RV Slide Water Damage repaired with Duo Form Skis (RV Living) 4K
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- Опубликовано: 16 май 2024
- One of the drawbacks of living and traveling full time in an RV is when a repair needs to be done. Luckily, Larry is quite handy (he loves DIY projects) and does a ton of research. This time we had two out of three of our fifth wheel slides get water damage.
Where do you do a serious RV repair like water damage and slide out issues? What tools and supplies do you need? Do you need to call a mobile rv repair or take it to the RV manufacturer?
This video shows how to install an Duo Form Slide Ski to the bottoms of the slide to protect the slide from water damage and the RV floor from being marked by the slide going in and out. ; the bedroom slide was a small leak under the slide mechanism and was mostly just finding the leak and caulking). As Larry does, he goes through step by step how to do the RV repair on the slide and all the tools and materials he used (see link below for a list)
Link to a Blog Post About the Installation
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Parts and Supplies List 🛒
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:58 Jack up Slide
4:25 Trim & Test Fit
7:21 Apply Tape
8:40 Final Trim
10:01 Install Ski
11:41 Prepare Bracket
12:32 Screw Bracket
13:53 ProFlex Sealant
1813: Conclusion
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Check out the accompanying Blog Post downsizingmakescents.com/rv-slide-repair-with-duo-form-skis/
That was one of the most detailed, informative repair videos we have ever seen! Great job Larry. This is just another reason why we love your channel 👍😃
Wow. Thank you so much.
Larry does his best to put in all the info he needed to do the job but try to keep in not too long.
Thanks again for being there for us 🤗
Alice
Although I've inspected my rig and didn't find any problem I did watch the entire video. I enjoy Larry's professionalism and attention to detail. Thanks DMC
And we appreciate the watch and comment.
Loyal viewers like you are so appreciated 🤗
Alice
Outstanding video and detail of installation. Now if I have the nerve to do it!
Thank you so much.
I was a bit nervous Larry tackling a slide. Jacking on the slide 😳
Just take your time 👍
Alice
Bro, you are hired! Man; nobody is as thorough as you my friend. Great job! Better than the factory, not kidding.
Thank you for the compliment. I watch a lot of youtube videos before i tackle a project and I always want more detail in DIY projects like this. It makes the video long but people can skip the sections they dont need using the chapters. Thanks again for your encouragement. Larry
I have this same problem on our 33" Puma and was not sure how I was going to repair it, now I know. Thank you very much for this informative video.
Jeff, glad we could help.
And thank you for the comment. It lets us know to keep making videos like this.
Let us know how your repair goes,
Alice
Larry, as always, did an excellent job.
Thanks. I admit, slide work makes me nervous. But Larry does so much research before he starts, how can it not be better than the day we bought it,
Alice
Nice job! Fixed it just like a pro would. Love to see people working on their own rigs too!
Thank you. And can you imagine the money we saved? Plus, no way we could get it in and out in a day if we took it somewhere to fix
Alice
Another complete and thorough project we all need to do. Thank you Larry.
John, hopefully now when we do the other slide outs, it will be even quicker. We plan on replacing all the skis.
Thanks for always coming by and talking to us 🤗
Alice
Really well done video! Thanks for helping other DIY folks do the job right the first time.
Glad we could help. Feel free to ask any questions 🤗
What a great repair and video. Larry, you have a true talent for both repair and videos. Thanks for sharing those talents with the rest of us!
Thanks, Thomas, he really is great at this stuff.
Great video, thanks for sharing the complete process.
Allen, we hope this helps other RVers perhaps decide they can do it themselves and save money.
Thanks for coming by and letting us know how much you liked it,
Alice
Looks very professional good job
Thank you. That’s quite a compliment
Thank you so much for such an informative yet concise video. Will definitely be watching more of your videos.
Glad it was helpful! 🤗
Thank you Larry and Alice for doing a DIY video on fixing your leak. Great job! Larry you are quite the handyman. Great job!👍
Now your home is all good for the holidays and more. Hope you have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!🦃
Thanks, Sherri. I am very lucky he’s so handy and inventive.
