D-I-Y Slide out adjustment...easy!!

[Radio]

Well, I was just about bummed out over what I had figured out about my new Rockwood fiver.

The slide room was not centered in the slide opening. It was too far to the rear. This has damaged the rear slide seal where the window passes by the seal (or viseversa depending on how you want to look at it.)

I wondered what I was in for? How dificult is it to relace the seal? I have heard the entire room would have to be removed, but that seems like a bad way to design the thing.

I wondered, what do I have to look forward to?? Went to bed totally bummed.

So, I emailed the warranty folks at RVW. They said to speak to one of their techs, (by name) and he would explain to me exactly what needed to be done. I called and the very nice and helpful guy laid it all out for me.

1.Extend the slide, note which end is too tight.
2.Loosen the bolts on both extention rails where they attach to the slide out on the "outside"
3.Grab a hammer and tap the rails, moving them in the direction of the tight end. Re-tighten the bolts.
4.Run the slide in and back out again. This should re-center the slide.

The tech said slides do go out of adjustment from time to time. So now that I know what I'm doing, every now and then I'll check to see if the seals are binding and if they are, dig out the 3/4" wrench and the hammer.

That was easy. So what was I all worked up about? See pictures:

Between the helpful folks at RVW and simple tool skills, none of my minor warranty issues has cost me a dime

[Andy N1ORK]

Good stuff Wade! My unit is seasonal so I don't do the slides but twice a year. Never noticed if they were centered correctly. I'll have to verify it when I close up for the winter here in NH this October. Thanks again for the info!
73
Andy - n1ork

[TXiceman]

RV ownership is such fun...it can get to be very frustrating and expensive if you can not do the work yourself. The money and time I save with simple repairs is amazing.

I recently ask for some help online on a dishwasher. It was how to get the lower spray arm off. There are no screws or apparent clips. I found a GE appliance help site and ask. I get this message back that the dish washers are extremely complicate items and should only be repaired by factory technicians or simply replaced if it is over 10 years old. Wrong answer....I am a registered professional engineer, with loads of field experience and a reasonably good understanding of electrical issue.

You were lucky to find someone that does not believe the general public are all borderline idiots.

Good job. Oh, I did figure out how to get it apart and posted the how to on the site to help someone else.

Ken

[One Country Boy]

Good article "Radio", with pics. Enjoyed the info. It brought this to mind:

I noticed the bedroom slide on our new Jayco in slightly off center. The seal is not crimped as yours was. But...., on second thought, I need to take another look at it. I discovered it attempting to snake my feedline in for my hf antenna. The PL-259 would not pass on the front side of the slide but passed easily on the rear side. I didn't think a lot about it at the time, UNTIL reading your article. I'm going to take another look at the seal today while the XYL lets it in and out to make sure. If the seal appears to be OK, is there anything else it might damage that you guys can think of ?

Oh, and good for you, concerning the dishwasher Ken. That was the type of answer I would have expected to get from a manufacturer though.

Keep up the good work guys.

73,

[KC1BUD]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

RV ownership is such fun...it can get to be very frustrating and expensive if you can not do the work yourself. The money and time I save with simple repairs is amazing.

I recently ask for some help online on a dishwasher. It was how to get the lower spray arm off. There are no screws or apparent clips. I found a GE appliance help site and ask. I get this message back that the dish washers are extremely complicate items and should only be repaired by factory technicians or simply replaced if it is over 10 years old. Wrong answer....I am a registered professional engineer, with loads of field experience and a reasonably good understanding of electrical issue.

You were lucky to find someone that does not believe the general public are all borderline idiots.

Good job. Oh, I did figure out how to get it apart and posted the how to on the site to help someone else.

Ken

Ken I know what you mean, I bought a computer from Radio Shack and after failing to get it to start called the help line after practally being called an idiot and being hung up on, I finally determined that the computer didn't work. I had to return it to Radio Shack for a replacement. They wanted to send it in to get it fixed and I told them no way I was going to wait to have a computer. Since it was the day after I bought it they could just refund my money. They hustled to find a new one after that. That was the first and last time I bought a computer there.

I also have a peeve about these companies that out source customer service to India or some other country with a lot of citizens that speaks english but don't understand it.

I called Dishnetwork one time and after the sixth or seventh customer service person in that call that asked for my name and I refused to give it anymore. He said sir we can't help you without your name, I told them You already have my name, I didn't call for a play date for our kids. I found out that if you call talk to them and hang up and re-call about 8 times, then you finally get a person here in the US that better understands english.

[wa8yxm]

My slides are Rack and Pinion type.. So if one end is out too far what I do is go "Down below" to the pinion gears, pull a clutch pin (Like the pins supplied for locking your recevier's pin in place... More on those later)

Tap the shaft with a hammer (yes tap, now wack) to move the pinion gear aside, "Bump" (Hey, that big bumper on the back side of my body is handy) the slide till both ends are about the same. Tap the gear back into place, replace pin and run it in or out again, re-measure to insure sync.


