Slide topper holding water

[Mark D]

We have a 2011 American Coach, Eagle with a slight water issue.

When the slide outs are retracted and there has been rain, at the last 6" water flows in. More than a few drops, we have to mop it up.

Also if it's been raining and the slides were in while parked i.e. at home and I slide them out same thing. At the last 6" water flows in.

Happens at the full wall slide and the living room slide. Doesn't seem to happen in the bedroom.

I would think it was water getting on the slide if it didn't happen when we slide out. So my assumption is that the slide topper collects water somewhere and spills it out at some point .

Has anyone had this issue or found the source?

[saddlesore]

Is there a "wiper" over the top of your slide that has worn out??

[Mark D]

Not sure, it's a 2011 so I would guess it 50 50. The amount of water does show a big build up somewhere.

[Sanford]

Not sure what your problem is, but I would get it checked asap. Our previous MH had a similar problem. It resulted in damage to the big slide and interior trim.

[JohnBoyToo]

A lot of them do that, but the pros far outweigh the cons imho....

Lot's of people have come up with neat solutions, beach balls, supports, etc...

what I do whenever there is rain, is afterwards or at least before I leave I just drop the rear of the coach and raise the front to let the water run off..

I learned this when I had a 5'er and whenever I went to hook up the front has to be raised and that let the water runoff...works for me

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by Mark D

We have a 2011 American Coach, Eagle with a slight water issue.

When the slide outs are retracted and there has been rain, at the last 6" water flows in. More than a few drops, we have to mop it up.

Also if it's been raining and the slides were in while parked i.e. at home and I slide them out same thing. At the last 6" water flows in.

Happens at the full wall slide and the living room slide. Doesn't seem to happen in the bedroom.

I would think it was water getting on the slide if it didn't happen when we slide out. So my assumption is that the slide topper collects water somewhere and spills it out at some point .

Has anyone had this issue or found the source?

I know if I had to MOP up water every time I moved the slides, I wouldn't be calling it a slight water issue. I'd be going into full tackle mode and my mission would be to isolate the target and take that leak DOWN.

But I'll attempt to tackle this by addressing this part by part as I understand it:
1) When the slide outs are retracted and there has been rain, at the last 6" water flows in. More than a few drops, we have to mop it up.
So if this amount of water is coming into your coach with the slides retracted (which means there are in, you've got a big leak where they seal up against the coach. Have you walked outside and looked from the ground to see if the slide itself seals tight against the coach all the way around?

2) Also if it's been raining and the slides were in while parked i.e. at home and I slide them out same thing. At the last 6" water flows in.
This sounds like the same thing to me.
Water is getting in at the top of the slide, landing on the slide metal top and then leaking under the seal around the opening. But if your slide (when fully closed) is sealed properly against the outside coach wall in the first place, rain would not get in.

3) The first place I'd look is to get a ladder and from the outside of the coach, with the FWS deployed, climb up the ladder from the outside of the side wall and inspect the very top inside seal across the entire length of the top of the slide. You'll probably find a section that isn't attached to the slide wall, is sagging down or missing all together. This happens fairly often with long runs of rubber seals. When this has occurred, when you retract the slide against the coach, you have that big unsealed spot where water can get in. it's just not sealing in that area.

I just fixed a very similar problem just the other day for a elderly woman that lives across from us. The fix was to simply raise that sagging seal back up to where it belongs, used some sealant on the backside of the seal and some blue painters tape to hold it in place until it dried. Removed the tape the following day, seal fixed, leak is gone.

4) Happens at the full wall slide and the living room slide. Doesn't seem to happen in the bedroom.
Maybe because the bedroom slide is much smaller in length, the seal hasn't come off the inner slide wall allowing water to come in.

5) I would think it was water getting on the slide if it didn't happen when we slide out. So my assumption is that the slide topper collects water somewhere and spills it out at some point.
I'm not sure I understand this part fully, but IMO that's a wrong assumption. Your small bedroom slide topper will more than likely not collect water on top but it's very likely your larger slide toppers will.

Not sure how your MH jacks work on your rig, but if you can, the next time while you're breaking camp, retract all your jacks, then manually raise just the rear jacks and that will point the nose of the MH down and drain all the water off the slides & toppers towards the front of the MH. Or visa versa.

Then...retract your slides.

You need to find out where this leak is coming from and soon.

I just thought of two more things:
1) About twice a year, take an old sock put it on your hand like a glove and pour baby powder on it and gently wipe the outside of all your slide seals. This will keep your seals healthy, dry & smooth when they are squeezed against the coach wall. Then, when you deploy the slide the next time, the seals won't stick to the wall and sometimes tear them or pull them apart.
2) I'd also get on the roof and also check the part of your roof (all along the edge) where it rounds down to the wall seam where your gutter is. That seam may be totally open too and needs to be resealed.

Let us know what it turned out to be.