Yes. I was a bit worried about getting it ready for the holidays.
Have a great Turkey 🦃 Day 🤗
Alice
Larry - I love your DIY videos! You provide so much detail and demonstrate everything in such a clear way that's really useful for someone doing their own or who"s just interested in seeing what's involved in a particular repair. I wish I was as handy as you, but being able to watch your videos is maybe the next best thing. 😁 Safe travels and all the best to you and Alice.
We really appreciate the compliment- Larry really loves making these type of videos. And we hope to always help other RVers.
It takes a lot of trial and error - not every fix goes well. Try some small DIYs and work your way up. You would be surprised what you could accomplish,
Alice
Excellent video
Thank you. Larry enjoys DIY videos the most.
Since his diagnosis of MOGAD - related to MS - he hasn’t been able to make as many videos or like he used to 🤗
Great job, looks great I’ll save this video to my favorites . Larry you’re doing a great job , nice and slow and not in a hurry so you won’t make a mistakes.
Thank you so much. I was nervous about Larry fixing a slide issue on his own, but I should know better.
He does his best in his DIY videos to be thorough, but concise - not always easy to do.
We hope this helps others feel more confident and save money doing a DIY 🤗
@@DownsizingMakesCents I found out early in my RV adventure that started in 2016 with a 2016 Coachman 17’ Travel trailer, U have 2 choices - one take it to the dealer in which I did and wait and wait and then wait some more till you’re old and gray or start learning how to repair your unit, so after a couple of times and bad repairers I started to fix my own and with the aid of folks like y’all, I have been doing just that. We have moved up to a 2021 Grand design Reflection 303 LRS and we love it our first fifth wheel.
This is the best slide video Ive been able to find on youtube - its very detailed and shows me how exactly how to do what I was think Thanks Lary
Thank you. Glad you found it.
Larry tries to be thorough but concise
Really detailed, thanks
Glad we could help
Thanks watched a ton of videos and yours aced it. Really appreciate the video. Thanks
Wow. Thanks for the compliment.
Larry works hard to try to make it concise but thorough
Great repair and another great video. Thanks Larry.
Really appreciate the continued support 🤗
Thank you for this video- very informative and easy to understand. You’ve really got a gift for clear instructions!
Thank you. That’s such a great compliment to read.
Larry tries his best to show everything he thinks a DIYer needs to know 🤗
Another great video with terrific information to save for future reference. The safety tip to block the slide up inside to at least the thickness of his hand was golden advice! Thank you 👍🏼😎
Rick, we always appreciate your feedback.
We have Larry Lessons and now “Larryized” from another viewer 🤣
Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents Great minds…👍🏼😎
Larry is amazing at doing these 'how to' videos! We know how to make most of the repairs to our stick built house but still have a lot to learn on RV repairs. We absolutely want to be prepared when we get on the road. Keep these 'how to' videos coming Larry 👍
Jenna, you are so right. S & B is different. But Larry does a great deal of research and loves to help others.
Thanks for the compliment- it keeps us going,
Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents you two are one of our favorite RV couple's and always enjoy your videos 😀👍
Great Video, I need to do this to my RV.
Unfortunately, it’s all too common
Great video. Very thorough and informative on the process and products used.
Thank you. Larry tries his best to be thorough but concise
Great work ! Well planned out and explained I wish manufacturer would build rv’s with your commitment! 👍👍
Thanks Andre, when you buy an RV you got to expect spending the first couple years fixing all the problems that the RV manufactures created because of poor design or construction. Larry
Excellent video. Thanks. Travel safe.
Thanks Bob, I appreciate it. Larry
Nice, I have never looked there. I will now. Thanks. Love your videos
this is a particularly weak area for most travel trailer and fifth wheel slides. Periodic examination of this area under the slides would be a great idea to avoid what we went through. Larry
Great video
Great Teaching Video! Thanks for Sharing your Knowledge with us!
