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Old 10-05-2019, 06:29 PM   #1
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Question Slide out operation

I have heard it said that you shouldn't put out a slide only part way and stop, then retract. I have also heard not to extend without being hooked up to electricity. I have done both of these in the past* with no immediate or apparent damage but a few months ago I had to replace one slide motor so wondering if these situations have anything to do with it. I have a 2014 27K Hurricane with a very long slide on one side from behind the entry door all the way to the back but only goes out about 2-3 feet. *I have 500W of solar charging my batteries when I was running the slide out and in.

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Old 10-05-2019, 06:41 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by OKnative View Post
I have heard it said that you shouldn't put out a slide only part way and stop, then retract. I have also heard not to extend without being hooked up to electricity. I have done both of these in the past* with no immediate or apparent damage but a few months ago I had to replace one slide motor so wondering if these situations have anything to do with it. I have a 2014 27K Hurricane with a very long slide on one side from behind the entry door all the way to the back but only goes out about 2-3 feet. *I have 500W of solar charging my batteries when I was running the slide out and in.
For the electric slides (in most of our rigs) stopping part way out can get motors out of synch... they count revolutions, so always best to run to end (extend or retract) and continue to hold button for a few seconds.
Now of course if you realize the slide is going to hit something, stop... lol

From conversations with a Thor tech they believe low voltage plays a part in slide issues, and they may change to require engine running in future models to move slide.
Ideally connected to shore power or genny running is good practice (current rigs have a safety that doesn’t allow movement with ignition on). Or at least make sure batteries are fully charged.

Whether either of these would cause a motor failure, not sure it is related... but can get things out of alignment which is not good - especially on larger slides.
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Old 10-05-2019, 07:07 PM   #3
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While it's probably better to make sure that your slide motors remain synched by running them fully in or out: I doubt that not doing so would hasten the demise of them.
Stuff happens, and a dead motor could be just one of them.
Don't lose any sleep over this...
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Old 10-07-2019, 09:16 PM   #4
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I was told to always fully extend and fully retract, nothing in between so the motors stay in sequence.

The ignition interlock did have me scratching my head once. I didn't know about the interlock. I started the engine with the slides out. Then I went to retract the slides and nothing happened. I was like 'who is going to help me push these in?!?'. for no particular reason I turned the engine off and then tried the slides again. No problems.
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Old 10-07-2019, 10:07 PM   #5
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Yeah, good to keep the slide motors in synch but not necessary to be connected to shore power to operate the slide, unless you have crappy batteries. Moving the slide in our out only pulls about 10 amps DC total for both motors.
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Old 10-07-2019, 10:18 PM   #6
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Good discussion. Due to AC and water buildup on Slide toppers, I find myself stopping the slides to allow the water to run off. Bad idea?
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Old 10-07-2019, 10:43 PM   #7
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I think that the accumulated water will find a way off the top: once you set things in motion. You shouldn't have to stop in partway through the process.

Not a bad idea; maybe just a bit unnecessary.
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Old 10-07-2019, 11:53 PM   #8
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I start/stop mine quite often without being at the end of it's cycle. However, I do run it fully out/in holding the button until sync'ed when done with my inspection or whatever. When using the "Rapid camp" remote, the slide will quite often stop 2-3 times. I just make sure to cycle it through completely.
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Old 10-08-2019, 01:03 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OKnative View Post
I have heard it said that you shouldn't put out a slide only part way and stop, then retract. I have also heard not to extend without being hooked up to electricity. I have done both of these in the past* with no immediate or apparent damage but a few months ago I had to replace one slide motor so wondering if these situations have anything to do with it. I have a 2014 27K Hurricane with a very long slide on one side from behind the entry door all the way to the back but only goes out about 2-3 feet. *I have 500W of solar charging my batteries when I was running the slide out and in.
Because it in the instruction booklet. When you release the in-wall slide button, the controller turns on the slide motor locks, but the motors stop at different rates and the slide can become cocked. This doesn't happen much on the smaller slides, but it does occur on the longer slides and the front bunk. Pressing the button twice automatically resets the slide motor sinc setting in the controller to zero (just like stalling the motors), so if the slide is cocked it will cock more rather than straighten out.



The reason to have 14 volts available for the in-wall slide motors is it easier for the controller to keep the in-slide in sinc. Both motors have Hall Effect sensors and this output is what the controller compares to determine the motors are in sinc. The controller reduces the voltage to the motor that is going faster. Low voltage shut-off is 9.4 volts nominal. If you have only 11 volts at the controller you risk a low voltage shutdown if one side of the slide has more friction than the other.

Hope this helps.
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Old 10-11-2019, 01:06 PM   #10
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I did change to always go full way through process. Unfortunately, yesterday when we left our campsite, a decent amount of water got into our motorhome after putting in the slides and letting down the jacks (no longer level). Water did roll off toppers when bringing in slides, but apparently not all water.

