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Topic: Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver (Read 1086 times) previous topic - next topic

Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver

Greetings Foretravelers,

The last time we attempted to close our slide, it hung up and didn't go all the way in. With help from another RVer we were able to push it in the rest of the way. I figured I would take a look to see if I could see where things were getting hung up. With a straight edge, it was easy to see that the slide bulges around the slide lock pin receiver. The slide topper has failed and allows water to reach the slide. I believe water is getting in through the slide pin receiver, hence causing the bulge at that point.

Has anyone else run into this issue? We are looking for some possible solutions (DIY and Service Center).

Thanks,
Guy & Chris

Re: Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver

Reply #1 –
I think the slide topper is just to keep off debris.  The top of the slide will get wet even with a topper.

The pin hole should normally be caulked around the edge to keep water from getting into the top of the slide.  There is also a drain hole in the bottom of the pin hole that empties out the center of the bottom of the slide.  You can put a rag over each pin hole and use compressed air from the bottom to clean debris out of the pin hole.  If you don't use a rag over the hole, it can get very messy.  Also do a little poking and scraping with your finger or a bent wire to help dislodge any gunk in the bottom of the pin hole.  I suggest wearing a vinyl glove. 

Xtreme Paint and Graphics in Nac can look at the pictures and give you some suggestions on repairs.  I suspect the top is delaminated (a common problem that also affects the bottom) and the water has caused it to swell and pop up.  I had mine repaired there several years ago.  For an emergency repair -they may tell you that you can grind off the high spot and temp patch it with Eternabond tape until you can get it fixed.  It would let you get the slide in and out.  If you do that, caulk as best you can around the perimeter of the pin hole and the Eternabond tape to prevent any further water intrusion until you get a permanent fix.  I'd consider leaving the slide in as much as possible until fixed to avoid any further water intrusion.

Hope this helps,

Rich

Re: Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver

Reply #2 –
After thinking about this overnight, is there any give on the top?  You may be able to inject some epoxy and rebond the top skin if that is the only delamination spot.  You would have to use some weights to press it back into to place while the epoxy dries.

Once again, Xtreme are the real experts and can give you the best advice.  They are usually very agreeable to a phone/email consultation.

Rich

Re: Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver

Reply #3 –
Guy, we have the same year coach and yes, we had an issue with our slide pins on our slide.  When I went up to see where the water was getting in, I found that at some point the slide pins did not line up correctly and you could see how the pins slightly elongated the hole that each pin engages.  I took some silicone caulk and using my finger, went around the edge of the hole to fill in that gap.  So far, it seems to have fixed it.  I actually took the wood down inside the coach that holds the puck lights and could see the aluminum block and the drain line that attaches to the block to divert water. That was fun!  You need a 12 inch long square tip to access the screws that are holding the wood.  It wasn't much of a leak, but a drip here and there is not good and a fix has to happen.  Again, once I removed the wood trim, I could see how everything worked.  The water was coming around the block and not down into it for the drains to work properly.  I did not remove the slide topper, but in order to do a fix with some fiberglass, the top would need to be removed to better serve the repair!
I also removed the bottom panels on the J lounge and the long drawer on the jack knife sofa and adjusted the slide bars to keep the slide level when extending or retracting.  I used a crowbar and a block of wood to protect the flooring and installed new 3/8 inch self tapping where needed.  It has elongated holes for some of the bolts to adjust, but some have no adjustment and that is where the self tapping screws come in.  Hope this helps some. 

Re: Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Rich Bowman –
After thinking about this overnight, is there any give on the top?  You may be able to inject some epoxy and rebond the top skin if that is the only delamination spot.  You would have to use some weights to press it back into to place while the epoxy dries.

Once again, Xtreme are the real experts and can give you the best advice.  They are usually very agreeable to a phone/email consultation.

Rich
No give, at least with the pressure I can put on it manually. The lower front pin receiver is also bulging but not to the degree the upper rear one.

Guy
 

Re: Water intrusion at upper rear slide lock pin receiver

Reply #5 –
Quote from: juicesqueezer –
Guy, we have the same year coach and yes, we had an issue with our slide pins on our slide.  When I went up to see where the water was getting in, I found that at some point the slide pins did not line up correctly and you could see how the pins slightly elongated the hole that each pin engages.  I took some silicone caulk and using my finger, went around the edge of the hole to fill in that gap.  So far, it seems to have fixed it.  I actually took the wood down inside the coach that holds the puck lights and could see the aluminum block and the drain line that attaches to the block to divert water. That was fun!  You need a 12 inch long square tip to access the screws that are holding the wood.  It wasn't much of a leak, but a drip here and there is not good and a fix has to happen.  Again, once I removed the wood trim, I could see how everything worked.  The water was coming around the block and not down into it for the drains to work properly.  I did not remove the slide topper, but in order to do a fix with some fiberglass, the top would need to be removed to better serve the repair!
I also removed the bottom panels on the J lounge and the long drawer on the jack knife sofa and adjusted the slide bars to keep the slide level when extending or retracting.  I used a crowbar and a block of wood to protect the flooring and installed new 3/8 inch self tapping where needed.  It has elongated holes for some of the bolts to adjust, but some have no adjustment and that is where the self tapping screws come in.  Hope this helps some. 
Thanks, I will most likely replace some wood myself. I'm happy to hear you solved this issue.

Guy