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Koala Slide leak & gutter extensions

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Koala Slide leak & gutter extensions Empty Koala Slide leak & gutter extensions

Post  afob3 Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:07 am

We have had our Koala since August. Sometime in September I noticed there was some water getting inside through the slide. It was only happening durring heavy & windblown rain. (Our slide faces the into the storms where we park it.)

Set up an appointment and dropped it at the dealer to take care of it in October. They had it for several weeks and when we picked it up they had caulked a few spots around the seals & advised me to store it with that side lower so rain would drain away from the wall. They generally made me feel like it was 'user error' but I complied and reset the pavers I park on slightly lower on that side.

After all that effort, I was unpleasantly suprised to find the same issue after the next big storm. Once I got on the ladder, it only took me 5 minutes to see the issue the dealer had 3 weeks to find. The top facia on the slide was bowed out in the center so far that the seals werent' touching. There was a gap large enough to fit a finger into.:M

Koala Slide leak & gutter extensions 1

So I decided to insure I was on the right track by sealing that area with some packing tape and wait for the next big rain.

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It stayed dry as a bone for several storms so I knew I was on the right track. After my dealer experience, I decided I was taking care of it myself. I took lots of pictures & wrote an email to Skyline outlining the issues & looking for advice.

The folks at Skyline were quick to respond and we set up a telephone conference with one of the foreman at the factory. It appeared that facia piece had been twisted during the install. They had no problem sending me the parts I would need if I wanted to cut out the dealer and do it myself. I was assured that if I had issues bigger than I could handle, that they would find another local dealership to take it on. I can't say enough positive things about how these folks worked to resolve & appologize for my concerns.Smile

UPS delivered my care package a few days later. It included everything we discussed as well as new seals & extra sealants.

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It took a little while to get a nice warm afternoon without interuptions, but once I got started it was fairly straighforward.

Remove a ton of screws & gently work the butyl tape loose. Lots of it remained that took some time to clean up.

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New facia on with eternabond on top. The factory supplied the tape. They are using it in production now instead of the lap sealant mine came with.

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It was at this point that my always observant DW asked about the missing decal nobody had thought of.:S Another quick email to Skyline got the decal shipped to me in a few days.

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All stayed dry for several storms but I still had concerns that the gutter over the slide wasn't wide enough to keep flowing water off the seals. The wind & rain from that side of the trailer can get pretty wicked. My original plan, before I asked Skyline for help, was to extend the gutter to act just how the packing tape did. Even though everything was sealed & dry I figured a little extra layer of insurance wouldn't hurt. I had a long piece of grey vinyl siding trim that matched well & fabricated a profile that would shield that gap.

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I removed the gutter, slid the piece in & re-assembled everything. It gives an extra layer of protection. After watching how the water falls & drains off it in last night's rain I like the result.

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From the ground, the color matches well & you can see it extends just past the slide wall.

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If you read this far, I wan't to make it clear that yes Skyline had a defect on my TT. However, they bent over backwards to insure it was resolved even though thier dealer hadn't. Internet forums are so full of complaints on companies that I intentionaly held off from posting about this until after I waited to see how it would play out. It is an example of a company working with the customer to do what is right. They could have sent me to another dealer but met my wish to take care of it myself.

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Post  chuck Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:40 am

You are a better man than I.

I am glad it all worked out.. and am impressed that the manufacturer was eager to help. However.. I would have been pretty ticked off having to do this kind of work on a brand new travel trailer. (probably at least a $20,000 to $25,000 investment)

I know "stuff happens".. but they should have also sent you a nice check for your labor. I am not near the "handyman" as you seem to be.. so I would have been forced to try and work with a dealer to get it fixed.. and frankly.. most of them are in the "sales" business and really lose interest once you leave the lot. If they do work on your unit.. it takes forever and probably won't be right. If you bought your KOALA from CHILHOWEE RV.. I am not surprised. Have heard too many similar stories.

I hate leaks.. and unfortunately .. if you have a camper.. you will have a leak,.. eventually.

(glad to hear about SKYLINE using ETERNABOND)
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Post  chuck Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:44 am

and.... if they had told me to "store it with that side lower so rain would drain away from the wall." I might have slapped someone!!!! Laughing
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Post  afob3 Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:02 pm

I knew they weren't doing any service on my unit ever again. I had the option to go elsewhere. I don't mind the time as I am one of those wierd ones that likes to take things apart and see how they work. I believe in the if you want it done right do it yourself aproach. Smile

I figured I was on my own but was glad to see the manufacturer step up.

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Post  Richard Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:14 pm

Nice work!
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Post  Darcamper Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:24 pm

You had your hands full, looks good. Hope all is fixed.
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Post  KralCamper Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:46 pm

Nice job! The grey vinyl siding trim "gutter" was a genius idea. I probably would have handled the situation much the same as you and opted to do the work myself. I usually find I can do as good or possibly better job than the so called "professionals".

Hats off to ya!
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