To leak or not to leak (Slide Out Stories)

northmeck0255 wrote:
Forget slide leaks. They are pretty rare and it would only be a little bit of water anyway. The big flood hazard is the on board plumbing, in particular leaving campground water hooked up and turned on. Many a sad guy has returned from dinner to see water coming out the front door because someone left a faucet open or a pipe burst.

We use campground water ONLY for filling the on board tank. If we leave, we shut off the pump and bleed off the pressure. If in a FHU site, always leave the gray valve open unless saving up gray water to flush hose after dumping the black.

If I am hooked up to water I have a pressure reducer to prevent burst pipes. If I were leaving the camper longer than it takes me to walk my dogs I would stay connected but turn off the valve.

silvercorvette wrote:
I owned a 2006 Jayco with a single slide that has never leaked. I have had a 2009 Holiday Rambler Alumascape with 4 slides for less than a week with no leaks but I have driven in very heavy downpours and have been parked in heavy downpours with slides extended.

Wow congrats on the camper with four slides, how would I love to be able to pull something like that. That must change the camping experience from a comfortability standpoint.
Thanks for taking the time to share TecheMan

I owned a 2006 Jayco with a single slide that has never leaked. I have had a 2009 Holiday Rambler Alumascape with 4 slides for less than a week with no leaks but I have driven in very heavy downpours and have been parked in heavy downpours with slides extended.

Kittykath wrote:
Previous TT:
2000 Fleetwood Prowler with one large slide. Must have leaked before we bought it in 2009. The carpet always seemed wet when we extended the slides. We noticed that the side wall of the slide (under the jacknife couch) was soft and moldy! Yikes! The dealer took it in trade anyway. We NEVER would have bought it if we had done our homework like you are and checked it out better before buying it.

Current TT:
2012 321RES Cougar High Country with 3 slides. All three slides are extended 100% of the time at a seasonal site. We're gun-shy and check for leaks all the time. So far, so good.

My advice is if you are purchasing a used unit, check for water damage anywhere near the slide(s), by touch, smell, anything. Water is the enemy! Good luck.

Yeh I agree totally but my phobia about leaky water damage will cause me to by a new TT and watch seals ,roof,windows,pipes,tanks,slides, and any other place water can come in monitor and if I know me I will be on the roof every month or so.
I'm also making perpetration for a permanent cover all the way to the ground before it ever comes home. I know I'm crazy huh.
Thanks Techeman

The thing to watch out for is if the slideouts fit tight against the exterior seals when closed. Since slideouts spend most of their time in a closed position, they will see more rain when closed. If the seals are tight, there should not be a problem.

I have had a trailer where the seals did appear to be sealing quite well. But as soon as the weather warmed from the normal below freezing temperature, the slide out showed signs of leaking. And once completely thawed, the floor showed it was rotted. Slideout needed removal for repair. So obviously the seals were not sealing well while the sideout was closed. Or the silicone caulk around the trim pieces was leaking. Maybe both.

You are right to be concerned. Any leakage can be very expensive to repair.

Previous TT:
2000 Fleetwood Prowler with one large slide. Must have leaked before we bought it in 2009. The carpet always seemed wet when we extended the slides. We noticed that the side wall of the slide (under the jacknife couch) was soft and moldy! Yikes! The dealer took it in trade anyway. We NEVER would have bought it if we had done our homework like you are and checked it out better before buying it.

Current TT:
2012 321RES Cougar High Country with 3 slides. All three slides are extended 100% of the time at a seasonal site. We're gun-shy and check for leaks all the time. So far, so good.

My advice is if you are purchasing a used unit, check for water damage anywhere near the slide(s), by touch, smell, anything. Water is the enemy! Good luck.

TecheMan wrote:
No any camper with a electric slide out. I am in the market for a travel trailer and hear this is a issue on many brands and just trying to find out how common it may be among certain brands.

I think then you are misinformed since from my extensive reading here over the last 6 years I haven't seen where slides are any more prone to leak than other areas of the trailer. I HIGHLY DOUBT you will find any trends among particular slide manufacturers or even trailer manufacturers. IMO the most prone area to leak are the corners and again IMO that is because those are the areas where water can pool because of the raised front/rear end seams and the insert molding from the front/rear going up onto the roof for like a foot. A second fairly common area for leaks are skylights and to some extent antennas.

Larry

TecheMan wrote:
...skylight on the slide...

^ This in itself seems like a recipe for problems.

I am on my third trailer with slides. Not one of them has ever leaked. As other might have said, I would be hard pressed to own a TT without slides.

Well the closest we have to a leak was during our PDI, in the rain, and the trailer slide side slightly higher than the other side.
When we started pulling the slide in we had a small water fall that just barely got the carpet damp, 99% traveled down the side and out of the trailer.