slideout roof seam issues

[Chazinn]

OK, went up to clean the roof on the new TT this weekend. You will not believe what I found.:mad:

The seam tape on the edge of both slide out has huge gaps in it. It's kind of hard to explain. It's all wrinkled with the wrinkle occurring about every 6 inches and as high as a 1/2 an inch.

Looks like I'm heading to the dealer. Thank goodness for the warranty!

Anyone else every see this on a brand new camper?

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[kcconawa]

Not a pretty sight.

A friend called me over to his RV this afternoon. He has an 06 Montanna. His wife found soft spot in slide floor. After pulling up the carpet etc, we found a 3 foot rotten spot under slide side window. We removed plug in cover and found evidence that water had been in that area which confirmed the window theory. We are calling Montanna (Forest River) tomorrow to try and figure out approach to repair.

Have to get it done this week as hit road Monday Sept 5th.

[Rustic Eagle]

Terrible QC on Jayco's part.

Make sure the dealer removes "all" of the existing tape, cleans the surface properly before applying the "new" tape...., don't except anything less.

Unacceptable workmanship, plain and simple. I would get a good look at all the seams and caulked joints as well (roof, windows, vents, etc..). Have them check the four A/C hold-down bolts for tightness to.

Bob

[geo/kim Edgerton]

Our 2011 31.5RLTS is in the shop right now with the same issue (and a bunch of others). We just got back from a trip to AK and the Yukon and had heavy rain most of the time so we are wondering how bad the damage is since water does enter the gaps (found the problem when we got back from the trip).

[clutch]

Not a pretty sight.

We are calling Montanna (Forest River) tomorrow to try and figure out approach to repair.
.


If it is a Montana I would call Keystone which is owned by Thor.

[Chazinn]

Terrible QC on Jayco's part.

Make sure the dealer removes "all" of the existing tape, cleans the surface properly before applying the "new" tape...., don't except anything less.

Unacceptable workmanship, plain and simple. I would get a good look at all the seams and caulked joints as well (roof, windows, vents, etc..). Have them check the four A/C hold-down bolts for tightness to.

Bob

I couldn't agree more. We had a 97 Jayco Eagle and loved it. Great quality. Bought this unit based on the last one, boy has quality really gone down. AC bolts were loose, bad/messy silicone caulking in the sinks, doors misaligned, outlets slightly crooked, ect.

I expected some slightly cheaper materials going from an Eagle to a JayFlight G2, but if this is the level of quality of what they are putting out now, well my brand loyalty is gone.

I'm going to do over it with the dealer line item by line item. I think I'm also going to contact Jayco, this is completely unacceptable.

Al

[RVhiker]

Chazinn, it looks like you took pictures of my slide. Shortly after I got my shiny new fiver, I noticed exactly the same thing you did. I took it to my dealer and they fixed it immediately. The repair ticket says it was caused by failure of the installer to properly stretch the seam tape when it was applied, and thus the wrinkles. Since my dealer fixed it, there have been no more issues in that area. Glad you noticed it and are going to get it fixed.

I wonder if this is a result of a short term problem that Jayco had on its assembly line, or if it's a longer term issue. My trailer was made in February 2011. When was your's made?

[Crabman]

I wonder if they had a bad batch of tape, or it was just improperly applied. After nearly two years the tape on my slide roof is still straight and tight. It looks like the same tape from the pics.

[Murphie]

I have the same issue with my slide. When I noticed it I couldn't believe it. I thought it was Durabond they used.
I am hoping that water didn't get down into the wall.

[Crabman]

Three separate posts on 2011 models with the same issue. It must be defective tape material, probably the adhesive. No way it cannot leak with that much puckering. Perhaps there should be a thread on this in the recall/notices forum to alert others about the problem like the loose AC bolts thread. Some folks do not look up there very often and one good rain with that tape.........................................not a good outcome.

[Chazinn]

I agree on the recall issue!