Larry did a lot of research so he wanted to share it, hoping others won’t be afraid to tackle a job like this 🤗
Very detailed information...Kudos' to you.
Thanks. Hope it helps
That is very well done repair job and documentation of said job. I need to check my slides to make sure I don’t have any damage
We appreciate the compliment.
We plan on checking the caulk on all the slides and will replace more skis in the future.
Glad we could help,
Alice
I've helped so many 5th wheel owners with their slides in parks over the years. This includes brand new ones on their first trip. They all seem to be designed to fail at some point - some earlier rather than later. Nice job on the repair. I am sure those out there with slides will appreciate this video to reference.
It is ridiculous how many slide issues there are - we slept with our bedroom slide pulled in when we first went full time.
The community is great because of people like you 🤗
Great video - THX
We appreciate it. And we hope this helps others,
Alice
Thank you so much. We just found rotten and molded wood in our master bedroom slide out. This is going to help greatly!
Sorry to hear that. Finding mold really worried me. But Larry was confident he could fix it.
Let us know how it goes. Or if you have any questions- Larry’s illness will mean I’ll have to answer for him, but I’ll do my best 🤗
If I found this on one of my slides, I would have freaked out. But because you shared this step by step repair, I feel like my husband and I could tackle this. Thanks for sharing.
I know what you mean. I was freaking out. But Larry was very confident- like he is with all his projects.
We hope this doesn’t happen to you, but yes it’s not as bad as you may think
Alice
Thank you Larry, this was a very detailed and informative video!! Hi Alice🤗
Hey, Lisa. Larry is great at these DIYs.
Thanks,
Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents Have a super Thanksgiving with your boys!!
Great job on the repair. I'm still in a S&B so I have all of those kinds of tools and sealants and solvents. But after watching this, I need to rethink some of what I'm carrying. Especially since we have an older smaller rig. We're thinking seriously about selling and traveling for a couple of years, but because of the cost and availability of trucks, we're staying with our current rig for now. Thanks for the great detail. We'll done, you do nice work.
We still have a storage unit where i kept a lot of the tools and supplies for our old S&B, every once in a while i pull something out of storage when we are near it. I could have used my caulk remover tools for this job, but the razor blade worked fine. Truck prices are crazy right now, going way over MSRP, you are smart to wait until this craziness ends. Larry
I'm about to tackle this job when the weather cooperates in a couple days. Love this video. Very informative. I learned about a few items that I didn't know existed. I would want the extra protection as well. Mine has a little water damage to the wood. Made my shopping list. Yay. I'm excited to try this.
Glad we can help. Let us know if you have any issues. Though Larry’s illness means he can’t he’ll much, but I might be able to get some answers from him.
Let us know how it goes 🤗
@@DownsizingMakesCents that you so much for responding. I'm so sorry for his illness. I wish you both strength and healing during this time. Take care. Just know, this RVer cares ❤
WoW! Amazing repairs Larry ! Hope you guys are doing good! Carole and André 🇨🇦🤗
Hey Carole and Andre 👋 I admit I was worried. The combo of water damage and in a slide? 😬But I should have known Larry could handle it 😉
Thanks for your visit. We had a great time in Canada and still have lots of video to show,
Alice
@@DownsizingMakesCents can’t wait to see them!
Nicely done 👍 greetings from Poland 🤗👋
Thanks. Hello from Florida.
Glad we could help,
Alice
You did a nice job on the repair. I am glad I don't have slides. Glad to see you are south in the warm weather. Its cold up here in PA.
Scott, I’m not sure we will camp in PA again - still finding stink bugs 😆. But yes we had a hot day today.
Thanks for the compliment. Slides are a pain, but as full time travelers, we like the room. Plus Larry seems to be able to fix anything 😉
Alice
We had same type of issue. We had a service tech from highland ridge fix ours. This video was great. If I had seen this before I could have fixed it myself. Recently we had a slide motor and gearbox go out. I watched the service tech fix it. About 2 weeks later the other slide motor and gearbox went out. This one I was able to fix myself. You have great diy videos, keep up the good work. Thank you
Hey Jeff, thanks for the compliments. I love to watch pros work and pick up on tips, whether they are working on our rig or someone else's. Sometimes the techs love to talk while they are working and I pick their brain. These days its very difficult to get your rig worked on at a shop, which is why it is important to learn the skills to DIY. Thanks again for the nice comment. Larry
Nice job! Better than the pros. Glad the FL weather cooperated for you.
