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Old 04-04-2022, 01:19 PM   #1
Tonyf
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Default SN Small Slide Repair

I noticed small slide bottom was cracking and brittle from a leak somewhere, so we decided to redo it. I’ve done a short write-up and some pictures for future reference. It’s a little long, but hope it help someone in the future.

We removed the interior trim and bed frame. Extended the slide about ¾ of the way out. Jacked it up and added stilts to the outside edges (Gulf Stream actually has a video on this on YouTube). We next removed the stops and loosened the mounting bolts for the slide to give it plenty of slack as it need to raise up to clear the black PVC pipe toward the end of the run. We then manually worked the slide out with a wrench and the floor jack until it extended enough to remove the bottom wood.
The bottom is a sandwich of aluminum tubing to form a framework and ¼ plywood glued on the top and bottom with Styrofoam in between. The plywood really is not structural, the rollers ride on it but that’s it, the rollers are supported by the frame. I never wanted to do this again regardless of if it leaks or not in the future, so I decided to use 1/8” 6061-T6 aluminum sheet vice replacing the plywood.

There are 11 5/16 - 4”metal screws that attach the walls to the floor, these ran thru the plywood and needed to go thru the new aluminum sheet as well. My marking tool is shown in the photos. It’s just a scrap bit of aluminum with a slot and dowel pin that aligns with existing holes in the frame. All the large screws removed relativity easily, this was a concern as a few were pretty rusty. That was not the case with the trim, several of the screw heads were rusted off.

The new aluminum sheet was fasted to the frame with #10 self-tapping countersunk screws and a few new long screws, the #10 screws need to be short enough to clear inside of frame tube otherwise they won’t seat properly. I used original Gorilla glue as well, not because the Gorilla glue has some special properties for metal (it is recommended for metal though), but because it expands as it hardens and is somewhat inexpensive, I wanted to seal up any small gaps between the new bottom and the frame.

After that, I replaced the two outer rollers and fastened 1/8” UHMW polyethylene plastic to the bottom so the rollers would have a nice surface to ride on. One roller was actually cocked abut ½, fixed that too. I used the same #10 screws and 3M 90 adhesive this time. The 3M 90 is rated for UHMW. The trick to gluing UHMW is to play a torch over the surface before applying the glue, it oxides the surface and makes the glue bond better. Another trick it to heat the UHMW so it expands then apply it hot, this helps prevent it from deforming in the future. I glued the UHMW because I did not want it sagging in the future since its pretty wide. Someday, I may have to add a few countersunk screws in the middle; we’ll wait and see how it holds up.

The trim was reinstalled with new screws, in some cases I was able to use the same holes, but new holes had to be drilled for the ones that were broke off and still stuck in the aluminum frame, these were ground down flush with the frame. It was just about impossible to get the old screws out without buggering up the frame, so they were just left in place. I sealed the trim with Lexel clear sealer and black Eternalbond. I also drilled two weep holes in the bottom of the aluminum sheet, just in case.

I used zinc plated steel screws for everything, as most stainless screws, 410 especially, is not recommended for aluminum as they react with each other in wet environments.
We attempted to readjust the slide so it’s tilted down a bit towards the outside when extended and replaced all the seals and topper as well. There's really no adjustment. It turned out the top bulb seal was leaking a bit when the slide was closed, water ran across to the front of the slide and down the cavity between the wiper seal and bulb seal, eventually making its way back in at the trim where the tape was broken, you can see the tape in one of the pictures.

The slide moves as smooth as silk now! No crunching or other strange noises. The only nit is that we may have to dry the bottom on cool mornings to remove any condensation before retracting the slide.