We have had a lot of rain this year. I am asking them to check carefully for leaks and am pretty upset.

I'd like to believe it's a problem with the tape. The implications of this being a quality control issue is concerning. I wonder how long the TT sat on the lot with the slide outs out?

It's going into the dealer next week. 30 mile drive, and they can't look at it until then.

I checked it again today and can't find any signs of a leak, but I wonder about the inside of the walls. What kind of damage has occurred that might be missed just because it isn't visible yet?

[Crabman]

Not a recall but worthy of notice, therefore moved from tech talk. If anyone else has experienced this issue please report it here.

[mcfarmall]

The slide on my 2006 23B has puckered tape in the same area. I am going to have the local RV repair shop look at it the next time the trailer is hooked up.

[Rustic Eagle]

When replacing the problem slider tape, check that the irregularity in the tape hasn't compromised the slider seal......just to be sure.

Bob

[workingchump]

Based on Crabman's post asking if anyone else has this issue...I'll say...yes. 2011 298RES...not impressed. (other issues as well I'm not impressed with that I'm in a battle with Jayco and my dealer over...won't hijack this post to explain)
:)

[Chazinn]

When replacing the problem slider tape, check that the irregularity in the tape hasn't compromised the slider seal......just to be sure.

Bob

Same thought crossed my mind. I haven't seen any issues yet, but I am concerned over potential leaks.

I replaced 2 seals on an older Eagle that I had so I'm fairly confident in what to look for.

[phemens]

Same thing on my slide, it's a 2008 that we got in 2007. I'll be repplying Eternabond there at the end of the season.

[dorayme]

our 2008 Jay Flight G2 32bhds also has puckering along the slide seams. Significantly less frequency and size of the puckers but they are still there. Replacing the tape is getting added onto our todo list.

[jbhsv04]

My '08 has the same problem, dealer says it will be inexpensive <$100 to replace...

[Rustic Eagle]

My 2005 Eagle slider tape is basically fine.

The screw heads in a couple of places were starting to come thru the tape, so I put a little piece of duct tape over them last year just to keep the moisture out. Purchased a 50ft roll of Eternabond last year as well, just haven't gotten around to replace the old tape yet.

Bob

[CityFarmer]

Last weekend I was cleaning my camper (2011 Eagle 330rlts) and noticed the corners of my slide seals on edge of outside wall were puckered away from roof, did some looking and all three slides have bad puckers the full length, I have toppers and my camper is permanently parked so have several factors against me. Have sent the dealership an email with pictures and will be sending Jayco the same. Very disappointed that this very noticeable problem was missed by Jayco quality control and the person installing the toppers and the dealership missed it in their inspection.

[elstonian]

wow....thanks for the fyi, we have a 2011 23j, gonna get up there and check on our slide this weekend, we camped last weekend and it rained all night long and all the next day so I hope it isnt a problem...and weve camped once before in the new camper when it rained alot.....crossing my fingers theres no problems....I agree this should get put into recall section it is very useful.....thanks





2006 GMC 2500 HD (gas)
2011 Jayco Jayfeather 23j

[CityFarmer]

My dealer has agreed to replace the tape on all my slides but we are going to wait till spring ( something about needing the suns heat). I expressed concern about water getting under tape and going in wall and was assured that the seam underneath the tape was caulked and water tight. Was assured that no harm would come to my slides from water............If it weren't for this thread I would of never thought to look, Have found a couple other problems that way also.

[CityFarmer]

My dealer says the tape problem is a known thing, they received a notice on them,, only to watch for tape problems on campers that come in for some sort of service. So they know it is a common problem but not enough of a problem for a recall to be issued. Wonder how they would like their 47k TT to have this problem and it not be important enough for a recall.

[bounder]

The tape on my 2011 330rlts is doing the same thing on all 3 slides.

