main slide leak

I know I have seen some fixes for this but can't remember where. My main slide leaks when I am traveling in the rain. This has happened twice that I know of. We were coming home in the rain today and after getting home I ran the rooms out and my floor was soaking wet. Any ideas how to stop this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Duke:
This is from Wildcat fellow member Shooter:
Mike's modifications: http://community.webshots.com/album/180262704smXHmj
Look through his modifcations for where he installed a seal under his main slide and also installed a set of fenders over the wheels.

Thanks Frank, I really need to do something it's not good to have water get in like this. I looked at the link and that looks good. I need to figure it out. I guess he bought the seal locally? Also am not sure about how to mount the seal. Looks like he has a mounted the seal to the frame. I don't want to put any screws into my holding tanks. Thanks for the link..

Duke wrote:Thanks Frank, I really need to do something it's not good to have water get in like this. I looked at the link and that looks good. I need to figure it out. I guess he bought the seal locally? Also am not sure about how to mount the seal. Looks like he has a mounted the seal to the frame. I don't want to put any screws into my holding tanks. Thanks for the link..

Bought the garage door bottom seal at Home Depot or Lowes along with the self tapping screws and the 3M double sided exterior tape.

Any chance the slide was wet when you ran it in? I have to towel mine off if I retract it in the rain or it gets the floor wet.

Duke wrote:I know I have seen some fixes for this but can't remember where. My main slide leaks when I am traveling in the rain. This has happened twice that I know of. We were coming home in the rain today and after getting home I ran the rooms out and my floor was soaking wet. Any ideas how to stop this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Where is floor wet in your slide? I keep getting a wet patch in the rear outside corner, I am trying to attain if it is from traveling in the rain or from the wind blowing rain in some where.
Sean

Duke wrote: Also am not sure about how to mount the seal. Looks like he has a mounted the seal to the frame. I don't want to put any screws into my holding tanks. Thanks for the link..

Duke,
Most of us has had to do SHOOTER's fix. I used double stick tape first to position the rubber. Then I used really short sefl tapping screws with over sized washers. No worry about the screws going through the tanks, as long as you use short screws.

Hi Guys! I have been away for the weekend. Guess I had better answer these questions. My room was wet when I ran it in but I think it got wet from running in the rain My floor gets wet near the center and in about three spots starting close to the dinette and another two spots going toward the back. I don't show any water at either end of the slide. As for installing the garage door seal, did you guys remove the factory seal and replace it with the garage door seal? Elmer, how long were the screws? And was the thick washers just common thickness? Elmer , did this fix your leak or did you also add the fenders? Thanks for your help.

Duke,

My CAT didn't have any weatherstripping on the coach side, it was just on the slide side, and no, I left the original there.

I believe I used 1 inch self tappers, although I did drill a hole first.

The washers were just galvanized washers, about 1 inch also just to help keep the rubber up there. Nothing special.

The double stick tape sounds like a good idea, but the rubber has a coating on it, and doesnt stick very well, but its still worth a try. Its just used to hold the rubber there when installing the screws.

I didn't add the fenders, and yes, this fixed the problem completely.

I actually did this fix in Seattle WA at my brothers house while the camper was parked in the road outside his house.

Thanks Elmer, That sounds good. I'll give it a try as soon as I can get things together. We were in Seattle last year, just for vacation, it was a very nice trip. I'll have to talk with you later about that. Gotta ru n to the store. Thanks again for your help. Duke

Your welcome, if you need any assstance, dont hesitate to ask...

Duke, not sure if you saw my diagram: http://www.wildcatcamperforum.com/gallery/DIY-Pic-s-of-repair-s-and-Mod-s/Garage-door-bottom-seal-on-main-slide-diagram-pic_363.htm
I added position 4 (everything else was left in place), held in place with double sided tape, pre-drilled ø1/8 holes about every 8" - 10" and installed 1/4"x 1" self tapping screws.

Thank Shooter, my slide already has a seal inplace that looks like the one you put on, maybe I need to go the fender route. I saw Frank (#9 Wildact member in Lancaster, Roamers Retreat,) this past week and he showed me the garage door strip he put on. His is mounted parallel to the ground. From your pictures it looked like yours was mounted vertical and wipes across the bottom of the slide. This is how mine is, mounted vertical and it wipes the bottom of the slide. My 2009 RLBS came this way from the factory. If I was good at posting pictures I would do that. Thanks! Duke

Duke wrote: I saw Frank (#9 Wildact member in Lancaster, Roamers Retreat,) this past week and he showed me the garage door strip he put on. His is mounted parallel to the ground. From your pictures it looked like yours was mounted vertical and wipes across the bottom of the slide. This is how mine is, mounted vertical and it wipes the bottom of the slide. My 2009 RLBS came this way from the factory. If I was good at posting pictures I would do that. Thanks! Duke

Mine was installed by the Wildcat Dealer in Richmond, Va. It was installed to contact with the outer part of the slide when the slide in.

