Single slideout tracks looks dented and chipped

[Scubawise]

i found this and will my lside looked at

https://www.motorhome.com/tech/diy/r...ce-simplified/

[Scubawise]

From Thor

Thank you for contacting Customer Care at Thor Motor Coach.

*

Thank you for sending in pictures of the slideout tracks. It is normal for the tracks on the slideout to create what we would call a wear pattern. You can have the coach checked out at a Thor authorized service center near you. However, if there is nothing wrong with the slideout you would have to pay out of pocket for the inspections.

[Judge]

I would have your buddy Kurt look at it.........

I have a large full wall slide with the 3Trax system and the tracks are painted black. I see no wear on the paint at all and my slide has been used a bunch.

[Scubawise]

Will do

[taylojc]

Jimbo12,
How did you adjust the rollers?

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Is this a concern or normal wear?

I'm in the middle of HELL with my full slide out on a 2018 Thor Windsport 29m. The front motor came loose and popped up after breaking a couple of allen screws on the bottom of the motor that keeps it from spinning. It raises up and gets the gears out of alignment with the tracks. A mobile guy fixed it and it only worked for two days boondocking then broke a second time, both at the house thank God and he came back to get the slide out back in so I could drive it to Camping World. Now I'm hoping we can get the parts in a reasonable time frame. May have to cancel several trips if we go into June. They replace both sides when one side fails. I've been told these large slides are too heavy for just two motors??? They do good work at the Statesville Gander RV and they will make it right; but who knows when the parts will ship?? Have the place you got it from inspect it because it WILL FAIL with those wear marks.....their just like mine; Bob Trice

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

I'm in the middle of HELL with my full slide out on a 2018 Thor Windsport 29m. The front motor came loose and popped up after breaking a couple of allen screws on the bottom of the motor that keeps it from spinning. It raises up and gets the gears out of alignment with the tracks. A mobile guy fixed it and it only worked for two days boondocking then broke a second time, both at the house thank God and he came back to get the slide out back in so I could drive it to Camping World. Now I'm hoping we can get the parts in a reasonable time frame. May have to cancel several trips if we go into June. They replace both sides when one side fails. I've been told these large slides are too heavy for just two motors??? They do good work at the Statesville Gander RV and they will make it right; but who knows when the parts will ship?? Have the place you got it from inspect it because it WILL FAIL with those wear marks.....their just like mine; Bob Trice

I forgot to tell you to check the little roller wheels that are below the tracks on the inside. These little wheels keep the gear system in proper alignment I think is what I understand. Mine is broken at the hub. It's still in place but does not give any support and that is what started this whole mess. I'll bet yours is broke too!!!!!

[fastellman]

Scuba wise from your description it sounds like the screw that keeps the motor down is not installed, not installed correctly or is too short. It is reached from the outside. After putting the motor in you installed the screw from the outside, it should go into one of the 4 openings in the side of the motor. If it does not the motor can work it’s way up till it will spin and not drive the slide in or out. Having the screw touch the side of the motor and not going into the hole is wrong and you will have a failure sooner or later.

[Scubawise]

Wow I promise to check with my rv tech guy

[JimOIB]

Originally Posted by taylojc

Jimbo12,
How did you adjust the rollers?

With the slide open I pulled the bottom seal back to expose a roller. Mine have a 7/16 hex nut on them that I was able to get a socket on by using an extender. Post 6 shows one of my rollers and the hex nut is at the tip of my finger.

I snugged the roller up to the bottom of the slide then gave it a hefty 1/4 turn more. I did this to all the rollers and then ran the slide in and out, and rechecked to make sure they were still tight. My inside rollers did not need adjusting.

[JimOIB]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Wow I promise to check with my rv tech guy

This is a good video on the complete system:

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

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by fastellman

Scuba wise from your description it sounds like the screw that keeps the motor down is not installed, not installed correctly or is too short. It is reached from the outside. After putting the motor in you installed the screw from the outside, it should go into one of the 4 openings in the side of the motor. If it does not the motor can work it’s way up till it will spin and not drive the slide in or out. Having the screw touch the side of the motor and not going into the hole is wrong and you will have a failure sooner or later.

