By Jessica Rider
Recently I was at an RV Industry event chatting with some suppliers about the evolution of RV’s and how often manufacturers are cutting holes into the sides of rigs these days. I listened intently as the discussion went through the integrity of the structure of the RV the more you cut into it. I found it very interesting because as a consumer I love that my RV has four slides and opens up to so much more space but as a Mobile RV Technician slide issues are the second highest complaint call we get.
The beauty of slides in our RV’s is that we do get so much more livable space which allows for more comfort and in some cases for full time RV’ers a more “at home” feeling. It gives us the opportunity to have more people join us on our adventures, creating lasting memories. On one trip we had six adults and four kids in our RV for a weekend trip thanks to the space that our slideouts provided. They really do make all the difference when it comes to a more comfortable camping experience but they can also come with some downsides as well.
Recently we were called out to a look at a slide on an RV that was giving an error code of loose or faulty connection. Upon arrival we noticed the bottom of the slide was extended three inches farther than the top. Clearly this slide was malfunctioning somewhere. After doing a thorough investigation we determined the rails on this system were not installed properly and as it turns out was a known manufacturer challenge on this specific model. Fortunately for this customer it will be covered under warranty however the repair consists of removing the slide completely from his unit, replacing the entire slide system and reinstalling the slide. This is considered a major repair and one we had to refer to a physical repair shop as we are not able to do that in the field.
In other cases though we are able to walk customers through necessary actions to get their slide systems to operate correctly.
The first thing we always ask when someone calls about a slide issue is what type of slide system do they have. There are three main types of systems, Schwintek, hydraulic and cable with the Schwintek system being the most common one we see. This system has rails with what look like teeth on the top and bottom of your slideout room and has motors typically on either side of the slide room. The beauty of the Schwintek system is that it will typically tell you, via error code blinks, what is wrong with it. Somewhere in a storage compartment of your unit is the control box for the slide system. When your slide is not working properly that box will blink between one and eight times and tell you what is wrong with it. In the case of my story above it was blinking eight times indicating a communication error/wiring problem. In other cases you may be in a situation where your slideroom is stuck extended and you cannot get it to retract. In this case with the Schwintek system you can unplug the wires from the control box and physically push the slideroom in, it will take several strong people to do this. Be sure to reconnect the wires to your control box if you do this though so it locks the slideroom in place and prevents it from falling out while traveling.
Here are some tips from the manufacturer to maintain your Schwintek slide room system:
- An electric slide-out motor draws considerable current and needs a fully charged battery to operate. Plugging in to shore power will help supply the needed voltage and current and prevents overstraining the system.
- Maintaining the slide mechanism is important. The rollers and rails need to be lubricated from time to time to prevent wear and to protect the metal components from rust and corrosion. Slide-out lubrication or dry lube protectant penetrates around moving parts to prevent rust and corrosion.
- The seals on the slide-out keep the weather and pests out of the RV. Keeping the seals working and looking like new requires periodic maintenance. Keep an eye out for unusual wear areas or places where the seals may become dislodged by the movement of the slide room. It is also a good idea to keep your slide-out closed when not in use. This will help protect the seals, roof, and other components of the slide-out from the sun and other elements. Slide-out Seal treatment products can extend the life of rubber seals by protecting from excessive wear and the damaging effects of the sun, road grime and pollutants.
If you have an RV, like I do, with a cable system for your slide rooms many of the tips above are also important when it comes to checking the seals on your slide rooms. Other than this there is not too much more you need to look for other than a visual inspection of your cables at least every other trip with this type of slide system. We have had several frayed cables over the years and have had to replace them. We actually keep spare cables in our rig at all times now just in case. Frayed cables are the biggest issues you will have with this type of system and it is best to have a technician come and change those out for you. You may have a motor that doesn’t function properly but again you will know if the motor is out if it doesn’t move the slide at all. In this case you can use a bit on a drill that you put on the motor that will pull the slide room in but you will then need to secure the slide by bracing a piece of wood between the end of the slide room after it is fully retracted and the wall of your RV to ensure it doesn’t fall out during transport.
When it comes to slides the list of regular maintenance is fairly easy with mostly visual inspection of things and some lubrication as needed. Keep an eye on the teeth of your tracks for cuts or grooves which could cause the room to malfunction as well. If you notice anything abnormal it is best to have it inspected before you start using the slide again to avoid any further damage.
Happy Camping!
Jessica
Manufacturer tips from: https://store.lci1.com/blog/quick-tips-rv-slide-out-maintenance#:~:text=The%20rollers%20and%20rails%20need,Slide%2DOut%20System%20from%20Lippert.