Slide Out Dip in Middle

[jackiemac]

We have a fairly long slide out, around 11ft.  Steve has noticed a dip around the middle of it which can be seen from the outside but not inside.  We did have a very small leak 2 years ago which we thought had dried out but may have made the situation worse.  We are keen to get it repaired as the last thing we want is water pooling on top of the slide and then having a major leak.

We have taken it to an RV Repair shop who have said they can fix it by removing the wooden fascia and then inserting metal to reinforce the structure. They say they see this often with this length of slide.  They are going to be charging close to $1,000 for this work.

Steve is considering whether or not he could do it easily himself with limited tools.  He thinks it may be more complicated than it looks.

Have any of you completed a repair like this and be happy to share your methods / results?

Thank you.

 

[lynnmor]

You didn't say if the dip is towards the trailer or outboard, or if it also dips at the floor level.  Since water did get in at some point, it needs to be inspected for water damage before adding steel.  If the floor is sagging and bringing down the roof with it, then the floor would need to be brought up with some kind of support or replacement wood.  If  the roof is all that is sagging at the inboard area, then perhaps removing interior trim and adding steel would be a fairly easy fix that would cost a hundred or so.  A photo or two would be worth a thousand words.

 

[jackiemac]

You didn't say if the dip is towards the trailer or outboard, or if it also dips at the floor level.  Since water did get in at some point, it needs to be inspected for water damage before adding steel.  If the floor is sagging and bringing down the roof with it, then the floor would need to be brought up with some kind of support or replacement wood.  If  the roof is all that is sagging at the inboard area, then perhaps removing interior trim and adding steel would be a fairly easy fix that would cost a hundred or so.  A photo or two would be worth a thousand words.

We didn't think to look at the floor, so thank you for that.  Steve is going to check and give me some photos !

 

[HueyPilotVN]

If Steve wants to work on it you are welcome to use the RV garage.

My coach is out on the pad and your tt would fit in the garage and you would not have to worry about weather during the repair.

I also have all the tools that you might need and Lowes and Home Depot are near.

 

[grashley]

Bill is a short drive away.  If you choose to go, you also get his expert eye and support.  Just do not let him violate any doctor's orders!

 

[Back2PA]

If Steve wants to work on it you are welcome to use the RV garage.

My coach is out on the pad and your tt would fit in the garage and you would not have to worry about weather during the repair.

I also have all the tools that you might need and Lowes and Home Depot are near.

(Bill Waugh, concerned he may not win "most generous RVer of the year" for the tenth year in a row, shores up his standings by making yet another unsolicited and generous offer of assistance to a fellow RVer).  )


Good on ya Bill, hope I can buy you a beer or a lemonade someday!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think the length of the slide is a red herring. Every RV we've owned since 1999 had at least one 14 ft slide and none of them sagged.  I suspect you are seeing the results of either shoddy construction or that water damage.

I'm surprised the shop thinks they can fix it without removing the slide from the RV and rebuilding the slide-out floor, but it's hard to judge without having my own eyeballs on  the problem.

 

[jackiemac]

Steve has checked the floor and it is level, it is just the roof that is sagging.  We spoke to an RV Repair guy this morning who was in the site next to us and he said he has seen this a lot.  I suspect shoddy construction as Gary says.

Bill, thank you for your very kind offer.  Once we get the photos posted we will see what folks say.  I am of a mind to let the RV Repair guys have the hassle and should anything go wrong/get broken at lease they have to fix it!

 

[Rene T]

Just do not let him violate any doctor's orders!

Or take any pictures when you least expect it.

 

[jackiemac]

Or take any pictures when you least expect it.

LOL Rene, i nearly spat my wine out there!

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Mr. Rainey,

The Internet is forever,,,and I still have that picture..

 

[SargeW]

I am a little sketchy on how they plan to address the sag. I assume that they would remove the wood trim from the inside and slide strips of some sort of metal in between the ceiling panel and the top of the slide? It sounds like it would be adding weight to the slide roof structure, and risking a bigger sag after bumping down the road for a few hundred miles.

You rig is not that old, I would contact the manufacturer and ask their advice on how to address the issue. If they bless the RV shops method, then go for it.

 

[HueyPilotVN]

(Bill Waugh, concerned he may not win "most generous RVer of the year" for the tenth year in a row, shores up his standings by making yet another unsolicited and generous offer of assistance to a fellow RVer).  )


Good on ya Bill, hope I can buy you a beer or a lemonade someday!

It is not really that generous in that it does not cost me anything to make the offer.

Jackie and Steve visited us for a few days last year.

Sarge, (Marty), did some minor work on his boat here and I made an open offer to Forum members to use the "Forum free RV repair shop" a while back.

It is hard to get members to stop by.  I have even tried to bribe people with dinners.

I do not generally have the outside RV pad available because Renae's daughter is now using my CC as her apartment.  However I still have a 20 x 50 garage to offer.

 

[Gizmo100]

It is not really that generous in that it does not cost me anything to make the offer.

Jackie and Steve visited us for a few days last year.

Sarge, (Marty), did some minor work on his boat here and I made an open offer to Forum members to use the "Forum free RV repair shop" a while back.

It is hard to get members to stop by.  I have even tried to bribe people with dinners.

I do not generally have the outside RV pad available because Renae's daughter is now using my CC as her apartment.  However I still have a 20 x 50 garage to offer.

In my short time on this forum I have seen several offers of kindness from you. You are either a very nice and generous person or half crazy....Either way that makes you a shoe in for "most generous RVer of the year" Accept the reward, Give a short speech and  then we will all sit around and watch TV out by the pool.......Hey why are those doors around the TV upside down??

 

[Rene T]

Hey why are those doors around the TV upside down??

It was to hold CD's remember?

 

[Gizmo100]

It was to hold CD's remember?

) )

 

[UTTransplant]

I do remember the great hibachi dinner Bill made us when we were visiting him. Bill, you are really one of the good guys. I also guess there isn?t a tool needed for a RV that you don?t have on hand!

 

[jackiemac]

I am a little sketchy on how they plan to address the sag. I assume that they would remove the wood trim from the inside and slide strips of some sort of metal in between the ceiling panel and the top of the slide? It sounds like it would be adding weight to the slide roof structure, and risking a bigger sag after bumping down the road for a few hundred miles.

You rig is not that old, I would contact the manufacturer and ask their advice on how to address the issue. If they bless the RV shops method, then go for it.

That's a great suggestion Marty, thanks we will do that as our first step. Appreciate the suggestion.

 

[jackiemac]

I do remember the great hibachi dinner Bill made us when we were visiting him. Bill, you are really one of the good guys. I also guess there isn?t a tool needed for a RV that you don?t have on hand!

What? He makes that for everyone?  And we thought we were special ??

Bill is an exceptionally generous host and has a great sense of humour and lots of interesting stories. Renae is a good sparring partner for him. They are great company.

 

[UTTransplant]

Oh, and Jackie, a $1000 bill from a RV repair is probably only 4-6 hours of labor plus some parts. I would be somewhat skeptical of the estimate.