2020 Magnitude SV34 Slide Motor Replacement

[Judge]

Originally Posted by cupajoe147

Great detailed description as usual! BTW, how many slide locks do you use for your SV34 full wall slide?

I'm using two slide locks on my full wall slide. I put one in the front halfway up the slide between the trim and the wall and then one in the rear in the same spot.

This is the type of slide locks I purchased......


https://www.amazon.com/American-Tech...0782171&sr=8-4

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Great job fixing your slide and providing details.

Where does one get slide locks?


Where did you buy your spare slide Controller and motor?

See my previous post for the slide locks that I use.


I purchased mystery spare slide motor on Amazon but I just ordered another last night on eBay that was $100 less.

I also ordered a spare Controller on eBay. Amazon had it for $342 but there was a new one on eBay for $150 so I grabbed that one.

[kwplot34]

So when my slide motor (not if) fails i'm calling you to come over and help me fix it.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by kwplot34

So when my slide motor (not if) fails i'm calling you to come over and help me fix it.

LOL!!! No problem...... I'll be over!

While my failure was a bit of an anamoly from a poorly installed screw, I do think a full wall slide that is electric and not hydraulic is going to be prone to a higher failure rate. That is just a lot of weight for this type of system to handle.

My advice would be this.....


1) Keep a spare motor or two on hand if you do long trips and want to minimize an interruption in your trip. During my research I did find several third party replacement options. The LCI 500:1 Motor is anywwhere from $220 (Amazon) to $332 (LCI's website).

The third party options have a shrink wrap cover but are otherwise identical. I would cut holes in the shrinkwrap on the top for the retenion screw and cooling. Here are some examples....

https://www.amazon.com/NOVOPARTS-287...0814365&sr=8-3

https://ebay.us/bBAB73

I did opt for the LCI 500:1 Slide Motor on Amazon. The big slides use the 500:1 motor so if you have a smaller slide you want to very which one it uses.


2) Keep an eye on the screws on the tracks and trim to make sure they are all seated and not coming loose.


3) Keep the slide tracks clean and free of debris. Wash with soap and water occassionally.


4) Lube the slide gear block per LCI's recommendation in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCelw4U3BDw

5) If you do longer trips, it would be worth keeping a spare Controller on hand. They are very easy to replace but you do have to resync the motors, which is also easy. You need to check the part number version on your Controller to be sure to get the right one. They run about $340 on Amazon to $540 on LCI's website.

I found this one on eBay so I ordered it....

https://ebay.us/b2QJ5X


6) Consider keeping a spare Motor-to-Controller wiring harness on hand. They come in different lengths. They are not cheap but I ordered a 20' cable to aid in troubleshooting a problem and even testing a motor once you remove it from the slide. You can unplug the harness to both motors and then plug in this spare harness to the Controller and a motor you are testing. That way the slide is not moving but you can test the motor function and even see if any error codes go away that might be related to a bad cable.

I als decided that I could bypass the factory cable temporarily by plugging it into the motor inside the coach and then running this cable out a windown down to the compartment with the Controller if I had to temporarily should a cable fail.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


7) Be prepared! I was lucky and was in my own garage when I had this problem. I would pull the seals back inside when the slide is retracted and look at your motor so you can see where it is located and how it is installed. I would also look for your motor retention screw on the outside when the slide is extended so you know where it is located as well. Think about what you will need to do if the slide fails when extended or retracted.

I'm seriously going to consider some modofication to make it easier to access the retention screw if the slide ever fails when it is fully retracted.

[Pandamonium]

Originally Posted by Judge

Houston...... we have a functioning slide once again!

I learned a few things that I thought I would pass along in case it can help anyone down the road.

First.... Lippert Support is great. I called them and got a live person after only a minute or so on hold. They are very helpful so I highly recommend using them for any LCI related issues like slides, leveling, etc.

Next, the retaining screw is a bit of a joke. I wasn't entirely sure how the screw secured the motor because it is a bear to see inside and how it works. They used a short self-tapping machine screw to hold the motor in place. I'm not sure it even went through any metal because it does not tightern very well. It either is screwing into the plastic part of the wipe seal or there is some sheet metal on the other side that is very thin that it can barely bite into.

Basically the end of the screw just fits into a large slot in the top of the motor and keep it from spinning in place or lifting out of the gear block (see the attached picture with the arrow pointing to where the end of the scew goes). I ended up having a screw with the same threads that was a little longer but not too long to go too far into the motor and cause damage. I am going to keep an eye on it to make sure it does not lossen up.

As far as trying to move a slide with the 500:1 motor with the wiring harness unplugged from the Controller to release the electric brake goes....... forget it! I took a crecent wrench and tried to spin the shaft of the new motor so it was aligned in the same position as the damaged motor. I could move it maybe a 1/16"! I held the motor with one hand and tried to spin the shaft with the crescent wrench in the other hand and it would not budge. There is no way you are going to push a slide in or out if the motor is engaged in the gear block.

