Cold air coming in on the bed side slide

hyall

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
146
Location
Davie
On the T40B, under the slide when out, centered where the mechanical track. There is a 4 inch opening either they forgot a flap seal or something else? But cold or hot air and light is coming thru the slots of the bed box into the rv is there a cure for this?

Russ
 
Russ, Is this situation when the slide is in? We had a light coming in spot on our's to the right of the bed near the floor. The exterior rubber flap had twisted in the track. Once the flap was pulled out the area was sealed up. Charlie
 
No -with slide out there's two tracks and tooth runner in the middle opened to the bed under the slide
 
Russ

I have noticed the same problem, most times you would not notice it but last spring we were at Glacier NP in Montana and the wind was howling. I could feel the air blowing in through that opening. What I did was stuff it with a rag, just don't forget it is there when you decide to bring the slide in.

A Hayes
 
Hi Art, and Hyall.

First, Art, drop me a note if you are ever back in the Glacier area. That is where I grew up and I know that area well.

My T-41D has a bedroom slide that moves the closet out. This model is the only one that had 2 slides instead of 3. The bed is Queen size, and faces forward, i.e. you can look out the windshield while sitting up in bed.

The seal around the slide let in air and water during brisk winds. I had to have the entire outer rubber flaps replaced, and the top two corners glued with the top overlapping the sides.

While everything was open, I ran a strip of heavy-duty foam w/foil backing around the slide, only 2" wide as any more shows when the slide is out.

My advice is to have someone with RV knowledge evaluate a way to seal the area. If you are under warranty, have the dealer do this.

Otherwise, one day you'll find water on your floor during a driving rain. That is not the time to fix this problem.
Safe Travels
Rick
 
Hi Rick

Last summer we worked camped at the St. Mary KOA just outside the park. This summer we will be working at Atlantic Oaks on Cape Cod, where we had lived for 20 years from 1977 to 1997. Looking forward to seeing old friends, and enjoying the sea food.
On our T-40A there are 2 slides in the bedroom, one for the closet and the other for the king size bed. It is the bed slide that has a geared bar in the middle and has a small space for air to enter the area under the bed. The winds in St. Mary got well over 70 MPH last May and that is when we felt the cold air entering. For two night in a row with the winds howling, we brought the slides in. This made the RV air tight and most important, it stopped the flapping noise of the slide awnings. We have found that a lot of people bring the slides in when the wind gets this high, which seems to be normal for St. Mary, Montana.

Art
 
Hi Art:
You are not kidding. Just outside of St Mary's, about 3 miles toward the town of Babb, is the only place in the nation where a train, engines and box cars, were blown over due to wind. Not hurricane, not tornado, just wind.

My T-41D (I've seen it listed as a T-42D, and a T-40D, but the identification sticker next to my driver's seat states T41) has only one bedroom slide.

One problem we had N1 (first year from new) was a leak from the bedroom slide during windy rain storms. The culprit was that the outside rubber flaps at the top and sides met is such a way as to leave a gap. Wind would blow rain through the small gaps and run down the slide onto the carpet.

The fix was to weatherstrip glue the two points together, then run a small screw through a black plastic fender washer on the outside, into a 1/4" plywood 1" square.
This has satisfactorily stopped the leak, as tested by several Pacific wind with driving rain storms.

But, I noticed that the entire underside of the slide lacked any rubber flap at all. I wondered about this, but since I had solved the leaking problem did not respond to the problem further.

My wife and I full time. We have 2 small dogs. Oregon rains from Sept to May pretty much every day. Thus, the original carpet required much cleaning. I got fed up and pulled all the carpet in the coach out and replaced it with laminate flooring.

Once the carpet came out of the bedroom, I again looked under the bedroom slide. The carpet provides the air & water barrier under the slide. The tip off was that the end of my carpet was starting to mold. Fortunately, with removal that ended the mold's home in my coach.

First, I purchased a roll of industrial strength, outdoor rated, foil backed rubber foam used to insulate pipes, ducts, vents. Found at Home depot. One side is sticky, and this sticks to almost any clean surface. Key word is clean. In the gap between inner and outer walls I applied the foam to seal against the rain and wind.

Then, I ran a strip of rubber, 4" wide and about 1/4" thick, made to seal slide rooms, across the bottom of the slide. It mounts in the recess beautifully and attaches with the black washers & small metal screws. I painted the screw heads black when finished and it looks professional.

I suspect you can do something similar to fix the air leak under your bed. My total cost was less than $40. You would think GS could provide this service for us, but my one year warranty is expired.

Glad you could make it to Montana Art. I have traveled the realms of MA, including the Cape. Nice area as well, although not right now.
Safe Travels
Rick
 
Thanks Rick

The day we drove from Great Fall to St. Mary was very windy, fortunately there was very little traffic and I had the whole road to myself and I needed it. After I arrived the owner questioned me about driving in those conditions and told me the story of the freight train cars. Only difference was that it occurred in Browning, south of St Mary. Never did see any RR tracks going to Babb.

Art
 
I wonder if that was last summer. Did you notice all the burned areas?
Anyway, will stop the chit chat here and get to forum topics.

Next time you are in Montana, on your way if you see a Cenex farm store, that is a great place to have your coach serviced. They do not charge an arm and leg. I had Cenex oil placed in my outfit (HD diesel oil that we use in our tractors, combines, etc).
They also changed the trans, diff, and lubed the chassis.

Do not forget you have an air dryer canister on the air brakes that needs changing. I guess at about 15000 I will change mine.

Safe travels Art
Rick
 

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