[jwstewar]

Our 2009 32BHDS had the tape on the seam wrinkle as well. The dealer replaced the tape on both slides and also replaced the window shades that ended up with water marks on them. Fortunately the water that came in actually came down on the outside of the inside wall :p so it got the shade instead of insulation or anything as the dealer took the roof apart to look for damage (or at least said they did). My buddy had the same thing happen to his 2007 31BHDS.

[clutch]

What a timely topic. We just had the trailer washed top to bottom and the wash man said that all three slides have loose tape. I am now beginning to think that our old Montana wasn't all that bad after all. Here is a run down of all issues we have had to date. Eight months of ownership.


1. Door frame was sprung and the door wouldn't stay shut.

2. Closet shelf flopping around ready to fall off the wall.

3. Two large slides wouldn't open fully or close fully.

4. Water heater switch.

5. Light bulbs missing.

6. Sink leaking around the counter top onto the shelf below.

7. A scratch on the floor that we think is from the kitchen side slide.

8. Propane regulator wouldn't switch to one side.

9. Brakes were full of grease from leaking seals. (came that way from the factory).

10. Tape on top of the slides looks just like some pictured in this thread.

All of the above issues except the slide tape have been covered and corrected with the Jayco warranty. I sure hope things slow down when the warranty is up. So much for Amish quality. LOL

We are in sunny Arizona for the winter so we will let our servicing dealer in Idaho Falls know about the tape when we stop for the cargo rack that was supposed to come with the trailer when we ordered it.

[Turn2Racing]

I got on top of our 2011 298RES and found the same thing with the tape on the slides. Leaving for a short trip Wednesday will go straight to the dealer when I return. This is the only problem I have found with this unit since we got it in April this year.

[mtkeg15]

Okay. Me, too. I had the tent ends from the 2011 StarCraft Exp 237 CKS taken off several days ago for replacement under warranty. Not that I think that the one pin sized light spot located in the beige under side was something to really worry about- but the rep gave me the confirmation to pull both off for replacement over the winter. While they were being taken off by City Auto and RV- I asked the tech to give it a good check having read this thread and since under the slide out rear storage compartment- it felt just slightly damp from three days pouring rain, camping. I put a ladder up before he got there and located on the rear most section, only about 7 inches were starting to peel. When he checked he confirmed it and he also commented that he did not like who the tape went over several screws. On the roof, he was also going to question StarCraft with how the roof slightly bows in areas at the edges. He thinks it may be a design to halp rain channel....but thought it was odd. Overall the tech thought it looked great. He use to work for StarCraft dealer several years earlier and just came back to Jayco. Though he said he had a learning curve to over come- it just shows that these threads and problems we face can absolutely help someone else out in advance. Thanks for sharing this with us- you certainly saved us frustration with the ending warranty!

Mike

[Murphie]

Mike, when I bought my 99 Silverado , I went on a similar forum. I told them that I bought the truck used and the warranty was about to run out. It was winter where I was and a forum member told me to get the rear windows replaced because they leaked air when the AC was on. Sure enough he was right and I wouldbn't have known otherwise and it would have been a1000 dollars to replace them. So your very right. We can help each other and that's the way it should be.

[jayfeather421]

OK, went up to clean the roof on the new TT this weekend. You will not believe what I found.:mad:

The seam tape on the edge of both slide out has huge gaps in it. It's kind of hard to explain. It's all wrinkled with the wrinkle occurring about every 6 inches and as high as a 1/2 an inch.

Looks like I'm heading to the dealer. Thank goodness for the warranty!

Anyone else every see this on a brand new camper?

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Our new Jayfeather 24T slideout roof has a large bubble extending under the seal to the inside of the trailer. It is in for warranty work for that. You may want to check for that also.

Pat

Winnipeg Mb.

[Chazinn]

I have a bunch of small bubbles on the main roof. Jayco said that this was OK and that repair wasn't needed unless a certain % of the roof had failed. Mine didn't qualify as large enough. ?????

