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Old 10-16-2014, 08:22 PM   #1
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Question T267SR Darco under slide wearing in spots

Greetings. I have a T267SR . While inspecting the under side of the slide out the other day I noticed that there is a thin wear mark, almost like the last 10" of the slide in this spot is rubbing on something sharp just before it sits down when the slide is fully extended. the "wear mark", less than 1/8" wide x 10" long does not run the entire length of the slide. I checked for any objects that could be causing this but can't find anything. It appears like its close to rubbing through to the OSB. Any Suggestions on what to check next ? The slide out appears to be operating properly. I see what appears to be a "galvanized ramp" from under side that guides the slide. It appears to be smooth in the area in question with no burrs or sharp edges. HELP !
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Old 10-16-2014, 09:11 PM   #2
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How old is the camper, what year? Since you have the galvanized ramp it is a 2004 or older most likely.

I have used flex mend to seal a joint on the slide floor. Just I applied it full width and up over the tongue inside on purpose so there is no edge to pick at when coming in. Gentle hair dryer heat and press to seal it permanently.

The seam I am covering


Flex Mend


Start applying and leave paper on to only peel as you go


with the slide lifted slightly, get it inside


Once inside, pull tight and peel paper and start to fold over.


folder over and cut off. The metal plate is off in this pic, flex mend under it


On yours, make sure any fraying edges are trimmed off. You need a flat smooth area to patch over.

Now what caused the tear? Some possibilities

1. Look at the trough in this area for a shiny spot. If there is one on the ramp, that shinny spot is a high spot and that concentrated a lot of pressure in the one spot and wore the Darco. tap it down gently and do not go over deep or it may swedge up a metal creating a bigger issue. Just tap until flush. Use plastic dead blow hammer if you have one or block of hard wood and hammer. Ideally not steel hammer directly.

2. Is a dirt spot on the bottom of the floor in this location creating abrasion? Once the tear starts, use over time will work on it making it longer.

3. Some how that spot ended up getting more pressure then the other areas. Is there a heavy object over the area? A real heavy draw under the dinette etc? The Darco will not last forever and eventually wear. Mine is now 10 years old and still OK. And I have used the camper a lot. I know some day I will have to deal with this more than may patch above.

To help prevent the issue or slow it down once started, spray the trough edge with liquid silicone to help lower the friction. This will help but it does wear off over time so you need to add it back on.

A longer tear anti friction method is to use UHMW tape. This is a tape you put on the trough to cut the friction. McMaster-Carr

It is not cheap and the thicker the longer it lasts. Use the 6" or 12 wide and go over the tough hump. As far as thickness, 0.012, 0.022 or 0.036" The thinner is too thin and the 1/16" might not flex enough to stay stuck down. Scroll down they make super bonding tape too. I do not know if you need this, it was not listed a few years ago but it sounds like it sticks better.

We use this at work on all kinds of things to cut sliding friction.

I helped a fellow SOC member with this on his big heavy 5er slide. The report was it worked really good when he put it down. This was now about 2 maybe 3 years ago. I do not have any follow on data to know how long it lasts. I myself was going to try this on mine to cut down on the power draw and have the slide come in easier. I just never made it to it yet. For sure if you do this, the metal has to be clean and alcohol, brake cleaner, acetone cleaned so the cleaner flashes off and leaves no residue so the tape can stick.

And for sure make sure the wrap is wide enough to not have the floor catch an edge of it and start peeling it up.

Can you post a pic or too so we can see how wide the tear is? Measure it too. A 1/8" tear is a lot different than 1" wide on how we may fix this.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 10-17-2014, 07:26 PM   #3
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Hi John thanks for the help. The trailer is a 2003 T267SR. Im the original owner. Bad description on my part I wouldn't say its a wear mark its more like something is "pulling" at the Darco when the slide is either going out or coming in or both. The strands that make up the weave of the Darco , it appears are tearing on something. In two spots where the strands are pulled apart I can see the OSB. What ever is doing it the pressure is not hard enough to leave a mark on the OSB, 1/8" X 11" long for reference its running parallel to the slide rails. NO shiny spots,no weight in dinette,nothing on floor/carpet. Look at your 5th photo from the top see where the carpeting ends at the slide. Its folded under its self with no padding. I did find that the manufacture used pneumatic staples here to keep the carpet down on the floor. In my unit every one of the staples had worked loose were sticking up a little. There was one that would be in line with the "ripping" of the Darco HOWEVER the staple was not up as far as the top or even the middle of the carpet weave. Im no expert on the slide function but I would think the slide would have to compress the carpeting a lot in order for the staple head to grab the Darco sheet, run your fingers across this area and you'll feel the staple heads. It looks to me like the slide stays pretty far up just until it drops down when fully out. How about when its coming into the trailer ? Is there a point when the slide is extending out that while looking from the outside underneath the slide you can see into the trailer between the underside of the slide floor and the top of the trailer floor to check for anything cutting into the Darco ? Ill try to take a picture tomorrow and Ill measure from the right side of the slide floor on the inside to the trailer to wear the problem with the Darco is to give you a reference to where the problem is.
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Old 10-19-2014, 07:48 PM   #4
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Hi again, Your good detail helps a lot. Congrats on being the original owner!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by openroad View Post
Hi John thanks for the help. The trailer is a 2003 T267SR. Im the original owner.

Bad description on my part I wouldn't say its a wear mark its more like something is "pulling" at the Darco when the slide is either going out or coming in or both. The strands that make up the weave of the Darco , it appears are tearing on something. In two spots where the strands are pulled apart I can see the OSB. What ever is doing it the pressure is not hard enough to leave a mark on the OSB, 1/8" X 11" long for reference its running parallel to the slide rails. NO shiny spots,no weight in dinette,nothing on floor/carpet.