If a slide is stuck open and the motor is completely dead, the best thing to do is to remove both motors and with a little help you should probably be able to push the slide in. Then you can reinstall the motors to keep the slide locked in place or use some slide locks to keep it in place until you can get it home or to a shop. I use slide locks on my coach because I think going around bends just puts too much force on the motors alone to hold a full wall slide in place and slide locks help take the strain off the motors.

If the slide is closed and a motor is dead, I think you are SOL and it is going to be next to impossible to push the slide out an inch or two to get the retaining screw out. Fortunately, my motor would still spin and was only damaged at the sensors that count the revolutions used to keep the motors in sync.

Either there should be an access hole on the outside trim of the slide so you can get to the retaining screw when the slide is stuck in (this would be very easy to do during assembly) or they should mount the retaining screw inside the coach. Then you would never need a ladder and could do it all from inside the coach fairly easily. I may take another good look at the inside and see if I can move the retaining screw there and then permanentaly remove the ones on the outside of the slide.

The Controller was defintely out of whack after the revolution sensors got put out of service from the screw sticking out of the slide. Lippert Support had me move the DIP switches in the Controller and then go back into override mode to get the slide all the way out. Then I reset the Controller back to normal mode. It took about 7 or 8 cycles (instead of the typical 3 or 4) with the slide fully extended and then retracting about 6 inches but I finally got the motors to sync properly.

I have had the slide in and out a couple times now and it seems to be working normally.

If Thor gets back to me, I am going to let them know a screw improperly installed at the factory took out the new motor they installed and probably the orginal motor. I am going to ask if they will send me a new slide motor to replace my spare.

I can't blame the tech at the Service Center in Wakarusa who installed the new motor. If the first motor failed with the slide open when they were doing my warranty work, he would have never saw the screw sticking out of the slide. He would have just saw the top of the motor damaged and think it was a freak thing. I only saw it was the screw damaging the motor because the slide was stuck in and I could easily see how the screw was sticking out ~1/3" or so and at an angle that was a perfect postion to keep hitting the top of the motor everytime the slide went in and out until it damaged the top of the motor.

I'm just relieved I don't have to take it back to Wakarusa or try to find a local shop given how backed up service is everywhere. There are not any mobile RV techs in the immediate area but with the slide stuck in I could have at least drove it somewhere if i had to. The DW is thrilled that I "did it again" and fixed something else to keep us up an running and away from the dealers.

I have lost count of how many times we thought we were sunk and I managed to fix things on our last two coaches. I just don't know how someone owns a motorhome these days if they are not mechanically inclined and willing to roll up their sleeves and tackle problems on their own.

Now I just have to increase my list of spare parts to carry when we do our 7 week trip out to Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas later in the summer and early fall.

I'm going to carry a spare slide Controller and motor. I have a spare mainboard and exhaust fan motore for the tankless water heater (I may look for a used control panel to have as well). The list keeps growing!

What is a slide lock? Where do you get them and how are they installed. I, too, worry about swinging around curves and the strength of the full wall slide against the force.

[Pandamonium]

Originally Posted by kwplot34

so when my slide motor (not if) fails i'm calling you to come over and help me fix it.

same!!!

[Scubawise]

What is a slide lock? Where do you get them and how are they installed. I, too, worry about swinging around curves and the strength of the full wall slide against the force.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

What is a slide lock? Where do you get them and how are they installed. I, too, worry about swinging around curves and the strength of the full wall slide against the force.

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/better-rv-slide-out-safety-locks/amp/

[Pandamonium]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/better-rv-slide-out-safety-locks/amp/

Thanks - makes sense to me now.

[Judge]

Per my earlier post about the slide locks...


I'm using two slide locks on my full wall slide. I put one in the front halfway up the slide between the trim and the wall and then one in the rear in the same spot.

This is the type of slide locks I purchased......

https://www.amazon.com/American-Tech...0782171&sr=8-4

[Judge]

Just an update to my earlier post about third-party slide motors.

I mentioned that third party options have a shrink wrap cover but are otherwise identical.

I just got another replacement motor to keep in the coach. It has an LCI slide motor label on it and it now has the same black shrink wrap over the top half of the motor as the third-party ones do.

I think it is a design change to help keep the top cap of the motor secure after seeing how mine failed. You can see from the picture in my first post that there is not much securing the plastic cap and circuit board at the top of the motor.

There is a plastic cap on the top of the motor and there is a small circuit board and magnet under the cap. There is not much keeping the plastic cap on and not much that protects the circuit board. Seems to me this black shrink wrap is now being used to secure and protect the top of the motor.

[Judge]

So I thought I would move the issue with my slide to this thread and out of my 7-Week Trip Blog thread....

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/sh...0&postcount=90


I sent a couple emails to independent shops this morning back east just asking if they ever do slide modifications and upgrades to improve reliability and performance specific to full wall slides thare big and heavy.

One shop said they don't tackle anything like that and they are more of a general RV repair and collision shop. I got a response in an hour so I was impressed with their responsiveness. The next guy called me in 30 minutes after emailing them, which was even more impressive! He asked me a few questions and then told me about the only thing that can be done is upgrading to the high torque motors..... and I told him I already had them.

