Class A shopping in the rain

[T18skyguy]

I'm in the market, and we're having a very wet winter here in Oregon. I thought maybe it was silly to shop for a rig in the rain, but I feel much differently now. The first one was a 10 year old Bounder. It was leaking from the slide and the dinette cushion was soaked. So I went to some of the big dealerships. Looked at a 2016 Baystar and water leaking from the front cap onto the dashboard. Scratch that. Next up was a 2017 Vista. Really liked the rig, but a pool of water running from the bottom of the slide to the center of the rig. Is this really the way it is with slides? Is it the rule that they leak or the exception? The salesman commented that Newmar invented the slide, and their new patented system is the best there is for stopping leaks. Maybe he means their upper end units? If I had bought during dry times, I have to wonder what I would be dealing with.

[Trap]

T18skyguy wrote:
I take your point on how they are set up. All the rigs I looked at we're on level ground with the slides out. I've been told that the slide has to be either all the way out or all the way in for it not to leak(You guys tell me if that's true) I have no experience with slides. The Baystar was leaking where the front cap meets the roof. It had a beautiful soft white leather dash and it was painful just to see a puddle of water on it, but a beautiful rig otherwise. I would think it was just a fluke.

Are you sure it wasn't the windshield that had a leak. As that is quite common.

[DryCreek]

I have to agree - shopping during on a rainy day, or very soon thereafter is the best time to find problem RV's on a dealers lot.

[barngal]

I too was shopping a slide out (truck camper) after a big rain. The slides were extended, I assume all the way. Couldn't see any water or signs of water in the rig but I'm a newbie to the whole living trailer world.
When we retracted the slides completely, a ton of water poured off the top of the slides outside (they do have awnings). Then we put the slides back out. Then i noticed some water pooling on the floor inside along the edge of each slide on both sides. The rig is about 3 years old, very little used. I really want this trailer, but the leaking turns me off. Sales rep said "its normal after rain, people put down towels, the floor is waterproof and other water runs down a tray under to a low water release valve." They sell "as is".Nice guy, but not impressed with the dealership.
Think I'm being taken for a ride. My friend said just leave it down an inch in front so the water doesn't pool. I;m kind of broken hearted. What do you think?

[John_Joey]

A slide has two gaskets. One set seals when pull in, the other when pulled out. If the slides are not fully extended or retracted these gaskets can not do their job.

You'll also see some rubber meant to divert rain away. But these are not water tight seals, just a way to keep the majority of the water away from the true seals.

IMO, good rigs do not leak when new. Well maintained rigs do not leak either. If a rig is leaking it is due to poor design or poor maintenance.

[T18skyguy]

I take your point on how they are set up. All the rigs I looked at we're on level ground with the slides out. I've been told that the slide has to be either all the way out or all the way in for it not to leak(You guys tell me if that's true) I have no experience with slides. The Baystar was leaking where the front cap meets the roof. It had a beautiful soft white leather dash and it was painful just to see a puddle of water on it, but a beautiful rig otherwise. I would think it was just a fluke.

[StuckinTracy]

As Bruce Brown pointed out, it could be how they were set up. I've had a 2003 Itasca Suncruiser (2 slides) and a 2006 Monaco Diplomat (4 slides). Neither of them ever had a leak and if we weren't out in them they were setup at home so we were with them all the time. We bought a Carriage 5th wheel (3 slides) just before moving over here and went through the winter (Oct - Feb) with rain and snow, no problems. Don't give up on a rig with slides just because sales folks don't set them up properly, but at the same time, I wouldn't buy one that you have already seen leaking. Even if it doesn't when set up properly, the water has already started doing it's deed. Good luck on your hunting. I'm looking again too, and I have to deal with the snow, not just rain. :R

[malexander]

We bought our current MH while it was raining. And you're right, seems like all the ones we looked at, were leaking SOMEWHERE, even the "high-end" ones. The Bounder we bought was bone dry.

[rk911]

T18skyguy wrote:
I'm in the market, and we're having a very wet winter here in Oregon. I thought maybe it was silly to shop for a rig in the rain, but I feel much differently now. The first one was a 10 year old Bounder. It was leaking from the slide and the dinette cushion was soaked. So I went to some of the big dealerships. Looked at a 2016 Baystar and water leaking from the front cap onto the dashboard. Scratch that. Next up was a 2017 Vista. Really liked the rig, but a pool of water running from the bottom of the slide to the center of the rig. Is this really the way it is with slides? Is it the rule that they leak or the exception? The salesman commented that Newmar invented the slide, and their new patented system is the best there is for stopping leaks. Maybe he means their upper end units? If I had bought during dry times, I have to wonder what I would be dealing with.

not our experience. we're on our third MH and the second one with slides. we've never had a leak through the slide or windshield. we DID have a leak through the salon's roof vent which did some minor discoloration of the fuzzy ceiling material.

[Bruce_Brown]

I certainly understand where you're coming from, and on these coaches in question I certainly would walk away - leaks are a bad deal.

As for the entire manufacturer as having issues, I believe thats painting with too broad of a brush.

How were these units set up? Were they properly leveled? Were the slides completely out?

I'll just use the Newmar as an example, although the way you have it worded I'm not sure if the slide was leaking or just the end cap. We've owned Newmars since 1999 and not once have we had a slide leak. Like all of ours, the Baystar still uses the original Newmar flat floor design. There is no new slide design on that Baystar. The new slide, "More Floor", the salesman mentioned is only on the new Dutch Star diesel and up.

I will say our Dutch Star gasser did once have a leak through the front cap, the front marker lights needed to be resealed. If I were guessing I'd say that was probably the case in the one you looked at.

On the Vista, this is the first I've seen of a leaking slide on that one. Again, in all fairness to the overall product, how was it set up?

I like your idea of shopping under those conditions, I just wouldn't scratch a builder when how the salesman set it up may be (probably is) the issue.

If a car saleman leaves a window down it's not Chevys fault it leaked.

[Ava]

Shopping for an rv in the rain sounds like the best idea. Taking a moisture meter is a great idea as well. As we know there will always be rainy days on our travels. There are two kinds of rvs, ones that leak and ones that's are going to leak!

[T18skyguy]

John&Joey wrote:
So when you walked into them did they have "an old coach smell" or were they still too new?

The dealer with the Bounder was a nice old guy and told me emphatically that it had no leaks. He was stunned when I showed it to him. In fact, he was so nice that he said "I have nothing to hide. Ill call the owner and he can come down and orient you to the rig" The other dealer said " that's a warranty issue we'll take care of that right away" I didn't try to haggle over the leak. You just don't know how much damage is really done and I don't trust them to fix it right anyway. As far as the smell, there was none, I think becasue the cold weather prevented the growth of mold maybe. But I'll never shop for a rig on a dry day ever again.

[crasster]

I'm curious what the dealers did? Did they just try to play it off like "oh gotta have repair bay fix that", blah blah.

I would have tried to haggle them so bad on that point alone. "You can't sell this as new now sir. I will put this on your google review if you do. I will buy it as-is from you now, but it will be used prices".

They really "can't" sell a something as new if water leaked through it. If they do it's dishonest.

[John_Joey]

So when you walked into them did they have "an old coach smell" or were they still too new?

[gbopp]

Raining or not, take a moisture meter when you go RV shopping.
Check everywhere, high and low, for dampness.