Replacing and repairing slide out seals and gaskets

[arwenmark]

We got our used 2004 Keystone Sprinter 300 FKMS home last weekend we are still checking it out and going over what works and what does not.

We got the slides open, though the living room one seems to need help going out, [pushing from the inside]
Anyway one corner of the seals seems to be twisted viewing from the ground outside and so my son climbed a ladder to find that on both slides the black seal that shifts the water off when bringing in the slides, are completely off and just sitting on the top of the slides. They don't seem to be damaged in themselves, I am wondering if anyone has delt with this and reattached them?
If so How did you do it and what did you use, don't want to try to attach with the wrong thing.

Thanks for any help, I am sure there will be many more questions as we go along.

[Festus2]

The seals that you are talking about are probably the exterior "wiper" seals that clear the water off the top of the slide when it is retracted and also serve to help keep water from flowing back into the slide interior.
While you are examining your slide seals, have a look at all of the seals - both interior and exterior. The gasket type seals on the outside are especially important.
If they are in good condition and adhere properly, you might want to apply some baby powder or Aerospace303 to the all of the gaskets. This will help them from sticking to the walls and keep them supple.

There are some informative YouTube videos on maintaining, repairing and replacing slide out gaskets and seals which you may want to have a look at.

Moderator's Note: This thread has been moved from the Prospective Owner's section of the forum to here. OP is no longer a prospective owner.

[arwenmark]

I have looked on youtube and I have not found any that address that particular seal or how to reattach it and with what. I know in general people shy away from using any kind of silicone on most things RV related. but not sure what product to use for reattachment.

[JRTJH]

If you go to youtube.com and do a search for "RV slide wiper seal" you should find a number of good sources for information. I counted 6 on the first 3 pages.

As for what type of adhesive to use. I would suggest NOT using any type of silicone compound. Rather, go to NAPA or most any auto parts store and ask for trim contact adhesive or weather stripping contact adhesive. It's a thick liquid that's applied to both the seal edge and to the trailer frame (where the seal is attached). Once the contact adhesive dries, press the seal in place and you'll have an "almost instantaneous" bond. It's not "foolproof" meaning that once the two surfaces make contact, it's cemented in place. Hence the name, "contact cement".

The automotive trim contact cement is formulated for outdoor use, is waterproof and designed to stand up well in the "outdoor environment".

Before you go too far though, crawl up on top of your slide with it "half way extended" and do a thorough inspection. About the time your RV was built, the industry was moving away from "glued on" wiper seals and moving toward using extrusion attached "extrusion" type seals. If you have the extrusion type seals, the "slide in bulb" may have torn away. If that case, you'd need to buy more seal material and then "simply" spray some dry lubricant into the slot and slip the new wiper seal into the extrusion.

Once you know for sure which type seal you have, the rest is just a matter of getting the right adhesive (or wiper seal material) and getting busy.

Either way, I'd advise against silicone "goop".

Good Luck

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by arwenmark

I have looked on youtube and I have not found any that address that particular seal or how to reattach it and with what. I know in general people shy away from using any kind of silicone on most things RV related. but not sure what product to use for reattachment.

Yes, it's a smart idea to stay away from silicone. I'd suggest GeoCel Proflex or Dicor sealant (not the self-leveling type). Sorry, I can't give you any directions on reattaching the seal other than the type of sealant to use.

[luverofpeanuts]

Even though this is an older thread, I thought I'd add to it since it's very close to an issue I'm trying to fix before storing my camper.

I have a 2010 Outback Sydney edition. I'm attaching a picture of the top wiper seal on the slide. The wiper seal should be adhered to the side of the camper, is that correct? I.e....should not be showing any gaps or easily pulled away with a finger tip as the picture shows?

I think I have have to replace the whole top seal, or at least apply adhesive like previous posts suggest.

I had a small water seepage over the dining table with a short, but heavy, downpour, when we were camped on a site that was wide open with no tree cover to break/divert rain. I think it may have force water behind the gaps in the wiper seal, and in some spots the seal wasn't laying fully out...but rather in. In that case, I think it funneled the water in and over the interior lip of the slide and allowed water to seep through the decorative frame above the dining table.

If this is the case, I'm happy..it seems fixable without resorting to hunting for evasive water trails in the roof and walls.



https://goo.gl/photos/9bLsJJix6cFrSmFq9