Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Topic: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement (Read 2272 times) previous topic - next topic

Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

October 17, 2016, 01:23:03 pm

We are at Xtreme and their work should be finished today. As luck would have it the living room slideout bladder ruptured today so it won't seal. Isaac at Old Town said he could replace it this week except FOT doesn't have one in stock. I am presently waiting on a call back from HWH concerning availability, but Isaac mentioned 6-week wait and problems with quality control.

We are planning to tape the slide opening and head for the hills (of East Tennessee) while we wait to get a bladder. We go to Florida before Christmas and in the event that we have a new bladder who would be a good choice to have install it? The only name that comes to mind is Parliament Coach.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #1 – October 17, 2016, 01:53:30 pm

Paul Yasbeck in Leesburg Fl, phone # 813.382.0869. Paul has performed all the service on our coach including the slides since we purchased our coach and I have always been 100% satisfied with his work.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #2 – October 17, 2016, 02:07:57 pm

Does he stock any Bladders?

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #3 – October 17, 2016, 02:20:22 pm

Not that I'm aware of, he has always ordered parts from HWH once problem is diagnosed. Example our coach is there now and he is waiting for HWH to send an equalizer cylinder for our living room slide. They do not have any in stock, he was told it would be two weeks. You might want to give him a call.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #4 – October 17, 2016, 02:40:21 pm

There are a lot of coaches that require HWH
bladders, and other parts. They need to get their stuff together IMHO.

I'll try giving him a call when I hear from HWH.
Been waiting almost 2 hours now.

Thank you for your input.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #5 – October 17, 2016, 03:02:09 pm

I agree...a good business person manages their inventory but having 0 bladders in inventory is another story.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #6 – October 17, 2016, 08:18:06 pm

Are there no good aftermarket options for this part?

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #7 – October 17, 2016, 08:30:33 pm

Please note that there are lots of different sizes of slide bladders on lots of different motorhomes. I wonder how many different bladder sizes they have produced over the years. HWH is a good company and have helped many on this forum with technical help at NO CHARGE. Even Amazon runs out of stock sometimes. Let's not bash HWH.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #8 – October 17, 2016, 09:55:34 pm

Understand your frustration, it's the reason I went to HWH to get my slide bladder replaced.
They got me in early, give me a ride to hotel ( 15miles ) finished early and under budget !
They had the bladder inflated overnight to check for leaks and planned to have another manufactured that morning if it was leaking.
As I said understand your frustration but my experience was very positive

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #9 – October 17, 2016, 11:03:36 pm

It is frustrating trying to communicate with them sometimes.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #10 – October 17, 2016, 11:16:51 pm

How much $$ is just a bladder, with no labor? Say for living room and bedroom.

Is it a worthwhile consideration to just stockpile a spare knowing that sooner or later the coach will need it, current owner or next owner?

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #11 – October 17, 2016, 11:25:24 pm

Ball park, a couple grand each +/-. They might be hard to store for the eventuality that you might need it. It is definately not a DYI project. We are just shy of 16 years on our original LR slide bladder. We are only 5 hrs from HWH so if I need one I will just go there.

HWH is probably 3-4 days from almost anywhere. Appointment are usually only a few weeks out. And it takes that long to make a gasket to fit. If there is any other issue that is the place to go anyway.

I see Dave's comment below. We are at about 700 nights since we bought our coach, at least 150 in/out cycles without any issues goining in or out ever. We did have a sluggish deflation issue. Knocking on wood. If we are just overnighting we usually don't put it out.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #12 – October 17, 2016, 11:26:22 pm

The slide issue was my biggest disappointment with my 2001 320, 36' I learned to only extend it when it was in the garage, never extended it after I got stuck at Camp Foretravel with it out, unable to retract it. MOT charged me $350.00 to hit the motor with a hammer and it retracted. That was the last time it was extended when not in the garage.
Never had a bladder issue.
Happy others have better luck.
(wonder if this gets removed too)

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #13 – October 17, 2016, 11:27:52 pm

I think our air bladder cost about $1200.00 for our bedroom not sure for our livingroom - Labor for the install is extra and is contingent upon shop cost hours.

