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Topic: Slide gasket (Read 645 times) previous topic - next topic

Slide gasket

Last night we encountered a torrential downpour near Mc Kinney, Texas. Texans call this a "sprinkle", as EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas. Anyway.... when we got into the coach, we were leaking water at the end of the slide.....big time. I had not extended the awning over the slide, due to big winds here at the RV park. Big mistake. When I looked above the slide today, I noticed that the gasket looked pretty " shot", and near the end of the slide it wasn't even touching the top. I had extended the awning, in the storm, last night, and immediately noticed that the leak abated. Today, I added hold down straps to the extended awning, so wind should not be a factor when it rains AGAIN tomorrow.
QUESTION IS: What is the correct replacement gasket?
                        Where do I get it
                        Can I replace it and adjust it, myself?
                        Looks like I will have to disconnect the awning arms, in order to work on the replacement
Has anyone done this? Any pitfalls I should know about? Can I buy the gasket locally, or do I have to wait til I get to Nac next week??
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #1 –
Wait for Nacadoches. It's an air bladder.
1994 U280, Build 4490
Deming, NM.

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #2 –
Your slide has a sweep to direct the water off the top of the slideout when it is retracting.  It may look like a gasket to you.  The sweep is an easy replace job but does not act to keep water out of the coach.  Either with the slide in or out.

It also has an inflatable air bladder that goes completely around the slideout.  The air bladder replacement is a full day job at FOT and may require removing the slideout room on your year coach.  About 3CBs, half labor and half parts.  If the air bladder is intact, you may just need to have the room aligned so that it makes a good seal.

Rich
Rich and Peggy Bowman
2002 U270 3610 WTFS, build #5939--"Freedom"
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 4xe
SMI AirForceOne brake system
PakCanoe 15

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #3 –
The bladder was replaced last year, at HWH in late May. If the sweep on top doesn't keep water out, what DOES it do? The bladder seems to work just fine.
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #4 –
The bladder keeps the water out, so if the bladder works fine there should be no leak.  You need to inspect the bladder to make sure there's  nothing in the way to prevent it from sealing, such as a coach electrical wire or a twig. 

The sweep is just that, something to squeegee water off the top of the slide if it's  retracted in the rain,  and maybe leaves,  small branches, etc.

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #5 –
The sweep gasket sweeps the top of the slide going in and out to keep water and everything else off.  I replace mine several years ago.  The gasket is black. Mine was covered with white stuff and crumbling.  New ones come from FOT, maybe from MOT as well.  It fits in a channel above the slide.  Get enough to go past the slide at each end about 6".

The awning above the slide does best at shedding rain if it is extended all the way.  Wind can lift one corner or the other so if it going to be windy I secure the outer ends of the arms with a small sized rope to an eye mounted a couple feet from each end of the slide just above the belt line trim strip.  There is metal behind there so it is secure.  Water drains.

Verify that your bladder is fully inflated.  A credit card or similar should not get between the slide and the seal.  An inflated seal should have 12-15 psi in it.  You can add a pressure gauge to see what the bladder pressure actually is.  If your bladder manifold is misbehaving the bladder can lose pressure over time.  You can add a manual valve between the manifold and the pressure gauge and the bladder to isolate the bladder and with it inflated monitor pressure over time to verify the bladder is holding air.

Make sure the sealing surface on your slide is clean and free from anything that would interfere with a good seal.  Pine needles seem to be a common culprit.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #6 –
I have been chasing a rain water leak at the bedroom slide (onto the interior floor) for a while. I believe I have solved it, and I tested with a water hose today.

Retract the slide in, then check the bottom and lower curve of your slide - on the outside fiber glass wall itself below the inflatable bladder.  What I found was a bit of separation in several spots of the outer layer of fiberglass from the underlying wall core.

My theory is rain water was flowing down the wall and going in that outer layer, and working through the wall layers to the bedroom floor.  I sealed it with a bead of silicone - to seal that outer layer to the rest of the wall core.  This is NOT serious delamination, but does appear to be minor delam in that one lower slide bottom and lower curve.

Water hose test successful - no water on floor.  Waiting for a sustained rain to see if this is the end solution.

I plan to replace the sweep blade at top of slide, because it looks heavily degraded.  I need to call FOT and order it - for both living room and bedroom.

I also intend to retract the living room slide and carefully inspect the same lower end and curves. We are in SD and had a snow storm the past 2 days, so I have delayed checking the living room slide for now.

Dan - Full timing since 2009
2003 U320 40' Tag 2 slide

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #7 –
You're exactly right about the water running down the inside of the wall. I sealed mine with black polyurethane around the entire opening.

Glad you found the leak Dan.

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #8 –
Dan, regarding your post on the slide upper sweep gasket I found mine missing on my 2008 Nimbus bedroom just prior to arriving at MOT last week. James said that the entire slide had to be pushed in similar to a bladder replacement so would be fairly costly. Just an FYI. Not sure on your 2003 model.
 I also took the rig to Xtreme and had a delamination issue repaired on the passenger bedroom slide. They do such great work there. Had the pleasure of meeting Rudy as he stopped by on Wednesday for some minor touch up. Great guy and gave me some good advice regarding our Oasis System. Have had a good visit to Nacogdoches the last two weeks.
John Leach- Fulltiming in 2008 Foretravel Nimbus 340SE
Linda and JOHN and labradoodle Sadie
 

Re: Slide gasket

Reply #9 –
The sweep on the top that squeegees the water off the top of the 2002.. Has a channel on the top above the slide that it slides in and is an easy replacement.. easier to get to when the slide is in as in retracted. ^.^d