DARCO patch?

[gearhead]

So I’ve been sidelined for awhile with 3 eye surgeries. Cataract surgery, detached retina, and maybe 2 months ago another cataract surgery on my other eye. Doctors said no straining, no lifting, etc. I’ve been laying around doing nothing and my projects are stacking up.
I pulled the fifth wheel out of my backyard storage area and started cleaning it up. I was about to go inside and noticed a long strip of DARCO hanging down under the slide. It did this a couple years ago and I patched it with. gorilla tape. The tape had about done all it could. I cut the hanging mess off. It’s about 4” X 18”.
Betty is wanting to go to Louisiana so I’ve been jumping around trying to get ready.
What is acceptable to cover the OSB that will stick?
I looked on Amazon for black Eternabond and found a 50’ roll for $65.
Whataya think?

[mikec557]

Originally Posted by gearhead

So I’ve been sidelined for awhile with 3 eye surgeries. Cataract surgery, detached retina, and maybe 2 months ago another cataract surgery on my other eye. Doctors said no straining, no lifting, etc. I’ve been laying around doing nothing and my projects are stacking up.
I pulled the fifth wheel out of my backyard storage area and started cleaning it up. I was about to go inside and noticed a long strip of DARCO hanging down under the slide. It did this a couple years ago and I patched it with. gorilla tape. The tape had about done all it could. I cut the hanging mess off. It’s about 4” X 18”.
Betty is wanting to go to Louisiana so I’ve been jumping around trying to get ready.
What is acceptable to cover the OSB that will stick?
I looked on Amazon for black Eternabond and found a 50’ roll for $65.
Whataya think?

Search on Amazon for "belly tape". It's very similar to dacro and it's used on the underside of new mobile homes. It comes in a lot of sizes. And prices...

[gearhead]

Order placed. Thanks!

[sourdough]

Good to have you back Brent. Some of the folks were asking about you. Hope the eye surgeries went well.

Here's a link to scrim tape;

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Surfa...E&gad_source=1

It's made to repair darco. I've used it, underbelly tape (flex mend) and gorilla tape. IMO the scrim is about the best but they are all really meant to repair tears, splits etc. in darco. If the darco is gone and you are trying to cover the osb to bridge between areas of darco it will probably work. You probably need to think about a more permanent solution (uhmw etc.) for that section for the long haul. I personally wouldn't put eternabond there because it will probably stick pretty well to the osb but also to the darco. When it starts to let go you will just have to tear out whatever darco it has bonded to.

[jasin1]

could i use scrim tape for the edges of my kitchen slide where the darco is fraying? at least temporarily?

[sourdough]

You could. Plan ahead to what your final solution would be (I use uhmw) so the temp scrim tape doesn't foul something up. I don't know how bad the fraying is but the tape needs to roll up the outside edges to seal off the ends on the bottom of the slide. The final solution needs to go under the transition strip on the end but if you are just wanting to seal it up for a trip or two it should hold (adhesive). The movement of the slide back and forth across that wear bar eventually tears up (or frays) materials that run over it. Using temporary strips of tape also bears close watching. That bar can grab it and start rolling it off resulting in a ball of torn up tape under the slide that catches between it and the wear bar (btdt). The best thing (but hardest) is getting the tape under the slide and PAST the wear bar toward the interior so the end never goes back and forth over the wear bar. You would have to raise the slide to do that.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sourdough

You could. Plan ahead to what your final solution would be (I use uhmw) so the temp scrim tape doesn't foul something up. I don't know how bad the fraying is but the tape needs to roll up the outside edges to seal off the ends on the bottom of the slide. The final solution needs to go under the transition strip on the end but if you are just wanting to seal it up for a trip or two it should hold (adhesive). The movement of the slide back and forth across that wear bar eventually tears up (or frays) materials that run over it. Using temporary strips of tape also bears close watching. That bar can grab it and start rolling it off resulting in a ball of torn up tape under the slide that catches between it and the wear bar (btdt). The best thing (but hardest) is getting the tape under the slide and PAST the wear bar toward the interior so the end never goes back and forth over the wear bar. You would have to raise the slide to do that.

Thanks! I should prop ably just do the repair properly now. I purchased slide skis to install but ive been procrastinating

[sourdough]

Heck yeah. If you've got the skis and they will cover the damaged areas that's what you need to do. Putting that scrim tape on without raising the slide to get it past the wear bar can cause problems. To get it past the bar you have to raise the slide...if you have to raise the slide just put the skis on, plus, they will be much easier to slide under there vs fighting with that tape.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Good to have you back Brent. Some of the folks were asking about you. Hope the eye surgeries went well.

