slide maintenance

[gofishbass]

How often should the slide out gears be "greased"?
Newbie, trying to learn.

[HMCSW]

Originally Posted by gofishbass

How often should the slide out gears be "greased"?
Newbie, trying to learn.

Should be in the black bag book from Thor. I do know it is not grease. Lippert recommend a specific spray to spray the gearing .CRC Power Lube Industrial High Performance Lubricant With PTFE, 11 Wt Oz, High Performance Aerosol Lubricant Spray. This is what they recommend. I bought it on Amazon.

[Pete'sMH]

I thought it was no longer recommended to lube it at all…

[gofishbass]

Originally Posted by HMCSW

Should be in the black bag book from Thor. I do know it is not grease. Lippert recommend a specific spray to spray the gearing .CRC Power Lube Industrial High Performance Lubricant With PTFE, 11 Wt Oz, High Performance Aerosol Lubricant Spray. This is what they recommend. I bought it on Amazon.

I put greased in quotes. I know not to use real grease. just wondering how often to use the spray.

Thanks!

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by gofishbass

I put greased in quotes. I know not to use real grease. just wondering how often to use the spray.

Thanks!

Never; per current guidance from Lippert. Check their YouTube channel.

[gofishbass]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Never; per current guidance from Lippert. Check their YouTube channel.

Yea, I screwed up. Sprayed the rails that I now know you should never lubricate. Not sure how I am going to clean them now.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by gofishbass

Yea, I screwed up. Sprayed the rails that I now know you should never lubricate. Not sure how I am going to clean them now.

Clean them with a Dawn dish soap / water mixture and a sponge then rinse. Then you just keep them clean of dust, debris and dirt by washing.

[gofishbass]

Now I am reading that it may be ok to spray them with the 3&1 spray. A few people have said that it was first recommended to spray the rails and then the protocol was changed because people were using the wrong lubricant. Rails look clean. Thinking about just leaving them and check to make sure they do not get grimy in the future.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by gofishbass

Now I am reading that it may be ok to spray them with the 3&1 spray. A few people have said that it was first recommended to spray the rails and then the protocol was changed because people were using the wrong lubricant. Rails look clean. Thinking about just leaving them and check to make sure they do not get grimy in the future.

You don't need lubrication. The key is to keep the tracks clean of dirt and debris. The build up of dirt will cause problems over time and that is why LCI stopped recommending lubrication.

Some people will lubricate the gib but the LCI documentation does not specifically recommend / require it.

There are a lot of short comings and weaknesses with the Schwintek slide mechanism (at least when it comes to large and heavy slides) and lubrication is not going to solve them or prevent failures. Keep the tracks clean and keep the floor rollers properly adjusted. Also keep things off the floor that will get under the slide floor and obstruct it from opening and closing freely. Make sure to hold the Extend / Retract button for 2 - 3 second after the slide is fully open or fully closed to keep the motors synced.

If you do these things, the slide will operate as reliably as its design will allow.

[gofishbass]

Originally Posted by Judge

You don't need lubrication. The key is to keep the tracks clean of dirt and debris. The build up of dirt will cause problems over time and that is why LCI stopped recommending lubrication.

Some people will lubricate the gib but the LCI documentation does not specifically recommend / require it.

There are a lot of short comings and weaknesses with the Schwintek slide mechanism (at least when it comes to large and heavy slides) and lubrication is not going to solve them or prevent failures. Keep the tracks clean and keep the floor rollers properly adjusted. Also keep things off the floor that will get under the slide floor and obstruct it from opening and closing freely. Make sure to hold the Extend / Retract button for 2 - 3 second after the slide is fully open or fully closed to keep the motors synced.

If you do these things, the slide will operate as reliably as its design will allow.

Thanks!

[cgeace29.3]

Maybe they tell folks to stop using lubricant so the motors will wear out sooner and they can sell more motors.
I lubricate mine no problem with dirt accumulation.

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by gofishbass

Now I am reading that it may be ok to spray them with the 3&1 spray. A few people have said that it was first recommended to spray the rails and then the protocol was changed because people were using the wrong lubricant. Rails look clean. Thinking about just leaving them and check to make sure they do not get grimy in the future.

Most sprays and greases cause dust and dirt to accumulate which will cause wear and tear on the track and gears. I'd think like to other person said just wash with dawn and rinse; OR call Lippert and they can advise you!!!!

[Chateau_Nomad]

IMO, it's critical to ALWAYS level the coach before operating the slide... ESPECIALLY with large "full wall" slides. Second most important is keep the slide motors synchronized - as Judge stated.

Skip the lubrication... just keep the tracks/gears VERY clean. Clean - Level - Synchronized.

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

IMO, it's critical to ALWAYS level the coach before operating the slide... ESPECIALLY with large "full wall" slides. Second most important is keep the slide motors synchronized - as Judge stated.

Skip the lubrication... just keep the tracks/gears VERY clean. Clean - Level - Synchronized.

I'm going to add level and stable, on jacks. You might be in a level sight but extending a slide, especially heavy slide will change the level. Don't believe me, set a good sized level on the floor and look at the before and after level conditions if the jacks are not extended.

[MLP]

Originally Posted by Judge

You don't need lubrication. The key is to keep the tracks clean of dirt and debris. The build up of dirt will cause problems over time and that is why LCI stopped recommending lubrication.

Some people will lubricate the gib but the LCI documentation does not specifically recommend / require it.

There are a lot of short comings and weaknesses with the Schwintek slide mechanism (at least when it comes to large and heavy slides) and lubrication is not going to solve them or prevent failures. Keep the tracks clean and keep the floor rollers properly adjusted. Also keep things off the floor that will get under the slide floor and obstruct it from opening and closing freely. Make sure to hold the Extend / Retract button for 2 - 3 second after the slide is fully open or fully closed to keep the motors synced.

If you do these things, the slide will operate as reliably as its design will allow.

Judge, no adjustment on the Palazzo rollers. They are floor mounted and the slide rolls on them with metal plates on the bottom of the slide. Dirt and dust does not get near the rollers. Still should vacuum before retracting the slide. So I guess it depends on how the slide is designed and installed.