Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 10, 2025 ...

Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

May 23, 2022, 12:47:03 pm

As Murphys law would have it, I went to put the slide in and it wouldn't go in, so I started checking things out and I discovered 2 pin holes in the Bladder on the main slide, (Compressor would not shut off like normal and No constant yellow light) I have a trip planned for Alaska and had planned to leave in a week, I have a appointment at HWH in 3 weeks, but need the room size for Bladder replacement, what is the proper way to measure the opening for a Bladder replacement?                   

Thanks for the help. Mike

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #1 – May 23, 2022, 12:52:37 pm

Contact joe

Ref.
Good morning Scott

 I am going to need a little more information in order to figure out what air seal you need. I am going to need to know how high the room is and the length of the room. Now this is the measurement of the room not the hole the room is in.  Once I have that I can tell you what air seal you will need and how much it will be.

Thank you

Joe Portelli

Joe@hwhcorp.com


On 10/28/2021 2:20 PM,
(563) 724-3396
This was info from my coach and will not give you the correct number but this is what I paid

I finally got the part number and price for the air seal you are looking for. The part number is going to be RAP93788 and it will cost you $1840.00 plus freight and I have no idea when it will ship. All I can officially tell you at this point is if you order the part it will ship just as soon as it becomes available.

If you want to order this part you can call our parts department at 800-321-3494 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM central time Monday thru Friday

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #2 – May 23, 2022, 01:58:18 pm

So are you canceling or going with slide closed? 3M barrier tape will seal very nicely. I know because I used for over a year till I was ready to change Bladder. P/n 8663DL
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40069106/
Living room slide bladder DIY
Two months to arrive

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #3 – May 24, 2022, 12:29:17 am

Thanks for the info Scott! I plan to go ahead and have both the bladder's replaced, and delay the trip by 2 weeks, I just feel better about going 4700 miles plus one way with the bladders replaced and the system checked out, my bedroom closet slide is also starting to creep out after sitting for a few weeks so might as well just bite the bullet and get it fixed, I followed your bladder / slide repair and learned a lot, my system is different but still a lot of good information.

I already have several thousand $$ invested in this trip and will run what I brung if it comes down to it and tape it up. Talking with HWH today they said 3 weeks from today for an appointment for the install, I hope that holds true wish me luck...

I also got the slide to go in by putting my finger over the hole (slit) until we got the solid yellow light and told the DW to HIT IT and bring the slide in. It worked to my surprise except I got a hickey on my finger from the sucking bladder with the slide in the leaking stops for the most part, the compressor comes on about every 8 hrs. I actually found 2 leak's 1 pin hole, and 1 slit feels like maybe 1/2" long, I'm going to try putting a bicycle patch over some wet suit repair glue on the leak, Can't hurt it so why not? It just might get me buy if something fall's thru with HWH. Then there always the tape! Anyways were going one way or another...

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #4 – May 24, 2022, 08:17:59 am

We have an appointment to get our bladder replaced on 6/28 then on to Alaska so we won't be far behind you.  I was able to just turn off the engine, remove fuse from Aux compressor, let the bladder leak down and then slide in without any problems.  I actually camped for a day in the rain and had no apparent leaks but wouldn't want to drive in the rain.

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #5 – May 26, 2022, 09:19:10 pm

Hey Tommy what route do you plan to take to AK the Alcan or the Cassiar? I personally like the Cassiar last trip in 2019  there was way more wildlife and very few gravel sections and frost heaves compared to the Alcan. If you read on it they say the opposite, the Cassiar is Narrower in some section's. Keep a eye on the TOAD especially the attachment point's check for crack's daily.

Safe Travel's Mike

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #6 – May 26, 2022, 09:42:57 pm

I've been North twice. First trip up the Cassiar and down the Alcan and the second trip the
opposite way. The Cassiar is narrower an no shoulders but there is hardly an traffic. Want to go
again and will make up my mind when I get there as I enjoyed both routes. 

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #7 – May 26, 2022, 10:35:05 pm

Mike, my plan is to go up the Alcan and back home on the Cassiar.  Wanted to go through Banff and Jasper. 

My first trip to Alaska so if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears!

