Why does RV slide room ‘jump’ like the gears are stripped?

Dear Dave,
When retracting the driver side slide room (which is rack and pinion), at the end of travel both in and out, the gears on the motor sound like they are jumping. I am afraid this will strip the gears. Is there a stop that needs to be adjusted? —Bill, 2023 Grand Design 2670MK

Dear Bill,
Your slide mechanism is most likely a Power Gear^®, which is owned by Lippert. It has a rail with teeth running under the support rams and a gear mechanism that turns and moves the room in and out. Here is a close-up of one from a 2017 model we worked on for the RV Lifestyle & Repair Club.

I have had several questions about lubricating and rust, which you can find in the RVtravel.com archives. However, the quick reference is the only lubrication recommended is 3-IN-ONE^® on the bearings on either side of the gears. Then use a product called CorrosionX on the teeth and gears, and wipe it off. You can find the CorrosionX on Amazon here.

This type of mechanism has a hydraulic motor and is designed to extend and retract the room and most times leveling jacks by pushing fluid through the lines. There are valves that are designed to synchronize the pressure in the lines. When the room flange hits the wall extended or retracted, it should be aligned, and you need to release the button.

Schwintek mechanism

The Schwintek mechanism has small electric motors in the wall and you need to synchronize the room by leaving the button pressed until the motor stops. This is not what your room is designed for. If your room is getting to full extension or retraction and you are still pressing the button, it will create resistance and cause a high amp draw on the motor. That would implement an override “brake” feature. That could be the jumping noise you hear—oftentimes referred to as a ratcheting sound.

Since it is found in both the extension and retraction, as you have described, I doubt it is a gear issue. It is probably a high amp draw due to the resistance of the room flange contacting the sidewall. You can verify this by looking at the rail underneath the room. Since there is no issue during the middle part of the travel, I would believe the gear on the pinion portion is good. Look at the outer and inner teeth of the rack underneath the room to verify if the teeth are compromised.

I believe the mechanism is fine and the issue is resistance at extension and retraction, or even low battery voltage. Try plugging the unit into shoreline power and see if the issue is still present.

 You might also enjoy this from Dave 

When lubricating an RV slide out, should the gear rack be lubed?

Dear Dave,
I’ve read many articles about how to lubricate slide out mechanisms. Some say to avoid lubing the gear rack on the bottom and others say to definitely lube the gear rack as it could be a source of squeaks and other noises. So, once and for all, should the gear rack be lubricated when lubing the slide out? —Richard, 2018 Heartland Bighorn

Read Dave’s answer.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC FROM DAVE

• My Schwintek slide-out doesn’t have rollers. Is that a problem?
• Should I lubricate the cables on my RV’s slide room?
• Gear on RV’s slide room mechanism has stripped twice. Can I adjust it?
• Best way to clean and lubricate RV slideout rails and gear

Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

Read more from Dave here. 

HAVE A QUESTION FOR DAVE?

Send your inquiries to him using the form below.

##RVDT2583