will come down further is what i was told. i took a piece of plastic and bent it to fit around the vent that hangs down lower and pop riveted it to the vent. also if you fasten the vent flap shut before it rains it helps.

boat391 · 03-24-2008, 01:16 PM

now there is a great bit of advice never even thought to look at that vent ours is open all the time thanks for the heads up the D/W and I owe you one

JimF · 03-24-2008, 02:05 PM

Hey, great thought. I never thought of that one either, will check it out. Thanks.

JimnJulie · 03-24-2008, 03:12 PM

Thanks for this thread, we had two 1.5 inch rains this month here in central Florida with 40+ mph winds directly at the kitchen slide and both times had tons of water under the fridge and pots and pans area. Of course these areas are carpeted which makes it harder to see it and then to dry it out. Looked and looked outside and found nothing but dry areas. All seals seemed to be in right place and dry. We also have slide toppers and found nothing out of place up there either. I keep the vent for the stove/oven closed all the time except for when Julie is going to cook something inside. We grill out most of the time. Therefore I can see no way for the water to come in through this vent. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN I will go and check this, hope it doesn't. Thanks again for all the ideas, cause I was beginning to think I was missing something - but seems as though we are all doing the same thing and getting the same results!!!

rubble express · 03-25-2008, 06:03 PM

I had the exact same problem as you're having and the water was definitely coming in through the lower fridge vent. The only way I was able to find it was by taping a big piece of plastic (baggy type stuff) over the whole side of the slide. I used a hose to see if any of the outer seals or roof leaked. No problem. I then uncovered the kitchen window and sprayed some more. Again, no problem. Next oncovered the top fridge vent and sprayed at it (not directly into it). No problem. Next uncovered the lower vent and sprayed at it...Big time water in the cabinet next to fridge. I put this out before on a different thread but it's kind of hard to explain what the where the problem lies and what the fix was ( for mine anyway ). If you look at the vent you will see three little rectangular weep holes on the bottom of the outer frame. On mine the bottom of the frame was too low because the wood behind it was too low. When the installer screwed the lower frame down it pulled the plastic down against the wood and warped the frame. You can tell if this is the case by looking at it with the outer grate installed. If any of the top tabs (I think there are 4) are visible then you may have the same problem. Even though the clear caulk and black caulky insulation look like they would stop any water from getting in they won't. The fix the dealer came up with was to remove the lower screws and put wood shims under the lower lip of the frame between the cut out hole and the plastic frame. In effect raising the hole. He then screwed the frame back in and when the outer grate was put back on the upper tabs fit very closely i.e., the frame was square again and higher on the bottom than before. He recaulked the frame but also ran a 1/4/' bead of silicone along the inside of the bottom of the frame creating sort of a dam or ridge so that no water could get by. This is sort of hard to picture and really hard to explain but I hope you get the idea. Any way, since then we haven't had a problem and we've been in really heavy rain and wind. I feel for you because we too had to use every dry towel available to keep the water at bay and then run a fan for days afterward to dry it all out and that is a really sucky way to spend a vacation!

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