Leaking Slide Motor

[Jimmy_C]

I’ve seen various posts about the slide motors leaking oil onto the slide roofs causing bubbles. I have not seen any posts regarding people fixing them. If you have any experience fixing your roof I’d like to hear some opinions. I have ordered the drip pans and some 6” Eternabond but am unsure whether to place the Eternabond over the bubbles or cut them out and then apply the Eternabond. Any help would be appreciated.

[JRTJH]

Does your TPO membrane have any holes or are the bubbles interfering with operation of the slide??? If not, why fix "what ain't broke" ??? As long as the membrane is intact and not interfering with slide operation, I'd recommend watching it and not cutting holes into a "perfectly good roof that looks ugly"...

[Jimmy_C]

One slide the roof material feels very soft and pliable. I was thinking of putting the Eternabond over it as a precaution.

[dmcc625]

I completed the same repair a couple of years ago…I just put eternabond over the bubbles and they never did lay down to suit me. If I had to do the repair over again, I would cut out the bubble or inject some glue under the bubble with a syringe put something on it to hold it while it dries and then apply the eternabond.

[chuckster57]

Only real issue I see with using eternabond on the slide roof is the edge of the tape will peel eventually from rubbing on the sweeper seal. I’ve seen it quite a few times. If/when you apply the tape your supposed to seal the edge with Dicor and that can make an even bigger mess.

Years of working on RVs has let me see a lot of stuff.

[JRTJH]

As Chuck said, when you put any tape on the slide roof, you open an entirely new set of potential problems. The seals on the slide opening in the main body of the trailer, are designed to "sweep" or "rub against" the slide roof. That mechanical action keeps most of the water and leaves out of the trailer interior, but the seals will also "catch the edge of the Eternabond tape" and with every time the slide is opened/closed, they will rub the tape, potentially causing it to pull up at the edges. Once that happens, you'll have the "sticky side catching the slide wiper seals"... eventually, it can roll the tape up enough to catch the seal and the next time you open the slide, it pulls the seal wtih it and you no longer have a "bug proof/water proof seal" between the cabin and the slide roof.

Here's a statement from DICOR about TPO roofing bubbles that are caused by exposure to petroleum products used as dispersants in sealant. Oil is oil, so from a "basic genralized standpoint" the same applies to oil dripping from a slide motor.

"In 2011, RV manufacturers started using new formulations
of TPO (a thermoformed flexible plastic) roofing material
that has come into the RV marketplace. To stay on top of
the situation, Dicor tested some of these new formulations
against sealants currently available on the market. We
found some TPO roofing membranes are not chemically
compatible with current lap sealants. When these sealants
are used on some new TPO membranes, bloating and
disfiguration of the membranes results. This is a cosmetic
problem, and does not reduce the performance of the
roofing material or sealant, but it’s something you
probably want to avoid."

Unfortunately, your TPO has "swollen and is bloated". But, as long as it's still "a cosmetic problem", it's protecting the roof structure. Anything you do to repair the cosmetics should be carefully examined to make sure you don't potentially introduce other problems that could be as bad or worse than the "cosmetic bubbles'...... YMMV

[dmcc625]

Chuckster,,, you are right in that the edges of a eternabond can become an issue. I know it sounds crazy but I actually bevel the edges of eternabond with a pair of scissors and then apply dicor. I have had good success with this method. I will add that I have only observed this over a 3 year period. You are the best person I would know with true experience on the use of dicor and eternabond for the long haul, but I have had success with dicor. I will say that the membrane must be cleaned and prepped per directions and a roller should be used to insure good and solid adhesion.

[NH_Bulldog]

The TSB explains the fix in detail. I called Norco and they sent me everything for free. I did it on mine with no issues. Still looks great after 3 years. I had two areas of concern on the slide roof; one area that was under the gearbox when the slide was open, the other when the slide was in. I left the innermost bubbled area alone since that area never passed the rubber sweeps. The outermost area I cut out according to the instructions and it still looks great with no lifting or rolling of the edge of the Eternabond patch. I check everything twice a year when I do my general roof/seal inspection.

[GaryUT]

When the dealer fixed my slide roof they used alcohol to clean off the oil that had dripped onto the roof membrane. They put a strip of eternabond the entire length of the slide.


I had concerns about the wiper seal catching the edge of the tape, but the seal has already flipped under by the time it gets to the tape.


Gary