Slideout stuck :cry:

[cayuga]

Our first camping trip, out 2nd night...

We have a 2016 Thor Vegas 25.3.

The slideout is about 1/2 way out and wedged at an angle. The problem started with it only going out a couple of inches with one side seeming to get "stuck", so we followed the manual suggestion of going "back and forth" to try to get the two slides to be in sync. The problem is now much worse. The angle is worse and the slide is now 1/2 way out instead on almost all of the way in.

Is this something I can fix myself? Is there anything to try that won't make it even worse? I'm afraid if I try much else the angle of the slideout will cause damage to the surrounding structure (if it hasn't already).

Since we're at a campground and they will be full tomorrow (when we're not supposed to be here), how terrible is it to move the RV a hundred yards or so (dirt road) with the slideout 1/2 way out to a spot where the campground will let us park it?

Thanks in advance for any help/information/suggestions!

Jeff

[16ACE27]

Evening Jeff and welcome to the forum.

If you don't already have it goto the LCI website and download the manual for the slide.

Then goto Youtube University and check out the Schwintek slide videos including the motor replacement videos so you know what you are working with.

It sounds like you have a weak motor on one site and now the slide is cocked to make it worse. Here is what I would do:

- get the slide straight: Have someone operate the slide switch and coordinate to push the closest side out as you move the switch to EXTEND and the farthest side in as you move the switch to RETRACT. Once straight, you may be able to continue this method to get it retracted again.

- You can try the Lippert procedure of unplugging the motor wires from the controller and pushing it in. Most are not successful with this due to the weight of the slide and the inverse mechanical advantage of turning the motors by pushing the slide.

- Luckily, your slide is part way in/out so with a Phillip's screwdriver and a ladder you should easily be able to remove the slide motors and then push the slide in. Once in you will need to either slide the motors back in if possible and reconnect the wires to the controller, or secure the slide with some 2x4s at the top between the slide ledge and the wall so it can't go back out while traveling.

If the slide is only out 12" to 16" you should be able to carefully drive to a "repair" spot a short distance away.

Good Luck!

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

EDIT:
Slide manual attached

[Sappy2]

Agree with ACE. Review the op manual and videos.

[suenmike]

We had this happened to us, first thing, make sure nothing is stuck under the slide, Dog toys, kids toys, electrical or plumbing interference . With us it was a plumbing issue with the sink hose interfering with the side not going out. Obviously I thought it was everything else until my wife actually looked under the slide with a flashlight from inside and spotted this issue. After this we synced the motors as mentioned above.

[halfprice]

I was helping out a guy last week with a slide stuck open. A shoe got caught under the floor. It took a while before someone saw the toe of the shoe sticking out the side of the floor

[cayuga]

Thanks everyone. In an effort to get on the road (we're in Missouri now and trying to get to California in time for our grandson's birthday), I unplugged the two motors and we pushed in the slide. We won't use it again until we get to California.

Thanks again, we really appreciate the help!!

Jeff

[suenmike]

Safe trip!

[Judge]

Originally Posted by cayuga

Thanks everyone. In an effort to get on the road (we're in Missouri now and trying to get to California in time for our grandson's birthday), I unplugged the two motors and we pushed in the slide. We won't use it again until we get to California.

Thanks again, we really appreciate the help!!

Jeff

You might want to consider replacing your Schwintek Slide Mechanism with the Vroom Slide System once you assess the issue. If you need to have the Schwintek system repaired, I would not spend the money on the same system.

If you do a search, you will find a review that I did after having slide issues and having the Schwintek Slide Mechanism replaced with the Vroom System.

There are some other threads about it as well.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by cayuga

Thanks everyone. In an effort to get on the road (we're in Missouri now and trying to get to California in time for our grandson's birthday), I unplugged the two motors and we pushed in the slide. We won't use it again until we get to California.

Thanks again, we really appreciate the help!!

Jeff

Glad you managed the work-around and got back on the road!

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by cayuga

Thanks everyone. In an effort to get on the road (we're in Missouri now and trying to get to California in time for our grandson's birthday), I unplugged the two motors and we pushed in the slide. We won't use it again until we get to California.

Thanks again, we really appreciate the help!!

Jeff

Hopefully you plugged the motors back in. Unplugged they don’t serve as a brake to keep the slide from extending going around corners.

[cayuga]

I did ��

[Judge]

Here is a great video about the Vroom Slide System going into a 5th Wheel that also shows how crappy the Schwintek motor is mounted and how much it can move around. Just one of the several problems with the design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTH3kIByLYM

[halfprice]

Originally Posted by Judge

Here is a great video about the Vroom Slide System going into a 5th Wheel that also shows how crappy the Schwintek motor is mounted and how much it can move around. Just one of the several problems with the design.

Judge
A local shop here in So Cal is now an authorized installer of the Vroom system

[Judge]

Originally Posted by halfprice

Judge
A local shop here in So Cal is now an authorized installer of the Vroom system

That’s good to know.

When I talked to Brian he was working on setting up someone in rhe northeast. He told me he was going to open a shop in Tucson in a different location on some other property he owned.

I’m a little surprised he now has someone that close to Tucson but everyone I’ve been talking to says he is backed up past July at this point. I guess his new system is taking off enough that he needs to expand even more.

I’m glad to see some good ole US ingenuity that solves a problem and does it right. I’m glad that I had my slide changed…. and supported a small US business in the process.

[cayuga]

Final (I hope) report from California. We made it here in time for the birthday (tomorrow). I reset the controller and "retracted" the slide (it was theoretically all the way in from when we pushed it in). Then I tried extending it and it worked fine :-).
We leave here on the 28th and I don't expect any problems then....

Thanks again to all who offered help/advice!

[suenmike]

Great news, safe and happy travels!!

[Big-Foot]

I deploy our slides very infrequently due to the number of problems inherent with them all.
I *never* deploy when boondocked at Walmart, Cabelas, Crackerbarrel, etc. since I could never be sure the slide would retract. The Vroom system is impressive! I will be looking into these.

[GI_Tom]

Originally Posted by suenmike

We had this happened to us, first thing, make sure nothing is stuck under the slide, Dog toys, kids toys, electrical or plumbing interference . With us it was a plumbing issue with the sink hose interfering with the side not going out. Obviously I thought it was everything else until my wife actually looked under the slide with a flashlight from inside and spotted this issue. After this we synced the motors as mentioned above.

Something very similar just recently happened to us. Didn't affect our slide much, but did create a plumbing issue in the form of a running stream of water coming out from under the slide when the sink was engaged. We re-synced slide as a precaution. Slide actually severed the sink flexhose. Was recently able to repair it and move on, but checking those hidey holes where the slides are is always a good idea at the first sign of trouble.

[Lt Keefer]

Originally Posted by Big-Foot

I deploy our slides very infrequently due to the number of problems inherent with them all.
I *never* deploy when boondocked at Walmart, Cabelas, Crackerbarrel, etc. since I could never be sure the slide would retract. The Vroom system is impressive! I will be looking into these.

I would never own something I couldn't use. Maybe you should look at a coach with no slides.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Big-Foot

I deploy our slides very infrequently due to the number of problems inherent with them all.
I *never* deploy when boondocked at Walmart, Cabelas, Crackerbarrel, etc. since I could never be sure the slide would retract. The Vroom system is impressive! I will be looking into these.

I owned a Challenger with 3 Schwintek slides and with the exception of a loose wire during the shakedown we never had any issues.

We have had more problems with a non-Schwintek slide in our current rig and it took the dealer 8 months to repair this one due to their high level of incompetence.