We like hiking, riding Sxs, exploring, and good food!  We are thinking about a flight to see the bears on the salmon run and a day cruise to see the whales.  We have a rough plan but mostly just winging it.  Will do a lot of boondocking. Getting excited! 

Anyone want to contribute to my go fund me account for diesel fuel?😂😂😂

As my good friend Phillip says "I can make more money but I can't make more time"

Cheers!

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #8 – May 27, 2022, 04:00:30 pm

That's a good plan Tommy it will give you a taste of 2 different route's, I suggest if you really want to see grizzly bears to take a flight to from Homer, AK. to Brooks Falls in Katmai, AK. Not a cheap, but worth it, a full day adventure! Really good Halibut and Salomon fishing in Homer by 1/2 day or full day charters.

A place you can drive to on the way to see bears is Hyder, AK. a little out of the way and depends on the Salmon running, check the fishing reports for the Hyder area. Fish = bears, Hiking and biking is just about everywhere.

A really good book for the Alcan and Cassiar Hwy's is the Milepost it will give you campgrounds and other good information by the mile markers posted on the side of the HWY's. There's a lot of good food but very expensive. I like to travel winging it, just more relaxing. Don't be afraid to stop even if the signs say full at campgrounds 9 times out of 10 they had something open. Your going to have to take it slow and steady on any gravel road's and slow down and pull the the right side and the oncoming traffic will do the same to help with gravel being thrown up, I tape cardboard to the Toad's front glass to protect it from gravel plus a Blue Ox Kargard on the front of toad. Watch for orange cone's ahead that means frost heaves and a rough spot. If you are taking dogs make sure you get a Health Certificate out of 10 boarder crossings I've been asked for them 3 times.

Safe Travel's and Enjoy.. hope to see ya! Mike

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #9 – May 27, 2022, 04:46:42 pm

Mike,

Thanks for the info, sounds like you've been down those roads before!

Brooks Falls in Katmai, AK Is on the radar.  Have you done that excursion before?  Leaning that way ourselves. 

We are going to wing it, we have nothing booked so far. This is a rough outline of route we are taking.  The days at each stop are just a guess based on other itineraries we've seen.
Mileages may not be realistic depending on road conditions.
 

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #10 – May 27, 2022, 06:04:08 pm

Both trips up north I Boondock all the way. The only time I was in a Campground was
in Dawson City where we left the coach to drive up the Dempster Highway up to the
Artic Ocean as I was having trouble with the Monaco. It turns out that it wouldn't have
been a good idea to take a Class A on the Dempster. That took three days but it would
be nice to take longer. We stayed in hotels in Inuvik for 2 nights. That was are second trip
we had come up for the fall colors on the Tundra. The first trip we left Vancouver May 3rd
and was coming back when everyone was heading north. We camped in some beautiful pull
offs. You can expect snow anytime. The first trip we had snow on are way back in June and
the second trip we hit snow in August on our way up.

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Re: Slide Room Opening Measurements for New Bladder

Reply #11 – May 27, 2022, 10:35:58 pm

Yes we have flown from Homer to Katmai, "Brook Falls" well worth the money! You will be on top of Grizzly's. Looking at your list we have been to all those town's. I like to fish so I might have a different perspective than what you look for, I really like Homer great camping on the beach at a city park $15 a night No hook up's excellent seafood on the Spit and don't miss Salty Dawg Saloon. There is fresh water and a sewage dump in town at the sewer plant, Seward is one of places they allow you to snag Salmon, Soldotna/Kenai river is beautiful, Coopers Landing on the Kenai is beautiful, I love to fish Haines and stay at the state park a lot of bears both black and grizzly's in 2019 we saw a big sow grizzly with triplet's and 3 different black bears strolled thru the campground again the Salmon were just starting to run, We plan to stay the whole summer this year and have a paid reservation to come back on the Ferry out of Whittier on Sept. 19th.. We boon dock and go to campgrounds when we need water and to dump or if we just feel like it. The campgrounds in Canada are second to none they are the best maintained I have ever been to, they actually will rake your campsite and have spilt firewood, it used to be free and set by your fire ring now they charge a modest fee. On the Cassiar in B.C. is Lake Kinaskan it has lot's of trout and really beautiful mountain setting nice campground No hook ups and you have pump the water for drinking use only, Some travelers stop just for the drinking water it's that good. You are going to have a blast!

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