Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Topic: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair (Read 2744 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #25 – August 04, 2010, 06:04:00 pm

Hi Michelle and Steve,
If you can get to a furniture upholstery shop, have them cut some strips of foam rubber. You might have to try a few samples of different thickness's so see what size you will need. You need it as large as you can, and yet be able to crush it down to width of the gap. By compressing, and pushing it all the way in to where it is flush with
the outside, I doubt that it will come out. Won't hurt the paint at all. Try and get one of those window spoons that they use to replace windows and window rubber. These are non-metal and shouldn't cut the foam rubber.

Good luck,
LynnD
'01 GV

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #26 – August 04, 2010, 06:31:47 pm

I am not sure about the config. of the bladder since I have not been exposed to slides, but just thinking(dangerous) would the foam pipe insulation (round) that have variable diameters be of any help. Lowes or ? carry this. jc

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #27 – August 04, 2010, 06:38:16 pm

Quote

I am not sure about the config. of the bladder since I have not been exposed to slides, but just thinking(dangerous) would the foam pipe insulation (round) that have variable diameters be of any help. Lowes or ? carry this.

You are dealing with a small amount of space between the bladder and the slide.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #28 – August 04, 2010, 07:03:51 pm

I saw Les Ettinger's coach pull into FT closed off with duct tape. He did the maritimes with it one year that way or something like that.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #29 – August 04, 2010, 07:44:34 pm

Unless you are planning to have some repainting done or paying someone a lot of money to get the duct tape residue off your coach, I would not use duct tape. Call James Stallings. He can tell you what to use that won't take the paint with it when you get to MOT. I have found that almost any kind of masking/duct tape is affected by sitting in direct sunlight. So you might want to ask him about that, too.

Good luck.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #30 – August 04, 2010, 07:57:14 pm

George, I repeat

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Fortunately, the use of WD-40 removes the (duct tape) adhesive with light rubbing (use a microfiber cloth)

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #31 – August 04, 2010, 08:05:42 pm

I have been using duct tape to hold my lower bay door closed for about a year. Have left it on for weeks in sun. When removed, sometimes adhesive stays on paint, and some of the "threads". Longer you leave it on, worse it is. Hasn"t lifted paint yet in about 20 applications. Goo Gone takes off the adhesive pretty easily, when I get around to cleaning it up.

Qw

I would duct tape it with 3M and drive for rpairs in NAC. Have them save old bladder and send it to one of the outfits in FL that specializes in repairing inflat!le boats. The bladder is a $1,000 part. Plus labor to remove the slide and install. I am very careful with mine having replaced it once.

When in NAC this fall I hope that James can adjust the door so I don't need the duct tape anymore.....

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #32 – August 04, 2010, 09:17:48 pm

I replaced two bladders this april. The cost was written on the box and I kind of choked. IT was 1700 bucks for the bladder and no labor. On my 01, you have to pull the slide out to change them. That is about 4 hours to pull and about 4 hours to install the bladder and another 8 hours plus to reinstall. You can figure the price at a hundred bucks an hour..... Ouch and there was more than one guy working at times.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #33 – August 05, 2010, 10:16:46 am

Steve and Michelle, Since I don't have slides take this for what its worth.
I have had some success with a product called " SHOE GOO " or " GOOP ", It sticks well to synthetic rubbers and plastics and MIGHT stick to your bladder. You can get it at Walmart or Ace hardware in a tube. I suspect that it is based on silicon adhesive but it stays flexible and conforms to almost any shape.
Good Luck

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #34 – August 22, 2010, 11:47:28 am

Bumping this up since we still have the question that Steve asked in reply #2.

Our front slide has some kind of guide/containment ledge at the center bottom where you can see the slide bladder (it's a flat piece on top of the bladder in the channel area)

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Our rear slide, the one with the failed bladder, does not. And the leak initiated at this location

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For those with coaches having similar slide designs, which configuration do you have? We're thinking we should see about adding the guide to the rear slide if possible when we have the bladder replaced. The theory is that without the bracket, the bladder is free to expand in that location more than in others, possibly creating a weakness over time.

Michelle

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #35 – August 22, 2010, 12:12:35 pm

Steve and Michelle.... Any chance of getting some labels on the images? I can't really tell what is what.

Also, it would be very useful if you took some photos during the repair so we can see what the inside actually looks like. It might not apply directly to ours since we only have the living room slide, but it would be of interest nonetheless.

Thanks for all the info so far.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #36 – August 22, 2010, 12:39:44 pm

Quote from: George Hatfield – August 22, 2010, 12:12:35 pm

Any chance of getting some labels on the images? I can't really tell what is what.

Steve will as soon as he's done replacing our water pump (with HUGE thanks to Peter Martin for procuring one for us locally here in Cinci!)

