Rubber on slide-out that surrounds kitchen drain idea

[Jusplainwacky]

On my 29M...

Under the kitchen sink where the drain is connected to the tank, there is this hooky bag setup that Thor put in that connects to the drainpipe and the floor of the slide out. As the slide moves in an out, the bag follows the drain. It's a poor man's idea of a seal.

The bag got caught up on something under the sink and almost ended ripping out my whole sink and cabinet. Needless to say, I ended up ripping it out and re-routing how the drain connects up. The way Thor did it is really a poor setup where the pipe is rubbing up against the cabinet framing. If anyone has a 29M, I would highly suggest you take a look behind this panel and inspect.

Under this bag Thor put in these two rubber flaps that are supposed to press against the drain and allow somewhat of a seal...which is a joke as you can see from the photos.

I'm looking for some idea on how I can close/seal this gap and still allow the slide-out to go in and out. I have thought about cutting slits in the rubber, but before I did that, I thought I'd see if anyone here has any ideas.

I heard that this setup was so bad that Thor ended up redoing it.

[Judge]

Ibhad my wife make fabric covers and sewed Velcro in them. I then put adhesive Velcro on the underside of the slide to attach them.

When we get to where we’re going, I put the covers over the openings under the slide after it’s extended and then remove them when I am ready to put the slide in.

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by Judge

Ibhad my wife make fabric covers and sewed Velcro in them. I then put adhesive Velcro on the underside of the slide to attach them.

When we get to where we’re going, I put the covers over the openings under the slide after it’s extended and then remove them when I am ready to put the slide in.

That's a creative idea!

The amount of heat loss, cold air, flies, mosquitos, mice...that can get through this opening is disturbing.

[ericmac450]

Originally Posted by Judge

Ibhad my wife make fabric covers and sewed Velcro in them. I then put adhesive Velcro on the underside of the slide to attach them.

When we get to where we’re going, I put the covers over the openings under the slide after it’s extended and then remove them when I am ready to put the slide in.

Do you have pictures?

[Jusplainwacky]

What is needed it some kind of zipper setup, where the drain pipe would zip on both sides as it slid.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by ericmac450

Do you have pictures?

I'm down at my home in Florida for another 10 days. When I get back north and have access to the coach, I can post pictures.

[Jusplainwacky]

Anyone else?

[JimOIB]

I just ordered this to replace the one 4” seal under my slide.

https://jacorinc.com/shop/products/b...raight-holder/

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by JimOIB

I just ordered this to replace the one 4” seal under my slide.

https://jacorinc.com/shop/products/b...raight-holder/

I thought of something like this, and just laying it sideways on top of the rubber. Can you send me a photo(s) of what you did?

[Judge]

Originally Posted by JimOIB

I just ordered this to replace the one 4” seal under my slide.

https://jacorinc.com/shop/products/b...raight-holder/

Be careful if you are going to screw this into the underside of the slide. There is typically plumbing and electrical running all over the place near the openings where the bags are placed. You don't want to screw into PEX or Romex.

This is why I opted for a Velcro solution using material covers that was easy to install and remove to seal up the openings when the slide is out.

You also want to make sure the channel holding the brush in place is not going to rub on the floor and cause issues when the slide is moving.

[JimOIB]

Originally Posted by Judge

Be careful if you are going to screw this into the underside of the slide. There is typically plumbing and electrical running all over the place near the openings where the bags are placed. You don't want to screw into PEX or Romex.

This is why I opted for a Velcro solution using material covers that was easy to install and remove to seal up the openings when the slide is out.

You also want to make sure the channel holding the brush in place is not going to rub on the floor and cause issues when the slide is moving.

Thanks. I don’t have a bag in my slide. The utility slot is 4” x 28” and has a 4” rubber seal screwed into the underside of the slide. I’ve replaced the seal twice but it gets distorted due to cycles on the slide. My latest trick is to put a pool noodle in the slot when we park but that is getting old. I figured a brush might be a good solution. I plan to use the existing screws to attach the brush. It’s on order and I’ll report back what I find.

[Jusplainwacky]

I like the idea of placing say a large broom sweep on both sides of the drain and aim it slightly downward to flatten the rubber.

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by Jusplainwacky

On my 29M...