Today we got our first rain to test out the repair, now the water is going where it should. Thanks for the encouraging words. Larry
Awesome! Very same thing happened to me.. I'm hoping and praying I can do as good of a job.. thank you Sir 😉
Thank you. Let me know if you have any questions 🤗
Hoping y'all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving with your family. Larry, I will be using your great idea tomorrow to flush out my water heater tank. Thanks again for sharing that idea!
Thanks. Our kids are coming to our campsite - cooking our first Thanksgiving meal in the RV.
Let us know how the “Larryized” version works out.
Happy Turkey,
Alice
Same problem installing mine this weekend
It is a weak spot on lots of slides out there, a little water can do a lot of damage. Good luck on yours. Larry
Nice job, thanks so much for your video. GD 398M with similar issue on same slide out similar location. This 2019 model has the ~ 9’ slide carried on rollers at 4’ O.C. Water damage at the most inward portion end wall of the ¾” plywood. Plywood crushed downward about ¾”-I also noticed the slide bowed downward while looking across the bottom of the slide nearest the inward portion-both ends. I had some metal pieces customized to carry the weight out across the floor. Going from memory since I am a tad too busy to look at notes :- ) : 2 @ 3/16” metal plate bent L shape @ 89.5 degrees 3” H x 20” W x 30” long bolted to the floor. 2x2” ¼” wall radius corner aluminum tube as a stud with cap welded on top at the most inward corner on the inside of the slide. ~ 3” H x 3” W x 39” L 24G brown sheet metal for the ceiling and a 2 W x 6 L” 3/16” piece of metal on top of the stud bolted to the slide framing-maybe didn’t need that. The stud is held in place with ¼” x 3” screws going through the outside of the slide with stacks of 3 washers smaller to bigger-that is carrying the roof and end wall weight to the 3/16” metal plate. Those are not visible when the slide is out. There is no bow in the bottom of slide now. I need to add slide skis, which led me to your video. If I had to do over would do a few things different :- )
THanks for sharing your project here. I think you need to make a video, telling the things you would do different. But sounds like you have it under control. Larry
Excellent job Larry. I have had similar problems on my 2018 Reflection. Some of the screws in one metal strip rusted and broke before the cracks in the plastic started on each side of my kitchen table slide. I couldn't get the all of the broken screws out so had to drill other holes in the metal. I stuck Eternabond tape over the cracks for a temporary fix and its worked fine for now. I was able to get a 10' length of metal strip (white) from a local RV dealer and have the Duo plastic skis ready for a permanent fix. I painted the metal with spray paint and will use some of your methods for a permanent repair next year. Thank you.
That sounds like a great solution until you can get some skis. I saw a video from one of my favorite RV youtubers, Love your RV ruclips.net/user/LoveYourRVonGPLUS, he also used some aluminum corner iron, to do his repair. Thank you for the compliments, I really appreciate it. larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents I bought 4 skis from DUO and have installed 1 under one side of the kitchen slide as the screws were not broke. Will use some of Larry's techs.
nice video!
Thanks. I was a bit skeptical at first, Larry working on a slide.
I shouldn’t have doubted him.
Hope it helps other RVers tackle it 🤗
@@DownsizingMakesCents I am going to attempt this repair this coming 4th of July weekend.
I have seen others use staples on the skis. Otherwise very good video job~ Better than most~
I didnt want to staple the skis and create holes, but if i had a staple gun i would have stapled under the bracket. Larry
Well done, I seem to have the same issue with possibly 2/3 slides, on a Flagstaff Front living, with 4 slides, stay tuened, I am going to attempt to start with my first slide/corner... This will be some work but it really looks like a solution...