Those pins....

The blasted Break-a-way cable for the brake system snagged one of those clutch pins once and pulled it right out of the pin.

What happened next you do not wish to know

Use a hitch pin with a padlock. Much better

[Dick Noble]

Last year, while boondocking at Imperial Dam, we had 70mph winds that pushed our large slide in at the top about 4 inches. When we got home (three months later), I discovered that that slide was off (at the top) about 3 inches. Crawling under it I found that the bolts had loosened enough for the slide to get out-of-wack (this is a technical term). Took me half a day to readjust it so it opened and closed correctly. Yep, I had to use a 3/4 inch breaker bar (for tightening it back up) and a hammer (3#) to fix it. Gotta love this RV life style.

[Dick Noble]

KC1BUD - know what you mean about Radio Shack. I don't get near the place if I can avoid it.

[Danielcusinato]

Any assistance on adjusting the slide to make the top seal up a bit better. I have had water intrusion and had to modify with weatherstripping. I thought it would be very simalar to side alignment but not sure.

[NN5I]

Every time I read a thread like this I get gladder and gladder that my motor home has no slides. That actually was one of my requisites when I bought it: no slides.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by Danielcusinato

Any assistance on adjusting the slide to make the top seal up a bit better. I have had water intrusion and had to modify with weatherstripping. I thought it would be very simalar to side alignment but not sure.

Welcome aboard Daniel

Question, do you have water intrusion when the slide is all the way in, or out? And what kind of RV and brand is it?

To date this thread has had almost 13,000 views. Not bad. Lot's of folks out there tinkering around with slides. Carl may have a point but I need the floor space.

[NN5I]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

You were lucky to find someone that does not believe the general public are all borderline idiots.

He's right, too. Most of them aren't anywhere near borderline.

[Danielcusinato]

Originally Posted by Radio

Welcome aboard Daniel

Question, do you have water intrusion when the slide is all the way in, or out? And what kind of RV and brand is it?

To date this thread has had almost 13,000 views. Not bad. Lot's of folks out there tinkering around with slides. Carl may have a point but I need the floor space.

Thank you for the welcome. I had water intrusion when the slide was all the way in. The RV is a Heartland, Elkridge 34TSRE. I went as far as gaining access to the slide and can see and have access to the bolts that seem to be the adjustment. It just doesn't make sense since the slide rides on rollers attached to the wall on the RV and the other is on the slide itself at the foot of the bed. It almost seems like you would have to shim the rollers on the wall or shave down the placement of the wheels on the slide itself.

[Radio]

Maybe post a few pictures. I have no experience with bedroom slides.

[NN5I]

More significant would be the make of slide it is. Is it, for example, an HWH slide (reputed to be the best and easiest to maintain and adjust), or some other make?

The make of slide ought to be identified on a sticker somewhere on the slide mechanism. When you know who made the slide, you can go to that manufacturer's web site and get the manuals for that slide. HWH, for example, provides rather complete information.

I have no slides, but my awning is an HWH and so is my leveling-jack system. Info on all of these is on the HWH web site. The same is true, almost certainly, for other RV-and-trailer equipment manufacturers. I don't think any of the RV manufacturers (Winnebago, Damon, Newell, Foretravel, many others) make their own slides, awnings, levelers, and so forth. They buy them from a few specialist companies.

[ke0me]

Anybody done any cleaning of the slide mechanism?

The 2 big slides on my unit have tooth and gear (my best description) type slides.
I've noticed the bigger slide shudders and jerks as it is coming back in.

I have a can of slide lube ( dry type, not wet!), but not sure what to use to clean the existing grime/junk/rust off the moving parts of the slide.

Any ideas?

TNX

[Radio]

Originally Posted by ke0me

Anybody done any cleaning of the slide mechanism? ... not sure what to use to clean the existing grime/junk/rust off the moving parts of the slide.

Any ideas?

TNX

Since it wants a dry lube I'd keep it dry and just scrub the junk off using a wire brush. Dirt tends to seek out and cling to almost any oily film, hence the idea of dry lube, so I would avoid anything that would leave a residue.

Maybe brush off all you can and then use a detergent solution like Simple Green or 409 to finish it off.

[ke0me]

If it would quit RAINING in the CG in Biloxi, MS long enough to dry up the lake under the fiver, I could get to the job. :-)

Weather looks better for tomorrow, thanks for the suggestion.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by ke0me

I've noticed the bigger slide shudders and jerks as it is coming back in.

It occurred to me it might also be your seals. Seals should have a certain amount of slippery-ness to them so the walls of the room will slide by smoothly. Mine takes some sort of foamy stuff you spray on, let set, and wipe off (or into) the rubber seal. One can has lasted since 2008.

So either it don't take much or I don't do it enough...

[ke0me]

Radio,

I have a can of the seal lube also, just don't have the time to do it yet.

I applied the slide mechanism lube to the gears,