Hi, Dave,
We have opposing Schwintek slides in our living room. We enjoy the space and the open feeling provided when expanded. Earlier this year we noticed that the flooring was bubbling up a little bit in front of each opposing sofa bed. Now that we’ve been on the road more, the flooring has migrated much more.
I’m still waiting to hear from the manufacturer about how the flooring is attached to the plywood below. I need to fix this, but I’m unsure how to start. I feel like i need to remove the sofas and wood fascia to roll and glue or staple down. Any insight would be appreciated. Cheers. —Mark, 2022 Grand Design Solitude 380FL
Hi, Mark,
I would say this is a major issue and there are a few things that are happening here, in my opinion. Typically a vinyl floor like this is glued to the plywood substructure so it will not creep with traffic and temperature changes. If you look at the Grand Design website, you will find the roof construction uses OSB for the layer just under the outer roof material but does not show the floor.
Many forums indicate that they only use Marine Grade Plywood, but I would challenge that since they use OSB in the roof. Nothing wrong with OSB; however, it has a very slick top coat and if the adhesive is not applied perfectly, it will not adhere as designed. Plus, I have found there are also several crevices where the chips are pressed. In your case, it does not matter what material is under the vinyl as you will not be removing it and replacing with marine grade plywood.
Why is the vinyl crinkling
First, I would inspect the rollers underneath the floor of the room that the entire box should be gliding on. Schwintek requires there be a roller at least 6” from each side opening and then every 24″-30” along the bottom.
The room is designed to glide along on the rollers with no weight on the rails, motors, or floor. If there are the appropriate number of rollers and distance, check to make sure they are rolling freely. Also verify that the underside of the floor does not have an obstruction or a piece of molding hanging down that would catch the vinyl.
Get Grand Design and dealer involved
You definitely need to get Grand Design and your dealer involved to get this corrected. They will most likely need to pull the couch to get at the outer edge of the vinyl and check the underside of the room. It looks like there are no tears or punctures, so it could be reapplied with appropriate adhesive. You might also want to look at the Lippert Slide-Out Slicker product that protects floors even more. They are designed to save wear and tear on carpet floors, but I have seen them used on vinyl as well. You can find them on Amazon here.
However do not install these before getting the real issue resolved.
You might also enjoy this from Dave
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Thank you, Dave!
Since day one, I’ve followed the Schwintek procedures for deploying and returning the slide…always wait 10 seconds opening and closing the slide with my finger remaining on the button and I’ve never had an issue. Don’t expect any in the future.
I have a problem with a slide in my 10 year old class A. It originally had the Schwintek system, but was replaced with a Slim Rack system.
The rollers were not replaced. The two ends of the slide move at different speeds, causing it to bind when moving. I have to bypass the controller so I can move each end individually.
The rollers consist of a metal bracket screwed to the body floor. There is an ‘axle’ mounted in the bracket which looks like a 5 inch by 5/16 inch bolt. On that bolt is a nylon roller. The nylon has come loose from the bolt and slipped sideways, causing it to rub against the metal bracket.
The rollers moving at different speeds is causing the problem.
I am going to need a shop to pull the slide to replace the rollers.