Look at your 5th photo from the top see where the carpeting ends at the slide. Its folded under its self with no padding. I did find that the manufacture used pneumatic staples here to keep the carpet down on the floor. In my unit every one of the staples had worked loose were sticking up a little. There was one that would be in line with the "ripping" of the Darco HOWEVER the staple was not up as far as the top or even the middle of the carpet weave.

Im no expert on the slide function but I would think the slide would have to compress the carpeting a lot in order for the staple head to grab the Darco sheet, run your fingers across this area and you'll feel the staple heads. It looks to me like the slide stays pretty far up just until it drops down when fully out.

How about when its coming into the trailer ?

Is there a point when the slide is extending out that while looking from the outside underneath the slide you can see into the trailer between the underside of the slide floor and the top of the trailer floor to check for anything cutting into the Darco ?

Ill try to take a picture tomorrow and Ill measure from the right side of the slide floor on the inside to the trailer to wear the problem with the Darco is to give you a reference to where the problem is.
Your note brings up a few good questions now.

The pulling apart of the Darco, we need to figure out if the pulling/tearing action is happening on the way "in" or the slide going "out". This may lead to part of the cause.

1. Is the tearing/pulling of the Darco on the carpet tongue end of the slide?

OR

2. Is the tearing/pulling of the Darco on the outside wall end of the slide?

Or

3. Is the tearing/pulling of the Darco happening in the middle of the slide floor?

Since the pulling effect is 11" long, the slide is some 36 to 40" long, it does not go all the way across. Try and describe which end OR in the middle is the pulling effect occurring? ANd if you can, which direction the pulling seems to be occurring, on the way in or out? From this we can maybe back into something.

The staples... yes Sunline and the automatic staplers are very "abundant". I have had to deal with them before. That said, while painful dealing with getting them up, they do need to be tacked down good.

I agree, as of right now those few staples sticking up, while not good, may or may not be a cause. If one worked it's way out and started traveling with the slide on the way out, yes that could get jammed in the metal trough and cause a problem. Don't know yet if we can draw that conclusion just yet.

Maybe some pics will help shed some more thoughts on this.

The Flex Mend repair at this point still sounds doable for this pulling effect. BUT, ideally we figure out the cause before doing the repair.

John
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Old 10-20-2014, 08:17 PM   #5
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Hi John the mystery continues. The 11" tear starts on the carpet tongue end of the slide. Go to your photo 5th from the top again. I can feel with my fingers the tear starts right where the Darco meets the bottom edge of the OSB before its wrapped over the edge and stapled to the floor. If your standing inside the camper looking into the slide( the front of the camper(hitch) would be on your right side) and measure 31" from the outside of the 1"X6" oak trim piece that frames out the right interior side of the slide out towards the middle of the slide. Thats wear the tear starts. I noticed there is a "V" shaped groves in the Galvanized piece at that point also. Its NOT a splice point just a groove that appears to be made during the manufacturing process. If you look in the same spot from outside the unit under the slide with it extended, the groove is not present on the ramp or flat that the slide drops down on. If you open the slide about half way I noticed theres about 5" of space between the camper interior wall and the exterior wall of the slide. If you look down, with the slide half out you can see the slide is about 3.5" above its resting point on that galvanized piece. A friend of mine is going to let me borrow a fiberoptic camera that he has that will easily fit down inside that space, ill use it to see if anything is lodged between the slide in that area. Im thinking maybe a small stone or something from someones shoe since the dinette is right there.If I see something Ill follow up with plowing it out with compressed air! I tried to take some photos but the flash bouncing off the shiny black Darco you can't see anything.Tomorrow night Ill have the fiberoptic camera Ill let you know how I make out in the next couple of days. Ordered the flex Mend on Amazon but want to wait till issue is resolved. That 11" appears to be the distance that the slide travels when its at its LOWEST point before dropping down when extending and then again just before the slide begins to raise up when bringing it inside leading me to think something is lodged under there.
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Old 10-23-2014, 07:48 PM   #6
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I think you might be onto something. If some kind of hard piece of "something" is traped it that groove, it can create the localized high friction.

The fiber optic camera is a great use of that tool to sneak in there. And I agree, ideally you can find the issue before applying the repair or it will tear out the repair too over time.

Good luck and report back.

John
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Old 05-28-2015, 07:41 PM   #7
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Hi John. Its only taking me what ? seven months to get back to you with the results of that tear mystery. I apologize ! A medical emergency followed by a difficult winter prevented me from going further with the camper repair until a few weeks ago. OK, here goes. I discovered a small "burr" sticking up at the end of that "V-shaped grove I was talking about. How it got there I don't know. No shiny spots. First I thought that it was just something stuck in the groove but discovered it was actually attached sticking up slightly just before that metal piece ramps down flat where the floor sits. Obviously there would be some drag there as the slide out begins to sit down into that flat area. I was able to get in there with a small jewelers file and take care of it. I then installed the flex mend belly tape like you instructed. I see your in Ohio. Good place for the flex-Mend is mhrvparts.com out of Uniontown Pennsylvania they also carry the Dicor roof seal 502-LSW, which can be hard to find.
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Old 05-30-2015, 09:31 PM   #8
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Thanks for reporting back. Understand how life and come at ya...

Glad things worked out and thanks for the lead on the Flex Mend. Always need a few more good sources.

Happy camping this year

John
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