Schwintek slide rail leaks to slide underside.

[Superduty]

Hi Steve,

The underside of the slide(s) is covered with a membrane. I have some wear on my larger slides revealing OSB. No wear through on the bedroom closet slide, but I would expect it to be OSB too.

Rob

Thanks Rob. I know it does not have a membrane or a coating on the board. I think I will try some Thompson Water Stain next spring. It can’t hurt. Be safe on your travel south shortly.

[Beachcamper]

Rob, your 303 bedroom slide has a coating and does not look like mine? Wonder why GD stopped putting waterproof membrane or coating on these? I have sent question to customer service on the foam plugs and trying to get more guidance from them on this issue. Steve, I will ask them about rolling on some Thompson’s water seal on that OSB. Will let you know what they say. My plan is to get water to stop wicking onto underside board. I will be taking my rig up to them next October and have them check everything. But meanwhile, want to mitigate any damage.

[Superduty]

Rob, your 303 bedroom slide has a coating and does not look like mine? Wonder why GD stopped putting waterproof membrane or coating on these? I have sent question to customer service on the foam plugs and trying to get more guidance from them on this issue. Steve, I will ask them about rolling on some Thompson’s water seal on that OSB. Will let you know what they say. My plan is to get water to stop wicking onto underside board. I will be taking my rig up to them next October and have them check everything. But meanwhile, want to mitigate any damage.

Cate&Rob Vivian, Rob,
The board on our 18 303, is a OSB board, but it has sometype of a coating on it. I can see the board/coating when my slide is in travel position.

Vivian, we do need to know if the coating is "waterproof". I suspect it is, but when in doubt, ask. So if you get this information, that would be great.
I will do some more looking around this weekend, and pictures. Too cold today, barely 37 out there.

[Country Campers]

Our bedroom slide had a painted coating of gray , I think is the color. The only issue with adding a sealer to the viewed surface is the edge that is covered by the aluminum trim is probably saw cut to size and may not have any coating or paint on it. This would allow any water that gets behind the aluminum trim or any where that could get to the end of the OSB to penetrate into the wood . If water penetrates the end then this could actually cause the staining of the wood or painted/sealed viewable surface.

Brian

[Superduty]

Our bedroom slide had a painted coating of gray , I think is the color. The only issue with adding a sealer to the viewed surface is the edge that is covered by the aluminum trim is probably saw cut to size and may not have any coating or paint on it. This would allow any water that gets behind the aluminum trim or any where that could get to the end of the OSB to penetrate into the wood . If water penetrates the end then this could actually cause the staining of the wood or painted/sealed viewable surface.

Brian

Brian,
My board under the slide is the same with the gray coating. I think the gray coating is some type of weather or water seal. Maybe GD will let Vivian or us know exactly what the Gray Coating is.
I haven’t seen any water leaks on my slide like Vivian has, but to be honest I’ve never really look after a hard rain.

[Beachcamper]

Steve, next time you are in a torrential or all day rain event, check the bedroom slide bottom. It dries after a day but you still would see water marks like on mine. If you don’t see water marks, it’s good. I did ask about using foam plugs after the fact and if I could add them myself. My contact at GD won’t be back in until Monday so will ask about the waterproofing then. Or maybe one of the moderators could summon someone from the factory to clarify if the OSB is waterproof and on what models. If we should add sealer on 2018 303 because mine is not gray and looks like Masonite board brown.

About the foam plugs:

”The foam plugs after the fact will be tricky as you have to pull the rails. But if you have silicone at the ends, that should do the same thing. You may be able to add a little more silicone to take it a little further out, maybe about another ½”. That may help.”

[Beachcamper]

I got a reply from Dewayne in customer service. I had asked if the material used on the bottom of my bedroom slide was waterproof:

“It is a anti-wicking waterproof coating. I do not think it is Masonite”

I still don’t know what the material is but will not use the Thompson’s on it. Mainly because I won’t be able to treat under the slide out edge and fear that will become an issue with water staying under that edge. He did say to open that weep hole, might be the issue.

[Superduty]

[QUOTE=Beachcamper;n33614]I got a reply from Dewayne in customer service.

“It is a anti-wicking waterproof coating. I do not think it is Masonite”

Hi Vivian,
Never heard of “anti-wicking waterproof coating. Guess it’s time to hit the internet and look this up. I will not add anything to the under side of the slide either, since this is a type of waterproof sealer.

This weekend as it will be close to 70 up north here, I will snap more pictures of my rails. I do not see any weeps holes on my rails. But the top of the rails (all 4) have silicone from one end to the other.

[Beachcamper]

[QUOTE=Superduty;n33991]

I got a reply from Dewayne in customer service.

“It is a anti-wicking waterproof coating. I do not think it is Masonite”

Hi Vivian,
Never heard of “anti-wicking waterproof coating. Guess it’s time to hit the internet and look this up. I will not add anything to the under side of the slide either, since this is a type of waterproof sealer.

This weekend as it will be close to 70 up north here, I will snap more pictures of my rails. I do not see any weeps holes on my rails. But the top of the rails (all 4) have silicone from one end to the other.

Steve, experiment is working. We have had lots of rain today and wind even getting ready to head north as a hurricane or tropical storm is due to visit us. So after a day of rain, I have no more wet spots on the bottom of the slide, just by opening up the weep hole and removing silicone at edge where rail contacts the fascia. You don’t have the weep hole because they cut your rail where thar hole is. I prefer your rail installation, water runs out and does not collect in rail and soak slide bottom.

[Superduty]

[QUOTE=Beachcamper;n33993][QUOTE=Superduty;n33991]

Steve, experiment is working. We have had lots of rain today and wind even getting ready to head north as a hurricane or tropical storm is due to visit us. So after a day of rain, I have no more wet spots on the bottom of the slide, just by opening up the weep hole and removing silicone at edge where rail contacts the fascia. You don’t have the weep hole because they cut your rail where thar hole is. I prefer your rail installation, water runs out and does not collect in rail and soak slide bottom.

Vivian, that is great news on no wet spots.
But to have water getting under the rails. I wonder if you silicone a bead the entire length of each rail, if you would need weep holes?

Be safe heading north.

[Beachcamper]

[QUOTE=Superduty;n33998][QUOTE=Beachcamper;n33993]

Steve, experiment is working. We have had lots of rain today and wind even getting ready to head north as a hurricane or tropical storm is due to visit us. So after a day of rain, I have no more wet spots on the bottom of the slide, just by opening up the weep hole and removing silicone at edge where rail contacts the fascia. You don’t have the weep hole because they cut your rail where thar hole is. I prefer your rail installation, water runs out and does not collect in rail and soak slide bottom.

Vivian, that is great news on no wet spots.
But to have water getting under the rails. I wonder if you silicone a bead the entire length of each rail, if you would need weep holes?

Be safe heading north.

I siliconed all along the top of rail, I removed screws and siliconed in the holes and reattached. So water is not going into through the top and area where screws penetrate is sealed. I think water gets in through the actual track so having open ends or a weep hole is good. The track end to interior either needs some kind of foam block as specified or as in your case, cut it off before enters the interior.

I will take this to GD next summer and have them look at rail install. But meanwhile, I am mitigating more damage.