Dear Dave,
We have a 2017 Jayco Jayfeather 25BH. I see sunlight through the lower part of the slideout when it is fully retracted. I went outside and tried to cover the part with my hand as my wife kept watch to see if I shadowed it out, but no luck. Visually it looks fine from the outside, but I’m wondering if it’s retracted enough to squeeze up against the seal? —Robert
Dear Robert,
From what I can see in the 2017 Jayco brochure and photos online, it looks as though your slideout mechanism is a “through the rail” type with two extension rods under the room. The perimeter of the sidewall also has a bulb seal with a flap, or what I call a squeegee. It is designed to seal the trim piece of the actual slide room to the perimeter frame of the opening in the sidewall.
When the room is fully extended, the inside flange or trim around the room should compress the bulb from the inside and seal. When it is fully retracted, the outside of the room fits flush against the sidewall trim and compresses the outer bulb seal. So if you can see daylight, it is not sealing properly and you will get dust blowing in as the least issue, and moisture as the worst.
Use a flashlight to check from inside and outside the slideout
I would suggest using a bright flashlight in a shaded or dark area and shine it from the inside to see where there is light. Then do the same on the outside.
My guess is the slideout is out of alignment, probably a little high and to the side. Underneath there should be alignment bolts that would allow you to raise and lower the slideout, and adjust it side to side. You might be able to run the room out slightly to see the hole.
This is a screen shot from a video we did at RV Repair Club on a similar mechanism. You can view it here.
Also make sure all the trim seal is in the proper place both on the flange around the opening on the sidewall and the frame of the slideout.
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook” as well as the Managing Editor of the RV Repair Club.
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