Sealing holes in frame for slide out cylinder - Solitude 344GK

[MickieK]

We noticed these rather large open holes where the hydrolic cylinders for the slide outs are located. They are right next to the tires so any water kicked up would go right in & be trapped by the sealed underbelly. This would also be an open door for critters wanting to make a home! So we used mud flaps from a truck to make covers & seal off the holes. We also put a short piece of pvc around the cylinder to make it more watertight. Surprised that the factory left this spot open. Has anyone else noticed it?

[Rapid1]

Does the patch impede the tube? I don't have that much room between the frame hole and flange of the slide tube. Mine actually kind of seals up the frame opening.

[gbkims]

We noticed these rather large open holes where the hydrolic cylinders for the slide outs are located. They are right next to the tires so any water kicked up would go right in & be trapped by the sealed underbelly. This would also be an open door for critters wanting to make a home! So we used mud flaps from a truck to make covers & seal off the holes. We also put a short piece of pvc around the cylinder to make it more watertight. Surprised that the factory left this spot open. Has anyone else noticed it?

I've been thinking of sealing the slits on each side of the rack.

I've got the electric actuator instead of hydraulic, but the plate used over the frame cutout looks the same w the ~3" hole for the actuator tube,
On the electric actuator rod there's a stop can that covers the hole when closed, it also stops the slide when closing it.
The slits on each side of the rack outer tube look like they allowed the motor/gearbox mounting bracket and hat brackets to slide thru the plate during assembly.

[Rapid1]

I should have paid closer attention before even posting. I have electric also and a bit different than the poster's setup.



With the slides closed, the flange pretty much seals the hole itself. I don't think I could seal anything up any better than it is without causing interference in the slider rack or tube.

[MickieK]

No, the patch doesn't impede the tube at all. It just seals up the hole. We were wondering if the factory might have forgotten to put some kind of covering around it or something. The hole is so large & being right by the wheel would let in a lot of water, or possibly animals.

[MickieK]

Yours looks pretty well sealed. Ours doesn't have anything to cover that hole either when the slide is open or closed. We were wondering if someone at the factory left off some type of cover that should have gone on once the slide assembly was in.

[Chiefblueman]

My Reflection TT has large holes where the slide passes through the frame near the tires. They got my attention when I pulled the coroplast down and could see the dirt trails showing where water was getting in from the road. I used a flexible rubber material to create seals and also used some spray foam sealant.

I don't think it's the factory forgetting, they just don't seal these holes.

[Rapid1]

Yours looks pretty well sealed. Ours doesn't have anything to cover that hole either when the slide is open or closed. We were wondering if someone at the factory left off some type of cover that should have gone on once the slide assembly was in.

It does look as if there is an additional plate welded to the frame on mine where the slide tube/rack goes through. Again though, you have hydraulic and I have electric...it would still seem that the issue of the opening would apply to both as far as splash and foreign matter/critter entrance to the underbelly would be the same. I would have liked to see what yours looked like with the slide in. That is when road splash/objects would apply.

[DrSmart]

Our Montana was the same. I used Gorilla Tape to reduce the opening. Two vertical strips and 2 horizontal. Eight years later, they're still in place.

[Bob/OlallaWA]

I sealed mine with truck tire innertube and gorilla tape.