Can you see daylight?

[dwrichards]

I couldn't find my drill recently and realized I must have left it in my winterized Vengeance 29v. Sure enough, I find it on the counter inside. I have the TT completely covered and no power so I was surprised to see some light coming from the floor. On either side of the slide out I can see light from the outside. The left side is about the size of a plum. The other side only a quarter.

I don't think this is normal but how do I fix this? If I can see this much light, I am sure rodents will find their way in.

[Scubanut]

For the interim, can you shove some copper wool into the opening? If so no mouse will eat through that.


2012 F150 FX4 Crew 5.0 3.73

2012Coachman Freedom Express 292BHDS (outdoor Kitchen)

[dwrichards]

For the interim, can you shove some copper wool into the opening? If so no mouse will eat through that.

Thanks, I just ordered a roll of copper rodent mesh. The steel wool trick only works well in dry environments due to rust. Most people don't think of that part. Any idea on what to do for long term? I can just picture driving in heavy rain and finding dirty puddles on arrival.

[GSlone]

I noticed the same thing in my TT and I did the same. Steel wool for the short term and some good indoor/outdoor caluk took care of the problem. You can get colored caulk to match the flooring, I don't even notice it now.

[Platokidd]

Check your slide out seals / wipers. When I had a issue like that on my Lacrosse , my slide was to high and had to be adjusted.

[Lloydg]

I had the same problem while in warranty and let the dealer address it. They fabricated a wooded wedge with a rubber gasket and secured it underneath the slide where the gap was. Seemed to work quite well. Also about the use of steel wool. DON'T! All boaters know to used either copper or bronze wool and I carried that knowledge from my sailing days on Lake Erie to my RV habit. Bronze wool can be found at many places like Home Depot and most boat stores.

[txredfish]

I had the same issue on my new TT at the bottom of my slideout. The factory left off the bottom seal. Dealer fixed under warranty. So much for the factory final checks.

[WSY DD693]

Is the light coming from the inside of the slide floor where the carpeting meets the wall? I had a crack the full length of the 8 ft. slide where the flooring meets the side walls. Turns out I had a leak in the far left side of the slide, probably from a bad seal. The slide floor had rotted badly in the front left corner and had dropped enough so that the side wall separated from the floor. The way it is attached in the factory is really bad with a piece of aluminum angle attached to the slide frame with light weight 1" screws screwed into the side wall of the slide.


The fix was a new floor for about $3,000 with the 8' x 1" slide floor being shipped from Indianapolis to Florida, plus labor at my local RV shop, which would require the slide to be removed to repair. I opted to make repairs myself by cutting out the rotted section and securing a new piece of pressure treated 3/4 inch plywood sandwiched with a piece of 1/4 inch luan to get my 1" floor replacement piece. I screwed it through the bottom of the side wall, as was the old floor and bridged the old floor with a stainless steel plate, that was also sandwiched between the new floor piece and the side wall. I thru bolted a new piece of angle to the floor and frame of the slide and thru bolted the exterior wall to the angle. The screw heads were hidden on the exterior by a trim piece that attaches the bottom trim piece. I plastic coated the underside so it would move in and out smoothly and so far it is holding up. I could jump up and down on the plate covered new piece with no movement. Needless to say I had all the slide seals replaced and was due to re-carpet the interior of the slide anyway. The cost was minimal and a couple days of sweat equity. I was unaware of the leak inside and the TT is 8 years old.
Inspect the underside of your slide to ensure there is no rot or signs of leaks and check how the slide seals extended and retracted and the condition of the side & top seals. My slide was also slightly out of adjustment with the rotted end not completely sealing to the trailer when fully closed. Really poor construction, but from what I hear this is common with most brands. Hopefully yours is something different, but check seals, slide closure adjustment and any signs of leaks, i.e. water stains or mold. Good Luck!