Sagging slide

[buechlerj]

We have a 2007 Springdale 290CT with a 13' slide that has about 1/2" of sag in the middle. I talked to a local rv repair shop and they said their repair would be to remove the trim on the inside, jack the sag out of the roof and screw a piece of angle along the edge to support the roof. I think I could hide the angle on the underside by sliding it under the ceiling panel. Has anybody tried this and how did it work out. Thsnks, Joe.

[spike99]

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Yes, vertical support post during winter storage months does help prevent sag. Especially for long slides.

See my post on page 1 for details.

[Still_Searchin_]

We tend to store our TT under cover with the slide out, and we have a 3x13ft. slide. Now wondering if we should store it with slide in to prevent sag as discussed in this post ?? Also wondering if gentle pressure from an external jack in middle of slide when out might help prevent sag ??

[buechlerj]

My main concern is to make sure the slide seals and right now the middle of the seal just touches. I like the idea of a support in the middle but the way my slide tips up when it closes I don't think it would work right.

[wrenchbender]

Ceiling sag is not uncommon on a slide.Some with hanging fixtures really bow.

[wmoses]

Doing nothing will not cure the lack of a proper seal, unfortunately. OP did mention in his second post that it was a problem so either the sag needs to be fixed or the sealing arrangement has to be modified.

[subcamper]

The supersilde (14' w/dinette and sofa)on our 2004 Rockwood also developed a sag in the middle of about 5/8", which caused the center to actually fit under the front edge of the wall at the top and prevented a good seal.

I thought about the angle idea which would work.

What I ended up doing was to put a vertical support where the dinette ends and before the sofa begins. A support here doesn't hinder any access to the dinette or sofa but provides the necessary support.

The TT manufacturers like to brag about the long open area without any vertical supports in the middle on the slide, but as an engineer I can tell you the stiffness of the "beam" usually is not adequate to prevent eventual sag. An opening that long in a house would usually require a pair of sandwiched 2x8s at least. If you are lucky the sag won't affect sealing at the top edge. Mine was more than just cosmetic as it affected the seal at the top when open.

Steve

[mwebber78]

I agree, a 1/2" sag over a 12-14' span is nothing. I'd leave it, there are different (hundreds ) of slide seal styles out there. If 1/2" affects your seals have them swapped out or install a slide topper.

[mosseater]

I think most of them sag a little. Pretty hard to get around it. Sticks and bricks standards for drywall, etc. is 1/360 of the span I believe. So, in 13 feet, that's about 7/16". It would have to be pretty beefy not to sag at all, then the weight would be the issue. If it's structurally sound and seals the weather out, I wouldn't worry too much about it. My .02.

[buechlerj]

The angle would be installed on the inside top edge of the slide. This is where it is sagging.The 1/2 sag is enough that the middle of the slide seal does not seal very well when the slide is open.

[spike99]

My wife tells me that some older things in life get a natural sag. LOL!

If wondering, my 2006 Jayco with its large slide has (had) at 1/2" sag as well. To remove this natural older age sag, we simply park our trailer during winter months, bring the slide in, then install a support vertical pole in middle of the slide beam. Crank this support pole to create a 1/2" convex (aka: upward bow) shape in the slide's long beam. When spring time finally comes and one removes this vertical post, the large slide will sag back down. But this time around, the slide beam is now level (instead of 1/2 lower then level). The vertical post similar to my setup is: - click here -

Now, our TT "had" large slide that sagged 1/2" in the middle. Now, it's level...

Winter storage support might work on your slide as well.

[Old-Biscuit]

How is an angle brace on outside area of roof going to remove a sag.....?

Sagging in middle would require a brace across middle where the sag is.

Even if sandwich design the pieces of sandwich should be solid (no overlapping seams between top pieces and bottom pieces)

Other than water intrusion to weaken material OR seams lined up causing a weakened area...roof shouldn't sag.
The bracing just doesn't sound like the correct repair...to me

Guess Repair shop has experience with this type of problem

[buechlerj]

There is no sign of water damage. The repair shop told me the top of the slide was sandwich construction and he has seen some sag like mine.

[Old-Biscuit]

That sounds like a band-aid fix for a slide out roof that has been damaged by water intrusion.....otherwise why is it sagging.

Correct fix would be to remove slide out and replace roof with new wood and find/fix area where water seeped in.

Have you contacted your INS. Company, had an adjuster check it out?

We had to have the floor replaced in our slide out.......insurance covered.
Took a week for material to be shipped from mfg. and then 2 days for repairs (remove trim, disconnect electrical, remove slide out, tear out floor, install new floor, re-install slide out, hook up electrical, re-install trim, caulk and let sit overnight to cure)