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Old 10-09-2017, 08:32 PM   #1
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Slide bottom wet and rotten

Hey! New to the forum. Bought a 2011 29bh slingshot. Got a good deal but it needs some work.

The major issue is it has water damage on the slide of course. No evidence or water leakage from ceiling or walls.

First time I had slide open, the camper was tilted a little so water ran towards camper on slide. This caused water to come in from the slide roof/cabinets. On top of slide I noticed the seal was not bumped outward but still folded inward. I leveled camper and made sure seal was folded outward. Had a bad rain storm and no water! Yay!

Now with the slide out closed, after a decent rain I see water on the floor by microwave area. FYI the slide out contains the stove, cabinets, sink, and couch. After investigating, the plywood that sits right above the vinyl/plastic bottom of the slide is soaked and rotten. Where could the water be coming from? I don’t see any evidence of it leaking from the top down.

The plastic bottom seems to be holding the water in which is doing a number to the plywood.

I opened the slide out and felt under it and it was dry. Could it be coming in from behind bottom track and into the bottom of the slide out? It must be leaking lower because I don’t see any issues with the walls or ceiling, but I could be wrong?

I want to figure out the leak before trying to replace the plywood. It is soaked more by the microwave but The plywood is soaked all the way across the slide out.

Any thoughts on what to look for is greatly appreciated!
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Old 10-09-2017, 09:08 PM   #2
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Check the sink drain for leaks and the hot and cold water lines to the sink. I'm not familiar how the plumbing lines are routed in the slides, is it possible that a line could have been pinched and leaks?
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Old 10-10-2017, 03:25 AM   #3
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Welcome to the forum. Let us know what you find.
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Old 10-10-2017, 05:24 AM   #4
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It only happens when it rains, and currently slide is closed. The sink isn’t being used and water lines shouldn’t have any pressure as pump is off and no city water is connected.

Hard to tell where the leak is because it doesn’t show itself until the plywood is completely soaked. This is the plywood at the bottom of the slide right above the vinyl/plastic that used to be laminated to the wood.
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Old 10-10-2017, 10:57 AM   #5
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I would either pay someplace to do a leak pressure test or do it yourself

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Old 10-10-2017, 11:14 AM   #6
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Thanks. Not sure if that will tell me exactly where the leak is with a slide out. I might start by replacing the D seal around the slide out and making sure it is closing properly.

1.) How do I determine if it is closed/aligned properly? Do I just put a level to it once closed and it should match the wall of the camper? Or measure the top and bottom gaps, should they be the same?
2.) Anyone know what D-Seals I should get and best place to get them?

I might just start taking wet & rotted plywood out so it is not sitting in there all winter. Dehumidifier wont do anything in winter (in NY). Hopefully I can manage this without removing the whole slide!
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Old 10-10-2017, 11:33 AM   #7
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Welcome to the forum!

I had an RV with a slide out that the floor was wet with no evidence of leaking. It turns out the water was running down the slide walls and seeping into the floor where the side wall meets the floor. There was a metal strip along the edge. I took off the strip and caulked it when it was dry. That took care of the problem.

Good luck. Leaks are the worst. Let us know what you find.
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Old 10-11-2017, 07:02 AM   #8
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Started digging into the project, yuck... Ordered new D Seals for around the outside and going to re-seal everything. Any pointers on what to do to make sure the slide is water tight besides resealing all joints, removing old seals, and adding an awning? Should I lay some rubber down on the roof or seal it with something?

Any pointers appreciated. Enjoy the ugly pictures. Surprised I was able to get front of cabinets off without breaking anything. This gave me great access to the wood, if you want to call it that, below. Looks like the old owner already replaced the wood under the couch as you can see in the picture, but didn't solve the original problem and it wasn't done right.
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Old 10-12-2017, 11:25 AM   #9
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Think I am going to take this one steps further. To really get all the wood out and replaced I think I need to remove all the cabinets that are in my way to get access to the bottom of the slide. I don't want to leave wet wood down there. Made it this far might as well keep going!