He did tell me that on the other side of the wipe seal base the set screw should be going through a piece of aluminum anmd then the end of the screw sticks through the slot on the top of the motor. My concern now is the aluminum may be bent and why the screw head is tilted at a downward angle. He said it could also be stripped.... but I don't think that's the case because it is very tight when I tried to remove it.

While I felt better that the screw was going through aluminum and just not the plastic wipe seal base, it did confirm one theory I had..... the set screw is doomed to fail on large slides. When I removed the set screw last spring I saw it was a machine screw vs a sheet metal screw. The aluminum can't be more than 1/8" thick so that means only two or three threads at best are securing that screw. And if it is only a piece of thin aluminum, that motor generates a lot of torgue opening and closing the slide. You have to think the aluminum would bend over time.... which is what I think happened in my case.

My neighbor here at the CG next door left me his drill and bits in case I decide to tackle this today while they are out. My thoughts are the following after sleeping on it last night:

- I will need to extend the slide about 6" - 8" so I can get my imact driver in there to try and remove the set screw.

- If I can get the set screw out, I will remove the motor and inspect it for damage. I am pretty sure when retracting it is trying to lift out of the gear block.

- I may opt to install one of my spare motors just because I have one.

- If I can get the motor to seat properly, I will try to drill a hole in the metal bracked holding the H-column in place on the inside of the coach. The bracket inside the coach steel and not aluminum, which would secure the set screw better. That could allow me to try and drill a hole through the steel bracket at a location where I can use a sheet metal screw that will be up against the bottom of the slot in the motor to keep the motor from lifting and turning.

I have actually also considered drilling through the metal between the slots on the top of the motor so the screw would not just go through the metal bracket but also into the upper motor housing. I don't think I'm going to try that now.

Too early to start drinking so..... I'm thinking I might press my luck and give it a try.

[halfprice]

Good luck

[Pillbox]

Judge,
I have faith in you, you will best this small inconvenience.
Terry

[Scubawise]

Hang in there ..we all support you !

[EA37TS]

Judge

Try giving RV Service of Virginia a call.

https://www.rvserviceofva.com/

[Judge]

Just a quick update…..

The issue is definitely due to the motor moving under high torque.

When I extend the slide, the motor is standing straight up as it should.

When retracting the slide the motor starts to tilt to the right.

The set screw is really jammed in there. I can barely get it to budge. I’ve decided against teying to remove it here since it is at least helping to keep the motor in the gear block.

I did drill a hole in the metal bracket on the inside of the coach. I was not able to get the hole to line up so that I could install another set acrew inside the coach.

I wanted to get a small right angle metal bracket that i could mount to the H-column bracket and then have the other end sit inside the slot at the top of the motor. The hardware store just didn’t have one small enough to fit into the slot. I bought some other hardware as a crap shoot but no luck there either.

After I brought the slide back in for the night, the motor moved enogh that I could probably get a screw to insert into one of the slots but that would keep the motor tilted more to the right so I’m opting against it.

I’m going to stop back at the hardware store tomorrow on our way out of the park. I’m going to look at some other hardware. I have also thought about looping some small chain through the slots in the motor and then securing it with a screw in the hole I drilled.

The place I spoke to in Pittsburgh this morning is an authorized LCI dealer and they said they stock all of the slide parts. They even have the equipment to remove the slide if necessary. I may call them back to have them deal with it when I get back in October. With the motor moving under high torque I have to think the piece of aluminum on the H-column that holds the set screw is either bent or broken.

I’d probably have them check all the rollers, etc. while I have it there. I can’t trust that Thor installed and adjusted all of the rollers and the rest of the mechanism properly.

I’ll keep you posted on whether I have any success tomorrow after hitting the hardware store again.

[MTcamper]

Just a thought Judge, you could install a wooden block stop (see photo) that would help keep motor in place when it tries to twist. This was installed almost a year ago and has been working. My SV34 goes in next week for a full replacement.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by MTcamper

Just a thought Judge, you could install a wooden block stop (see photo) that would help keep motor in place when it tries to twist. This was installed almost a year ago and has been working. My SV34 goes in next week for a full replacement.

That is a great idea! So you were having problems with the motor twisting and turning as well?

Looks to be your rear motor….. just kike mine. I’m afraid that if I have the H-Column replaced it will just happen again because most of the weight is on the back half of the slide.

[Judge]

Before I saw MT campers post, I stopped back at the hardware store to see if I could find something else.

I bought a couple things but struck out with the first attempt. Then I opted to try my last and least favorite resort….. a piece if small chain looped through the slots on the top of the motor with the ends screwed to the steel bracket on the inside wall.

I tested it with a couple inch extensions and retractions. It still moves but not nearly as much. I felt it was not as good as I wanted but better than it was so….. I threw caution to the wind and opened the slide fully. Only God knows if I’ll get it closed again…. But at least we can get a couple good nights sleep.

Come Monday when we break camp and head to the Tetons, I’ll watch the motor as I retract the slide to make sure it is not getting any worse and whether I can keep chancing extending it for the rest of the trip.

Bottom line is the full wall slide that the Thor Engineers design is too damn heavy and just a poor design.