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12-27-2007, 02:29 PM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location:
Posts: 5
M.O.C. #7158
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water leaks on all slides
I have problems with water leaking in on all the slide floors of our 3400 rl. We have spent the last couple of months in very wet western oregon. There is no sign of water leaking down the walls of the slides. I have guessed the problem is water being wicked into the carpeting as the edge of the slide floors is exposed to the weather. Has anyone experienced a similar problem.
I have looked at a series of posts regarding leakage at the kitchen slide, and that slide is very wet at the moment, but see no obvious cause. Any help is appreciated.
My only solution is to head south to Yuma and let nature take it course...
carl b
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12-27-2007, 03:45 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: _
Posts: 5,238
M.O.C. #6337
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NO we don't have a 3400
No, we are not in Oregon in all that rain,
But, I am sorry, I don't believe you should be having wetness in every slide.
I don't know nuttin bout nuttin most of the time, ask anyone here on the forum ,
but, are you sure you have all the weather stripping and such that you are supposed to??
Al and I have been in a few rainstorms, hard, 3 to 4 inches in 24 hours, and we have no wetness, we have had our share of problems, but we have never had a leaky slide. WHEW.
We do have slide topper awnings, but gotta say, don't think that is the end all to end all with water problems, tho we believe they help.
Hopefully some of the others MOCers with experience in this will come along soon and help you!
On edit, I don't quite understand your statement that the slide floors are exposed to the weather. That is what made me think of weather stripping, etc.
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12-27-2007, 04:55 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
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We are fortunuate not to have leaks, and we do not have toppers.
I would first focus on the roof inner and outer tape seals. If water can get under the roof or under that tape, it will run down the inside of the wall to the floor, or even run into the upper cabinets and then drip down to the carpet. As soon as we brought ours home I sealed the outer edge of that tape to the edge of the slide with good quality RV sealant.
The wicking sounds a little incredible, but I wouldn't necessarily rule anything out.
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12-28-2007, 02:23 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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We have a 06 3400. We do have the slide toppers.We have never had a water leak of any kind anywhere. You seem to have hit the jackpot.Make sure those outer rubber seals are not bent inwards and are making a good seal at the top of each slide.
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12-28-2007, 03:39 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
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One of the things we have learned since full-timing is that you have to "train" the seals (the ones around the slides -- not the mammals!) so that they are not folded in when the slides are out. Somehow they sometimes do not fold out when the slides are moved out. We "trained" ours by using a thin metal ruler placed between the slide and the seal and worked the seal outward so that any moisture would automatically be shunted to the ground. I know, it sounds stupid but we only had to do that a few times and now the seals all fold out when the slides are out and they fold in when the slides are retracted.
Our experience only. There is no manual that covers this.
Orv
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12-28-2007, 04:44 AM
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#6
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Denver
Posts: 409
M.O.C. #7616
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I had a simular problem on my slide on a Alfa Gold and the rain was coming in around the outside of window and down the inside wall to the floor in a corner. It was very hard to find. My first thought was leaking from the slide gasket. After I was able to duplicate the problem it was still hard to figure out how the water made it in from the top of the window on the outside to the inside floor.
Jay d.
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12-28-2007, 05:16 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: K.C.
Posts: 11,731
M.O.C. #5980
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Carl here is why mine leaked real bad: (Like the above stated) Kitchen slide seal
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12-28-2007, 06:48 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Deming
Posts: 679
M.O.C. #3189
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Godd idea to get out of that Oregon rain and go south.
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12-28-2007, 09:34 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Goshen
Posts: 1,058
M.O.C. #2827
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Carl,
Our Challenger is the same basic floor plan as your 3400RL. One of the things I do everytime I extend the rooms as part of the set up process is to go to each end of all 4 rooms with the awning hook and make sure that all of the wiper seals are turned in the correct direction. That is that the wiper seal across the top of the room over laps the top of the wiper seals down the sides. If it isn't you can easily use the awning hook to flip them out. If the top wiper overlaps the side wiper, it acts as a shingle to shed or divert any water away.
There probably members of this forum that have heard me describe this procedure before. So far, here in northern Indiana on numerous driving thunderstorms, it has worked.
This is something that can be done on all floor plans to guard against water leaks.
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12-28-2007, 05:08 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Like some others here, we had leaks because of the vertical seals being turned under. The awning rod works well, also, to reposition the errant part of the seals. I never thought of it as traing, Orv, but I guess that's what we're doing.
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12-29-2007, 08:19 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas City
Posts: 5,736
M.O.C. #7673
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I don't like metal on plastic, so I use a wide wooden yardstick. My dog is more trainable then the rubber - and that's saying a lot for my dog.
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12-29-2007, 01:08 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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The awning rod rides underneath the seal. I don't see any marks and they'd be covered by the seal anyhow.
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12-29-2007, 01:46 PM
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#13
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Williamstown
Posts: 150
M.O.C. #6477
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Carl, I did reply to your email. We had a problem with water wicking on the bed slide. The carpet was pulled over the "kick board" and stapled on the outside. With the slide out you could see the carpet from the outside and it would pick up water. The dealer simply restapled and glued it at the top of the board and cut away the extra carpeting that was soaking up the water. That solved the problem with the bed slide. As I mentioned in my email, the fridge vent cover frame was the culprit for the kithen slide. So far (knock on wood) this winter everything is dry. What the others have said about the wipers is common. Make sure they are out and straight after you open the slides. Also, make sure the top piece of weatherstripping is long enough to cover the whole length of the slide. I had one that was about 2" short and didn't come up to and/or over the side pieces. Water never made it into the unit, but it was inside of the side pieces and eventually would have if had been left as was. This is only with the slides closed of course. As far as all of your slides leaking, I would take a look at proper alignment. If they are all tilted in, maybe the top white weatherstipping is not sealing and the water is running in from the top and down the sides (or something). You can see all the weatherstripping from the inside with the slides open. Take an index card and run it around and see if all the tops and sides are tight. Sorry for your wet condition...been there and it is NOT fun.
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