I made Jayco and the dealer note it on all of the paperwork as this sound very strange. This way if (when) the roof does fail I'll have some recourse.

Have had way to many issues (still at the dealers after 2 months) with this camper and am now very disappointed with this Jayco. Compared to my old Eagle this camper is a joke. Really starting to wish that I had kept it.

[J&CTron]

We purchased a2012 Eagle Super Lite 256RKS a short time back and so far are very happy with the quality of the tt. I read about the seam and tape on the slide so I checked this one and it has no problems, tape is tight and straight, no loose spots.

John T.

[Murphie]

I just got my trailer back from the dealer. I had the tape issues as well. They had not heard of this problem before so in a nice way I told them of other people having the same problem and suggested having the old one taken off and the area cleaned and new tape applied. I got this feeling that that wasn't going to happen and sure enough they slapped on two more pieces of tape and now all three lines of tape are bubbled. So dissapoimtimg. :mad: Come spring I will deal with this issue and several others that weren't addressed. For now I just want to winterize it and but it to bed for the winter.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I just got my trailer back from the dealer. I had the tape issues as well. They had not heard of this problem before so in a nice way I told them of other people having the same problem and suggested having the old one taken off and the area cleaned and new tape applied. I got this feeling that that wasn't going to happen and sure enough they slapped on two more pieces of tape and now all three lines of tape are bubbled. So dissapoimtimg. :mad: Come spring I will deal with this issue and several others that weren't addressed. For now I just want to winterize it and but it to bed for the winter.

You're a lot nicer than I am. As soon as I saw the 50% donkey job, I would have politely told them that was unacceptable. If they disagreed, I would start to get ugly.

[Murphie]

Jeannie, I specifically asked them if they replaced the tape. He said we stand confidently behind our repair. Today when I went to winterize the trailer there was poop in the black holding tank. I couldn't believe it. I had rinsed out the holding tank including using a wand on it because I knew I wasn't going to use the trailer again until next year. I had removed the window screen to get the hose in. I handed my wife the hose and than filled the tank and rinsed it out until it was clear. I spent the better part of an hour cleaning it out again. I'm glad that I held off sending in my Jayco survey.

[Crabman]

Jeannie, I specifically asked them if they replaced the tape. He said we stand confidently behind our repair. Today when I went to winterize the trailer there was poop in the black holding tank. I couldn't believe it. I had rinsed out the holding tank including using a wand on it because I knew I wasn't going to use the trailer again until next year. I had removed the window screen to get the hose in. I handed my wife the hose and than filled the tank and rinsed it out until it was clear. I spent the better part of an hour cleaning it out again. I'm glad that I held off sending in my Jayco survey.

Wow, first they do a hack job on the tape, then they take a crap in your tank. Unbelievable.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Jeannie, I specifically asked them if they replaced the tape. He said we stand confidently behind our repair. Today when I went to winterize the trailer there was poop in the black holding tank. I couldn't believe it. I had rinsed out the holding tank including using a wand on it because I knew I wasn't going to use the trailer again until next year. I had removed the window screen to get the hose in. I handed my wife the hose and than filled the tank and rinsed it out until it was clear. I spent the better part of an hour cleaning it out again. I'm glad that I held off sending in my Jayco survey.

I guess I'm a cynical, suspicious old bi...broad. Whenever I ask a direct question, if I don't get a direct answer and receive an evasive one like that, I'm all over it like a junkyard dog on intruders until I do get a direct answer. And if I had to drag an answer out of someone like that, I would verify it before believing it (I'm also from Missouri; seriously, I am).

Using your bathroom was just inexcusable. In addition to sending the survey to Jayco, I would also file a BBB complaint and give a review at RV Service Review (http://www.rvservicereviews.com/). You might get some relief through the BBB but the main benefit of reporting them to both is to warn others of this unscrupulous business.

