Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Sunline RV Forum
Sunline User Photos

Go Back   Sunline Coach Owner's Club > Technical Forums > Repairs and Maintenance
Click Here to Login

Join Sunline Club Forums Today


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 07-12-2009, 10:08 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 249
SUN #809
ihsolutions
Eternabond Question on Slideouts

I have a new (used) 2005 F-293SR that I picked up a couple weeks ago. It sat on a dealer's lot for nearly 5 years, used only twice. During the summers the slides were extended, full time.

The eternabond tape along the inside and outside edges is beginning to peel up at the edges. The putty (or whatever) underneath still seems to be making a very good seal, but it makes me nervous even though there are absolutely no leaks at this time.

Here's a picture of what it looks like. This is one of the better seams (others are worse!), and I've already used roof sealant along the one edge to hold the tape backing down a little better; (sorry for the lack of focus in the shot)



So the question is, do I remove all the eternabond from all 3 slideouts and replace, or do I just keep an eye on it and leave well enough alone? My understanding of this material is that it never needs replacement, but that seems hard to believe.
__________________

__________________
Jeff, Laurie, + kids
Three time former Sunline owner
2011 Big Horn 3670RL Fifth Wheel
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD D/A DRW, Classy Chassis Conversion, aka "Garage Queen II"
Hensley Trailersaver BD3 Air Hitch
ihsolutions is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2009, 05:03 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 347
SUN #62
rich2500
I tried to replace a small section of the eternabond on the corner of my slide roof with new eternabond and it did not stick any better then the factory stuff and it was prepped as per the eternabond instructions,for some reason the slide roof feels real greasy.I ended up doing as you and just lap sealing the edges.So I would say to save your time and aggrevation and just lap seal all the edges.
__________________

__________________
05 sunline 267sr
01 F-250 V-10 4x4 Lariat supercab SB auto 4:30 LS
draw-tite 1200# trunnion wd,friction sway control,prodigy
happy camping Rich,Maryellen,Josh and Jake
https://www.campingpa.com/
rich2500 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2009, 07:53 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 249
SUN #809
ihsolutions
OK, here's an update and a better photo. I spoke with the dealer and they say that it's very common for the edges of eternabond to come loose, without affecting the seal, especially when the underneath "stuff" is holding well. What they do in these cases is to trim any excess eternabond backing where it's loose, then use roof lap sealant to smooth the transition, which also helps keep the eternabond from peeling further.

Here's a pic of probably the worst spot I have, and I'm lifting the backing for good visual...


So is this something I should replace, or fix as they've recommended? Next spring I will be installing slide toppers so I want a more permanent solution. But I also don't want to fix what ain't broke. No leaks, and I want to keep it that way. FYI, this is the seam on the inside of the slide, where it meets the wall when extended.
__________________
Jeff, Laurie, + kids
Three time former Sunline owner
2011 Big Horn 3670RL Fifth Wheel
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD D/A DRW, Classy Chassis Conversion, aka "Garage Queen II"
Hensley Trailersaver BD3 Air Hitch
ihsolutions is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2009, 08:01 PM   #4
Moderator
 
JohnB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 12,643
SUN #89
JohnB is on a distinguished road
Jeff

It seems we suffer from the same problem. Here see mine.



I also have some of this on the outboard side but not as bad as the inboard side. Also on the outer side the hex heads of the screws under it seem to be about ready to pop totally thru. And that is concerning to me.

The thought of trimming the excess and the Dicro lap seal the edge sounds like a good one. What ever that slide roof is, it a different something. The adjective used it felt greasy does fit.

Now do you try and doing something about this or leave it? In my case I am going to do something about it now that I see it. After seeing what a leak can do, prevention is king. And after Rich’s comment of the new stuff not sticking any better, I think I will trim the big heavy loose parts and then Dicro over as long as the rest is done good.

And I will Dicor over the screw heads about ready to pop thru. With the way the slide opening is with the rubber gasket, this Eternabond strip does not seem to touch anything when in or out. So a small strip of lap seal over it should not touch anything either.

