Caring for Your RV Slideout
How do you keep your slideout happy? A little bit of maintenance and forethought will go a long way to making sure your RV experience doesn't get unhappy when your slideout room won't slide like it should.
First, when opening or closing a slideout room, check the floor. Sand, grit, or other "foreign" substances can get under the slideout and scratch the flooring. Doesn't make Mama happy, and if she ain't happy--well, you know the rest. Likewise, before retracting the slideout, check up topside. Branches, leaves, bird nests, all manner of odd things can wind up on the outside of your slideout, even if you have a retracting slideout awning. If this "junk" gets trapped in the retraction process, you can be in a world of hurt.
Read and follow the instructions provided with your rig. Some hydraulic slide mechanism builders suggest you keep the extend/retract button pushed for a few seconds after the slide has made the full travel--somehow keeping the hydraulic system pressurized. Others simply tell you to get off the button when the room is in or out. Others are "death" on changing room movement direction unless the slideout has gone full cycle. In other words, if you're in the middle of retracting the room and change your mind, they don't want you to try and extend the room until after you've retracted it all the way.
In terms of periodic maintenance, seals certainly need to be looked after. Seals can dry out, leaving you without protection from the elements. What does your manufacturer recommend? There are some commercial nostrums available, but we'd suggest you be careful of something that contains silicone. We've been on this lectern before, silicone can dry rubber out.
What about the slide mechanism? Here's where things can get contrary. Nearly everyone agrees that slides should be lubricated regularly, it's just what lube to use is where it gets dicey. One prominent RV technician says you should never use a "wet" lube like WD-40. He feels that the lube may well attract dust and dirt to the mechanism. Others suggest using silicon sprays. Ach! Again, what's your manufacturer recommend? If you're under warranty, best to use what they call for in case you develop a problem that they'll need to fix.
Hydraulic reservoirs should be checked regularly. If they're low, you'll need to find out why. Is there a system leak? Follow the lines from the hydraulic fluid reservoir through the pump, and out to the actuating cylinders. If you need to 'filler'up' then again, be sure to use what the factory calls for. Some slideouts call for transmission fluid, others specialty hydraulic fluids. Know what you need before you pour!
Finally, this golden rule applies to ALL types of slideouts. KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED! There's nothing more difficult than being in the middle of nowhere and having that slide refuse to go back in because your battery is low or kaput. Cranking that slideout back in by hand is a long, and slow process.
First, when opening or closing a slideout room, check the floor. Sand, grit, or other "foreign" substances can get under the slideout and scratch the flooring. Doesn't make Mama happy, and if she ain't happy--well, you know the rest. Likewise, before retracting the slideout, check up topside. Branches, leaves, bird nests, all manner of odd things can wind up on the outside of your slideout, even if you have a retracting slideout awning. If this "junk" gets trapped in the retraction process, you can be in a world of hurt.
Read and follow the instructions provided with your rig. Some hydraulic slide mechanism builders suggest you keep the extend/retract button pushed for a few seconds after the slide has made the full travel--somehow keeping the hydraulic system pressurized. Others simply tell you to get off the button when the room is in or out. Others are "death" on changing room movement direction unless the slideout has gone full cycle. In other words, if you're in the middle of retracting the room and change your mind, they don't want you to try and extend the room until after you've retracted it all the way.
In terms of periodic maintenance, seals certainly need to be looked after. Seals can dry out, leaving you without protection from the elements. What does your manufacturer recommend? There are some commercial nostrums available, but we'd suggest you be careful of something that contains silicone. We've been on this lectern before, silicone can dry rubber out.
What about the slide mechanism? Here's where things can get contrary. Nearly everyone agrees that slides should be lubricated regularly, it's just what lube to use is where it gets dicey. One prominent RV technician says you should never use a "wet" lube like WD-40. He feels that the lube may well attract dust and dirt to the mechanism. Others suggest using silicon sprays. Ach! Again, what's your manufacturer recommend? If you're under warranty, best to use what they call for in case you develop a problem that they'll need to fix.
Hydraulic reservoirs should be checked regularly. If they're low, you'll need to find out why. Is there a system leak? Follow the lines from the hydraulic fluid reservoir through the pump, and out to the actuating cylinders. If you need to 'filler'up' then again, be sure to use what the factory calls for. Some slideouts call for transmission fluid, others specialty hydraulic fluids. Know what you need before you pour!
Finally, this golden rule applies to ALL types of slideouts. KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED! There's nothing more difficult than being in the middle of nowhere and having that slide refuse to go back in because your battery is low or kaput. Cranking that slideout back in by hand is a long, and slow process.
Labels: slideouts
posted by Russ and Tiña De Maris at
1:14 PM
6 Comments:
Basically this article says nothing except read your owners manual. Hmmm????
By
bercubs, at 7:53 AM
Low voltage is not good for electric motors. I keep the engine running whenever I'm operating the sliders, so that the slide motors are getting full voltage and making full power.
By
Anonymous, at 9:14 AM
Nothing was mentioned about making sure you are leveled properly. A warped slide will not work well,or at all. Also, keep all pets confined while the slide is in motion. I hook up power or turn generator on before starting the slide. Finally, try to move off any water caught in the slide awning before operating for closure.Stay close to switch both ways.
By
"Cookie", at 9:27 PM
I pull in to a spot and get level. I then put out my slide and invariably, I am down on the slide side. Should you start out with the slide side up a little higher to compensate for the apparent slide weight? Normal problem?
By
Anonymous, at 8:30 AM
I have 27 ft 2003 Sunova and have had to HAND CRANK in the slider, in 2006 in Vegas, in 105 degree hot sun first thing in the morning with out my coffee. That was not fun. To this day we do not know why the buttons did not work, we suspect it was a voltage thing. But, should you ever have to do a HAND CRANK be sure you read first. What we will do the next time is to crank in one side a few times then the other.
WARNING !! Do not over crank it in all the way, just make sure it is closed enough to drive. Over cranking can and did cause more damage. What we do now is make sure we are level, and running the engine or the generator, and no extra weight on that slider, no kids on the couch, etc. The cost was over $1800.00.
By
telephonebill, at 10:09 AM
I was told by my manufacturer to use "Corn Starch" on the seals. It is dry, will not attract moisture and makes them slippery. It will hang on the seals for a long time. It worked for me for 7 years now.
By
Phil, at 8:00 AM
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