Today I had to replace the bulb seal on our slide-out. When I went to inspect the condition of the rubber roof on top of the slide-out I noticed seal was sagging in the middle. I pulled the seal back and the metal teeth inside of the rubber that hold it in place were all rusted.
Our Jayco 5th wheel is only in it’s 6th year of service. I would think that the seal should have lasted a bit longer than that. I did find out that it is typical for the seals to give way and fall off. Just wish we could have got a bit longer life out of it.
Some people say you should caulk around the corners of the seal, some say to caulk around all of it. The caulk Jayco used at the factory was impossible to remove so I would advise leaving it in place and just seal over it. What ever you end up doing I am sure the caulk will separate from the rubber anyway. You will be relying on the seal itself to keep the moisture out.
The best method of prolonging the life of the bulb seal on your slide-out is to invest in a slide-out awning cover. This will keep the water out of the seal. It will also keep other debris from becoming trapped on top of you slide-out. It is a wise investment, yet a bit pricey.
On our way to the campground last weekend we stopped at Hagerty’s for a pulled pork sandwich. I discovered this place while doing a search for the closest place that sold Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream (If you have never eaten this brand of Ice Cream you are missing out on a real treat). I found out that this place also offered some darn good smoked BBQ Ribs and Pulled Pork. So we stopped back for dinner.
You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with “Axles”. While I was in the store ordering dinner, a guy at the counter said that he had been following my rig down the road and it had looked like my rear tires on the RV were tilted in at the top. Upon checking it out for myself, I discovered that the rear axle looked bent. The inside of the rear tire on the right hand side was also worn out. This can’t be a good thing.
When we returned home I made several phone calls looking for someone who might be able to straighten the axle and align the wheels on my RV trailer. This proved to be quite difficult to do. RV shops would just replace the axle and alignment shops didn’t service trailers. I didn’t want to replace the entire rear axle since I had spent so much money replacing the drums, brakes, backing plates and seals just last summer. I finally called a place by the name of Tow Line Trailers in Saginaw, Michigan. I took the 5th wheel over to them and they informed me that the combination of light axles and Michigan roads had been too much for my trailer.
Not that I had ever over-loaded my RV, the axles were just not sturdy enough for the enormous potholes and earth shattering bumps we have here in Michigan. They then proceeded to fix my trailer up right.
They replaced my 3500 lb axle beams with 7000 lb beams. They then welded a couple of 2×2 steel support tubes across the axle hangers to straighten and firm them up. They also repacked my bearings and swapped my worn tire for me. They did an excellent job. The suspension is much better than it ever was before. Hats off to Tow Line Trailers for helping me out.
Prevent TV Antenna Damage
Tim R. Enright
One of the most likely parts of your RV to get damaged by accident is your TV antenna. It is out of sight and out of mind. It is just too easy to get in your RV and drive away while forgetting to lower your antenna. In doing so, you will be handing it over to the first available low hanging tree limb or power wire.
A very common practice to remind you that your antenna is still in the raised position is to place a clothespin or piece of ribbon on the crank handle. When you raise the TV antenna, take the clothespin or ribbon and go put it on the steering wheel. That way, the next time you are traveling down the road with a clothespin on your wheel, you will know that the next stop you should be looking for is a RV parts dealer to purchase a new TV antenna.
Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2007
When I first arrive at a park that doesn’t have water hookups, I will fill the fresh water tank. Then I will also look into the black tank through the toilet to see how full it is. This is because the gauge for this tank can be deceiving. Last time I did this I noticed a bolt in the bottom of the tank. This discovery began a very interesting lesson.
First I called my local dealer and informed him of my discovery. He stated that all kinds of things have been known to show up in these tanks while they are being built. The most typical to be found is the cut out for the toilet that is dropped into the tank while it is drilled. He said that I should look for this cutout as well as the bolt I told him about. I said that made sense since I have had problems draining the black tank ever since I bought the RV.
I went home and spent quite some time looking over my black tank and the way it was put together. I used a mirror on a stick to try and look inside the tank. I did discover that the drain in my tank was not on the side of the RV like I had thought but in the center. In fact ,it is located in the front and center of the black tank in my 2006 Jayco JayFlight.
I confirmed this by calling Jayco the next day. I told them that they neglected to realize that this so called “1/2 ton series” Fifth Wheel that is too heavy for a ½ ton pickup, when mounted on a ¾ ton truck, will not sit level. The Fifth Wheel will tilt towards the back. It will not allow the black tank to sit level and drain out the front of the tank. This answers why my tank never seems to drain completely. The only time I will be able to completely drain the black tank is when the RV is not hooked to my truck. I sure will get funny looks when I unhook at the dump station. People will think I am going to camp there.
I then took my RV into the dealership to have them look for the bolt and any other restrictions in the tank. They told me that they flushed the tank several times and could not get the bolt out. They said it was a #8 pan head bolt which is quite common on these units. The dealer informed me that they didn’t find anything else in the tank that may restrict the flow. They did, however, adjust the vent pipe to lessen any vacuum problems.
Only time will tell what will happen next. I sure have had my fair share of troubles with this RV.
Today we took our RV into the dealer for some last minute repairs. The warranty is almost up and we wanted to address a few items. The TV antenna jack was loose, the electrical cord was coming apart, the slide out was making noise, a blind was binding and we had noticed water stains on the valance due to the window problems we had in the past. Hope to get it back soon; we have a trip planned in a couple of weeks.
I can’t believe this! The window I had replaced is leaking just like the last one did. You can see it is crooked. Today I took the RV back to the dealership. They said they are going to replace the entire window, frame and all. I sure hope this puts an end to the situation.
Had a new escape hatch window and blinds installed today. I found some small elastic straps to put on the windows latches to help secure them. I don’t need flying windows again.