BTW...I use 2 - 5" x 7' firm solid foam tubes and push them under my 16' slide topper to avoid water collection and also keeps my toppers from flapping in the wind. I insert one from each end of the slide and carry them in my bays while under way.

Good luck.

[marjoa]

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[Mark D]

5) I would think it was water getting on the slide if it didn't happen when we slide out. So my assumption is that the slide topper collects water somewhere and spills it out at some point.
I'm not sure I understand this part fully, but IMO that's a wrong assumption. Your small bedroom slide topper will more than likely not collect water on top but it's very likely your larger slide toppers will.

[Mark D]

By the above, what I was trying to describe or question was;

All slides are in coach is parked, it rains, no leaks all is great. Two days later sunny and dry, I slide out the living room slide all is fine until the last few inches.

The last few inches water runs in from the top of the slide out and down the slide out wall.

I think the wipers may need replacement but also where was this water collecting? It can't be good and I may need to address that also.

[Mark D]

So I climbed up and looked closer at the slide outs. So the slide out roof isnt smooth as glass and has a few high low spots. In those spots water pools up, so I think my issue with water coming in durring closing is that water flows in.

So I lowered the front jacks and raised the rear and the water flowed off the slide out, I pulled in the slides a foot or so, just enough to tilt them and even more flowed off.

Now the question I have is how much water should make it past the toppers? I looked on the full wall slide out and it looks well sealed to the side wall except that its a two part slide out and there is a seam in the center. Should that be sealed also? The living room slide is one piece and also has water collecting on the roof.

Any tricks to help the flow of water off the slide roof?

[MSHappyCampers]

Maybe this would help!

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/slide...rt-189399.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/updat...ts-282073.html

[saddlesore]

Our "wiper" is in a groove just above the slide out, rather easy to replace, Is yours the same ,or is it attached with adhesive or screws?

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by Mark D

By the above, what I was trying to describe or question was;

All slides are in coach is parked, it rains, no leaks all is great. Two days later sunny and dry, I slide out the living room slide all is fine until the last few inches.

The last few inches water runs in from the top of the slide out and down the slide out wall.
I think this is old water you brought in from before. See my comment below.

I think the wipers may need replacement but also where was this water collecting? It can't be good and I may need to address that also.

Ok that's better. I think understand this now. So the way I see it is, since you haven't been titling your coach and getting rid of the standing water, when you retracted the slide the last time it had water already sitting on top of the slide from a previous rain. So, since your slide wipers are obviously not "wiping" and preventing the water to come in, that water just followed the slide and now is sitting there on top of your slide whens in fully retracted. Then it rains, you notice no leaks but...2 days later you open the slide and here comes the water. That water IMO was there from before.

Your slides do not have to be and will not be totally glass smooth or perfectly level. There will be some low spots and natural areas where water will pond. However, if you tilt the MH after each rain BEFORE you retract slides no water is going to get in because...well there is no water.

Even though you have slide toppers, with hard driving or heavy rain, some water is still going to get in there from the sides of toppers to a certain degree. I guess the amount of rain that would get in depend on which way your coach is pointed while it's raining. Your top wiper may indeed need to be replaced. But may not. Get rid of the standing water by tilting the MH before you retract, then the wiper±whether it's tight and working correctly or not—IMO really doesn't matter. There's not water there.

I would also check JIC, again on the roof, to see where your A/C units drain to. Look for the stain pattern of where that A/C water drains to. Who knows, maybe it's finding it's way to a spot somewhere along your roof line and is leaking down onto your slide tops when they are retracted. I don't know just trying to think here.

And yes that seam in the middle of inside wall seal should be sealed too. If not, water is going to get down through that crack and end up on the slide top. You can probably see water stains inside that seal area that would tell the story.

I personally think this may not be as catastrophic as it 1st sounded. It looks like maybe...just maybe...if you get in the habit to tip the MH and get all water off before you retract, and fix that middle part of rubber seam, you might be ok. On the other hand, upon further inspection you see those last 6" or so of your wiper seal is pretty much shot and is grossly not sealing at all, that may be where hard driving rain comes in from the side and uder the topper and shoots straight through the wiper.

Originally Posted by Mark D

So I climbed up and looked closer at the slide outs. So the slide out roof isnt smooth as glass and has a few high low spots. In those spots water pools up, so I think my issue with water coming in durring closing is that water flows in.
I think your right.
I agree. See my explanation above.

So I lowered the front jacks and raised the rear and the water flowed off the slide out, I pulled in the slides a foot or so, just enough to tilt them and even more flowed off.

Now the question I have is how much water should make it past the toppers? I looked on the full wall slide out and it looks well sealed to the side wall except that its a two part slide out and there is a seam in the center. Should that be sealed also? The living room slide is one piece and also has water collecting on the roof.
Yes seal that middle part.

Any tricks to help the flow of water off the slide roof?

Tilt MH like you said you just did.

[Bob_C]

A lot of folks use 303 product for seal lubing....