Here's a link to scrim tape;

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Surfa...E&gad_source=1

It's made to repair darco. I've used it, underbelly tape (flex mend) and gorilla tape. IMO the scrim is about the best but they are all really meant to repair tears, splits etc. in darco. If the darco is gone and you are trying to cover the osb to bridge between areas of darco it will probably work. You probably need to think about a more permanent solution (uhmw etc.) for that section for the long haul. I personally wouldn't put eternabond there because it will probably stick pretty well to the osb but also to the darco. When it starts to let go you will just have to tear out whatever darco it has bonded to.

Good to be back. Seemed the more doctors I saw the worse I got. Kinda got me in a foul mood. I had to cancel 2 race trips last summer.
But I’m about 90% now. Still trying to avoid driving at night.
The slide with the torn (now missing) DARCO has four rollers. Would that make any difference regarding repairs?

[fatcatzzz]

I vote for UHMW. A little more work, but one and done.

[ChuckS]

If the slide out you have torn Darco on is a hydraulic slide and it has wear bars underneath then as the slide starts to come in most likely what will happen the minute the tape runs over the wear bar is the tape bunches up and now you have a much bigger mess with more Darco covering torn up.

Slide skis are a good repair provided you remove the side wall lower drip strips and then work the skis under the slide ( you will need to slightly lift the slide up ) to get a nice smooth install.

Then reinstall removed drip strips and reseal the sides of the drip strips.

I elected to use UHMW cut to the length and width I needed to repair my torn Darco on one of my main slides.. I used 0.125 thick reprocessed black UHMW as it is less expensive.

My repair is now on its fourth season of use. The slide moves smoothly and quicker than the other main slide that just runs across the wear bar on the Darco covering.

You could also use the UHMW to repair a damged area in the middle or anywhere that a slide ski would not work.

If installed on a slide with rollers you would need to check the vertical adjustment on the rollers to insure height of rollers are correct.

This is important if the slide out is a Schwintek in wall electric slides. Check the upper and lower V rollers located on the upper and lower motor drive tracks on the walls and verify they turn with finger pressure.. If they dont turn at all then the slide rollers ( lower ones ) would need adjustment to obtain the necessary clearance for the V rollers on both sides of the slide out

Video of my repair from my Youtube channel..
https://youtu.be/EtgzzhXodlk?si=JLRvku-wmlB2SWDv

** None of the countersunk screws have ever backed out and I have seen no futher issues with the Darco material

** If I make this repair again on the other slide out I will run the UHMW up under the wear bar ( lift slide up slightly to work UHMW into place ) as this would elliminate any issue of transition from the UHMW riding up onto the wear bar..

[gearhead]

My slide is a big heavy bedroom slide with a bed slide in it. It is a SchwenTec unfortunately. Has four rollers about 1” diameter and 4” long.

[sourdough]

Where exactly is the damage, the size etc? Uhmw can/will fix whatever it is but the scope of the project will depend on exactly what/where the damage is.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Where exactly is the damage, the size etc? Uhmw can/will fix whatever it is but the scope of the project will depend on exactly what/where the damage is.

Probably mid way on the slide. Say 6 inches wide and the full depth of the slide, guessing about 20”.
What is UHMW?

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by gearhead

My slide is a big heavy bedroom slide with a bed slide in it. It is a SchwenTec unfortunately. Has four rollers about 1” diameter and 4” long.

my slide I repaired the Darco on is heavier than your slide... zero issues with UHMW repair.

You can use UHMW on a Schwintek slide and if the Darco damage is where a bottom slide roller is thats not an issue either ( except you will have to adjust ) those rollers after UHWM is installed to keep the slide out V rollers adjusted properly..

will 0.125 thickness make a difference if you V roller movement and lower roller adjustment.. Id say a little bit and enough that you might have to slightly adjust the lower rollers

Read the "What is UHMW" column in this link. it is what the RV industry should be installing on slide out bottoms ... but never will

[fatcatzzz]

BTW, I just bought 8ea. .125 x 4" x 36" strips of remanufactured UHMW'

www.interstateplastics.com

$104 delivered. Was going to buy on Ebay but cost of shipping made price very close. Since Interstate will cut strips made it a no brainer.

[Hblick48]

I bought my UHMW from Grainger. Have it shipped to store and there is no shipping charge. Was much cheaper than any other sourced I could find.