Slide-out Leak

[trueweb]

Being new here means I'm asking all the questions. I hope as time goes on I can help some people out!

Just got back from our first real trip. It rained the whole time, of course. Having the RV was lovely and the large awning was a huge help. However, ran across a small issue packing up. There appears to be a leak on the slide. I think I've narrowed it down, but I can't be 100% sure so I thought I'd post my thoughts and some pictures to see if it looks familiar. I would also like to know what materials I should be using to repair this (roof sealant, trim caulk, etc).

Here is what the water did.


Here is the side trim the stickers were peeling away from the paint and the caulk/sealant was flaking off there.


The caulk and sealant at the top literally crumbled off. You can see many little opening that would suck water in opened up there. Not sure how to seal these either.


Thanks again. Hope I can repay the favors soon!

[Festus2]

I see that you have an '08 RV and by looking at the photos, it appears as though this leak is not just a recent one. The photo of the opened bench (?) looks like sections of the wooden frame are rotten - probably caused by previous leaking in this same area.

The photo showing the top of the slide out also shows that the caulking is in serious need of repair. As you pointed out, there is at least one hole at the corner that is quite apparent.

The sealant to use is Dicor. It is available in a "runny" self-leveling tube that you would use along flat, horizontal surfaces and just plain Dicor which doesn't "run" and would be used for the vertical surfaces. Sikaflex is another product but just make sure that whatever you use, it doesn't contain any petroleum distillates. Silicone is a no-no.

I would remove as much of the existing sealant as you can. A heat gun (used carefully) will help soften the caulking and you can use a plastic scraper to help remove it. After getting as much of it off as you can, clean the area thoroughly. I know there is a liquid that RV repair places use to clean Dicor sealant but I don't know its name. You can buy the stuff in a large container or perhaps if you talk nicely to them, they can pour you out a smaller quantity. Not sure about acetone. Anyone??

After the area is thoroughly cleaned, I would check all of the screws. Remove them and coat the threads with Dicor or Sikalfex and re-insert.

When you have the area cleaned and the screws reset, take a caulking gun and reseal anything that you have removed and cleaned. This includes any trim or molding.

The hard part will be removing the existing "mess" -- labor intensive and time consuming.

But this slide out needs a thorough going over --- It looks like it has been neglected and the leak, as I said before, is not a new one.

Hope all goes well and good luck.

[JRTJH]

Excellent advice !!! The only thing I might add is to take your time, be critical of what you see and if there's any question in your mind, take it off, clean it and seal it well on reinstallation.

As for the condition of the wood in the dinette, I wouldn't do anything with that until you know you've got all the leaks resealed. Anything you do to replace interior components will just get wet again until the slide exterior is water tight and proven not to leak.

Pay particular attention to any edge molding as water can enter anywhere along the surface and will travel down the entire length. I think of all moldings as "angled water pipes" as they move water (leaks) just as effectively as a pipe.

Good Luck, take pictures, check in often and any questions, ask away !!!

[therink]

As mentioned, your caulking needs to be removed and reapplied to stop the water intrusion. Hopefully the water damage is not severe.
If it were me, I would unscrew and remove the dinette aand pull back the carpet to inspect the flooring for rot and to dry things out. Heat lamp, dehumidifier, ventilation, etc.
My guess is that there may be other areas on the roof, seams, and sides where the old caulk is not in good shape.
I would inspect every inch of caulk and replace/repair where needed. I would also cover the trailer with a waterproof tarp until all said inspection and repairs are made.
Steve

[outwest]

Originally Posted by Festus2

Not sure about acetone. Anyone??

Acetone sounds scary to me, since it likes to melt so many things (rubber roofs, etc). I had to do some resealing on our rig, and had to remove some stray bits of old sealant, and denatured alcohol on a rag, with a bit of elbow grease, did the trick. I'd be careful about what it got on as well, though.

[trueweb]

Thanks for the detailed response. I'm inclined to think the leak is more recent, although I have little experience with RVs here is why. The area you indicate appears rotted actually is solid wood and the discoloring appears to look like it was there since new. Also the floor pieces are very swollen in the wet area, but they are perfect beyond that point with the exception of the slightly light stain you see on the board against the floor at the back toward the front of the board. That looks like it had been wet before, but was not wet this time.

