2017 version slide out - a River Runs Thru It?

Those of you with the 2017's with the new style slide out - have you had any adverse rain experience?  I did leave a message for the PC folks already.  Our days of sort of normal rain turned into some rounds where it was a real gully washer.  Ended up with completely soaked throw rugs in the bedroom of my 3100.  The gaskets on the sides of the slideout appear to be OK.  I could see water was gathering in the lower sill outside and was trying to feel what was there to stop water (the fake knees keep me from crawling around under there much).  Realized the obvious - where the rollers are, there is no seal in front of/under them.  I don't know if there is something behind them or how that would be done to make a continuous seal along the bottom.  It appears the water on the inside is coming out from under the dinette and then rounding the corner in the hallway.  I am not finding any wet spots in the walls etc of the slideout - so I figure it is just coming underneath.  Just curious if anyone else has had this with the new style mechanism. 

Castaplenty.....As I recall my 3100 (and the other models are the same) there really is not all that much to stop water from coming in at the corners if you had a very heavy rain like you are obviously having.  There is a bead of "goo" (Dycor product) that runs along the back of the slide tray that acts as a dam to keep water out. If the coach was tipped even slightly and the rain fall was significant it would be enough for the dam to be breached and intrusion into the coach would occur. It is not easy but you might want to run another bead on top of the current or merely check to see if there are any breaks in the current bead that may have let water pass thru or over?  Water where it is not suppose to be as it pertains to and  RV's is not a good mix so you do need to address the issue now before damage is done and you have a big bill for repairs.   best of luck.

Catsaplenty is the leak while the slide is in or out? 

Mine is completely tight when the slide is extended but leaks rather badly when driving in the rain.   I have a 2017 2552.  I have added caulk to a couple places that looked suspect and thought I had it fixed but it leaked again last week when we drove home in the rain.  Very frustrating as I'm sure it is a very small entry point but water runs out on the floor and soaks the rugs.  It also runs out across the top of the slide and drips down past the front trim and onto the sofa.

Never had an RV that the slide didn't leak some in a big downpour so for that and other reasons didn't get a slide this time and still had waterleaks.  The one from rain was due to lack of sealant at top of wing area and had caused minor damage to woodwork till was discovered during heavy rain and puddled on floor.  The other was total lack of glue to seal the water tank alternative fill hose to tank so would leak every time we filled tank but puddle was also near the shower so was missed for a while.
The answer is more and better quality control testing as people will make mistakes.   Auto companies used to extensively water test till installed robots to perform tasks requiring perfection as glass and body panel sealing.

As I am sure we all know water can travel a great distance in wall/roof panels before it shows its ugly head!  .   You have to determine if the leak is inside the box or outside (slide box I am referencing)?  I would be very suspicious about leaks occuring with the slide in...i would guess the leak is elsewhere and is merely showing up above the slide.   i would call Kermit or Bob and gettheir input as to where to start looking.   Do not let a water leak continue.

Agree with Bob (ragood) on getting to it soon... on the leak with the slide in -- can you see if the slide is not seating all the way when retracted? If not, there is a procedure for resetting the slide - check the manual, but usually its a matter of running it in & out 3 times.  If you're still under warranty, I'd give Phoenix a call & get it fixed.

jatrax - you are having one heck of a "break in".  I have not had mine out driving in the rain but hoping I don't have that also.  Mine was with the slide out.  Regular rain had not triggered the river but last night must have had rain that was too hard or blowing a different direction or something.  First I knew about it was stepping on the rug this morning. 

Kermit said he can't tell me anything unless he sees the leak.  Right now a trip to Indiana is not in the cards.  I know you don't have that option either.  Good luck locating the source of your water.  I will see what I can figure out with mine.

Make sure your rv is level when the slide is out. I actually try to park so that the rv is ever so slightly ( just a little ) lower on the drivers side than the passenger side, that encourages the water to drain back out of the lower pan toward the outside of the rv rather than the other way towards the center or inside of the coach. The lean or tilt is so minor it can't be seen  when looking at the coach or felt when inside it. I use a simple level gauge  on my cab dash that I calibrated with a carpenters level on the floor when I installed it.

Here is something to check. We were getting water into our 2016 2351 on the floor of the angle wall between the passenger cab door and the camper entry door. There is a thread on this way back. Others had the same problem and thoughts ranged from awning brackets, TV antenna, and a wire for awning lights. To make a long story short, I was passing thru Indiana so stopped at the PC factory. Bob came out and looked it over, caulked all the seams between cab and entry door which solved the problem. I just looked at mine and the drivers side is the same as the passenger side and if these seams are leaking: It could very well flow back to the slide area. Hopes this helps as we just ordered a 2552X with the new slide.

Mine was with the slide out.  Regular rain had not triggered the river but last night must have had rain that was too hard or blowing a different direction or something.  First I knew about it was stepping on the rug this morning. 

Leaking with the slide out indicates either the coach is not quite level, letting water build up against the seal or that the slide is slightly out of alignment leaving a gap at the seal or not quite all the way out.  One thing  I did not understand at first is that opening the slide part way is a bad idea, from a leak perspective, as neither of the seals can function in that position.