You would be correct IF the wheel hub was not broken at the bottom gear rail and that allows the force of no support to push up. Of coarse the set screw is in. The tech actually used one a little bit longer but that screw is no match for the force the slide puts on the entire assembly with a broken hub on the roller wheel at the bottom gear rack. That's also how it sheared two of the four allen set screws on the bottom of the motor that sits in the coupling that connects to the drive shaft to all the gears. I also think that maybe the rollers under the slide that support the slide out may not be adjusted properly, but Gander RV will check all of that as well. Bottom line, these systems are not sturdy enough for this much weight I'm told and it's just a cost cutting measure that makes me hate Thor engineers!!!!

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

You would be correct IF the wheel hub was not broken at the bottom gear rail and that allows the force of no support to push up. Of coarse the set screw is in. The tech actually used one a little bit longer but that screw is no match for the force the slide puts on the entire assembly with a broken hub on the roller wheel at the bottom gear rack. That's also how it sheared two of the four allen set screws on the bottom of the motor that sits in the coupling that connects to the drive shaft to all the gears. I also think that maybe the rollers under the slide that support the slide out may not be adjusted properly, but Gander RV will check all of that as well. Bottom line, these systems are not sturdy enough for this much weight I'm told and it's just a cost cutting measure that makes me hate Thor engineers!!!!

It's the bearing that cracked in the V-Roller that failed. Just to give you the correct description!!

[Pops R]

So the problem I have is the rear slide out motor needs to be replaced. The error code the controller gives is there is a short between the controller and the motor.

A Mobile RV guy had to come out to help us get the full room slide back in using a new wire from the outside and through a window and determining the short is in the motor wires.

The big problem is there is no easy access to the motor. Thor says it is Lippert's design and they did not make any access to the motor on the Challenger.

First issue is the slide need to be out to remove the screw on the motor.

Thor told me to access the motor for replacement you need to drill out those rivets on the outside the metal plate the motor sits behind.

On the inside of our Challenger 2015 37LX is the bedroom closets and there is only a 4 inch space above the closets next to the rear bathroom to work with.

So has anyone had to have the motor replaced and if so how did you get to yours to remove and replace without major surgery to your MH?

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by Pops R

So the problem I have is the rear slide out motor needs to be replaced. The error code the controller gives is there is a short between the controller and the motor.

A Mobile RV guy had to come out to help us get the full room slide back in using a new wire from the outside and through a window and determining the short is in the motor wires.

The big problem is there is no easy access to the motor. Thor says it is Lippert's design and they did not make any access to the motor on the Challenger.

First issue is the slide need to be out to remove the screw on the motor.

Thor told me to access the motor for replacement you need to drill out those rivets on the outside the metal plate the motor sits behind.

On the inside of our Challenger 2015 37LX is the bedroom closets and there is only a 4 inch space above the closets next to the rear bathroom to work with.

So has anyone had to have the motor replaced and if so how did you get to yours to remove and replace without major surgery to your MH?

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT drill out any rivets or touch this slide out. It could literally fall out of the coach!!! I had a slide out fail on my Thor Windsport 29m and it was a nightmare. It failed in my driveway thankfully. Had to call a mobile tech. He was good but did not diagnosis the problem correctly. It failed after a 2 night weekend. Got it home and when I tried to extend the slide it broke a 2nd time. The problem was the roller wheel on the inside of the front track had a broken hub. It allowed the gear assembly to drop enough to pop the motor at the top and come out of position making it impossible to turn the screw drive at the top and bottom. Took it to Gander RV in Statesville, NC and after waiting on the new slides for the front and back they fixed it with no problems so far. These slide outs are generally too heavy for the system they are secured to. It's BULLSHIT that they use a design this piss poor. It works for a couple years til you drive off the lot and use until the warranty is expired and there you are. I had an extended warranty so it was not bad but let the experts handle it and pay the price. Piece of mind has no price tag my friend!!!! Bob Trice

[Pops R]