Stay tuned, up next is the big side, it needs the wear strips replaced and the fabric is torn on the bottom. Have no idea yet what I’m going to do with this slide.
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Old 04-04-2022, 01:21 PM   #2
Tonyf
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Last few pics
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Old 04-11-2022, 10:40 AM   #3
pwerwagn
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Dang! Thats an awesome repair, looks great man!
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Old 04-16-2022, 10:49 AM   #4
hossross
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Thanks for the information. I just posted a very similar repair that I did last year. I didn't find the GS video on posts, but figured it out for myself. I C -clamped my wooden posts to the slide box, how did you temporarily attach these posts. I also found the same type construction of the "box bottom". Interestingly the aluminum beams that are part of the floor was not where the support roller was placed. I could not figure how to remove the " decorative trim/slide stop pieces from the inside perimeter of the slide out. How are these trim boards attached to the slide box? And how did you replace them if glued and pin nailed on? I also think the seal supports is angle aluminum that is screwed into the slide box. If I could have figured it out, I would have built a support and maybe even laid the box down to work on the bottom. My method of inside and outside was very slow as I am retired and was working by myself. So an inside person to help guide and position the aluminum sheet would have helped. I was trying to slide the aluminum between the floor and the wrapped carpeting edge. I later choose to put the aluminum on top of the wrapped carpet edge just because the staples were always blocking the sheet from sliding in to the floor edge and impossible for 1 person to guide and pull from inside. Didn't adding the plastic run ways raise your slide up higher than designed or did you leave the 1/4 inch luan off? I put the 1/4 treated plywood in to replace most of the delaminated and deteriorated luan (my came out in pieces as you show on the ground also) just to get the box up to design height as I couldn't remove all the glued material to get a clean flat surface The extra 1/8 inch of aluminum thickness
I decided was insignificant and used it to bridge the gap between the old and new luan/plywood. It was a big gap too as the old luan tears off in chunks, not pretty and certainly not straight. Anyway I appreciate your information, would like to hear the answers to my questions, and wanted to let others know we had very similar approaches and used a large sheet of 6061 Aluminum for the repair, so maybe this makes it a "validated repair".
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Old 04-16-2022, 09:32 PM   #5
Tonyf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hossross View Post
Thanks for the information. I just posted a very similar repair that I did last year. I didn't find the GS video on posts, but figured it out for myself. I C -clamped my wooden posts to the slide box, how did you temporarily attach these posts. I also found the same type construction of the "box bottom". Interestingly the aluminum beams that are part of the floor was not where the support roller was placed. I could not figure how to remove the " decorative trim/slide stop pieces from the inside perimeter of the slide out. How are these trim boards attached to the slide box? And how did you replace them if glued and pin nailed on? I also think the seal supports is angle aluminum that is screwed into the slide box. If I could have figured it out, I would have built a support and maybe even laid the box down to work on the bottom. My method of inside and outside was very slow as I am retired and was working by myself. So an inside person to help guide and position the aluminum sheet would have helped. I was trying to slide the aluminum between the floor and the wrapped carpeting edge. I later choose to put the aluminum on top of the wrapped carpet edge just because the staples were always blocking the sheet from sliding in to the floor edge and impossible for 1 person to guide and pull from inside. Didn't adding the plastic run ways raise your slide up higher than designed or did you leave the 1/4 inch luan off? I put the 1/4 treated plywood in to replace most of the delaminated and deteriorated luan (my came out in pieces as you show on the ground also) just to get the box up to design height as I couldn't remove all the glued material to get a clean flat surface The extra 1/8 inch of aluminum thickness
I decided was insignificant and used it to bridge the gap between the old and new luan/plywood. It was a big gap too as the old luan tears off in chunks, not pretty and certainly not straight. Anyway I appreciate your information, would like to hear the answers to my questions, and wanted to let others know we had very similar approaches and used a large sheet of 6061 Aluminum for the repair, so maybe this makes it a "validated repair".
Heres' the GS video that motioned the stilts. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...EAD2C9274A45B8


The stilts use the same holes as the slide side trim, just longer screws. The tech talks about "wallowing out" the holes in the stilts to get them to align with the holes in the trim. The decorative pieces just pry off, no glue, just brad nails. I cut the nails off and reattached the trim with new brads via an air nailer, then re-puttied the holes. In the top corner area, all the nails are hidden under the medallion, I did not want to risk damaging the medallion, so shot nails around it. I used a scraper and angle grinder with a sanding disk to remove the glue etc from the bottom, then cleared it with acetone. No Luan on the bottom for me, just the aluminum plate and UHMW, the bottom thickness remained about the same, its doubtful that 1/8 or even 1/4 would have made a huge difference. I pulled the carpet back and later reattached it to the bottom with screws. HTH.
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Old 04-17-2022, 09:33 AM   #6
hossross
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Thanks for the quick reply. I did find the video and watched after I asked you the question, so I know your reference now. I did like your drilling jig. Almost all my trim screws were rusted so bad they broke, but the amount of rust clearly said this was a long term water problem. I tried to get some of those 3 1/2 self drilling screws to refasten all on the bottom, but could find a source so as you probably did, drilled pilot hole and used commercially available fasteners. It was a learning experience.
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Old 07-08-2022, 02:32 AM   #7
Henry111
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Installing the Slide Topper took a pair of hours and was pretty easy. you wish a second pair of hands to guide the awning on the track, otherwise, it is a one-person operation. All the brackets, screws, and straps connecting the material to the camper were included. All you would like to feature may be a sealant where the mounts meet the slider and RV.
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