The slide is self-aligning, there is a section in the manual about it.  Basically you run the slide all the way out, holding the switch in the 'out' position until the slide stops itself.  Then run it all the way in, again do not let go of the switch until the slide stops by itself.  Repeat this three or four times and the motors are supposed to re-align themselves.

My leak is only with the slide in and driving in heavy rain.  It will be difficult to find because repeating the circumstances that cause it require both a heavy rain and me driving in it.  All I can do is caulk one thing and re-test.  I'm thinking to maybe get outside with a garden hose and try spraying the rig with that to see if I can force water in but I'm not sure that is a valid test.

@ron-n-toni I'll check that, I had not considered that seam.  The water seems to run out onto the top of the slide from the leading edge.  Then as we go around curves or up hills the water moves around.  I have spoken to Kermit and he basically said what I'm seeing cannot happen because the top of the slide is sloped to prevent it.  So I think it is a combination of rain and driving on curving roads producing a result that might not be seen when stationary.

@catsaplenty, yes I think my break-in has been a little rougher than I expected.  After hearing all about the great quality Phoenix has, I am a little disappointed in the number of issues I have had with my rig so far.  Not disappointed with the rig itself, or with the response from the factory.  They have fixed everything I have brought to their attention, (well except the slide leak and air conditioning).  But a lot of my items should have been done right the first time.  I suspect my rig was on the line during holiday break and things got missed when they came back, but who knows.  On the bright side I know far more about the rig than most owners after going through all the fixes:)

jatrax, I am sorry you have gone through all this misery.  When you spend this much for something and are as dedicated to defining what you wanted as you have been, it must be disappointing.....very disappointing.  

I am sorry to say this, but I suspect virtually all rv manufacturers are doing well right now business wise and so things get a bit more rushed than when business is a little slower.   Same thing for the sub assembly and parts such as refrigerators, shades,  heaters, air, etc.  

I love to go to rv shows and kick tires.  I notice a distinct decline in quality of assembly and parts over the last couple of years in virtually all manufacturers.  Those old rigs were built like tanks but now......different story.   Less is more is also a factor often for quality.   I feel lucky that I can do all my own maintenance and upkeep on the rig itself, but I won't touch the chassis stuff.   That is the local garage down the street.  I just don't have the knowledge base and know it.  

We have had few problems with our 2013 and are very pleased with its quality.   We had a 2007 Roadtrek 210P Class  B prior to this PC and the RT was a study in how to build something right.  If you could have put wings on it you would have been comfortable at 250 knots and 10,000 feet.   I looked at the new Roadtreks recently.  No comparison in quality of construction and finite finish compared to our old 2007.   Phoenix has a real advantage in that they are owned by the folks that run the joint and are extremely responsive.  Roadtrek, like many, has been flipped three times in the last few years...from the family that started it in the 70s and ran it through about 2010.   Now, it is owned by a European RV manufacturer.   After being flipped by a couple of "private equity" groups.  

Hang in there.  I bet you have identified virtually all the bugs.

And catsaplenty shouldn't have to have a leak in the slide.  I tilt our rig a bit so that the shower drains better.  That is the opposite of the tilt needed to keep water out of the slide apparently.  So far, our slide has been water good whether extended or retracted.  I do service it every spring to just make sure it hopefully stays that way.

Paul

Paul - YES the shower!  First shower I was like - how could the drain NOT be the low point in the tray - it isn't like it moves around.    I have my list going for when I do get a chance to go back through Indiana.  The more you use it, or in my case try to move into it, the more I find.  I noticed while I was over at PC for pick up that they had a help wanted sign so I guess new blood is joining the line.

Just returned from our first rain trip in our 2017 2552 and the river did run through it.  We'll be going back to Indiana to hopefully get this and several other things fixed.

sorry to hear it.  Not sure when I will get back to Elkhart.  please let me know what you find out.

We have 2016 2710T. And picked it up at Elkhart at the factory in late July last year and went to the nearby RV Park... Had a big storm that night and the dinette slide leaked so much the dogs crate mat was dripping wet and no less the dog too was bit wet got up from her sleep and hopped on the sofa. What a mess to clean up and try to dry out... Nothing has ever been done... And  it did not seem a problem  at the plant. Someone did get on a ladder and look but no telling where the water flowed from. Maybe I was too calm....We have some kind of AC problem with front air unit, may be thermostat since it will come on for a while go off and right back on. And something is making black marks on the wood floor by one of the dinette drawers.. It is obviously from some kind of roller unit under the slide but not visible by us... Who don't move too freely to get under anything... Wipe it up and it reappears right off. Like something black is rubbing and kind of digging into the floor.... Jim has asked them for OK to return for their expertise. Have never had a slide leak in the class A's.  UPDATE. Arrived in Elkhart Friday afternoon went to Elkhart campground a nice place near the plant and overnight a big heavy rain and this time the leak is near the exit door at the other side of the dinette. No telling where it came in. entry rug soaked well sun night the rug is finally dry and can go back in place forecast for more rain so slide will go in soon. We will be at plant early as we can..We can hope. have a typed list so no forgetting anything. We pray. PWS