I want to believe that was not rot on the other vertical boards because they felt dry and solid and all the particle board around them was in great shape and I would think that particle board would have given up the ghost before the pine.

Does any of that make sense?

What do you think of products like eternabond? I'm thinking of cleaning all the dicor and silicon off then running a strip of enternabond up the sides then covering the entire top edge and lapping it over the side pieces. That would pretty much make it water tight on the outer edge.

Also did you have any input on the trim in the 2nd picture? Do I need to worry about that area at all?

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Festus2

I see that you have an '08 RV and by looking at the photos, it appears as though this leak is not just a recent one. The photo of the opened bench (?) looks like sections of the wooden frame are rotten - probably caused by previous leaking in this same area.

The photo showing the top of the slide out also shows that the caulking is in serious need of repair. As you pointed out, there is at least one hole at the corner that is quite apparent.

The sealant to use is Dicor. It is available in a "runny" self-leveling tube that you would use along flat, horizontal surfaces and just plain Dicor which doesn't "run" and would be used for the vertical surfaces. Sikaflex is another product but just make sure that whatever you use, it doesn't contain any petroleum distillates. Silicone is a no-no.

I would remove as much of the existing sealant as you can. A heat gun (used carefully) will help soften the caulking and you can use a plastic scraper to help remove it. After getting as much of it off as you can, clean the area thoroughly. I know there is a liquid that RV repair places use to clean Dicor sealant but I don't know its name. You can buy the stuff in a large container or perhaps if you talk nicely to them, they can pour you out a smaller quantity. Not sure about acetone. Anyone??

After the area is thoroughly cleaned, I would check all of the screws. Remove them and coat the threads with Dicor or Sikalfex and re-insert.

When you have the area cleaned and the screws reset, take a caulking gun and reseal anything that you have removed and cleaned. This includes any trim or molding.

The hard part will be removing the existing "mess" -- labor intensive and time consuming.

But this slide out needs a thorough going over --- It looks like it has been neglected and the leak, as I said before, is not a new one.

Hope all goes well and good luck.

[Festus2]

From the photos, it does appear as though the wooden framing is discoloured and it looks like water stains. You also stated that the floor is swollen and stained. The leak may be a recent one or have occurred in the past but the fact still remains that you do have a leak that needs to be fixed.

Eternabond is a good product which can be used in the way that you indicated. Again, before applying, make sure the surface has been given a thorough cleaning.

While you are doing the repair, I'd remove the strip shown in the 2nd photo, inspect, clean, reseal, (put a dab of Dicor or Sikaflex on the screws), and reattach. You might as well tend to the strip while you are at it.

[trueweb]

Festus, thanks for your quick replies.

I'm totally freaking out about this since it's my first RV. I shouldn't be as upset since the quantity of results on Google indicates most leaks on the RV aren't an IF situation, it's a WHEN situation. Yes, I definitely have a leak and Yes, I am going to fix it.

Plan today is to pull out that side of the bench and pull back the carpet if I can to see how much of the floor is affected. After that I plan to use a hose on the side on the RV to see if I can replicate the leak, first on the lower strip, then on the upper corner, although I'm 100% sure that upper corner was a problem. The sealant there literally popped off when I pulled on it. I am keenly familiar from previous experiences how water will find it's way into a small crack and then it seems to pull even more in like siphon once it starts.

The floor is solid from below. I saw some videos of people pushing on the bottom of their slide floor and it was mush. Mine feels solid from below all the way around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZraeDVYVIrk

Thanks again, I need as much support as I can get going through this for the first time! I'll post more pictures and updates as I tear this apart.

Originally Posted by Festus2

From the photos, it does appear as though the wooden framing is discoloured and it looks like water stains. You also stated that the floor is swollen and stained. The leak may be a recent one or have occurred in the past but the fact still remains that you do have a leak that needs to be fixed.

Eternabond is a good product which can be used in the way that you indicated. Again, before applying, make sure the surface has been given a thorough cleaning.

While you are doing the repair, I'd remove the strip shown in the 2nd photo, inspect, clean, reseal, (put a dab of Dicor or Sikaflex on the screws), and reattach. You might as well tend to the strip while you are at it.