Water pouring in on long slide....Not Happy - Montana Owners Club

Ozz · 02-11-2007, 03:21 AM

The wind and rain was coming from the passenger table side-slide, water was pouring in the Monte. As you can see from the pictures lot's of water-everywhere. Water was pouring out of the outlet, tripping the GFI, dripping out of the trim on the top slide.
NOT A HAPPY MONTE OWNER.
I am wondering if any Monte would leak with the exact conditions.
We met a couple here that has the same problem, only theirs leaks all the time it rains, the slide dips in the center, I guess because it is so long. NAYLOR, I want it fixed.......
All of you stand by the door and sight along the top trip, see how much it sags, you may be next...........
I will bring the slide in a little to see if there is need of sealing the roof to slide connection.
Water leaks everywhere
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...3/100_0866.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...100_0858-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...3/100_0865.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...3/100_0862.jpg

melnjoy · 02-11-2007, 03:38 AM

Ozz, we own a 3575rl and our long slide is about 12' long. We used to live up in Washington State where all it does is rain, snow, and has wind and rain storms, and have never had any water leaking problems. I don't blame you for not being happy! We'd be upset too. Hopefully, Keystone will take care of you. Good luck.
Joy

campbud · 02-11-2007, 03:58 AM

Ozz, wow I would be very upset!
Do you have slide toppers too?
Sure hope it stops raining and they can find the problem and get it fixed asap!

LonnieB · 02-11-2007, 04:05 AM

Ozz,

That isn't good at all. It actually stinks.

I looked at our long slide right after we got it and noticed the sag in the middle. I didn't think too much about it though until I washed the trailer roof and noticed the rubber seal barely makes contact with the slide roof in the center. I had planned to take it back to the dealer for repair, but someone ( can't remember who ) posted about the rubber seal being lowered by their dealer. I decided I would do it myself when the weather allows, and save myself the 100 mile trip to Amarillo. I don't think thats the correct way to solve the leak problem, just the fastest. Looks to me like a support is needed in the center of the long slide, maybe a column or post of some sorts, but that would probably be in the way.

Good luck, let us know what you come up with.

bsmeaton · 02-11-2007, 04:17 AM

Ozz - so sorry to hear that - how frustrating! I also remember the post Lonnie is talking about. Not sure how you get to the seal in the middle, but it might be worth a shot.

nailbender · 02-11-2007, 04:21 AM

Ozz,
Can you put the slide in all the way until the rain stops. It would be crowed, but would stop the leaking until you can address the problem.
Good luck.

richfaa · 02-11-2007, 04:29 AM

Ye gads OZZ... What a revolting development that is... We have the same camper. I broke out my trusty level and set it right in front of the cabinets and worked it all the way across. It is not perfectly level but it is inside the bubble everywhere execpt for about 4 inches on the door side were in is just outside the bubble,,,(low). We have been in some driving rain and wind with no leaks(knock on wood) we do have the slide toppers. Sounds like the wind blew something off the camper???

Les and Julie · 02-11-2007, 04:31 AM

Our neighbor Dick has a 2005 or 2006 Montana that had leaks in the centre on his dining room slide. Sounds like the same problem. He has fashioned a pole to prop it up in the middle as a temporary fix. I'll check with him to see if he has had any response from his dealer on fixing the problem.

Les.

txkrumm · 02-11-2007, 04:39 AM

Ozz,
That stinks! Not fun at all. Hopefully you will get it fixed soon. I have more faith in you than the dealer...
Hang in there
t

Ozz · 02-11-2007, 04:50 AM

My friend with the same problem took his back to Naylor and complained about the Black rubber 'sweep', it was not touching the slide rubber rooftop, Jim (service manager) allegedly told them it was not imporntant, and just for sweeping debris off.
Also the 2" sag in the slide roof was 'Within specs".
I will check the seal on the rubber membrane and the slide roof, where they join. I think that is the key.
The conditions would have to be exactly the same, water pooling in the center with an inward wind.
Rich, stand at the stairs on a stool and sight down the wood trim, you will see any sag.

Ozzie · 02-11-2007, 04:56 AM

That really blows Ozz...I feel your pain bud. Out on the road that must feel even worse.

We have a 12' slide on ours and no sags yet after 3 years. I have been paying close attention to the seals and slide after reading so much about them here on the forum though. I did notice the roof tape on the outside edge is starting to lift and will need to be repaired (I expect a leak there if I don't fix it).
Sneaking that seal down a bit to make contact may help short term. Also make sure it's centered and overlapping the side seals (I have moved mine to center, so I think it just slides on). The top corners would be suspect to me first off (do the seals shrink?).
A sag is definitely in need of immediate structural attention.