After you have a problem like this and fix it, you end up making it better than factory original, but you got to keep an eye on all your bottom. Slide corners to make sure there is not any water intrusion. Larry
I have had to replace the slide skis on our slide room as well. I also used the DUO slide skis. The only issue I have with how you did the repair is how you sealed the bracket when you put it back on the slide room. I agree with the double layers of butyl tape as well as running a bead of pro flex across the top of the bracket, however I don't agree with running a bead across the bottom of the bracket. The reason is that if any water does make it behind the bracket and past the butyl it is now trapped and can't escape. The general rule I have been told and always follow is that you never completely seal the bottom as you always want to leave an escape path for water should it ever makes it way past all of the sealant.
The only other thing that you may have wanted to do which I had to do on a previous rig that had some water damage to the slide room floor edge was to drill a series of holes into the soft area of the slide floor. Then use a two part epoxy that is designed to harden up areas of wood rot and force it into the holes and the edge of the slide floor where it is soft. Let dry for 24 hours then put everything back together. I did this on a previous unit and the floor was still rock solid and held the screws 7 years later when I sold the rig. This is something you might want to consider if you every have to replace the ski again.
Well Bill, it looks like it would have been handy to have you around when i did this repair, you have a lot of great ideas and tips. I agree its not a great idea to seal the bottom of the bracket, just like you said not where for water to go. I thought about injecting some epoxy into the wood to firm it up but, except for the edge the wood felt very solid. I dried it very thoughly with a heater for a couple of days, after i got all the water out it felt good enough to leave alone. Someone else recommended a product designed for treating rotten. Wood on boats, I will probably try something like that if i have anymore rotten floors. Thanks again for sharing your tips and experience. Larry
Excellent detailed video. My only suggestion would be to put sealant on the screws prior to installation into the wood flooring. Unfortunately I have the exact problem along with slide out seals needing replacement.
Hey Vincent, that’s a great Idea about sealant on the screws to provide extra protection, I will try to remember to do that the next time I have any exterior repair where water is an issue. Thanks Larry
Don't have any slides but had to watch simply because it was so well done! Excellent audio, talent and edits. Bravo! On a related note, our recently purchased little travel trailer had lost it's external water barrier on the underside. After cleaning, I used Flexseal on a roller and paintbrush to seal. Seems to work. Have you ever had occasion to work with it?
I use the roller on all applications to press down tape to insure best contact, even n duct tape. Etermabond must use roller. Lar
About to tackle this on my GD310GK. PArticl board not rotted just swollen at the edges a quarter inch(bowed downward)...I am drying out and will sand it a quarter inch down and perform exact repair as you did....dealer wanted $4500 for whole floor repkacement and said not rot, but wood layers are separting and will get worse,,,,I'll take my chances and give this a go...thank you for the video.
It is a very doable project, even if you have to replace a large section of the floor. I was going to eventually put a new 1/2 inch sheet over the whole slide floor to strengthen it and just cut out the really bad sections below. This rig eventually got totaled this year because of a bent frame boondocking in Montana, we have a new one now, but not i really inspect the slide skis regularly to make sure there is no water intrusion, if there is water i will address it much quicker than I did last time. Good luck with the project, reach out if you have any questions. larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents I was thinking of replacing wood, but will try this first. I have very minimal separation on edges and no rot...but it is bowed in center a lil.. .Just sanded down bowed part a quarter inch and put sealer. Putting ski's on tomorrow. Both sides need to be done,. Will let you know how she turns out. All the best to you.
Nice job Larry. Only if rvs would come from the factory that way. Oh and I am terrible at caulking. Bob
Bob, like I told someone else, if Larry built it, there wouldn’t be any problems.
Larry has lots of experience with caulking. Just practice.
Alice
Excellent video and step-by- step instructions in the comments section. I want to install these skies on my 2012 Surveyor - SV302. Can I jack my trailer the same way as Larry, with the 1-2 minimum restriction followed? Does the retraction assembly have to be disconnected first? Greatly appreciate any advice.
