Another post on slideout seals....

[dirt33]

As with any topic, I have done a lot of reading on this forum and found plenty of good information and advice. I would like to post a couple photos for you all to look at please, I have seen numerous threads dealing with this topic, but of course many different ideas/fixes have been suggested. Just looking to get some more ideas I guess to see what the general consensus is.

This first photo is of the lower right-hand corner taken from outside, the seal has simply pulled away from the trailer. What have you guys had the most luck with as far as getting these seals to stick in place?

The next two photos show a problem on the top of the slide. The inner seal has pulled off of the wall on the inside of the trailer, and is laying loose underneath the bottom of the outer seal. I can easily see where it attaches inside the trailer behind the slide, but I'm not sure how to get to that area to work on it? In the last photo, I show my hand above the slideout molding, there is very little room up there....

Thank you as always for all of the help provided on this forum.

 

[Yosemitebob]

I can't help you much as mine is not laid out like that, but what is that patch that is coming up, is it a hard patch. I'd say that is what is pulling your sweep off, it's getting hung up on whatever that is.

 

[Jager-KEY]

I can't help you much either. My slide is hydraulic not cable. Does that cable move in and out or is it fixed such that it doesn't move relative to the seal?

BTW > > > GREAT job of explaining exactly what your problem is and the photos help us all understand a TON (what you're dealing with).

 

[dirt33]

I can't help you much as mine is not laid out like that, but what is that patch that is coming up, is it a hard patch. I'd say that is what is pulling your sweep off, it's getting hung up on whatever that is.

I'm not entirely sure what the patch piece is, but from the inside, I can see that there are 3 of them total, spaced evenly on the ends and in the middle, so they certainly look like something from the factory. The material itself is soft. But I do agree with you that it could be catching the sweep.

 

[dirt33]

I can't help you much either. My slide is hydraulic not cable. Does that cable move in and out or is it fixed such that it doesn't move relative to the seal?

Yeah, the cable does indeed move in/out, passing through the various holes in the rubber seals all around the slide (and inside of the trailer). I can see from all of the threads on this topic that people have a heck of a time keeping the seals "stuck in place" around the cable holes. I actually am less concerned about that part of the job, as I can simply try some sort of adhesive from outside, and then just try another until I find one that will hold. The seal inside the trailer behind the top of the slide, on the other hand, I still haven't figured out how I am going to get to that problem. For now, the slide is staying "in" so that everything is sealed up good. My thinking cap is on, but it isn't turning up much by way of good ideas just yet....

 

[JRTJH]

I'd think the only way you're going to get access above the slide inside the coach is to remove the fascia around the slide. It should be held in place with either the "infamous staples" or with screws (probably concealed with wooden plugs). Once you find out how the fascia is fastened, remove it carefully and that will give you the room you need to get to the sidewall of the trailer. Be careful not to "overextend" the slide without the fascia installed as it may continue to slide past the intended stops and be difficult to get back into the opening. If you pull the slide in an inch or two, it should give you the room you need to get your fingers under the molding to access the rubber seats.

Newer slide seals are often "slide in" with a bead edge, some older ones are held in place by double sided tape or contact cement. You might want to talk to an automotive body shop to find out what brand of contact cement they use to hold rubber moldings in place on vehicles they repair. I know that Duro markets a really good contact cement for indoor use, but I don't know if it's weatherproof, so I'm not sure if it would work for your application. Allmost any body shop would know exactly what's available for you to use that would work.

 

[dirt33]

I'd think the only way you're going to get access above the slide inside the coach is to remove the fascia around the slide. It should be held in place with either the "infamous staples" or with screws (probably concealed with wooden plugs). Once you find out how the fascia is fastened, remove it carefully and that will give you the room you need to get to the sidewall of the trailer. Be careful not to "overextend" the slide without the fascia installed as it may continue to slide past the intended stops and be difficult to get back into the opening. If you pull the slide in an inch or two, it should give you the room you need to get your fingers under the molding to access the rubber seats.

Newer slide seals are often "slide in" with a bead edge, some older ones are held in place by double sided tape or contact cement. You might want to talk to an automotive body shop to find out what brand of contact cement they use to hold rubber moldings in place on vehicles they repair. I know that Duro markets a really good contact cement for indoor use, but I don't know if it's weatherproof, so I'm not sure if it would work for your application. Allmost any body shop would know exactly what's available for you to use that would work.

Thank you for the help. I looked at the inside of the slide during my lunch break today, and started examining how to get the fascia off. It will be a pretty rough job, no doubt about it.