Rear Slide Water Leak / Carpet /Mold

[BobJones]

Hi Folks!

On my 2000 Monaco Diplomat it appears to have had a leak on the rear bedroom slide at one point or another. The other day I went up on the roof, removed the slide topper and fixed that (it was sagging and holding water in a pool). While I was at it, I sealed all the seams on the roof and then sealed some seams on the bottom of the slide. The rubber seals appear OK and I just can't see water getting in no matter what. So I'm thinking that I probably solved the leak issue. This leaves me with addressing the damage.

In the bedroom the carpet was wet under the closet in the left corner. I quickly dried it both times I saw that it was a bit damp. Now that it's dry it has some light brown mold on it. I'm thinking that rather then try to remove all mold and clean the carpet it might be smarter/easier to just replace it. It looks like the carpet is a relatively small piece that runs from the rear of the slideout to the foot of the bed.

So what I'm hoping is that a guy can relatively easily remove the entire piece, bring it to a carpet store and have them match the size and color and then just re-install it - easy peasy

What do you guys think? Here's some pics for reference.

[RockyMtnRide]

I’m not a carpet expert but it sounds doable. One thing I would add is the moisture may have damaged the slide floor. I suggest you take a look at Chris Throgmartin’s company www.talinrv.com and his guardian plates. Everything is well explained on his website

[BobJones]

I suspect I'll know more when I get the carpet out. I have no issue with replacing wood that I find to be questionable. In truth, the floor squeegeed there ever since new so it could probably use a re-design.

I find myself wondering how hard it will be to remove the cabinet? I think that's the first, and perhaps only, main issue.

[BobJones]

OK, as it turns out this was as simple as it could be.

On the outside of the slide are 3 wide trim pieces with the screws hidden behind plastic buttons. Once you remove the buttons and the trim screws the entire assembly comes off.

At that point you can remove a whole slew of screws and then the entire shelving assembly can come out as one piece. If you remove your mattress from the bed you can then maneuver the entire piece and carry it outside (it fits through the door).

At that point the entire inside of the slideout has nothing in it but the carpet. That, as it turns out, is just one piece the size of the floor in the slide out with a small lip.

I lifted up a corner and pulled really hard and there it was, exposed floor.
Personally, I think the wood is not that bad. I was hoping to replace it with marine grade plywood but I suspect you have to remove the entire slide to get it out as there is a second piece on the bottom. You can only see the side of the bottom piece and on one end it is wet and it is black. However, I won't be pulling the slide to replace it - the damage is not that bad and I am certain the slide no longer leaks.

Dad came over at just the right time to help with removing the shelving and then he came up with a great idea. Fiberglass the closet floor! This will hermetically seal it 100% on the top which is all you can get at. He then came up with another brilliant idea, don't bother tacking down the carpet where it sits under the shelving. The idea is that you can then lift it up at will and take a look at the wood below. Since it resides below the shelving it's never walked on nor does it carry a load. So in effect, it's actually a really good improvement because you can lift and inspect at will.

So tomorrow I will see about getting an exact size/match piece of carpet and then get some fiberglass mat and let her have it. Using fiberglass mat also means, if I seal it correctly, any future leak will not permeate to the wood. So all in all, it sounds like we have the way forward and will be not only addressing the immediate concern but also improving on it. Happy days!

[RockyMtnRide]

Good job. I would still review the videos on Talin RV’s website. Our coaches were poorly designed with the outside slide walls sitting on the floor and many times water on the outside will permeate the slide floor from the outside. Again nice job on your fix

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by RockyMtnRide

Good job. I would still review the videos on Talin RV’s website. Our coaches were poorly designed with the outside slide walls sitting on the floor and many times water on the outside will permeate the slide floor from the outside. Again nice job on your fix

Point taken, and it's worth repeating. Years ago my Dad had that issue on the front slide and caught it early. So what we did was dry it right out and then I used urethane and drew a bead along the lower channel on all the slides. This turned out to be really smart and I inspect them often and they have held up like you would not believe. Urethane is the adhesive they use to install windshields and it lasts decades (provided there is no frictional wear on it).

I re-sealed the entire bedroom slide the other day when I saw the water ingress again. I'm actually quite optimistic. When I initially pulled the carpet the thin plywood floor was very dark but as it's dried it's turned grey. I think, as with the front slide, we got it in time.

Nevertheless, I will go over the entire unit in short order more aggressively. I should have re-sealed the top of the slides but didn't because the canvas topper would have to be removed. That was a mistake! So I did the rear and have to do the front yet.

More pics to come as I start in on the actual fiber-glassing etc.