[bounder]

I can't wait to post a review on the RV Service Review site about the warranty work that the dealer has performed on our trailer. Thanks Lady Fitzgearld.

[Murphie]

Thanks for the RV Service Review link. also noticed that other people had same issues with the service dept. Not surprised.

[Flytyer]

My 2011 26RLS had the seam issue on the slide resolved without issue with local dealer along with one other minor issue ( Hinge pins on both vents would pop out after a road trip and be found laying in the screen ).

I have been doing business with same dealer through last 17 years. Must admit I did little shopping around for this unit since I have only had good experiences with these folks. They even opened a new shop less than 4 miles from my house that I have to drive by on my way to work.

[Diesel Donnie]

Our 05 Eagle has the same problem- Guess we'll be calling our tech to fix what seems to be a long term deficiency in Jayco quality control- JMHO- Don

[chopshop]

Same here.....Today, after reading this thread, I went out to clean my rook and also to scheck the tape. To my dismay, the tape on both of my slides is about 60% rippled. I am disappointed, but was kind of hapy that at least all the cauking under the tape looks good. I will bring it to the dealer soon, I have until April of this year until my factory warranty runs out. Also, on one of the slides, there are bubbles near the edge located by the tape, what do you guys think about a bubbling roof?

[nylyon]

Went out to check mine and the main slide seems fine, but the bedroom slide is certainly not. In addition I found a number of other issues which are going to merit a trip to the dealer. Sent a note to them already hope to get it in and out before memorial day!

[chopshop]

Would that be Eternabond tape that Jayco uses on the slide roof??

[nylyon]

I don't think that it's Eternabond, it seems like it's just a plastic tape. Got my appointment for Friday, going to get everything fixed up!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Eternabond isn't the only one that makes sealing tape. Dicor also makes one though it is nowhere as popular as Eternabond (I have yet to se a user report on it). I'm sure there are other brands.

Considering the high failure rate being reported, either Jayco is using an inferior brand or isn't properly prepping the surface before applying (or both).

[chopshop]

I think I will check on the other brands of tape to see if I can find something a little more cost effective. I know, I know, you get what you pay for.........

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I think I will check on the other brands of tape to see if I can find something a little more cost effective. I know, I know, you get what you pay for.........

I've seen countless reports on Eternabond, the vast majority being good. Those that weren't usually were attributed to poor surface prep.

I haven't seen any reports on other brands. I would strongly suggest staying with Eternabond. If you do the work yourself, get the thinner of the two tapes (don't use the WebSeal; it's good stuff but not for this application). Also get the primer. Clean the surface of all loose stuff throroughly, getting it as flat as possible, and then give the surface a final cleaning with acetone. Follow the directions for the primer and apply the tape. Remove only short sections of the backing because once that stuff contacts the surface, it grips like a hungry pit bull. Use a steel roller to roll down the tape to ensure it adheres. Don't be afraid to roll too hard. Since the slide seals have to go over the lip caused by the Eternabond, apply a bead of a good caulk (not silicone) along the edge of the tape to make a ramp for the slide seal to slide over. Don't use a self leveling caulk.

[Murphie]

I've just had the tape on the slide out changed again. If I was a owner of the company I'd be furious that this is still happening. at the very least a notice suggesting the owners be aware of this should have been sent out. I was thinking that the tape was only used as a safety measure to keep the water away from the corner. I haven't seen other manufacturers having this problem.i think they should have used a more rigid piece of material for that area.

[Rustic Eagle]

That piece of tape is important because it covers the lap edge of the slide trim and the screws that hold the slide trim down over the slide roofing material. The issue could be:

* Not enough pressure (hand roller) applied to activate the adhesive to the roofing surface.
* Poor adhesive on tape .
* Poor surface preparation (this is extremely important).
* Adhesive not compatible to slide roofing material.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread my '05' Eagle slide tape has held up well over the years, but there were signs of the screw heads coming through the existing tape. This past summer I finally removed all of the old OEM slide tape and replaced it with EternaBond Sealing Tape, no problems to-date.

