New Twist on Bedroom Slide Leak.

Well we to have finally been hit with the dreaded bedroom slide leak. We discovered our leak after returning home while unloading. On the way home it was raining, DW found a 3 inch wet spot at the end of the slide, directly under the white vinyl strip that covers the screws for the bottom L bracket. I extended the slides to check for water to my surprise everything was bone dry around the slide walls and inner seals. It was still early so I called my dealer. They got the unit in the next day, they called and said they were going to adjust the slide that they thought this was the problem. Called Friday 12/2 and said it was done, that they did a water teat and no more leak. Picked it up today, Saturday 12/4 brought it home to wash and put in storage building. After washing it I went in to check to see if it had leaked. You guessed it, still leaking at the same spot.

So I once again extended the slides and again the inside of the slide walls and seals were bone dry. So I removed the white vinyl strip covering the screws, this still had water in it and was wet inside the track, not on the outside. I dried off everything and noticed that water was still dropping off the inside of the track near the outside bottom area of the slide, right where the corner metal pieces all meet. (hope this makes sense) I could see that it was coming out from between the bottom track and end wall of the slide. I took a knife and removed the caulking in that area, once I pulled it loose the water really dropped. At this point I started to realize the water was not leaking at the seals, but was leaking from inside the wall and coming out at this spot. Because the white vinyl strip is sealed in that area the water was running inside it. I went and got the hose and sprayed the exterior of the slide. This made the water run out of the area where I had removed the caulking.

If you look at the exterior of the bedroom slide about 3 inches in, around the entire slide, is that same white track with the white vinyl cover. I sprayed only this area and once again water ran from the leaky area. This is what is leaking and allowing water to run down and into the vinyl channel on the bottom of the slide.

I have read other post from people who have said theirs leaks at the same spot as well and can not get it to stop or find a cause. Hopefully I have stumbled across the answer to the problem. On Monday I am going to make an appointment with my dealer to be there, open the slide, spray it with water, and show them the leak. I am also going to insist that they call me once the unit is opened up as I want to check the interior wood for rot and mold.

I will take pictures of the leak area and post them in the next couple of days, (have a short out of town job) I will also let everyone know how things progress. I personally think this is a factory defect and I am going to try to get it covered by forest river. Yea, I know Good Luck right. If I can explain anything better please let me know, sorry for the long post.

After having my 32QBBS in the shop @10 times for the same thing, even had to have the slide floor replaced, the dealer stripped all the hardware from around the outside of the slide and used all new putty and caulking.....It finally stopped leaking....

Be sure to take lots of pictures and try to contact Rod Batts at FR. I don't have his number any more, but a simple search will find it.

My old 2006 didn't have this molding all the way around the slide, just on the bottom sides.

GOOD FIND!!!

This use to be Rod Batts info

East Coast Warranty Assistance
Rod Batts
574-206-7609
574-206-2484 Fax
rbatts@forestriverinc.com

oldelmer1 wrote:
My old 2006 didn't have this molding all the way around the slide, just on the bottom sides.
GOOD FIND!!!

oldelmer1, If I remember correctly did you trim back the vinyl on your slide
Sean

Sean wrote: oldelmer1, If I remember correctly did you trim back the vinyl on your slide Sean

Hi Sean,

Yes, I trimmed the white vinyl that runs across the bottom of the bedroom slide. This molding that the vinyl is in went all the way under the slide and into the bedroom area. This corner molding should stop before it gets to the rubber weather stripping inside the outer rubber(that acts like a wiper). I cut the molding off underneath the slide so when the slide was out, I had a good seal. Although it didn't stop the water, cutting the vinyl bake so it wasn't under the slide fixed to leak.

Just wanted to give an update. Met with my dealer They are going to take off all the exterior frame material from the bedroom slide. My dealer is calling forest river to see if they make a retro fit kit to stop the use of the screw channel with the vinyl covering. They are also going to remove that same channel from the bottom of the slide and replace it with the new style white angle material, actually they are doing this on all of the slides. The RV tech that is going to do the work is a perfectionist even he said that the vinyl channel system is bad and needs to be removed. I will post pictures as the repairs move forward.

All of the new cats are going to a different slide style they are now overlapping instead of recessed and they DO NOT use the white metal channel with the vinyl screw cover.

Glad to hear they are coming through for you. Keep us posted and please post some pictures of the new edge molding.

Rich5117, can you also get a picture of the old moulding that was used then we can compare, old and new
Sean