DRM796
Eastern Shore of MD
Senior Member
Joined: 09/23/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
Have a schwintek slide that leaks at the lower rail and gets the bottom side of the slide wet. I have caulked all along the rail and the mounting screws but some how water still gets thru to the bottom. Done some web searching but haven't been able to find any definitive fixes. Any ideas?
Thanks
2019 Alpine 3700
2016 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW Duramax
2012 Wildcat 313RE traded in 5/2018
|
PButler96
Midwest
Senior Member
Joined: 06/13/2022
View Profile
Offline
|
DRM796 wrote:Have a schwintek slide that leaks at the lower rail and gets the bottom side of the slide wet. I have caulked all along the rail and the mounting screws but some how water still gets thru to the bottom. Done some web searching but haven't been able to find any definitive fixes. Any ideas?
Thanks
With the slide open and unit level put a level on the rail. Does it have a slight slope to the outside end of the slide? It should so that any water flows to the outside, not through the gasket at the sidewall opening. The way the gasket is designed a hard wind driven rain blowing towards the camper is coming in regardless, but that should be a minimal amount of water.
I have a burn barrel in my yard.
|
nickthehunter
Midwest
Senior Member
Joined: 07/18/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
The Schwintek rails are mounted to the side of the slide room with screws. So if the screws are sealed, then it isn't the slide rail that is leaking. You should take the screws out, put sealant in the hole, and put the screws back in. (Rust on a screw when you take it out is a sign that either that screw was leaking or something above it was.) If that doesn't fix the leaking, your problem is somewhere else. Look at the sealant around the windows; that's a common problem.
|
DRM796
Eastern Shore of MD
Senior Member
Joined: 09/23/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Pretty sure it's the rail. We have sprayed water on the side of the slide just around the rail and have seen the water start to show up.
|
Pbutler97
Midwest
Senior Member
Joined: 09/22/2022
View Profile
Offline
|
nickthehunter wrote:The Schwintek rails are mounted to the side of the slide room with screws. So if the screws are sealed, then it isn't the slide rail that is leaking. You should take the screws out, put sealant in the hole, and put the screws back in. (Rust on a screw when you take it out is a sign that either that screw was leaking or something above it was.) If that doesn't fix the leaking, your problem is somewhere else. Look at the sealant around the windows; that's a common problem.
The rails and the slide itself are supposed to be running out of level when the slide is deployed towards the outside. This keeps water from running back the rail itself, past the closed cell foam seal that the rail runs through. The RV manufacturers are notorious for putting the entire slide together wrong or screwing up yhe opening and alignment so the rails are level or slope towards the sidewall.
|
|
|
CA Traveler
The Western States
Senior Member
Joined: 01/03/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
DRM796 wrote:Pretty sure it's the rail. We have sprayed water on the side of the slide just around the rail and have seen the water start to show up. If in fact the slide water on the bottom is coming from the rails then you have a serious leak.
I would expect to see water on all 4 sides on the slide with rain.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Bob
|
schlep1967
Harrisburg, PA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/08/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Never dealt with it but.... my suggestion if it is possible.
Remove screws from the rail. How far can you pull the rail out from the slide? Is it enough to get Butyl tape behind it? Place 1 inch pieces of butyl tape behind the rail were the screws will go back in through them. If that is where your leak is it should fix the problem.
2021 Chevy Silverado LTZ 3500 Diesel
2022 Montana Legacy 3931FB
Pull-Rite Super Glide 4500
|
DRM796
Eastern Shore of MD
Senior Member
Joined: 09/23/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
schlep1967 wrote:Never dealt with it but.... my suggestion if it is possible.
Remove screws from the rail. How far can you pull the rail out from the slide? Is it enough to get Butyl tape behind it? Place 1 inch pieces of butyl tape behind the rail were the screws will go back in through them. If that is where your leak is it should fix the problem.
Thanks for the tip
|
CA Traveler
The Western States
Senior Member
Joined: 01/03/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
schlep1967 wrote:Never dealt with it but.... my suggestion if it is possible.
Remove screws from the rail. How far can you pull the rail out from the slide? Is it enough to get Butyl tape behind it? Place 1 inch pieces of butyl tape behind the rail were the screws will go back in through them. If that is where your leak is it should fix the problem. I would not do this since it may cause the rails to extend further out and cause problems with the fixed gears. Plus you may be limited as the screws get closer to the slide interior position. Maybe OK but I'd get professional advice or help before proceeding.
Have you considered that the water may be moving around the lower slide edges on the bottom due to rig tilt or wind?
|
DRM796
Eastern Shore of MD
Senior Member
Joined: 09/23/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
CA Traveler wrote:schlep1967 wrote:Never dealt with it but.... my suggestion if it is possible.
Remove screws from the rail. How far can you pull the rail out from the slide? Is it enough to get Butyl tape behind it? Place 1 inch pieces of butyl tape behind the rail were the screws will go back in through them. If that is where your leak is it should fix the problem. I would not do this since it may cause the rails to extend further out and cause problems with the fixed gears. Plus you may be limited as the screws get closer to the slide interior position. Maybe OK but I'd get professional advice or help before proceeding.
Have you considered that the water may be moving around the lower slide edges on the bottom due to rig tilt or wind?
Don't think it's coming from the outside. We took a hose and let water run down the side from about 6 inches above the rail for about 5 minutes or so. Didn't appear to be leaking. Then checked again a few minutes later and you could see a damp spot.
|
|
|