Under the kitchen sink where the drain is connected to the tank, there is this hooky bag setup that Thor put in that connects to the drainpipe and the floor of the slide out. As the slide moves in an out, the bag follows the drain. It's a poor man's idea of a seal.

The bag got caught up on something under the sink and almost ended ripping out my whole sink and cabinet. Needless to say, I ended up ripping it out and re-routing how the drain connects up. The way Thor did it is really a poor setup where the pipe is rubbing up against the cabinet framing. If anyone has a 29M, I would highly suggest you take a look behind this panel and inspect.

Under this bag Thor put in these two rubber flaps that are supposed to press against the drain and allow somewhat of a seal...which is a joke as you can see from the photos.

I'm looking for some idea on how I can close/seal this gap and still allow the slide-out to go in and out. I have thought about cutting slits in the rubber, but before I did that, I thought I'd see if anyone here has any ideas.

I heard that this setup was so bad that Thor ended up redoing it. Attachment 38643

I would contact Thor and ask them for a schematic or drawing of their modification. I had a leak in my 2018 29m and took out the cabinet floor and saw the pipe had sepatated at a joint. Re-attached and did some field engineering and not had a problem. That's been years ago and now I'm thinking I need to take a look at it again just to be sure----THANKS A LOT!!!! LOL

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

I had a leak in my 2018 29m and took out the cabinet floor and saw the pipe had sepatated at a joint. Re-attached and did some field engineering and not had a problem. That's been years ago and now I'm thinking I need to take a look at it again just to be sure----THANKS A LOT!!!! LOL

Sorry about that!!

I redid the plumbing setup. I removed the swivel, and glued in a 90-degree fitting, then I rerouted the flex drain to the right of the ABS instead of how they had it (to the left). The flex drain has a nice loop that rests on the floor, so now when the slide out goes in and out, the flex pipe loop will either expand or contract and it doesn't hit anything.
The other thing I did..if you look real close at the photo on the left, I got some plexiglass, heated it up with a heat gun, and bent it around the frame of the cabinet...I did that cause the electrical wires were slightly rubbing on that, with the plexiglass, the wires now just glide past it.
BTW...I did contact Thor asking how they redid it..they weren't any help.
This was really a poor design.

[Vibeman]

I just finished dealing with the same issues on my 2020 29m but didn’t see your post until I was done. My unit has a 90 degree steel reinforcement around each 90 degree drain fitting which I don’t see in your photo. These reinforcements are screwed to the floor and wall so the 90 degree drain elbows do not rotate at all. All motion is accomplished by flexing the corrugated hose. My problem was that this reinforcement rubbed the underside of the cabinet divider as it passed beneath, trying to force up the cabinet. The corrugated drain hose also rubbed the divider because it had to jump up and over an electrical junction box that was screwed to the floor right in its path. I relocated the junction box out of the way, this stopped the hose from rubbing. I then I used a rotary rasp on my drill to grind about 1/8” of wood off the bottom of the cabinet frame, this allowed the bracket to pass underneath without rubbing. Of course once I removed the interior cabinet panels I could see just how badly everything was installed and routed and now knew why there was so much creaking and groaning and popping when the slide moved. I moved and secured all the water supply lines, electrical lines, cable TV lines, and the flexible heat duct so they did not bind, tangle or otherwise interfere with the motion of the slide. Once everything was out of the way I could then clearly see the “bag” barrier and how it was “supposed” to be secured. I used Gorilla Tape and staples to secure the edges of the bag and then was able to tighten the drawstring around the drain line (it was left loose and open by Thor, probably to avoid binding or tearing) and it now had just barely enough slack to move all the way in each direction without tearing. Actually I think it is now an ok way to seal up this gap, especially against insects and air movement. Not the best way to do it but probably the cheapest way. I spent a day and a half under the cabinet (only one arm at a time) and was able to make a huge improvement in this whole system. If the Thor builders had spent an extra 1/2 hour or less at the time of assembly they could have accomplished everything I did.

Funny (or maybe not) how we have many of the same problems on our 29m’s. I do really like the coach though, in spite of the poor workmanship. I am pretty handy and can do most repairs and modifications myself, I can see how others can get so disgusted if they have to take it to the dealership for every little thing.

