Forum Discussion

DiskDoctr's avatar
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Jan 22, 2018

Anyone else open slides and inspect for leaks or problems?

60 degrees today so took opportunity to open slides and go through all the cabinets, drawers, etc looking for leaks or other problems.

Anyone else taking advantage of this short one day break in the weather?

Here's our results:

Found a little dampness here and there, so running the furnace with all cabinets and drawers open to dry it out.

Also a little bit of wet carpet in the back room of our Cougar 304bhs. Checked out all the slides and interior walls, no dampness.

We had this shortly after we brought it home last year, think it is from the roof to back wall. We started resealing all the joints and stuff, starting with anything that needed replaced or looked marginal.

The front and rear have aluminum trim/edging with a trough down the length. I think it used to have vinyl "D" shaped cording in it originally?

Should I replace the cording this spring or just get some wide eternabond and go over it?

This was supposed to be part of our summer tasks after returning from our big trip, but medical issues made that impossible at the time.

Upside: Glad we got last few things out and are drying it out before mold or mildew sets in.

Downside: Now we REALLY want to go camping!!!

10 Replies

  • rbpru's avatar
    rbpru
    Explorer II
    Jan 23, 2018
    The direct answer to the OP question is yes. I also keep some of the access panels removed so I can easily check under and around things.

    My TT sets in the back yard and this was a particularly cold winter, we had a low of -16 F one night and several in the double digits below zero. I will be extra thorough when examining seals for leaks.
  • DiskDoctr's avatar
    DiskDoctr
    Explorer
    Jan 23, 2018
    I found some dampness in the back slide area. Had to thaw the ice, even though it was 61F today.

    We had this one other time this summer when the slide was also in :(

    I'm thinking maybe a seal on the slide, so I'll leave the slide out this week. Going below freezing a few days, then up to 50F on Friday and a tad more on Sat when I can check it again and close it.

    I hope that is all it is. That corner is currently the low point.

    Nothing is soft (yet), so glad we found it now.

    Fun times ahead :R
  • jonmad's avatar
    jonmad
    Explorer
    Jan 23, 2018
    SWFL FlyFisher wrote:
    84 degrees here today so took the opportunity to wash the outside of the TT and clean and repaint the propane cover. Tomorrow I'm going to check out the A/C and figure out where I want to install some 12v outlets for fans. Later in the week when it cools down a bit I'm thinking I'll give it a nice coat of wax.


    That’s just not right ! ??
  • SWFL_FlyFisher's avatar
    SWFL_FlyFisher
    Explorer
    Jan 23, 2018
    84 degrees here today so took the opportunity to wash the outside of the TT and clean and repaint the propane cover. Tomorrow I'm going to check out the A/C and figure out where I want to install some 12v outlets for fans. Later in the week when it cools down a bit I'm thinking I'll give it a nice coat of wax.
  • FrankShore's avatar
    FrankShore
    Explorer
    Jan 23, 2018
    Why doesn't anyone use DampRid, it's a great product and really can dry things out in a tight spot
  • FLY_4_FUN's avatar
    FLY_4_FUN
    Explorer
    Jan 23, 2018
    With cold temps and snow...no way I will be able to run slides out till spring. I do like to visit my rig every week or two checking for mice, water intrusion or vandalism. Figure its worth the small effort in case something happens I catch it fast. Also gives me a chance to plan any summer upgrades in my down time.
  • rbpru's avatar
    rbpru
    Explorer II
    Jan 22, 2018
    During our first heavy rain our slide leaked, turned out the seals block the gutter when the slide was out. Now we set the seals out of the way and have not had a leak issue since.
  • DiskDoctr's avatar
    DiskDoctr
    Explorer
    Jan 22, 2018
    Anything found now is better dealt with before lots of damage in the spring ;)
  • Mickeyfan0805's avatar
    Mickeyfan0805
    Explorer
    Jan 22, 2018
    I don't have the opportunity to run the slides out during the winter. That said, we usually go a good 7 months between the end of the season and the first trip of the next. During that time I will get into the unit 2-3 times over the winter and early spring to check things out. This is a good reminder that it's been a while and I need to get out to storage and check it out again!
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Jan 22, 2018
    Our last "outing" was the week of Dec 25. We returned home to 5 below zero weather. It took 1 day to get the food items out of the camper and then another month before I could put the stabilizer jacks down (in the driveway) because it was just so danged cold.

    As of last December, no leaks, but when we left South Carolina and got home, had the furnace running in the 7 below weather so we could get the food and stuff out, noticed the slider closet had wet walls inside when removing clothing. I figure, with 7 below outside and about 60 above inside, and that slide out wall is not very well insulated, condensation had fun in there!

    Left all the cabinets open, doors, everything and shut it all up.

    Actually, I was in there yesterday and nothing is wet. But all the slides are in now and no heat in quite a while.

    Camper still has a hint of last years campfire smoke. Yea, made me want to just hitch up and head South again! But, there's this little "obligation" I've got going on that's preventing me from doing that .... it's call "a job".

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