Most slides you can Jack up similar to ours. Just do it as little as possible - like an inch to get slide in
So like yours my ski is kinda bowing and not flat, should I put some tape to make it flat? or does it need to be like that to drip water off?
I love it :) 🎈🎈🎈
Eloise, thanks. When Larry said he could fix it himself, I was worried. Slides are such a pain.
But he did an amazing job,
Alice
Sorry I’m late watching video. Just so busy with getting ready for thanksgiving and this is the first thanksgiving without my mom. But I hope you have a holiday. See you soon. Stay safe.
Sherri, sorry this Thanksgiving is not what you are used to.
We hope you still have a holiday to remember.
And we are always thankful for our loyal friends 🤗
Alice
My RV has the same setup. A few of the screw heads were broken off (came from factory that way). On my slide the outside edge of the ski is next to the plywood. Then comes the wall and last the moulding strip. Water coming down the slide wall can’t get into the top edge of the ski, because it’s behind the wall and 3/8” higher up.
I find that being an RVer means you have to be a water intrusion investigator, try to figure out, if i was a water droplet, how would I try to get into the RV. Sounds like you have a good solution to keep water out. Larry
Nicely done - I hope I never have to do it :)
Believe me, we wish we were doing a fun travel vlog instead 😅
We plan on replacing all the skis because all the wear and tear - literally. Since we move every week to two weeks. That’s a lot of movement on the slides
Alice
Hi, nice vidéo very informative. I do have a problem with a floor slide that seperate from the wall, probably due the weight of the fridge and stove. How do you think the floor is holding with the wall ? Is it the screws on the metal bar that hold the side wall with the floor ? (Metal bar with screws near the skis) If those screws old the floor and the wall, how thick is the floor? Cause the floor seem to be 1/2 to 3/4 below the metal bar. So i dont understand how does the screws can go true the wall and catch the floor at the same time. Thanks for your help :)
If you are repairing water damaged floor, the floor is supported by metal beams below at the sides. Cut out the damaged wood, place a new plywood piece on top of the replaced section and screw them together. That’s the only way to secure the replaced section of wood. I hope that helps. Larry
1) wanted to tell you Fantastic Video
And 2) We just got a 2021 RV Winnebago (2-3 slides) should we just automatically Do this now? As any Trailer with slide out will eventually do this??? It does have the awning thing over each slide if that makes any difference ✌️💛
Theses a great protection for the floors and water protection from the slides. I wouldn’t install unless I had a problem with the slide scratching the floor or water intruding into the bottom of the slide. Larry
Good video. Did you not replace the wood? Was not sure if that was needed or not. Looks like a pretty easy process if you have the right tools. Nix fix. Larry overkill on a job? Never. Lol Good share y’all. I think this could help people.
William, we got lucky. After the wood dried out, we saw it was just bad on the edge - that’s partly why he used longer screws.
If Larry ever built and RV from scratch, that thing would be rock solid.
Alice
This video was very very helpful. I am about 90% finished with my repairs. Unfortunately, my wood was very rotten. I removed about half of the floor in my bedroom and replaced it with a new piece of three-quarter plywood. The only part of your video that was a little confusing is that it seems you installed the vertical bracket above the ski. Why would you not have that vertical bracket go all the way over the ski. Those two thick strips of butyl tape seem to prevent that vertical bracket from going all the way around the ski. Any reply would be much appreciated.
Do you mean the horizontal bracket? Larry
Hi, I'm a first-time RV owner and I had a question. I had some leakage inside, from heavy rainfall, along some of the wall joints(where the wall meets the roof); most of the leakage came from the area where the slide is, and, to do a quick repair job, I used a hot glue gun to seal the leak areas. Will the thin line of hot glue affect the slide's operation at all?
I don’t think the bead of hot glue will affect the operation of the slide but hot glue is not good for sealing water, it is too brittle and it will break off and leak do you need to use a proper RV sealant to make sure you don’t have any water intrusion in the future. Larry
I’ve used a product used on wooden boats called “Dry Rot” for rotted wood in my 1962 Airstream. It is pricey but will solidify rotted wood.
