Welcome to In the RV Shop with Dustin. Today, I want to talk about what you don’t see on your RV rack and pinion slide out system. How often do we miss everything underneath the slide out unit? For the most part, these areas are hidden between the frame and you are unable to visually inspect them.
Today, we caught “the Biggin'” working on a living room slide out on a 2007 Winnebago Voyage. This slide system consists of two screw-driven rams powered by electric motors that are digitally linked together to allow the slide to go in and out evenly.
In most cases, the RV owners will hear things that creek, pop and drag. If you are hearing a new sound, it’s time to take it to the shop for inspection.
The problem that we came across in this unit was the Kwikee plastic nut Acme Screw that runs on the shaft failed. We found an out-of-sync code, which, when the nut threads broke, caused the Acme Screw to spin freely while the forward ram screw moved the slide. Luckily it did not break down in the out position or cause additional damage to the slide out.
Over time, all plastic tends to become brittle with age, and other factors like the slide out room may have been out of adjustment or dry from lack of maintenance. In addition to vibration, running the room in and out over time causes wear.
We wanted to show you some examples of issues In the RV shop. Let this serve as a reminder to do your regular preventive maintenance. Please make sure to clean and lube slide assemblies and wiper seals, and make sure to inspect all the seams and sealants. Also, don’t forget to check those slide out toppers, too. It’s our job to try and help you maintain what you have, not sell you a new one!
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Thank you,
Dustin
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