09-16-2018, 12:34 PM
Howdy,
We took a maintenance pit stop last week here in Charlotte to get a failed linear bearing on our #1 slide replaced. While preparing for that work, Newell warned me that there might be a water leak that we should try to track down.
We looked for telltale signs of a leak when the bearing cover was removed and we were replacing the bearing. There were some minor suggestions of something on some of the surrounding plywood, but really nothing stood out. The bearing itself was all rusty.
As a precaution, the tech cleaned and applied sealant along the seams on the roof/top of our slide, both the long one that runs parallel to the coach as well as one or more lateral seams, one of which is in the center of the slide.
Today, while riding out this tropical storm here, I woke up to find water gently dripping in the center of my kitchen via the overhead cabinetry. Feeling along the top of these cabinets, I find that about two cabinets worth of carpeted ceiling there is somewhat damp. Clearly, the slide roof is now leaking.
I unleveled the coach to dump excess water off the slide, but since it is pouring down rain right now, that only did so much. When I brought the slide in (to stop the leaking for the duration of this hurricane), a bunch of the water on the top sluiced off and into the various trim pieces and also off the aft of the slide and into the area where the Silverleaf is.
Now that the slide is in, I can see the very end of the bearing rail and inside two Valid bearings using my endoscope through a crack behind the aft slide trim. Those rails are covered with water, presumably from the sluicing off rather than from the slow leak in the center of the slide, although I can't be sure.
I also discovered a slow leak somewhere in my #3 slide as well, earlier this weekend, so I brought that one in to stop the madness also.
My questions are three:
1) Does it seem strange that the design of these slides/coach is such that in wet conditions there appears to be no way to bring in the slide without putting the slide bearings at risk? It was over $2k to disassemble and replace the damaged bearings last week, not to mention the two weeks beforehand when we couldn't use the slide (stuck in) or the hotel and other costs while we were displaced from living in the coach. My guess is I'm going to get to do that again, given the water I see that has made it in there. There doesn't really appear to be anything designed to redirect the water away from that sensitive area that I can see. There is no way for me to get in there easily and dry it out, either. On this particular slide a large portion of the trim and sidewall has to be disassembled to get access.
2) Does anyone have tips for sealing the seams atop Valid slides? (Or HWH ones, I guess?) The tech used Proflex RV to seal after what he said was a light cleaning with SD20. He said to use a very small amount so that there is no bump or protrusion that could hang up or get gooped onto the slide seal later.
3) Is there something else I should consider doing?
Thanks,
Ben
We took a maintenance pit stop last week here in Charlotte to get a failed linear bearing on our #1 slide replaced. While preparing for that work, Newell warned me that there might be a water leak that we should try to track down.
We looked for telltale signs of a leak when the bearing cover was removed and we were replacing the bearing. There were some minor suggestions of something on some of the surrounding plywood, but really nothing stood out. The bearing itself was all rusty.
As a precaution, the tech cleaned and applied sealant along the seams on the roof/top of our slide, both the long one that runs parallel to the coach as well as one or more lateral seams, one of which is in the center of the slide.
Today, while riding out this tropical storm here, I woke up to find water gently dripping in the center of my kitchen via the overhead cabinetry. Feeling along the top of these cabinets, I find that about two cabinets worth of carpeted ceiling there is somewhat damp. Clearly, the slide roof is now leaking.
I unleveled the coach to dump excess water off the slide, but since it is pouring down rain right now, that only did so much. When I brought the slide in (to stop the leaking for the duration of this hurricane), a bunch of the water on the top sluiced off and into the various trim pieces and also off the aft of the slide and into the area where the Silverleaf is.
Now that the slide is in, I can see the very end of the bearing rail and inside two Valid bearings using my endoscope through a crack behind the aft slide trim. Those rails are covered with water, presumably from the sluicing off rather than from the slow leak in the center of the slide, although I can't be sure.
I also discovered a slow leak somewhere in my #3 slide as well, earlier this weekend, so I brought that one in to stop the madness also.
My questions are three:
1) Does it seem strange that the design of these slides/coach is such that in wet conditions there appears to be no way to bring in the slide without putting the slide bearings at risk? It was over $2k to disassemble and replace the damaged bearings last week, not to mention the two weeks beforehand when we couldn't use the slide (stuck in) or the hotel and other costs while we were displaced from living in the coach. My guess is I'm going to get to do that again, given the water I see that has made it in there. There doesn't really appear to be anything designed to redirect the water away from that sensitive area that I can see. There is no way for me to get in there easily and dry it out, either. On this particular slide a large portion of the trim and sidewall has to be disassembled to get access.
2) Does anyone have tips for sealing the seams atop Valid slides? (Or HWH ones, I guess?) The tech used Proflex RV to seal after what he said was a light cleaning with SD20. He said to use a very small amount so that there is no bump or protrusion that could hang up or get gooped onto the slide seal later.
3) Is there something else I should consider doing?
Thanks,
Ben
2008 Newell #1234
Boulder, CO