I was very recently at the Wakarusa service center. Did walk through toppers to see if they could/should be tightened to reduce water buildup. They said no.

I think I will go back to my old process when it has rained or running ACs. Hopefully no slide motor sync issues will happen.

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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
I think that the accumulated water will find a way off the top: once you set things in motion. You shouldn't have to stop in partway through the process.

Not a bad idea; maybe just a bit unnecessary.
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Old 10-12-2019, 06:39 PM   #11
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I run the genny if my battery is weak... that ups the volts. This is also true of the bed mechanism up front.
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Old 10-12-2019, 07:34 PM   #12
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I run the genset if not still connected to shore power. Also, we leave the door open when operating the slide to eliminate the bellows effect of the full wall slide moving a lot of air. It may not make much difference, but treating the slide mechanism as if it is fragile seems like a good idea to me. So far, so good.
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Old 10-13-2019, 12:14 AM   #13
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i always start the engine before I activate the slide in or out. Then you have full power from the alternator to the battery. Just start it up, and let it warm. Engines like that. Mine always works great when engine is running. Problem solved.!
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Old 10-13-2019, 05:58 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by LDK View Post
Good discussion. Due to AC and water buildup on Slide toppers, I find myself stopping the slides to allow the water to run off. Bad idea?
If you don't wait for the water to runoff, the slide topper will not wind up correctly as the slide is retracted. At least that is the way it happens on our 2016 Tuscany 45AT.

We like to be plugged in for both slide extension and retraction. Otherwise you have to watch battery voltage. Less than 12.5 volts and the process slows down or stalls.

The 45AT has a huge slide on the passenger side. It really groans during extension/ retraction, even under the best of conditions.

Good luck!
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Old 10-13-2019, 07:00 PM   #15
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The original poster wrote that he has a long slide out that extends two to three feet. That is a very heavy slide out compared to ours, which is also long, but only about 18" deep. I can understand the difficulty keeping the motors in sync. if they are stopped part way to drain water off the top.

We have water getting into the RV at times when we retract the slide out. Next time we are out and it is raining, will attempt to level the RV with the slide side slightly lower that the other side, in hopes that the water will run away from the RV. I have never used the levelers manually, but I will need to learn how.
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Old 10-13-2019, 07:46 PM   #16
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I might be pretty proud of an rv that could generate a bellows affect.



There's no need to cause concern or plant suggestion in people about a bellows effect.


I did the math. There is no measurable affect except in a laboratory situation with a slide. Then it is parts of ounces of pressure at many mph of slide movement.

A 3mph outside wind generates 10,000 times the pressure any bellows effect created by any of our slides could IF you could seal the rv dead tight when doing the bellows test.
It's tantamount to imploding a tissue box by pulling a tissue out too fast.
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Old 10-13-2019, 08:49 PM   #17
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.....cut....

Whether either of these would cause a motor failure, not sure it is related... but can get things out of alignment which is not good - especially on larger slides.

Lower voltage in “theory” can mean higher motor current. Whether that is significant enough to shorten motor life, particularly on motors that only run for a few seconds at a time, is anyone’s guess. I suppose I’d choose higher voltage over lower if given a choice.
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Old 10-13-2019, 08:58 PM   #18
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I might be pretty proud of an rv that could generate a bellows affect.



There's no need to cause concern or plant suggestion in people about a bellows effect.


I did the math. There is no measurable affect except in a laboratory situation with a slide. Then it is parts of ounces of pressure at many mph of slide movement.

A 3mph outside wind generates 10,000 times the pressure any bellows effect created by any of our slides could IF you could seal the rv dead tight when doing the bellows test.
It's tantamount to imploding a tissue box by pulling a tissue out too fast.
I don’t follow.

A 3 MPH wind creates almost no pressure at all. However, if you COULD seal an RV tight, a slide would create significant pressure (or vacuum). It’s easy enough to calculate — but it’s pointless since RVs are not that tight.
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Old 10-13-2019, 09:09 PM   #19
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The bellows probably won't be an issue, but when we were camping in early spring and it was cold and windy, I'd leave the slide out in to reduce the volume of the living space and put less strain on the furnace.
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Old 10-13-2019, 09:17 PM   #20
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You're right.
Absolutely pointless, and yet that tall tale of vacuum might scare some newb into opening their door in the rain, or high wind, to lesser the potential of a slide problem.

To put the math into a situation.
Go pickup a 4x8 sheet of plywood and stand into a 3mph wind.
Multiply 4x8 to the size of a slide side.
My little 24.1 slide is 78x78, 42sqft+ vs 32sqft for the plywood sheet.
The 3mph wind would push you down.

10,000 times the pressure of the bellows.

Bigger slide=exponential pressure yet same bellows due to same massive rv leaks.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.eng...ad-d_1775.html
Look at that chart and be astounded why a boat can be pushed by a 3mph wind. Lots of psi.
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