Slide Seals Melting - Montana Owners Club

subra1228 · 04-24-2013, 11:47 AM

Hi,

We just noticed that the top horizontal slide seals - the ones that look like a capital D (the bubble seal) - have melted and are a gooey mess. Has this happened to anyone else? This has happened on all four slides. This is our third RV (first Monty) and we've never experienced this.

Thanks!
Suzanne & Brad

**DQDick** · 04-24-2013, 01:02 PM

Are you using some type of "slide seal treatment"?

Art-n-Marge · 04-24-2013, 01:03 PM

Is it only the ones at the top of the slides? It sounds like defective material especially if the other seals are holding up. I have never heard of this at any time on any rig under any conditions.

How old is the rig? Have your ever treated the slideout rubber? I store the rig in mostly a hot climate of the southern California desert and have never heard or seen this. The worse thing happening now is that the bubble seals are cracked when the slides are retracted and closed. I think I should be treating them more often than the twice a year recommendation (I have read as often as every two months) and I hope whatever I use doesn't turn them into liquid.

kdeiss · 04-24-2013, 01:17 PM

I am thinking they were exposed to some type of Solvent or chemical

subra1228 · 04-24-2013, 01:55 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

Are you using some type of "slide seal treatment"?

Nope. We've never treated or put any kind of solvent on the slides.

subra1228 · 04-24-2013, 01:57 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

Is it only the ones at the top of the slides? It sounds like defective material especially if the other seals are holding up. I have never heard of this at any time on any rig under any conditions.

How old is the rig? Have your ever treated the slideout rubber? I store the rig in mostly a hot climate of the southern California desert and have never heard or seen this. The worse thing happening now is that the bubble seals are cracked when the slides are retracted and closed. I think I should be treating them more often than the twice a year recommendation (I have read as often as every two months) and I hope whatever I use doesn't turn them into liquid.

Yup - so far only the tops. The rig is just over two years old and we've been fulltiming in it since 8/2011....... Strange, very strange..... Like we said, this is our 3rd rig and it's never happened before.

subra1228 · 04-24-2013, 01:57 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kdeiss

I am thinking they were exposed to some type of Solvent or chemical

We thought that as well, but we haven't used anything and haven't parked under anything and haven't had work done.......

Art-n-Marge · 04-24-2013, 03:51 PM

That is odd. Do you camp near hazardous waste dumps, nuclear stock piles, next to a thermal power producing plant, or under heat lamps... near meteors... passing asteroids... aliens with rayguns...?

This is puzzling, if there's no outside environmental reason, I'm guessing it was a just bad batch of inferior manufactured seals. I'm just now getting to replace all of mine on my rig, but my rig is over 7 years old, sits in baking sun, and I probably should have treated them more often, but the edges are a little cracked not melted. I'm also not in a hurry to do this since they still work and aren't melted.

I hope you can get this taken care of

**DQDick** · 04-24-2013, 04:37 PM

How about what has been used to wash it. It might stay on the top seal and drain better off the sides. Just trying to brain storm.

grayghost03 · 04-24-2013, 05:21 PM

Was the roof washed with something that could cause this, or a spray wax that could have run down on the seals. Very weird.

subra1228 · 04-25-2013, 05:15 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

How about what has been used to wash it. It might stay on the top seal and drain better off the sides. Just trying to brain storm.

We appreciate the brainstorming. Ya know, this is embarrassing but we're not big washers of the rig. In fact, we gave her a good bath today, but except for when we needed the roof replaced (long story - blew off in Nevada, was never glued down properly, under warranty, good dealer fixed it, happened Oct 2011) we've done little to the roof. So we get your idea of something sticking to the horizontal, but not vertical, components, but still, nope. Here are a couple pictures:
http://i35.tinypic.com/dzfq14.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/qqswi8.jpg

We did a bit of research and it's happened to a couple people out there, but it's not common. We;ll give Keystone a call today and see if they've had trouble. We did park in one spot in sunny & warm Sarasota, FL for the winter, but it didn't get that hot!

subra1228 · 04-25-2013, 05:16 AM

Sorry those pictures are huge - never have used the tinypic.com thing......

I resized the pictures in your earlier posting. When using TinyPic, it will re-size the uploaded picture for you. Click on the "Resize" drop down and select either "Message Board (640x480)" or "15" Monitor (800x600)". I used the "Message Board" Option for your pictures.

CRAFT-Guy

Art-n-Marge · 04-25-2013, 07:12 AM

I use IRFANVIEW to resize pictures. Look for a free download. Expect that an admin will come by and shrink this down for you. If you need help, feel free to PM me.

That damage does not look like sun damage. The pattern is too random and uneven. My vote is still for a bad lot of seal that should be get replaced since something in the environment caused it to corrode.

jjackflash · 04-25-2013, 12:02 PM

I have a 2008 and having the same problem on our large slide. the molding is coming apart from about a foot from the top.
I'm going to take the trailer in to my RV repair and have them look at the slide adjustment. When the slide is fully closed,I can slide my fingers in between the slide and wall.
If it's out of adjustment it's probably rubbing against the side when moving and ripping chunks out of the molding.
Jack

K0LCB · 04-25-2013, 02:33 PM

I would venture a guess the solvent used to clean your roof deck got to your seals

arcateq · 05-30-2013, 11:48 AM

Had the exact same thing happen to us just on the side that gets the sun. It was like they got hot and melted. WHAT a MESS. My extended warranty company replaced them all (I saw the price and and it almost paid for the price of my warranty). It affected my sweeps too. We have the Montana High Country .

subra1228 · 05-30-2013, 12:17 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by arcateq

Had the exact same thing happen to us just on the side that gets the sun. It was like they got hot and melted. WHAT a MESS. My extended warranty company replaced them all (I saw the price and and it almost paid for the price of my warranty). It affected my sweeps too. We have the Montana High Country .

They must have had a bad lot of slide seals, because our rig is a High Country also and it happened on the three slides that had the most sun while we worked in Florida this past winter.

fauch · 05-30-2013, 02:46 PM

that sure looks bitten, not melted....

kab449 · 05-30-2013, 03:43 PM

Noticed there are no slide toppers. Just curious if any experiencing this problem have toppers? May help to determine the cause.

dieselguy · 05-30-2013, 04:05 PM

I was about to agree with possible rodent gnawing till I saw the second photo with the globs laying on your roof material. As in many things now days ... I think China engineers cut too far back on the whatever it takes to make the compound hold together. It's all about the $$. Have you noticed that soft drink cups have become so thin that you nearly crush them simply in your grasp?

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