Forum Discussion

DallasSteve's avatar
DallasSteve
Nomad
May 26, 2020

Rain Entering My Slideout

I have a new RV and tonight I saw water leaking into the living area under the dining room slideout. This has not happened before, but it has been raining pretty hard tonight. I don't see it coming down a wall. I see it seeping out from under the slideout.

Any suggestions to stop the leak before or without taking it in for warranty service? I suppose in the morning when I have some light and it's not pouring I will go outside and inspect the seals for any obvious problems. I don't know how I can check on top of the slide since I don't have a ladder. Any other ideas? Should I retract the slide and then try to extend it again? Should I retract it and leave it in?

Thanks in advance.
Seeking Advice
  • dedmiston's avatar
    dedmiston
    Moderator
    May 26, 2020
    If memory serves me, haven't you been chasing a leak for a couple of weeks? It sounds like you might have found the source.
  • DallasSteve's avatar
    DallasSteve
    Nomad
    May 26, 2020
    dedmiston wrote:
    If memory serves me, haven't you been chasing a leak for a couple of weeks? It sounds like you might have found the source.

    There was a leak in the storage area below the floor. This is different. It's the first time I've seen water inside the coach and it happened during a downpour. This morning no rain and no leak. FYI, this fantastic brand new motorhome is a Winnebago. The constant costs and problems are causing me to consider selling and getting out of the RV fulltime life after only 3 months.
  • guidry's avatar
    guidry
    Explorer
    May 26, 2020
    Other than a hole somewhere look at the slide seals and angle of the slide when pulled in or out; it might be out of alignment enough that allows rain to get in.
  • opnspaces's avatar
    opnspaces
    Navigator II
    May 26, 2020
    I remember a post on here where water was running down the side of the slide and wrapping underneath. I think the ultimate fix was something like a small strip of tape or something hanging off the bottom edge so the runoff would fall off and not turn the corner.
  • DallasSteve's avatar
    DallasSteve
    Nomad
    May 26, 2020
    I'll try to attach a couple of photos.

    On one side I see the rubber seals appear to be correctly seated. on the other side at the top one of the seals is flexed inward. Maybe that has caused the leak. I will pop that out and see if it makes a difference. I will check the seal positions in the future when I park and extend the slides.


  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    May 26, 2020
    Depends on the weather conditions, direction of the RV and slope whether you have an issue or not.
  • dedmiston's avatar
    dedmiston
    Moderator
    May 26, 2020
    DallasSteve wrote:
    dedmiston wrote:
    If memory serves me, haven't you been chasing a leak for a couple of weeks? It sounds like you might have found the source.

    There was a leak in the storage area below the floor. This is different. It's the first time I've seen water inside the coach and it happened during a downpour. This morning no rain and no leak. FYI, this fantastic brand new motorhome is a Winnebago. The constant costs and problems are causing me to consider selling and getting out of the RV fulltime life after only 3 months.

    Yeah, going directly from new buyer to fulltimer is risky. It can take a long time to work through the initial warranty issues until the coach is actually livable. We finally got tired of all the lies from the dealer and just hired a mobile tech to come out and handle our remaining issues. Right or wrong, it was money well spent.

    Good luck.
  • winniman's avatar
    winniman
    Explorer II
    May 26, 2020
    As a short term approach, lean the rv slightly toward the slide. I know on older rvs that tend to have aged weather stripping, it can help. The idea is to keep the water running away from the rv if any gets on top of the slide. Sometimes driving rain can get under the topper, and if the slide is tilted slightly toward the rv, water run toward the rv, and can get under the seals. The water will usually make its way to one side of the slide, or the other, and run down the sides of the slide. The water ends up getting the floor wet. The other alternative is pull in the slide if it is a driving rain.
  • DancinCampers's avatar
    DancinCampers
    Explorer II
    May 27, 2020
    I would clean the side wiper seals, and wax the slide sides. Look at the bottom slide seals.

    They should not leak.

    If under warranty, let Winney fix. If you try to fix then after warranty period it becomes your problem

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