Remodeling weight concerns for slide-outs

[TonySnow]

Hi!! My wife and I just purchased a 2004 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager (3 sildeouts: Atrium slideout, hide-a-bed and kitchen super slideout, and bed slide out). We are wanting to do some upgrades / remodeling. I want to be sure that the weight of the changes do not damage the slideout mechanisms. Does anyone know what weights the atrium slideout and hide-a-bed / kitchen slideout are designed to handle, or where to find this information? Thanks - I appreciate any suggestions.

[Sudsy]

Well I have 2005 coach that sounds jut like yours. I have been working on it while using it for the last three years. I have never given much thought to the weight issue with the slides. The only modification to the slides was on the Dinette in the sun room. I found shorter post for the table and lowered it about 4 inches. I also moved the forward bench ten inches further toward the front and moved the table 5" forward. I will have to make new boards to fit between the benches for a bed. We are big people and the table made me feel like I was sitting at a lunch counter but in a short seat. I also thru bolted the aft bench through the floor with 1/4" carriage bolts and plan to add a couple seat belts there for additional passengers.



The biggest part of my problems come from water intrusion and other water damage. The PO used the coach like a hide away to get away from the kids. It only had 8200 miles on it when I bought it in 2017, I most recently replaced the entire floor in the Master bedroom. This damage was caused when the water supply line for the ice maker came off of the unit at the top. Every time the ice maker would ask for water (he never turned it off) the water was running to the rear right corner. This job was big. I removed the bed pedestal and tore up all of the damaged particle board with 3/4 exterior plywood. We removed all of the carpet from the bedroom and hallway and installed a waterproof laminate. we use scatted rugs in the area now. I ran the bedroom slide out during this work.



Water has been the biggest problem and the roof was just resealed and I used a white coating from Dicor and used eternabond tape around all of the skylights and roof fixtures like the shower bubble. I had this work done at an RV shop. I have pulled several of the windows and resealed them. I think I hav caught up with it for the most part.



I also removed (had removed) the RV fridge and installed a Whirlpool residential unit with door ice and water. Love it!



I replaced all of the tires wit Sumatomo ST245R 22.5 tires.



If you have any other questions PM me. I'm retired so have a lot of free time!


Sudsy

[TonySnow]

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[RayChez1]

Well I have 2005 coach that sounds jut like yours. I have been working on it while using it for the last three years. I have never given much thought to the weight issue with the slides. The only modification to the slides was on the Dinette in the sun room. I found shorter post for the table and lowered it about 4 inches. I also moved the forward bench ten inches further toward the front and moved the table 5" forward. I will have to make new boards to fit between the benches for a bed. We are big people and the table made me feel like I was sitting at a lunch counter but in a short seat. I also thru bolted the aft bench through the floor with 1/4" carriage bolts and plan to add a couple seat belts there for additional passengers.



The biggest part of my problems come from water intrusion and other water damage. The PO used the coach like a hide away to get away from the kids. It only had 8200 miles on it when I bought it in 2017, I most recently replaced the entire floor in the Master bedroom. This damage was caused when the water supply line for the ice maker came off of the unit at the top. Every time the ice maker would ask for water (he never turned it off) the water was running to the rear right corner. This job was big. I removed the bed pedestal and tore up all of the damaged particle board with 3/4 exterior plywood. We removed all of the carpet from the bedroom and hallway and installed a waterproof laminate. we use scatted rugs in the area now. I ran the bedroom slide out during this work.



Water has been the biggest problem and the roof was just resealed and I used a white coating from Dicor and used eternabond tape around all of the skylights and roof fixtures like the shower bubble. I had this work done at an RV shop. I have pulled several of the windows and resealed them. I think I hav caught up with it for the most part.



I also removed (had removed) the RV fridge and installed a Whirlpool residential unit with door ice and water. Love it!



I replaced all of the tires wit Sumatomo ST245R 22.5 tires.



If you have any other questions PM me. I'm retired so have a lot of free time!


Sudsy

They look like nice photo's, but can you have them rotated so that I do not put a kink on my neck? LOL!

[TonySnow]

I like the looks of the work you did on the flooring. Are those vinyl "tiles"?



I have been puzzled about your description - do you have a booth type dining table in the atrium slide? I have a swivel rocker, and a small round drop leaf table (maybe 30" diameter) with two chairs there.



I also have a hide-a-bed in the driver's side slide out just behind the driver's seat. With our remodel ideas, I think I am going to need to install seat belts in the atrium slide. Any ideas or suggestions on installing seat belts where none exist?


I spoke with Gulf Stream reps, and with Lippert (they manufactured the slide out mechanisms) reps. They told me that replacing furniture with similar furniture is fine. The slide out mechanisms are the same for both sides.



Did you have any GVWR weight issues with your remodel changes?



Thank you all.

[Sudsy]

The flooring is some new waterproof "Vinyl Laminate". They are like tiles but long and narrow (7-8"). I am sending some more pictures. Yes I do have a booth dinette. I plan to add seat belts to the forward facing bench seat at the dinette. Wwe got rid of that tacky chair in the atrium and replaced it with a swivel recliner that also matches the front seats.





Sudsy

[TonySnow]

Sudsy,


Thank you for being responsive, and thank you for providing information from your experience. As I get into this RV experience (and upgrading to more suit our needs / wants) I have two more questions:


1. I want to install swivel recliners into the atrium slide out. I want to install seat belts for theses recliners. Do you know how to safely and legally install seat belt mounting bolts in or through the floor of the slide?


2. Can you tell me what the bottom switch in the attached picture does?


Thank you again for your knowledge and experience.


Tony Snow

[Sudsy]

That switch is for the electric heating element in the 10 gallon water heater. Make sure the water heater is full or you will burn it out. Easy to change. There is also another switch for the hot water heater. It is located right on the front of the water heater at the bottom left corner behind some of the gas tubing. Make sure it is turned on too. If you make it a practice (I do) I turn off the outside switch when I winterize so even accidentally turning the inside switch on will not burn the element.



Sudsy

[TonySnow]

Sudsy,



Thank you Sir, very much, for the information about that switch... The owner's manual is kinda vague about a lot of things



I am learning - there is quite a learning curve but i am getting there.


Any thoughts on installing seat belt anchor points in the atrium slide?


Thank you again. (I promise that at some point in my learning and experience I will also "pay it forward").


Tony Snow

[Sudsy]

Well I think I mentioned in a previous post that I re-arranged our Atrium dining booth. When doing that job I found that the pressed wood flooring had soaked up so much moisture that I was stripping out the Lag Bolts that I used initially. Same size as original but the originals had most of the screw thread rusted away. I bolted the frame of the forward facing seat through the floor of the slide with 1/4" Carriage Bolts with the mushroom heads visible if you look under the slide room when it's out.



Now I have thought about putting a couple of seat belts at that seat BUT I will not consider it a safe place for kids. The slide room was not designed to have passenger seats.



Bolting down recliners would give me the willes too. We have our booth with a matching swivel recliner that is no way a proper seat to ride in. It is not bolted to the floor at all. I roll it out and back to the rear edge of the dining room table and claim it as my seat when camped. The original seat (chair) wasn't bolted down either. I have doubts about the seat belts on the hide a bed couch too.



I may be a little critical in my judgement since I made my living testing aircraft systems including structures. Mostly helicopters.



I think you are in Lakeland, Fla. My dad lived in Haines City years ago when he retired.

PS I have all of the books that came with the coach. Limited help there. The owners manual is the same one you got if you bought a camping trailer from them.

Sudsy