Hi Frank, Your install looked good to me too. I was thinking that if I did that along with my original inatall it might do the trick..Two seals one vertical and one horizontal, I might not need to install fenders. Please let me know if that eliminates the water problem. I also think it is good to have the slide sealed like you have yours. It was nice meeting you at Roamer's Retreat hope to meet you again sometime. Duke!

Duke wrote:Thank Shooter, my slide already has a seal inplace that looks like the one you put on, maybe I need to go the fender route. I saw Frank (#9 Wildact member in Lancaster, Roamers Retreat,) this past week and he showed me the garage door strip he put on. His is mounted parallel to the ground. From your pictures it looked like yours was mounted vertical and wipes across the bottom of the slide. This is how mine is, mounted vertical and it wipes the bottom of the slide. My 2009 RLBS came this way from the factory. If I was good at posting pictures I would do that. Thanks! Duke

Not quite sure what you mean by vertical, the seal goes parallel to the ground as well. it runs the whole length of the slide and makes contact when the slide is in.

Maybe I missed something. Your seal is mounted, as shown in your diagram #4, so that it wipes the bottom of the slide. Franks seal is mounted 90degrees from yours. His seal does not contact the bottom of the slide it makes contact with the outer wall when the slide is moved in. I think it might make contact with the outer wall just below the 'D' seal that is already on the outside wall. The seal that I think you installed was not on the earlier Wildacts. Is that true? My WC came with a seal in the same location as your seal #4 in your diagram. I hope this isn't too confusing. Might have to give you a call if that's ok with you. Or you can call me. If we do, might me good to send phone numbers by email. Thanks for your help. Duke

I try to take some pictures this weekend to show how mine is installed

Thanks Frank. I would but I am not sure how to get them to show on my message.

Hi Frank, would you happen to know the part number for the garage door seal you have installed or the width of the seal. I guess the seal was just a rolled up rubber seal and you used a metal strip and screws to hold it in place. I was looking at them in Home Depot. I didn't see any that were mounted to a strip ready to be installed. All I saw were rolled up. Some were flat and about 4inches wide. Some were 2 1/4 wide. Do you know what you used? Thanks ! Duke

Duke,

All you need is a bunch of self taping bolts with big washers that are spaced about every 10 - 12 inches to hold the rubber on.

The seal I used is about 3". Be sure to buy the one that is hard rubber. If you look at this photo you can see where the seal of the slide makes contact with the garage door seal when the slide is closed: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1475001038056654887cNZZbK
Here is a close-up: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1475000837056654887CaIYaR
Before the installation of the garge door seal, there was no contact between the frame and the (P-shaped) seal of the slide. The seal only makes contact with the floor of the slide when the slide is fully extended, as soon as you retract the slide, the floor lifts up and there is no more contact. I bought the seal at either Lowes or Home depot along with the double sided 3M tape and the self tapping screws.

Thanks Shooter! I am going to Lowes and HD tomorrow and take another look. I can't remember seeing a 3" seal except for one that was flat and it had about 1/8" lip on both edges. I like the thought about the room raising up when moved in. I hadn't thought about that. I can't wait to look at that tomorrow. Good Thought!! Thanks!!

Shooter, you are right!! My seal looked good when the slide is out. But if I move the slide out about 6" then I can see the factory seal does not touch the bottom of my slide.The only thing that keep water out is the "D' shape seal that is on the slide side of the room. Now , what to do?? I don't really want to remove the factory seal but do need to put a seal there somewhere. Do you have any thoughts? It looks like the older Wildcats didn't have the lower seal that you installed. Mine is an 2009 and the seal is there but no effective when the room is in. Thanks for your help..

It looks to me that the seal on the trailer side (inside seal) doesn't make contact with the D-shaped seal (mine does when the slide is in). I wonder if you could just add another seal on to of the existing one which is faced like mine. You might have to cut the hight of the seal in order to mount it.
The seal looks like this:
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You might want to cut it like this instead:
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Here is some info on the seal I believe I used: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xh7/R-100141379/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Shooter , thanks for your help. That might work. I have seen the seal at HD that you sent in your last message. Maybe just install it over the existing seal, installed where the strip holds my factory seal? I just took some pictures. I'll email them to you if I can. Might give you an idea what I have. I am not up on putting them in my log here. Thanks again. Duke

send you a PM.