This was a little more of a project than I anticipated because I had to use a hot hair dryer to work up the old tape slowly, it took about an hour to get it all up, then clean the surface with lacquer thinner. My EternaBond application after a few weeks in the weather ...,

http://i48.tinypic.com/15expp4.jpg

Bob

[dougtoms01]

I would say that part of the problem is that they are stretching the tape during application which causes internal stress or forces in the tape material. These types of materials have a memory if you would and you want to adhere two materials together at a state of equal strain (stretch). Since the roof or trim material is at zero strain state, you want to apply the tape at zero strain. I seen in one post in this thread that the service guy said the tech didn't stretch the tape during application. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do when applying tapes to surfaces. To demonstrate this effect, take 2 pices of masking tape of equal lengths. Lay one on a table flat with the sticky side up (if it curls, you can add a small pice of tape to both ends, but don't stretch the tape). Now take a 2nd pice of masking tape and pull it tight with you hands apart and then attach it to the 1st piece of tape. Release the 2 plys of tape and you will see significant bow in the tape from being combined at unequal strain. If you do the same experiment, but don't strain the 2nd piece of tape, when you release them they will lay flat. I've spent 34 years gluing webs together for Procter & Gamble and this is web combining 101 in the industry. If you read the Eternabond instructions, they also specifically state not to stretch the material during application. I can see techs thnking just the opposite to make sure they don't get any wrinkles.

Best regards,
Doug

[Chazinn]

The stretching logic presented above does make sense, however, a company that's been around as long as Jayco should be aware of this. Still seems like a huge quality control issue.

Rustic Eagle - I really like your EternaBond tape job. I did something similar on my old camper. I still have some left for when my current camper goes out of warranty!

[dannygraves]

Better late than never! Just saw my 2010 313RK has the same problem. Had the main slide in and was changing a bulb when I saw it.

[rvrev2]

I've seen countless reports on Eternabond, the vast majority being good. Those that weren't usually were attributed to poor surface prep.

I haven't seen any reports on other brands. I would strongly suggest staying with Eternabond. If you do the work yourself, get the thinner of the two tapes (don't use the WebSeal; it's good stuff but not for this application). Also get the primer. Clean the surface of all loose stuff throroughly, getting it as flat as possible, and then give the surface a final cleaning with acetone. Follow the directions for the primer and apply the tape. Remove only short sections of the backing because once that stuff contacts the surface, it grips like a hungry pit bull. Use a steel roller to roll down the tape to ensure it adheres. Don't be afraid to roll too hard. Since the slide seals have to go over the lip caused by the Eternabond, apply a bead of a good caulk (not silicone) along the edge of the tape to make a ramp for the slide seal to slide over. Don't use a self leveling caulk.

I wished I would have come across this thread 2 years ago. I put Eternabond on my slide out as well. It was fine for a year. Then, last year when we had all that 100 degree weather, it softened the glue. When I pulled my slide it, the slideout seal scrunched the outer layer of the Eternabond to expose the glue underneath. Horrible mess! I ended up replacing my slideout seal because of the sticky mess. My prep was correct, but I didn't use a bead of caulk on the edge of the tape like Lady Fitzgerald suggests. If I had, I would have avoided this problem, the frustration, and the expense.

[Chazinn]

I have always used eterna bond tape as well. I used it on my old Eagle with great success.

I also have a good working relationship with my dealer. To hear that this is still an issue is disappointing. I'm going to have everything checked again this spring as the warranty expires in April. You'd think that Jayco would have addressed this by now.

Planning on having the dealer redo all of the seams as part of regular maintenance. I'd normally do this myself, but as I have had all of these problems I want them to do it so that when there is a problem with the roof I'll be able to hold Jayco responsible, hopefully!