Thanks Bob for your insight. Yes I am leaving it to a Mobile RV repair guy who is also a certified RV Inspector and he said no as well to the drill out Thor customer care told me was the way. Not sure what his plan is from the inside but having to wait for him to schedule me in. He is my neighbor in this RV park so all is good and time is what I have plenty of in this base camp as full timers. We were out on a RT and had to spend the 5 weeks with the big full room slide out in so not so nice but now it is out most of the way as it would only work like half an inch at at time coming in as well as going out.
I have looked at several YouTube video's with other Mobile RV guys having to deal with slide out issues and certainly is an industry problem.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT drill out any rivets or touch this slide out. It could literally fall out of the coach!!! I had a slide out fail on my Thor Windsport 29m and it was a nightmare. It failed in my driveway thankfully. Had to call a mobile tech. He was good but did not diagnosis the problem correctly. It failed after a 2 night weekend. Got it home and when I tried to extend the slide it broke a 2nd time. The problem was the roller wheel on the inside of the front track had a broken hub. It allowed the gear assembly to drop enough to pop the motor at the top and come out of position making it impossible to turn the screw drive at the top and bottom. Took it to Gander RV in Statesville, NC and after waiting on the new slides for the front and back they fixed it with no problems so far. These slide outs are generally too heavy for the system they are secured to. It's BULLSHIT that they use a design this piss poor. It works for a couple years til you drive off the lot and use until the warranty is expired and there you are. I had an extended warranty so it was not bad but let the experts handle it and pay the price. Piece of mind has no price tag my friend!!!! Bob Trice

I agree...

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/at...1&d=1626201869

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by Pops R

So the problem I have is the rear slide out motor needs to be replaced. The error code the controller gives is there is a short between the controller and the motor.

A Mobile RV guy had to come out to help us get the full room slide back in using a new wire from the outside and through a window and determining the short is in the motor wires.

The big problem is there is no easy access to the motor. Thor says it is Lippert's design and they did not make any access to the motor on the Challenger.

First issue is the slide need to be out to remove the screw on the motor.

Thor told me to access the motor for replacement you need to drill out those rivets on the outside the metal plate the motor sits behind.

On the inside of our Challenger 2015 37LX is the bedroom closets and there is only a 4 inch space above the closets next to the rear bathroom to work with.

So has anyone had to have the motor replaced and if so how did you get to yours to remove and replace without major surgery to your MH?

Well I haven't that to mess with a full wall slide, but I did with a bedroom slide. Yes, you have to disassemble all of the slide's surround (about a two hours per side) to get at the slide stops. In my case the stops were pine 2"x6"x82" studs held in-place by 4 aluminum L brackets with 4 inch long wood screws. Once all if that is removed, it is relatively easy to get to the slide motor, metal gear chase and wiring chase in the coach's wall next to the slide; provided the slide is completely out. The work space is about 12 inches wide between the slide and the rear wall and the slide and the bathroom wall. If the slide were supported and aligned, the entire track system could be replaced on one side of the slide.
There is so much mystery and misinformation on Schwintek slides, I am surprised anyone attempts repairs. They are simple systems but do require skillful installation (sometimes lacking). For years LCI recommend using lubricant. In 2018 LCI stopped recommended any slide lubrication because of lubricant miss use. If you feel necessary to lubricate the slide's blocks and gibs, please use the CRC with PTFE and nothing else. You should also use 303 Aerospace protestant on the rubber wiper seals and bulb seals if you want the seals to last. I personally believe the tracks should cleaned regularly to keep the free of dust and dirt but never lubricated. Lubricating them can cause the tracks to be forced away form the gears in high load situations. Lastly rollers are the key to easy slide operations. Most slides are balanced of four rollers two inner and two outer. When the slide is out the outer rollers carry almost all the load. A shop vac and air hose are what is needed to clean the rollers and roller tracks occasionally. We travel with cats and it is amazing to see the amount of kitty litter that gets past the inner rubber wiper seal.
Your results may vary!