The Eternabond is 2” wide. If we trim off 1/8” even 1/4” to clean up that is still 1 3/4” wide strip. I do not see that 1/4” loosing any effectiveness as long as the rest is stuck down good. Probably do more damage trying to get it up. But if I have a good say 40% mising, well then I might attempt that one section.

I'll report back in about 2 weeks on how I came out.

Hope this helps

John
__________________
Current Sunlines: 2004 T310SR, 2004 T1950, 2004 T2475, 2007 T2499, 2004 T317SR
Prior Sunlines: 2004 T2499 - Fern Blue
2005 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.8L V10 W/ 4.10 rear axle, CC, Short Bed, SRW. Reese HP trunnion bar hitch W/ HP DC

Google Custom Search For Sunline Owners Club
JohnB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2009, 07:20 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 249
SUN #809
ihsolutions
OK, I couldn't take it anymore. Yesterday I started working on this with the intention of caulking all the places where the tape backing was peeling up (see above). So first I washed the roof to remove any debris and dried the edge with a towel, then used light compressed air to get rid of any remaining water.

This morning I got ready to caulk but noticed there was water UNDER the tape. So, I peeled back a small section and noticed the butyl adhesive was not even attached to the metal anymore, in several places.

To make a long story short, I peeled EVERYTHING off and went to the RV store to talk to one of their techs. This is NOT eternabond as I originally thought. He called it "RV Slideout tape". Clever name! Anyway, I bought a new section 14' in length (I needed 13'6"). Cleaned the old surface a little but left much of the old butyl adhesive.

Once pressed firmly on, I ran a bead of dicor roof sealant along both edges of the tape. Then smoothed it out with my finger, so that the squeegee lip of the slideout did not catch on the tape or the caulk. Here are some pics of the finished product:







I feel MUCH better about this now, even though there was no leaks, but now I'm really sure there will be no leaks. Only $28 for the material ($1.95 per foot).
__________________
Jeff, Laurie, + kids
Three time former Sunline owner
2011 Big Horn 3670RL Fifth Wheel
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD D/A DRW, Classy Chassis Conversion, aka "Garage Queen II"
Hensley Trailersaver BD3 Air Hitch
ihsolutions is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2009, 10:28 PM   #6
Moderator
 
JohnB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 12,643
SUN #89
JohnB is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by ihsolutions

To make a long story short, I peeled EVERYTHING off and went to the RV store to talk to one of their techs. This is NOT eternabond as I originally thought. He called it "RV Slideout tape". Clever name! Anyway, I bought a new section 14' in length (I needed 13'6"). Cleaned the old surface a little but left much of the old butyl adhesive.

Once pressed firmly on, I ran a bead of dicor roof sealant along both edges of the tape. Then smoothed it out with my finger, so that the squeegee lip of the slideout did not catch on the tape or the caulk. Here are some pics of the finished product:

I feel MUCH better about this now, even though there was no leaks, but now I'm really sure there will be no leaks. Only $28 for the material ($1.95 per foot).
Yes now that you say it, that does not look or feel like Eternabond as the plastic top thin layer just did not feel like Eternabond.

I have not done my yet. Actually on the list for this weekend project. I do have 2 roles of Eternabond and "wonder" why it would not work. My screw heads on the slide flange are about ready to totally pop thru. I was originally going to dicor a spot on each to make a better rub surface as those heads are wearing into the black rubber seal when the slide is in and bouncing down the road.

Now after your find, I’m questioning what to use. I can’t see the eterna bond being a bad move. Just may cost more.

Any thoughts?

John
__________________
Current Sunlines: 2004 T310SR, 2004 T1950, 2004 T2475, 2007 T2499, 2004 T317SR
Prior Sunlines: 2004 T2499 - Fern Blue
2005 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.8L V10 W/ 4.10 rear axle, CC, Short Bed, SRW. Reese HP trunnion bar hitch W/ HP DC

Google Custom Search For Sunline Owners Club
JohnB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 08:00 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 351
SUN #549
frank
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB
Now after your find, I’m questioning what to use. I can’t see the eterna bond being a bad move. Just may cost more.