Edited to add - Done! See above.

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Also, it would be very useful if you took some photos during the repair so we can see what the inside actually looks like.

Definitely in the plan.

Michelle

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #37 – August 22, 2010, 01:19:02 pm

Quote

For those with coaches having similar slide designs, which configuration do you have? We're thinking we should see about adding the guide to the rear slide if possible when we have the bladder replaced. The theory is that without the bracket, the bladder is free to expand in that location more than in others, possibly creating a weakness over time.

I have a piece over the bladder in that track that limits the expansion of the bladder in that area.
Is this what you are referring to?

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #38 – August 22, 2010, 01:36:34 pm

Mine also has a piece that prevents 'uncontained' expansion of the bladder and looks like Barry's photos on both slides.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #39 – August 22, 2010, 02:49:18 pm

Quote from: Barry Beam – August 22, 2010, 01:19:02 pm

I have a piece over the bladder in that track that limits the expansion of the bladder in that area.
Is this what you are referring to?

Quote from: Dick S – August 22, 2010, 01:36:34 pm

Mine also has a piece that prevents 'uncontained' expansion of the bladder and looks like Barry's photos on both slides.

Bingo! Looks like we're missing a part. We weren't sure if it was normal for the larger slide and not the smaller. Now we know they should both have that part. Clearly hasn't been an issue in the 8 years of our coach's life, but certainly something we want to have added/amended to preserve the new bladder.

"applauds" to both of you

Michelle

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #40 – August 14, 2012, 11:10:37 pm

Recently I tried a slide seal repair on my 2002 and so far it has worked - obviously my fingers remain crossed. It consists of applying layers of Shoe Goo diluted with toluene to a consistency of paint and a cloth patch of silk. My tear was small, about 1/3", but I'm told it works on far bigger areas too. The trick is to have access to the damaged area and to clean everything well with alcohol first. It is technique sensitive. It might be easier to call me for the detailed steps involved at 308-440-5154. It's certainly worth a try before you spring for a new bladder and lots of labor.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #41 – August 20, 2022, 01:35:59 pm

Quote from: Jim Frerichs – August 14, 2012, 11:10:37 pm

Recently I tried a slide seal repair on my 2002 and so far it has worked - obviously my fingers remain crossed. It consists of applying layers of Shoe Goo diluted with toluene to a consistency of paint and a cloth patch of silk. My tear was small, about 1/3", but I'm told it works on far bigger areas too. The trick is to have access to the damaged area and to clean everything well with alcohol first. It is technique sensitive. It might be easier to call me for the detailed steps involved at 308-440-5154. It's certainly worth a try before you spring for a new bladder and lots of labor.

Used this method when my '03 original living room slide bladder developed a leak about 1-1/2" long. The compressor had been running for long stretches, and finally it wouldn't shut off at all. Once the leak got this big, it was obvious where the air was escaping.

The leak was on the left side, about 1/2 way up, a vertical tear, luckily right in the middle of the outside of the bladder, with just the right amount of access.

After cleaning well with alcohol, and taping off the area, started with cutting a strip of silk that would cover the tear by about a 1/2 longer on each end, and as wide as possible on each side. Painted on the first layer of the thinned-out mixture of zylene and Amazing Goop (didn't have toluene.) Placed the silk strip over the tear, and painted on a second coat of the Goop mixture. Let this dry for about five hours. Added four subsequent thin layers of the Goop mixture, over two days. Since we were leaving for a trip the next day, there was no time for any additional layers.

Right before leaving, added low tack painter's tape around the whole slide opening, and did not re-inflate the bladder until arriving in Colorado the next day.

By the time we arrived, a few sections of the lightweight tape had torn, but it was fine, never heard any wind noise in the coach. After removing the tape, which came off easily, started the slide inflation process, and the repair worked! The compressor was heard only once the whole week-long trip. I'm sure this bladder will need replacement eventually, but for now, the repair is doing great. The slide is only opened a few times per year, so not sure if that has anything to do with it lasting this long.

Photos attached are before and after.

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #42 – August 20, 2022, 04:35:23 pm

Nice job!

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #43 – August 26, 2022, 10:52:57 am

So during the change on my seal I was surprised at how easily I could tear the seal by hand. Think 20 year old rubber product. The new seal we installed is much firmer and built a little different with having a fin in the middle of the sealing area. During retraction it lays over flat. Im surer were the new seals flexes much more than the old will also be a issue, but with no pressure it still stays in contact with the slide sealing much better. Im confident that your patch will last till the next location gives up. Great job. 👍👍

Re: Emergency '03 slide bladder repair

Reply #44 – August 27, 2022, 03:22:28 pm

Thanks for bringing this one back.

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