This is the exact reason i love to do videos like this and get comments like yours. Great tip, I will check it out. We didn't have extensive damage but treating the part that was rotten would have been a great idea. Thanks for the tip. Larry
The actual name of the product is "Get Rot"
When you put the ski on should not the outside lip on the ski have gone under the metal portion of the siding on the RV?
I put our new ski in the same place the old one was, on the outside of the siding, top edge covered by the metal bracket and screws. Larry
I have to do this soon to our 2008 Montego Bay dining room slide. The slide window was leaking (poor design) and water saturated the floor which expanded and busted the ski.
It’s a common defect of design in rv slides, I wish the RV manufacturers would take more care in the design to not have problems like this. I have nightmares about water getting into my RV slides, it can create damage very quickly. Larry
Thanks for this video. I already need to do this project on my 2021 33ft Aspen Trail. It’s pathetic that they build such crap. Do you have a part #?
There should be links in the description
would it work if you put the external lip of the slide-out ski underneath the slideout wall? just in case the seam is compromised,
Mine wouldn’t fit under the sidewall, it was too tight, but that is a good idea it will make sure the water stays on the outside of floor board. Larry
Question - does this need to be done even if the seal at the top of the trim piece is good? I don't have skis on my slide outs right now. No soft spots in the floor.
I think adding the skis is a good preventative measure or after having to do a repair but it is not necessary if you have a good seals and no leaks.
We just discovered this issue on our RV :( how do we know if it's bad enough that we have to replace the wood VS just doing what you did?
I would pull back the carpet to get a good look at the wood, dry it out really well first with a heater or something. After its really dry poke at it with a sharp screwdriver or something to see if the wood is permanently damaged. If it is penetrated easily or moves then you will have to replace at least that section or sometimes its easier to just put a layer of plywoood over it, sometimes covering the entire slide floor. After that make sure you make everything totally waterproof, then monitor the area after heavy rain days to make sure its still keeping dry. Larry
Great detailed video.. We just had to come home a month early from the southern Oregon coast the slide outs were leaking at each out side corner. the slide ski may fix the problem.The floors are not mushy ,which is a good thing. Thanks for the great video !!!!!
Lynn,
Glad we could help and that you caught it before the particle board soaked up any water,
Alice
Just wondering why you put the ski to the outside of the fiberglass? Would it not be better tucked under the fiberglass wall so as to work like a drip edge? Just wondering?
That’s how it was on my old ski, larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents Great video thanks for the info! I'm changing my floor in a couple of days.
Do those screws hold floor up? I have a 1 year old rv and notched floor sagging on one side and skis cracked no wetness though …I’m assuming what you did is what I need to do and when I jack up floor and put new screws that will fix sagging floor.. like I said rv is only one year old super weird never had this happen to any other of my rvs in the past
Yes the screws go into the floor wood to help support it. I was luck that after drying out the wood it was still prettty firm and the longer screws grabbed well. If your screws are not grabbing, use longer ones, if they still dont grab you may have to replace a section of the wood. Larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents thank Larry for the reply and thanks for your videos Have a good one
Is you’re repair still holding up well?
Yes. Except for the caulk on the outside - we recently had to replace it
What kind of heater did you use outside to dry the wood flooring?
We just used a portable heater we had from our sticks and bricks days - Lasko brand electric heater. We’ve had it for years
I am about to tackle my slide problem, identical to yours except replacing entire wood floor. I was thinking about sliding the ski underneath the outside skin of trailer, so water won’t have a chance. Thoughts?
Some people have commented that is what they did according to other videos and blog posts. I couldn’t get mine between the skin and the floor, too tight a space. So far ours is ok on the outside but i monitor that area closely often to make sure im not getting any water intrusion again. Good luck with your project. Larrry
Did you replace the rotted wood? If so, how?
I didnt have to replace any of the wood, after i dried it out very thoroughly the wood was still strong even though the crappy chip board they used at the factory had swelled a bit, but the swelling floor didn’t effect the operation of the slide. Truth is I was too lazy to replace a large section of the floor, i would have had to remove the up desk ,my computer, NAS and the carpet. The ski protects that corner well. If the floor need replacing you will have to take everything out of the slide, peel the carpet and pad and insulation back, cut out the bad section, put in new piece of wood, then I would cover the entire floor with a new sheet of at least 1/2 inch plywood to strengthen it. Hope this helps, Larry
I was thinking further about this design. If water should get into that ski there is no way for it to get out. It will puddle and soak into the plywood. A few 1/8” holes would probably be a good idea to let any moisture drip out. Like the weep holes in the bottom of automobile doors and fenders.
I agree, i made sure any water that got under the ski would have space to drip out of the bottom of the ski, but im hoping water will never get in there as long as ski stays in tack, but i am prepared with a spare ski to replace it if cracks again, now we watch it every time we bring the slide in or out. Larry
"LARRYIZED" !!!
Brendan, we love this 🤗
Alice
Surprised you did not fix the wood that was rotted/soft. Quite easy to do with the correct epoxys, one to harden the rot and one to fill any missing wood.
Hey David, i though about fixing the wood with some filler or epoxy but after I dried the wood for a couple of days with a heater, it felt very solid. I guess i was just being lazy. I also only had a day or two of good weather to do the repair before we were going to get more rain. If i ever get mor rotten floors I will either replace or treat the wood. Thank for your advice, Larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents There are two different types of epoxy for the purpose, one is fairly liquid for injecting into damaged wood, it will harden soft punky wood (make sure you have dried out the wood completely, you don't want to encapsulate wet wood) , then there is a fairly stiff epoxy that can be used to fill missing wood pieces. This type of epoxy can be shaped, the more liquid hardener can't be. You can drill holes into soft wood and force the liquid epoxy into it with an injector. There are some videos on the web about the process, but it does work pretty well.
Good video very thorough but anybody that's doing this, and I have several RV told me make sure the slide ski is inside of the fiberglass. No need for eternal Bond as that's going to be a sob if you ever have remove it
I agree best to be inside the fiberglass, mine was bonded to the floor wood and couldn’t get it behind it unfortunately. I inspect mine regularity to make sure it stays water proof. Larry
@@DownsizingMakesCents I don't think you'll ever have a problem with that slide, you made sure of that... Fortunately I'm able to get behind the fiberglass...
the soft spots is basically black mold..
There was some
Looks good but the ski is designed to go under the siding instead of the trim piece
The new ski is orientated in the same way as the original.
I understand your point. Thanks.
@@DownsizingMakesCents yours came with skis? I'm adding mine to a slide that they weren't on before. I only got my info from the manufacturers video not my own experience. I will add them as soon as the floor and frame are reinstalled.
If that was international tape . It wouldn't come off like that but , overall a good video
Thanks
Need you to help me do mine!
Larry said it wasn’t that bad.
He would love to help, but after 3 weeks in hospitals, he needs to get his health back
@@DownsizingMakesCents hope 🙏 you feel better. Really enjoyed your video making it look so easy.
@@anthonyong9248 Larry loves making these type of videos. He really hopes to be at it again soon. Thank you
But you didn’t show how to replace the rotted floor
We haven’t replaced it, yet. Once it was dry, we realized it wasn’t that bad
Any chance anyone knows an RV repairman who could help me do this in Central Florida? Living in my first 5th wheel and have no idea what I'm doing haha.
I was a bit worried when Larry said he was going to do it himself.
But if you want help, we used Campers Inn mobile RV Repair a couple of times.
Let us know how it goes 🤗
No way I could.do that (put my hand under the slide to get the tape positioned).
I agree, I was concerned even though I put the blocks in. Larry
Mines a 2018 and only the side of slide out that faces my truck came with a slide ski. The back side has nothing. Stupid factory.
We have decided whoever designs and builds RVs have never RVed. Ridiculous