FF X-189FDS slider leak

duncansprague · 04-26-2012, 12:08 PM

I have a leak somewhere in the slider. The water appears at the bottom of the rear outside wall corner. I first noticed it when I went under the rear seat to repair the draw slides. The carpet is wet and the wood frame of the seat is wet and moldy. I replaced the slider roof seals with that great tape everyone is talking about and still more water. Even if the slider is in I have water. Any thoughts?

webslave · 04-26-2012, 05:22 PM

If it happens whether the slide is in or out, then you need to look at areas that are always "exposed" no matter the position of your slide.

Usually on the outsides of the slide are various trim parts and flashings that help to seal the attachment points of the outside wall to the slide "box". I would take a close look at those areas, both upper moldings and trim and lower moldings and trim. Since you are seeing it primarily at floor level and not running down the wall to the floor, I would take a close look at the "trim" located on the outside corners...they aren't purely decorative and if loose or coming away, you could have water coming inside along a screw or screws. It may even be possible that the leak is at the window frame (the top and/or back edge). Looking at your floorplan, the window's position in the wall extends back over the vertical edge of the seat. Water could enter around the window, through the wall into the seat area without being apparent around the window...

Just some thoughts, good luck!

duncansprague · 04-26-2012, 09:48 PM

The water appears when the slider is closed. Are not the walls of this trailer a laminate of plywood on the inside foam in the middle and some vinyl on the outside? How can water from a bad window seal travel to the corner of the slider? Or even down to the floor and run across. There has to be a problem with the corner flashing.

webslave · 04-27-2012, 09:27 AM

The walls are, indeed, a "laminate", however they are pressure glued up. The outside wall, itself a "laminate" of filon and luan, is laid down with glue, then the aluminum wall is applied, foam blocking installed and then the inside luan, again with glue, is laid down and the entire assembly then pressure rolled to provide the finished wall... At any point, the process may not apply enough pressure or there may be voids that are not filled due to variances in manufacturing; either the foam may not be a uniform thickness or the aluminum framing could be tweaked a bit, any number of variables, but, there exists the possibility that there are interconnected voids that would allow water from a leaking window frame to travel inside the wall to any low point exit at floor level.

Water can do mysterious things...particularly if under pressure as in a driving rain or traveling down the highway. I knew a fellow one time that worked with fluid dynamics. He designed and produced a window washer nozzle (for automotive use) that sprayed an "S" shaped pattern out of what appeared to be a standard black plastic block (the kind that you see on all automobiles). The inside was a complicated pattern of shapes, but, there were no moving parts and the gist of it was that water can take a "spin" and behave with resulting strange exit behaviour, in this case it sprayed an "S" pattern instead of a stream. The nozzles are licensed to Ford (Lincoln) and Mercedes-Benz for their high end cars. Ask any RV shop about strange leak behaviour...how a leak in the front corner can result in rot behind a mid mounted refrigerator...

While it may not be likely, all I'm saying is you can't rule out the odd-ball. If the obvious isn't the problem, it may be the unlikely that is causing the issue.

duncansprague · 05-01-2012, 02:27 PM

Today I ripped out the seats and the rug which was wet all along the left side and the side under the window and a little along the wall on the side next to the frig. The carpet botton matched with staines and milldew staines. This might suggest that the lead is coming wither from above the left side or at the bottem of the left side. The carpet is the way it may be getting along the long side and down to the frig. I have resealed the roof.

Everything is so wet that I can't tell if it is leaking open or closed. Waiting for aome rain. Everything is open so I should be able to see where the water is hitting the floor. That is a start.

It is also interesting that, because of the carpet being installed before the walls and conpressed by the screws, there is only a 1/16 of an inch overlap with the 1"x1" angle on the outside of the side walls. That is 1"-1/16 (angle thichness) - 3/4 (plywood) - 1/8 (carpet compression) = 1/16" at the caulking point. Not much for error.

Maybe all I need is a strip of that super tape and I am fixed. I am going to replace the carpet with vinyl.

What do you think?