[ghof]

SCUBAWISE , I am a retired deep tech diver so we have a few things in common!
My Miramar 34.2 has had slide issues from day one.
1st resign yourself to a crappy design.
2nd remove the vertical interior trim and use rivenuts to reattach it using decorative machine screws.
3rd make relief cuts in the aluminum to remove the motor.
4th remove the wire from the rubber d seal and reroute the wire into a wiremold., not as pretty but it works better.
5th remove the outside motor retaining screw Toos it in the trash.
6 fabricate a new steel plate with rivenuts to replace the outside screw now 90% can be done indoors in just a few minutes.
7th find, beg, get, a lead to attach a battery directly to the motor or multimeter, I cut mine off the front bed and soldered the wires together to eliminate further issues with the front bunk.

Now from start to finish, remove trim , remove custom motor bracket remove and repair motor or replace. Test wires. Reinstall motor , replace the custom made motor retainer, replace the trim. Done.

Now the hard part, my torque shaft is a steel hex. At the top is an e clip that prevent the shaft from falling down. Mine failed. The shaft also flexes and wears the lower guide blocks upper hole just like a file would causing the gears to flex and damage the aluminum gears, and wearing the cheap plastic guides out.
I rebuilt the shaft and lower block , I drilled a .5 in hole in the bottom of a new lower block and installed a steel .5 od inside 3/8 id bushing 2 inches long with epoxy and set screw. I turned the hex shaft to slightly less than 3/8" by 2 inches long( with a cordless drill and file) Now the gear rides on the bushing not the E clip and can't slide down. The difficulty with this is the length of the shaft has to be fairly precise so the motor and coupler fit perfectly into the four holes in the upper guide block. This can only be done with the rack and pinion assembly completely removed. Which will need to be done sometime anyway, the system was /is a complete and utter failure it will not last. The plastic slides are designed to wear out to "prevent serious damage". A $1000 repair plus parts. A 3d printer should be able to make these parts for pennies.
MY TO CENTS. GOOD LUCK

[Judge]

Originally Posted by ghof

SCUBAWISE , I am a retired deep tech diver so we have a few things in common!
My Miramar 34.2 has had slide issues from day one.
1st resign yourself to a crappy design.
2nd remove the vertical interior trim and use rivenuts to reattach it using decorative machine screws.
3rd make relief cuts in the aluminum to remove the motor.
4th remove the wire from the rubber d seal and reroute the wire into a wiremold., not as pretty but it works better.
5th remove the outside motor retaining screw Toos it in the trash.
6 fabricate a new steel plate with rivenuts to replace the outside screw now 90% can be done indoors in just a few minutes.
7th find, beg, get, a lead to attach a battery directly to the motor or multimeter, I cut mine off the front bed and soldered the wires together to eliminate further issues with the front bunk.

Now from start to finish, remove trim , remove custom motor bracket remove and repair motor or replace. Test wires. Reinstall motor , replace the custom made motor retainer, replace the trim. Done.

Now the hard part, my torque shaft is a steel hex. At the top is an e clip that prevent the shaft from falling down. Mine failed. The shaft also flexes and wears the lower guide blocks upper hole just like a file would causing the gears to flex and damage the aluminum gears, and wearing the cheap plastic guides out.
I rebuilt the shaft and lower block , I drilled a .5 in hole in the bottom of a new lower block and installed a steel .5 od inside 3/8 id bushing 2 inches long with epoxy and set screw. I turned the hex shaft to slightly less than 3/8" by 2 inches long( with a cordless drill and file) Now the gear rides on the bushing not the E clip and can't slide down. The difficulty with this is the length of the shaft has to be fairly precise so the motor and coupler fit perfectly into the four holes in the upper guide block. This can only be done with the rack and pinion assembly completely removed. Which will need to be done sometime anyway, the system was /is a complete and utter failure it will not last. The plastic slides are designed to wear out to "prevent serious damage". A $1000 repair plus parts. A 3d printer should be able to make these parts for pennies.
MY TO CENTS. GOOD LUCK

Read this.......

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/f2...tml#post318378

But you would probably need to make it to the lower 48 to have it installed. Although he may be willing to ship you the parts if you wanted to install it yourself.