Screw separation in slide rail causing leak?

[cedarwings]

Hi folks - full time stationary (Vancouver Island) with a 2022 Reflection 367BHS that I purchased brand new. I had been dealing with a leak in the bedroom slide out and my RV tech discovered that the Schwintek slide rails had not been fastened down properly at the factory. He tightened them up and re-caulked the rails and all of the screws. I thought that was the end of it. We had a huge amount of rain last night and as always, I checked on either side of the bed for moisture and unfortunately found it - damp carpet right at the junction of wall and carpet. I went outside to prepare to tarp the slide and while cleaning off fir needles etc, found one of the bottom slide rail screws had separated and the screw head was only held in place by the silicone. It is the last screw on the rail and exactly where the carpet was damp. I have covered what's left of the screw and the entire rail with Frost King weatherproof tape and in the process of drying out the carpet and waiting to see if this solves the problem.
Has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

[markdm]

Hi folks - full time stationary (Vancouver Island) with a 2022 Reflection 367BHS that I purchased brand new. I had been dealing with a leak in the bedroom slide out and my RV tech discovered that the Schwintek slide rails had not been fastened down properly at the factory. He tightened them up and re-caulked the rails and all of the screws. I thought that was the end of it. We had a huge amount of rain last night and as always, I checked on either side of the bed for moisture and unfortunately found it - damp carpet right at the junction of wall and carpet. I went outside to prepare to tarp the slide and while cleaning off fir needles etc, found one of the bottom slide rail screws had separated and the screw head was only held in place by the silicone. It is the last screw on the rail and exactly where the carpet was damp. I have covered what's left of the screw and the entire rail with Frost King weatherproof tape and in the process of drying out the carpet and waiting to see if this solves the problem.
Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Just like slide outs, gutters need regular inspection and sealing to prevent water damage. We often face similar issues at gouttiere drummondville, where loose or improperly sealed components lead to leaks. Keeping both well-maintained can save a lot of hassle and costly repairs down the road.

I think screw separation is definitely contributing to the leak, especially if the silicone is the only thing holding it in place. Your temporary tape solution is a good quick fix, but I’d recommend replacing the screw and re sealing the rail properly. Make sure the rest of the slide out rails are securely fastened, as even small gaps can cause leaks. Also, check the seals around the slide out, as they may have been affected by the moisture over time.

 

[Domo]

Our rear slide had a similar leak coming in the lower corner of the bedroom slideout.

I did troubleshooting with tape - as OP is doing.

Turns out the wiper seal was not installed properly on that rear side of the slideout. It was not cut to allow the upper to overlap the lower parts - it was simply bent and then shoved into the corner. So, water would follow the edge of the wiper and happily make the 90° turn as it followed the resultingcrease and then sneak into the coach at the bottom center of the slideout where the seal was open to allow the slideout track to extend. The sad part is that the wiper seal on the other side (front of that slideout) is installed correctly - so, we guess at the factory that Moe and Curly never communicated to figure out how to install the slide wipers correctly.

Not the first issue, and not the last, either... 2008 and still finding the "bugs" in the build.

 

[Onyrlef]

Our rear slide had a similar leak coming in the lower corner of the bedroom slideout.

I did troubleshooting with tape - as OP is doing.

Turns out the wiper seal was not installed properly on that rear side of the slideout. It was not cut to allow the upper to overlap the lower parts - it was simply bent and then shoved into the corner. So, water would follow the edge of the wiper and happily make the 90° turn as it followed the resultingcrease and then sneak into the coach at the bottom center of the slideout where the seal was open to allow the slideout track to extend. The sad part is that the wiper seal on the other side (front of that slideout) is installed correctly - so, we guess at the factory that Moe and Curly never communicated to figure out how to install the slide wipers correctly.

Not the first issue, and not the last, either... 2008 and still finding the "bugs" in the build.

When the economist Larry Summers said "No one in history ever washed a rent car" it was a metaphor for the post modern workplace. No one owns anything, in that no one is responsible for anything. So what if your slide out leaks a few years from now, by then the person who likely did that work has either moved on to another dead end job or is a supervisor now because they didn't quit this dead end job and they're teaching subordinates how to do a great job like they did.

 

[Domo]

When the economist Larry Summers said "No one in history ever washed a rent car" it was a metaphor for the post modern workplace. No one owns anything, in that no one is responsible for anything. So what if your slide out leaks a few years from now, by then the person who likely did that work has either moved on to another dead end job or is a supervisor now because they didn't quit this dead end job and they're teaching subordinates how to do a great job like they did.

Not sure I understood the reply.

I was telling OP one scenario that led to a similar leak as I think they might be experiencing. The moral was that seeing something installed correctly when looking for issues does not mean that the mirrored installation was done correctly. I certainly don't care if it was Biff or Marty that did the job well or poorly. I have what I have and mean no offense to Biff or Marty.

 

[cedarwings]

Our rear slide had a similar leak coming in the lower corner of the bedroom slideout.

I did troubleshooting with tape - as OP is doing.

Turns out the wiper seal was not installed properly on that rear side of the slideout. It was not cut to allow the upper to overlap the lower parts - it was simply bent and then shoved into the corner. So, water would follow the edge of the wiper and happily make the 90° turn as it followed the resultingcrease and then sneak into the coach at the bottom center of the slideout where the seal was open to allow the slideout track to extend. The sad part is that the wiper seal on the other side (front of that slideout) is installed correctly - so, we guess at the factory that Moe and Curly never communicated to figure out how to install the slide wipers correctly.

Not the first issue, and not the last, either... 2008 and still finding the "bugs" in the build.

Thank you for this! I will get my tech to check the wiper seals in the spring. For now I am tarped up - I basically live in a rainforest so just want to get through the winter and start the investigation in the spring