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Old 04-19-2016, 09:18 PM   #1
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Exclamation 2703WS Potential leak issue

We picked up our new 2703WS on Friday (4/15) and we love it. Just a few minor issues.

But... any owners with the refrigerator built into the slide need to check this.

Because the refrigerator is in the slide, it has two of the standard plastic Dometic vents on the outside wall. When we got home I took the top cover off and found no sealant along the bottom inside edge of the frame. When I took the bottom cover off, the frame had a generous amount of silicone sealant applied. These will leak between the cover and the frame at the bottom and allow water to soak the wall and the floor. It happened to my '06 trailer last year when the sealant pulled away from the plastic frame. I can't believe Dometic hasn't changed the design of these vents for at least 10 years and probably a lot longer. A lip on the inside along the bottom of the frame would solve this problem.

Check behind the covers! One owner has already checked his and found the top frame not sealed. I haven't contacted Forest River yet, but I will!
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Old 05-01-2016, 10:30 PM   #2
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2703ws

Thanks for posting this!!! Checked ours and the top didn't have sealant either. The bottom vent did.
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Old 05-01-2016, 10:38 PM   #3
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Guess I'll have to check that out when mine gets here.
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Old 05-02-2016, 01:57 AM   #4
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I brought this up in an email to a Forest River rep and he asked for photos. After I told him I already sealed it (and of course didn't think to take pictures first) he did not reply. I didn't expect them to do anything with mine, but I think this needs to be addressed at the factory.

Try sending an email to Jacob Carter at Forest River [JCarter@forestriverinc.com]

Maybe if enough people question it they will look into it. You are the fourth person to confirm this. No one has replied that they found the top frame sealed.
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Old 05-02-2016, 10:13 AM   #5
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I don't have mine yet, just ordered it a month ago. I know to look for it at the dealership when I pick it up though.
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Old 05-02-2016, 10:27 AM   #6
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What would be the purpose of the sealant at the top vent? I think the situation is very different on the top than the bottom (the vent hose for example) and wonder what sealant would actually do up there?


I have a 2016 8392ss with the refrigerator in the slide and was up there looking around myself on Saturday. My fans were making a "thrumming" noise, with something vibrating when it should not, so I got curious.


The diverter duct positioned up there is pretty ad-hoc and I could see the fan bracket was a piece of stamped sheet metal across the back of the refrigerator with the fans cantilevered off from one side. I tightened the screws holding the fans in place (one felt stripped (maybe) but I could not easily get my hand underneath to see if it was simply a nut turning or what), cleaned up the area between the bracket and the refrigerator and laid down a bead of sealant to couple the bracket to the refrigerator a bit and add a little mass.


When the fans started up next time, the really objectionable "thrumming" noise was gone and just the whine of the fans could be heard. Did my little fix do anything? Maybe. Was it tightening the screws, the sealant or a combination? don't know. It's just better until I decide what to do next.


Cheers!
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Old 05-02-2016, 10:56 AM   #7
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It may not really do anything one way or another. My current trailer only has a single bottom vent. That's one of the things I'll have to look at.
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Old 05-02-2016, 11:44 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andymil View Post
I brought this up in an email to a Forest River rep and he asked for photos. After I told him I already sealed it (and of course didn't think to take pictures first) he did not reply. I didn't expect them to do anything with mine, but I think this needs to be addressed at the factory.

Try sending an email to Jacob Carter at Forest River [JCarter@forestriverinc.com]

Maybe if enough people question it they will look into it. You are the fourth person to confirm this. No one has replied that they found the top frame sealed.

I just figured if the bottom was sealed then by gum the top should have a bead too. Now it does.

Marty
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Old 05-02-2016, 12:02 PM   #9
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Easy enough fix!
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Old 05-02-2016, 01:38 PM   #10
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How is the top vent very different from the bottom vent. The only difference is the drip line. They both get wet when rain hits that side of the trailer.

I took my covers off today after a heavy rain and water was stopped by the sealant. It just wicks in on that bottom edge, but if it's getting into a closed trailer over the winter, it's not going to dry up. If it can leak into the bottom vent, it can leak into the top. I've seen the damage a small leak can cause when it goes undetected over the winter.

Easy fix if you know about it.
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