I would suppose that one could pre-purchase and hold until needed but do not know how they would react to the environment. Our large slide was replaced 4 years ago and our bedroom slide was replaced about 1 1/2 years ago. So the slides lasted 10+ years.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #14 – October 18, 2016, 12:01:45 am

Must add:

Recently a FoFum member had both of his bladders replaced at MOT and was told that HWH now requires that the Bladder manifold(s) also must be replaced at about $700.00+/- each. There is one manifold per slide bladder.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #15 – October 18, 2016, 07:34:24 am

And that would be me. Labor for living room bladder, $1242.00, bladder, $1620.00 and vacuum block, $583.24.
Labor for bedroom bladder, $1035.00, bladder, $871.39 and vacuum block, $723.21. Another $200.00 or so for tape, primer slot cover. So total for new slide bladders, both slides was $6274.84. Not cheap (but so was the roof I had put on S & B before we sold it) but shouldn't be bothered with that repair for many years. I was very pleased with the service I got from MOT.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #16 – October 18, 2016, 10:00:46 am

Quote from: Carol & Scott – October 17, 2016, 08:30:33 pm

Please note that there are lots of different sizes of slide bladders on lots of different motorhomes. I wonder how many different bladder sizes they have produced over the years. HWH is a good company and have helped many on this forum with technical help at NO CHARGE. Even Amazon runs out of stock sometimes. Let's not bash HWH.

As I do agree with you that everyone runs out of stock.. My first discussion would be why they need to have so many in stock in the first place(always failing)? PO had the bladder replaced about 7 yrs ago and I am trying to get them replaced now.. Months out of stock is a little long considering some ppl live in these. I have had mine in the shop for the last 3 weeks waiting on a bladder and the closest estimate is about a week to 2 weeks approx.. Unless they just had a run on bladders all at one time im not sure why the hold up.. Kinda sucks when you cant find parts and cant use the Coach for a couple months because of a issue like this. Not to mention the danger of flooding or water leaks on the inside of the coach.

Kinda surprised when they told me 3 weeks at a minimum for such a large company.. But on a good note ... they always call back and they are always nice on the phone.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #17 – October 18, 2016, 10:01:56 am

Quote from: Carol & Scott – October 18, 2016, 12:01:45 am

Must add:

Recently a FoFum member had both of his bladders replaced at MOT and was told that HWH now requires that the Bladder manifold(s) also must be replaced at about $700.00+/- each. There is one manifold per slide bladder.

This is true.. if you do not replace the manifold at the same time you do not get a warranty. Per HWH

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #18 – October 18, 2016, 11:06:46 am

I suspect they are made to order or in limited batches - not sure if they make in house or buy from a vendor. Probably a lot of iterations over the years, meaning many SKU's with relatively slow movement. Lets face it, they are in the business to make money - if it was good business to keep a lot in stock they would.

I agree it is a PITA to not have them available - MOT or FOT should stock at all times, since they know which ones move and they put in a lot of them.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #19 – October 18, 2016, 11:19:18 am

Quote from: Tim Fiedler – October 18, 2016, 11:06:46 am

I suspect they are made to order or in limited batches - not sure if they make in house or buy from a vendor. Probably a lot of iterations over the years, meaning many SKU's with relatively slow movement. Lets face it, they are in the business to make money - if it was good business to keep a lot in stock they would.

I agree it is a PITA to not have them available - MOT or FOT should stock at all times, since they know which ones move and they put in a lot of them.

They are Made in house per HWH. Hard to sell if they do not have any stock. Now I have been a member of this forum for a few months now and have seen a few bladders needed in that time. Coincidence? Not sure as I have not owned nor been around long enough to guess on that one.

I think my main point was if they need a lot of them then maybe the design has a flaw .

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #20 – October 18, 2016, 11:29:20 am

Mine was replaced due to FOD. Foreign object damage. Also age takes it toll, if original, mine would be old enough to drive. Already replaced fuel lines, air bags and tires due to age, why not bladder? More maintenance to these slides vs. other designs, but wouldn't say "flawed" and much quieter fooling down road

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #21 – October 18, 2016, 11:55:58 am

We may have dodged the bullet this time. What looked like a tear in the bladder apparently isn't. I checked it carefully last night with a flash light and do not see a tear anywhere. Additionally, the bladder is completely sealed now. Thinking it may have been not enough air pressure
so the bladder wasn't fully inflating on a radiused corner
with the largest reveal. When we leave here in a few minutes were headed over to Old Town where Isaac is going to check out the system and also try to locate a clunk in the front axle area.

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #22 – October 18, 2016, 12:02:07 pm

Pleased to hear the good news , hopefully the clunking is easy fix .
Come to think of it , ours has a clunk on potholes??

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #23 – October 18, 2016, 12:17:40 pm

Travelin' Man -

Glad to hear that you have "dodged the bullet". Now the question is: Will you order air bladders and replace them before they fail?

Re: Living Room Slideout Bladder Replacement

Reply #24 – October 18, 2016, 12:37:44 pm

Hopefully only one may fail as the bedroom bladder is only three years old, replaced by PO.

I will probably wait to see if HWH can get a handle on their QC, as I understand there have been numerous failures lately. Rance just told me that one fix for installations is to reduce air pressure to 3psi.......... but that's hardly any pressure at all. I put a gauge on the bedroom bladder and adjusted the pressure to 15psi
to get a better seal. HWH told me that the new bladders can take 16psi.

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