Any thoughts?

John
Judging by the pictures, if I were in your shoes, I'd make the move to eternabond. That's some tough stuff!

John, for your screw-rubbing problem, how about some screw caps?

- Frank
__________________
frank is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 04:37 PM   #8
Moderator
 
JohnB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 12,643
SUN #89
JohnB is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by frank
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB
Now after your find, I’m questioning what to use. I can’t see the eterna bond being a bad move. Just may cost more.

Any thoughts?

John
Judging by the pictures, if I were in your shoes, I'd make the move to eternabond. That's some tough stuff!

John, for your screw-rubbing problem, how about some screw caps?

- Frank
Frank,

The screws, they are like no 8 sheet metal screws with a hex on top. Sunline uses them all over and here they are many. The hex is sort of sharp making the break thru that much easier over time.

This pic is IHsolution's. You can see the hex under his nice new Slide tape.



Mine are more progressed in the rub to the point I can see a tiny breaks thru about to start. A pan head or C'sink head may be a better option in this location. On mine, I can see the hex spots eating into the rubber seal on the camper when it closes.

OK what is a "screw cap"?

The problem is just like a piece of dirt or other stuff under a piece of linoleum flooring. After you walk over it, over time the chuck breaks thru.

I know I’m picky when it comes to these things and I may take it beyond what will work. As what is there works, it is the long lasting part I’m concerned with. Sunline is not unique on this setup. Before getting this one, I looked at several other brands and the slides are made similar. Actually there are 2 levels of moderns day slides. Maybe more but at least 2. The higher end brands, and I put Sunline in that group, are better then the no so high end one. You can tell by how high up off the carpet the slide comes when retracted. There are some that come straight in and drag the carpet the entire way. Then there is the Sunline sort of type, Artic Fox, Sunnybrook etc, then come in on an uphill angle and lift up off the carpet. The slide tack is mounted on an angle to create this under the camper. And you build the slide on an angle. The slide comes straight up when extended out and retracted in.

The seals and methods of the slide construction are similar too. Sort of like “slide tape” Other brands use it too, to cover over that joint. The actual screws, I’ll have to dig deeper tonight if they use the hex screws too. I have some real good slide pics of those other brands. It may show that outer alum flange and how they deal with this screw problem.

Thanks

John
__________________
Current Sunlines: 2004 T310SR, 2004 T1950, 2004 T2475, 2007 T2499, 2004 T317SR
Prior Sunlines: 2004 T2499 - Fern Blue
2005 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.8L V10 W/ 4.10 rear axle, CC, Short Bed, SRW. Reese HP trunnion bar hitch W/ HP DC

Google Custom Search For Sunline Owners Club
JohnB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 06:52 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 249
SUN #809
ihsolutions
John, I did actually run a bead of dicor along the seam where the rubber meets the metal, JUST IN CASE water does somehow permeate the tape at some point. In this case, it will have a hard time also making it into the gap between the rubber and metal (which, in my case, was not always a tight seal). I was lucky to have no leak to this point.

I also did as you suggested and put some dicor around MOST of the screws that had rust on them, to smooth the surface a bit, and make them less likely to puncture the tape. In retrospect, I would have let that sealant cure up totally before reinstalling the tape, because the way I did it, the sealant got all pressed around when I pushed the tape down firmly. I did not have the luxury of waiting a couple days, as we are headed out on a trip tomorrow.

Interesting thing, before I realized the tape was not eternabond, I called Eternabond tech support and asked them why it was peeling and how to fix. He seemed surprised that Sunline would use Eternabond in this way (and in fact, they did not!). Regardless, he generously offered to send me, for free, enough to redo my slide seams. So, I've got that on the way, which I may use to do the other two slides, and see how the products compare. From my experience, Eternabond is the "Sunline" of adhesive materials. Fantastic customer service!