Once I do that are there any issue that I may run into such as the stability of the the slide itself? The plywood at the bottom is pretty much non-existent at this point, but there is a metal frame to which plywood attached to the bottom and another piece of plywood at the top. I do not plan on removing this metal frame, but replacing the wood on both the top and bottom. You can see this in the images I posted previously. This may involve unscrewing the bottom track as it has screws on the bottom that go through the white vinyl/fiberglass bottom cover that I need to remove.

I believe I can get the white vinyl/fiberglass bottom cover off by working it from the inside and outside.

Once that is off I can replace all the plywood, screw it down, then put the white vinyl/fiberglass bottom cover back on with some good adhesive.

So, any issues with stability? I don't want this thing falling.

Thanks!
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Old 08-03-2020, 11:13 AM   #10
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Having the same exact problem

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy0789 View Post
Started digging into the project, yuck... Ordered new D Seals for around the outside and going to re-seal everything. Any pointers on what to do to make sure the slide is water tight besides resealing all joints, removing old seals, and adding an awning? Should I lay some rubber down on the roof or seal it with something?

Any pointers appreciated. Enjoy the ugly pictures. Surprised I was able to get front of cabinets off without breaking anything. This gave me great access to the wood, if you want to call it that, below. Looks like the old owner already replaced the wood under the couch as you can see in the picture, but didn't solve the original problem and it wasn't done right.
Hi I was just wondering if you ever found out we’re it was leaking from?
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Old 08-03-2020, 12:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenngail View Post
Hi I was just wondering if you ever found out we’re it was leaking from?

Just wanted to let you know that you are responding to a 3 year old post and may not get an answer.
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Old 08-03-2020, 12:47 PM   #12
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Just wanted to let you know that you are responding to a 3 year old post and may not get an answer.
Thank you! I noticed that it was older after I sent the message! Pretty sure we have the same camper with the same exact problem! Hopefully they were able to find their leak! So frustrating!
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Old 10-20-2020, 06:31 AM   #13
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Glenngail,

I thought I had found it. I replaced all the plywood, replaced the seals, ran some seal tape along the top of the slide, re-caulked everywhere. A year went by and it started leaking again. Wood is now wet again. So, to answer your question, no I have not completely resolved the issue.
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Old 06-14-2022, 09:54 AM   #14
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2 years later…

We just got a 2011 29bh Slingshot.


So far, we don’t have evidence of a rotted out slide, but we do know that we could get one soon.


Gaskets and seals were replaced this spring by a reputable dealer in the area, but we still see evidence of moisture near the outer edges of the slide when the camper is level.


Where is the next place we look to seal?
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Old 06-14-2022, 10:10 AM   #15
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You should look at all the caulking on your camper for cracking and missing caulk. Dig out, clean it up, and re caulk with Dicor lap sealant or the equivalent. (not the self leveling)

Does the slidout have a topper/awning over it? If not,one of those will be a tremendous help for your situation.
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Old 06-14-2022, 01:39 PM   #16
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Do NOT use silicone caulk on your rv. You cannot put silicone on top of silicone. If you have it, remove it before using correct caulk like Lloyd said.

By the way, the best way to remove silicone is to soften it for a day or two with Vaseline jelly. Works great.
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Old 06-14-2022, 09:16 PM   #17
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Thanks. We will inspect ALL the seams and caulking.

And I will also look at awnings! We have “camp” property and will build a roof cover this summer, but we will also take it on the road.
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Old 06-14-2022, 09:18 PM   #18
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Quote:
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Do NOT use silicone caulk on your rv. You cannot put silicone on top of silicone. If you have it, remove it before using correct caulk like Lloyd said.

By the way, the best way to remove silicone is to soften it for a day or two with Vaseline jelly. Works great.


Thanks. I might try the Vaseline trick before I recaulk the tub in my house:-)
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