Ken

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by Vibeman

I just finished dealing with the same issues on my 2020 29m but didn’t see your post until I was done.

Ken

Hey Ken...I couldn't agree more. I'm the same way...a DIY kind of guy and I'm lucky in that regards otherwise I can see how this coach would get a bad rap as far a quality of workman ship.

One of the things that really bothers me is how loud the coach is driving down a road that isn't perfectly smooth...the cabinets rattle, the engine is loud, the shower door sounds like it's going to fall off...and I find myself yelling at my better half just so she can hear me. I'm in the process now of trying to quite it. I have started to put these round felt stick-on pads on the cabinet doors to keep them from banging. I'd love to wear my cancelling headphones, but I need to hear things for safety.

I don't know if the engine cover has a sound insulation on it, but I plan to check that and if not, put that on.

Last week we replaced the bed mattress...$1,200. The one that comes with the coach is a joke.

And I just ordered a second air conditioner from Coletman...(model number 45203-0993) this is a new model that hasn't hit the shelves. It's a Mach 10, 15.5 non-duct unit and only takes 10-amps to run and is apparently super quiet. I found out about this new unit from a tech at Airxcel. I'm also planning on getting the bluetooth ceiling assembly for it which allows you to use your phone to control the thermostat. Also, the fan on this unit will go on/off as the ac compressor cycles and doesn't constantly run like the manual controlled assembly.

On a hot day, the coach is a sauna. I found closing all the vents in the bedroom and closing the bathroom and bedroom doors keeps it somewhat cool. The coach should have come with 2 AC units.

And the seats...I have just over 5K miles on my 2016, and the spray-on leather is peeling off...same thing is happening to the back of the seats on the dinette.

I have to manually light the oven. To get down on your knees and reach back in there to light the pilot is a drag. I had a cab-over camper before this class A and I removed the manual spark knob/assembly and put in a push button electronic spark assembly...and also wired it to the oven. I may do the same thing on this coach.

It certainly isn't a top-of-the-line coach, but it works.

[Vibeman]

We don’t have much noise from the living area while driving but had a lot from the cab area.
I spent a couple of days last year soundproofing the cab area and it made a BIG reduction in engine noise and road noise. I used heavy foil faced sound deadener over the entire firewall inside the engine compartment. I removed all the inside plastic dash panels that I could and covered the inside surfaces with stick on foam soundproofing sheets. I stuffed rock wool insulation inside all hollow cavities where practical. I cut a heavy but decorative patio mat to cover the entire cab floor. I removed the “doghouse” and added another layer of soundproofing over the original layer. I also built an insulated plywood cover for the stepwell to use while traveling. Any one of these several things will make a small difference but added together they made a very significant reduction in noise while driving. Now the loudest overall noise we hear while driving is wind noise and the only way I know of to reduce that is to slow down. We have been situations with a smooth, level road and a decent tail wind where it was almost as quiet inside as a cheap car!

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by Vibeman

We don’t have much noise from the living area while driving but had a lot from the cab area.

So, it's not my imagination! LOL.

I agree that the majority of the sound is coming from the cab area. I didn't think of the dash area, but I know there are a lot of cavities in there, cause I connected up a "ReadyBrake" system for towing which includes an LED light so you can see when the brake is being activated...I also added another LED light connected to the actual jeep brake switch so that I can see when the brake on the jeep is actually being depressed. To do that, I opened the cover that exposes the dash and it's one big echo chamber. So what you did is a good idea!
I don't know what the "doghouse" is...can you explain?
Perhaps I should start a post asking "How did you quiet your rig"?

[Vibeman]

The doghouse is the fiberglass dome directly above the engine and between driver and passenger seats. It is attached with 4 screws into the floor. It allows access to the engine for maintenance and repair. There are many, many, posts in this forum with lots of good ideas for quieting motor homes built on the Ford F-53 chassis. I think I even posted some pics of my work last year.

-Ken

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by Vibeman

The doghouse is the fiberglass dome directly above the engine and between driver and passenger seats. It is attached with 4 screws into the floor. It allows access to the engine for maintenance and repair. There are many, many, posts in this forum with lots of good ideas for quieting motor homes built on the Ford F-53 chassis. I think I even posted some pics of my work last year.
-Ken

Thanks!