Jeff
__________________
Jeff, Laurie, + kids
Three time former Sunline owner
2011 Big Horn 3670RL Fifth Wheel
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD D/A DRW, Classy Chassis Conversion, aka "Garage Queen II"
Hensley Trailersaver BD3 Air Hitch
ihsolutions is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 08:18 PM   #10
Moderator
 
JohnB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 12,643
SUN #89
JohnB is on a distinguished road
Hi Guys

OK made it to my pics. I knew I had these.

Here is my concern. The rubber seal poc marks. Those wear spots are from the slide being retracted in and driving down the road. The vibration is working those screw heads.


This is not the best pic but see the dirt blotches all the way down. Every dirt blob has a hex screw there.


And here is he screw.


As you can see, nothing touches that screw when the slide is open. The hex head is wearing the rubber seal and the slide tape.

Since I have the Eternabond I’ll go that route when I make it to this. It might rain this weekend so I may not get to this. And I will deal with the screws, how don't know just yet.

Jeff, how did you peal up the old slide tape? Heat it a little with a hair dryer or heat gun?

Thanks

John
__________________
Current Sunlines: 2004 T310SR, 2004 T1950, 2004 T2475, 2007 T2499, 2004 T317SR
Prior Sunlines: 2004 T2499 - Fern Blue
2005 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.8L V10 W/ 4.10 rear axle, CC, Short Bed, SRW. Reese HP trunnion bar hitch W/ HP DC

Google Custom Search For Sunline Owners Club
JohnB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2009, 11:07 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 249
SUN #809
ihsolutions
Peeled up the old tape with a little TLC and not much else. There were several 6" or longer sections that came up easily. The old butyl from the slide tape does NOT like to come off the rubber roof. I was advised to leave it be, and after doing it, that makes sense. No point in trying to remove old adhesive, as the new stuff will bond right to it.

I used a little denatured alcohol to clean the metal, being careful not to get any on the rubber roof. If you are using eternabond, you may wish to proceed differently than I have, though, the Eternabond tech told me, no need to really clean things as the new material will "micro-fuse" to whatever is there.

I'm going to monitor how this holds up over the next month or so and report back. I have four trips planned in the next month (so that's 2 slide extension/retraction cycles per trip, plus several wet/dry cycles no doubt). My rubber roof has some bubbling where this material is attached, so if it holds up for me, it should hold up for anyone.
__________________
Jeff, Laurie, + kids
Three time former Sunline owner
2011 Big Horn 3670RL Fifth Wheel
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD D/A DRW, Classy Chassis Conversion, aka "Garage Queen II"
Hensley Trailersaver BD3 Air Hitch
ihsolutions is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2009, 07:26 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 351
SUN #549
frank
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB
OK what is a "screw cap"?
John,

They look like this. I use them in the cars and stuff where I have an exposed screw, and I want to make it look a little better.



You'd still have a bulge, which may or may not be an issue, but at least it's a smooth, flat surface with no sharp edges. You might be right, a countersunk-flush screw might be a better option if possible in the structure.

I have a bag of these caps downstairs, I can mail you a couple so you can get a sense of if it would help or not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB
I know I’m picky when it comes to these things and I may take it beyond what will work. As what is there works, it is the long lasting part I’m concerned with. Sunline is not unique on this setup.
I don't think you are being overly concerned at all. That would bug me as well for sure. Kind of like sticking a wire through a piece of metal without a grommet. Eventually, it's wearing through.

- Frank
__________________

__________________
frank is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
eternabond alternative rich2500 Repairs and Maintenance 11 10-14-2010 08:44 AM
'94 T1700 frig question-level question harbortj Repairs and Maintenance 4 04-13-2010 06:46 PM
Eternabond Roof Repair tedontario Repairs and Maintenance 4 04-23-2007 10:36 AM
more bunk models with slideouts sunnyseagull Sunline Community 1 10-08-2006 06:02 PM


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sunline RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:26 AM.


×