As far as support for a sag, I haven't taken it apart, but my carpentry experience tells me the support for that center could be beefed up by reinforcing under the interior fascia board (at the top). This would be done by removing the finish wood that is up there now (it might be screwed due to metal framing), jacking from the inside where needed (just a wee bit past), adding another layer (center the 8' piece first, probably 3/4" plywood), and then screw into the slide roof. Addition interior trim would be needed to make up for the additional support, but it would end the sag issue. It looks like it would be real easy to go too far as well, not a lot of room there before you'd hit the top of the opening.

Again, something they should fix, but in my case I'm now on my own and if needed, I'll be looking into doing that.

If I was out on the road with a sag that prevented the seal from making contact, I'd put a 2 X 4 post in there with a small bottle jack (plywood top & bottom and make sure to hit the framing on top).
At least until a solution is found.

richfaa · 02-11-2007, 05:40 AM

Ozz..laid a level along that wood strip..it is inside the bubble all the way across..I think the old world craftsmen accidentally got ours right??? Helen has noticed that the wood trim(and I use the word loosely) is pulling away from the wall on three of the 4 slides..the main slide being the worst. Several nails had worked out of the right hand top of the main slide She noticed it because the nails had pushed the putty covering them out of the wall. Our service center list is growing..10 items thus far..but the camper will look good when everything is corected.

Illini Trekker · 02-11-2007, 06:18 AM

OZZ Sorry to hear that, I'd ajust to trailer out of level to get the water running away from the seal. This will buy some time till the dealer could get you in!!

hazmic · 02-11-2007, 07:26 AM

Hey OZZ do you have the slide awnings or not?

indy roadrunner · 02-11-2007, 08:38 AM

I am the guilty one that had to have the large slide seal lowered. It was not even touching in the middle and when I was at Goshen at the Rally, I talked to Keystone about it. They told me to take it to my dealer and have them fix it as a warranty item. Now I am not for sure exactly how the dealer repaired except now you can see the rubber actually sweep the roof when in transit in or out.

JH Sechelt · 02-11-2007, 08:39 AM

A temporary post would help for now.
Some time ago someone posted a fix. The dealer took the inside upper fascia board & 1 x 6 off the top of the slide and attached a 1/8 X 2" high by how ever long the slide is "Metal strip" to the top of the slide. making sure it was flat or even a little hi in the center or low spot.
Turned the 1 X 6 over, so low bend was now up and reattached the facial board.

In my large slide there is one spot where the rubber seal is about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch from touching the top of the slide.
So far no leak. But I would bet I'll have to do that fix some time in the future.

J&D

Tom Gina 06 · 02-12-2007, 12:51 AM

Ozz,

Not sure if your water is coming in right at the slide seal or not. Check the inside the cabinets for water also. I posted a while back about our problems right out of the factory. The tape on the top outer edge of the slide not sealing properly letting the water seap in through the seam between the outer metal flashing and the rubber top. I took ours in and they ran a wider piece of tape over the original new tape and we have not had a problem since. Seeing you have the same model and year as ours it could be the problem. When I went up top side I noticed the original tape had some bubbles where the metal and the tape was supposed to seal. It didn't look like it could be a problem but after the dealer retaped everything the problem was gone. The start of our problem was a storm that dumped around 3-4 inches of rain in an hour combined with 70 MPH winds. The dealer also told me that Keystone products in general have a problem with this seam leaking. From what I told them on the phone they knew what needed to be fixed before I brought it in. Just another direction to check out from another experience and good luck.... I have found that things about our rig disappoint us at times but as they get corrected we still would not even consider another unit. Besides after all the mods we have done I do not believe that I want to give up all my hard work just yet let alone go through another move....LOL.

Hang in there,
Tom

Ozz · 02-12-2007, 01:19 AM

No, I don't have slide toppers, I think that would have stopped the water, but I also think Tom has the answer. The seal has to be defective, the rubber sweep can't be the only thing keeping water out, if the rubber roof and slide seal was secure, it wouldn't leak, sweep or not.
Am I seeing this correctly?
I will pull the slide in today or tomorrow and check the seam.

Delaine and Lindy · 02-12-2007, 03:59 AM

OZZ, Not sure if you have the same problem, was in Rio Grande valley in Dec. People we sold our W/D to had a 06 or 07 Montana and the large slide came apart in the center of the slide and created a opening in the middle of the slide, the rubber seal couldn't seal the center part of the slide. Slide toppers would help some, but our large slide topper sags and hold water. But some PVC pipe will eliminate that problem. Sorry about you water leaking in, put a fan on it and it will dry it out... Good Luck...GBY...

Ozz · 02-12-2007, 04:21 AM

Thanks, I'll look for that situation. Yes, we ran the A/C and dried everything out.

You may also like: