Crack under bedroom slide

[travelin' texans]

I know there's a post on, but I can't seem to find it. Has anyone made this repair themselves & where did you get the H trim piece.

[Grizzby]

We have a FL model that developed stress cracks under both front slides. I made the repair using "H" channel trim that I purchased from Lowe's. I'll go over the steps of the repair with you if you need them.

[travelin' texans]

Grizzly, I sent you a pm concerning your repairs.

[Colorado]

Could I also get a copy of the repairs? Thanks

[Grizzby]

Colorado...send me your email address and I will forward you the instructions. Bob

[travelin' texans]

Well with the great DYI pictures & step by step from Grizzby, I repaired the crack that had just started u,ser my bedroom slide. Fortunately it was heading straight down & was only about half way to the bottom.
I still have some caulking to do & a better paint job, but it was not too bad of a job.
Thanks again to Grizzby!!

[atom ant]

How about posting the DIY pics?! I may do mine as a preventative measure like they should have been to begin with.

[Blenhardt]

After getting the excellent instructions and photos from Grizzby I checked my RW thinking I did not have a problem. Wrong! A crack had just stared under my bedroom slide. I have put the H channel in per Grizzby's instructions. Only have some caulking to do . Thanks again Grizzby.

[travelin' texans]

Maybe Grizzby could post them on here for everyone? Wish I were closer as I bought 8' of the H trim & used about 8", but shipping cost would be more than the whole piece.

[Colorado]

Grizzly. Thanks for the instructions and pictures. Much appreciated.

[Grizzby]

​I don't know about you, but when I noticed these cracks, I was sick. However, after looking on the forum, I saw this was a common problem, especially with the FL models like ours. It's really not a difficult repair. We have traveled several thousands of miles since the repair, and have had not issues.

1. Remove screws holding lower trim piece, and carefully pull the trim down. I didn't have to completely remove the piece, just removed enough screws to pull the trim piece down far enough to get access to the bottom of the fiberglass edge.

2. I used a straight edge to draw a straight line through the crack to mark the cut line.

3. I then carefully cut an approximately 1/8" wide groove through the fiberglass (just go deep enough to cut through the layer of fiberglass...don't cut into the wood backing that the fiberglass is adhered to). I used a small grinder with a cutting wheel to cut the groove. You could probably also use a small hand saw if you don't have a hand-grinder (I started out using a saw blade attached to some vice-grips but it was taking too long to cut through).

4. I then drove a putty knife blade from the bottom to separate the layer of fiberglass from the wood backing (I didn't want to use anything thicker than a putty knife blade for fear of cracking/breaking the fiberglass). Separating the fiberglass from the wood backing allows the plastic "H" channel to slide up into the groove.

5. I clamped vice-grips on one end of "H" channel, and tapped the "H" channel up into the groove. The "H" channel needs to be an inch or so longer than the actual length needed so you have something to attach the vice-grips to. Once the "H" channel is fully seated at the top, cut off the remaining portion flush with the bottom edge.

I had cracks on both sides...one was diagonal and one was perpendicular. However, the repair was completed the same way.

As I previously stated, I purchased the "H" channel trim piece at Lowe's. It only comes in 8' lengths, but is very inexpensive. You won't need very much.

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[atom ant]

Ah super thanks!

[Grizzby]

I actually went to Explore USA to see about getting the repair completed. They had a wait of 4-6 weeks before they could do the work. We were getting ready to leave town and I was afraid of doing further damage so I wanted to get the repair completed sooner. I got on our Fourm, and found a thread where "beechguyjim" had completed the repair. He's the one who helped me with my repair. I'm glad I was able to pass it along. This Fourm has been a great source of info...I'm thankful that we have it!

[spindrift]

Hey Griz, not that I'm a doubting Thomas, but... do you have a pic of the repair to the one, diagonal crack? I can't visualize how an "H" channel would hide something as ragged as that particular crack. Thanks.

[Rick and Mindy]

I tried to get the Service Center to install the "H" channel on my 31SL when I had it there for warranty work and they refused since there wasn't a crack. I was trying to prevent a future problem. So far, I have not seen a crack but we have only pulled it around 6000 miles.

[Grizzby]

The first picture is the diagonal repair. Like you, I didn't think the channel piece would cover the damage. However, the angle was just right and the channel covered it perfectly! As I previously stated, I haven't had any additional problems at the repair sites; however, I do find myself continually checking : )

[Grizzby]

When we completed the factory tour during the RW Rally this year, I saw where they were making the stress relief cut during the manufacturing process. I think it's not if, but when, these cracks will happen on certain models. The good news is it is not a complicated repair. As one person on the Fourm stated, it takes longer to get the repair scheduled at a service center, than getting the actual repair completed!

[spindrift]

Gotcha. When you made your straight cut for the diagonal crack, did you end up cutting off a small piece of the fiberglass. Pictures can be deceiving but it looks as though there was enough of a crack distortion that there would have been no way to avoid that, but as long as the "H" channel hides it, what does it matter?

[Grizzby]

There were a couple of small pieces of fiberglass that got cut off. I ran a small bead of silicone under the repair piece just in case some moisture worked its way in. However, the channel piece fits very tight, and I doubt that water can penetrate the repair.

[travelin' texans]

I agree, it's not if but when. Ours was 1 month shy of 3 years old when the crack appeared, I thought it wasn't going to happen to ours, but there it was.