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Old 06-01-2015, 02:25 PM   #1
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THOR #2128
Thumping coming from slide while driving...

I'm considering purchasing a 2015 Thor Outlaw 37MD. Even with the extremely LOUD cabin area I can hear a distinct knocking coming from the slide when driving down the road. It sounds like it's something heavy inside the wall at the end right behind the driver's head.

Any idea what this might be?

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Old 06-01-2015, 02:44 PM   #2
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THOR #1469
Check for missing bulb seals on the inside of the slide wall. The bulb seal serves as a wire chase and if one or more are missing the cable running from the floor to the top of the wall will flop around and hit the wall. Eventually the cable will come loose from the slide motor and that is another issue. This happened on my Challenger during the shakedown cruise.

If you can see the cable running from the floor to the top of the wall the bulb seal is missing.
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Old 06-01-2015, 04:17 PM   #3
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Thanks, we won't be seeing the coach for a few days. Is there anything else it might be we could look for? Just to ensure we exhaust all possibilities on our next trip rather than back and forth.

Thanks a bunch for your reply though!
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Old 06-01-2015, 05:24 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Altonymous View Post
Thanks, we won't be seeing the coach for a few days. Is there anything else it might be we could look for? Just to ensure we exhaust all possibilities on our next trip rather than back and forth.

Thanks a bunch for your reply though!
Not sure about the configuration of the Outlaw 37MD, however, my Challenger has 3 slides. The Kitchen slide is immediately behind the driver's head. The living/dining area slide is on the opposite wall and the doorway separates this slide from the passenger. The bedroom slide is in the back.

With that said, I am assuming you heard this during a test drive and the coach was not loaded so contents shifting is not an issue.

On all my slides the windows each have 2 roller shades. One is a black out shade and the other is a solar shade. One of the shades has, on the lower bar, Velcro strips to prevent banging noises when the shade is moving back and forth while traveling (the movement is about one inch max). If this shade is not lower that the other during travel the shade without the Velcro will hit the wall resulting in a banging noise. Took three rest stops to figure this out during my shakedown cruise.

During the de-winterization of my coach this year I was not happy with the manner in which Thor secured water lines and electrical wiring in the kitchen slide. I noticed this when I pulled the bottom cabinet drawer to access the refrigerators ice maker shutoff valve. During the shakedown cruise I heard periodic rattling coming from that general area and have since had Thor enter into my records that I was going to make minor modifications to the securing of cables and water lines and that such mods would not violate my warranty. Currently all my kitchen cabinet drawers are pulled and I am getting ready to put self adhesive zip tie anchors and zip ties to work securing the water lines and cables.

In the kitchen slide the refrigerator ice maker bin will slide around in the freezer if it is not secured with food or some type of refrigerator bar.

From the bedroom I heard a periodic thump when accelerating or braking. One day looking around I pulled out a false cabinet bottom and found a screwdriver (left by Thor) that would roll around and hit the cabinet walls when accelerating or braking. Put the screwdriver in my toolbox (thank you Thor) and that thumping sound has not returned.

Bottom line is basically operate the slide in and out numerous times and ensure there is no binding or unusual noises during operation. If that is good start looking for the objects that are causing the noise and secure those. It could take a few trips before you find them all.
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Old 06-01-2015, 05:46 PM   #5
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Thanks for the responses sir! Truly appreciate it. The 37MD has the dinette directly behind the driver's seat.



All very helpful information. I tend to believe you nailed it on the first post, but it's always helpful to rule out other things.

Thanks again!
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Old 06-02-2015, 01:56 AM   #6
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I've experienced the same thing the last few days. My wife and I went crazy checking for things banging around in cabinets, bays.....and the sound is the exact same, right behind my head high, that is where our living room slide is also. I started to think it was something on the roll out awning/topper that covers the slide out.
Still not quite sure where I should look for the cable bulb seal, to see if I lost it. Where would it drop to if it came loose? We have had the coach 6 months, and this just started while driving it home from CW last week. The service performed had nothing to do with the slide though?
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Old 06-02-2015, 02:09 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Tytlfamily View Post
I've experienced the same thing the last few days. My wife and I went crazy checking for things banging around in cabinets, bays.....and the sound is the exact same, right behind my head high, that is where our living room slide is also. I started to think it was something on the roll out awning/topper that covers the slide out.
Still not quite sure where I should look for the cable bulb seal, to see if I lost it. Where would it drop to if it came loose? We have had the coach 6 months, and this just started while driving it home from CW last week. The service performed had nothing to do with the slide though?
On the exterior wall of the coach there is a two part seal. The first part is the wipe which rides against the wall of the slide. The wipe also has a channel with a couple of grooves. The cable for the motor sits inside the channel and the bulb seal slides on the grooves to cover the channel and motor cable and serve as a seal and slide stop as well.

If you look at the attached photo you can see the wipe with the channel and the motor cable inside the channel and then the bulb seal installed so that it covers the wires.

Click image for larger version

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With me the bulb seal was missing and the slide motor cable was not being held within the channel and was just flopping around. Eventually it came loose from the motor and my slide jammed while partially extended. I had to get a mobile tech from Charleston, SC to come to the campground and that was when he discovered the missing bulb seal.

In this case/photo I lowered the top of the seal slightly so I could send a picture of what I needed to Thor.

If the seal was installed it is unlikely it came off and if it did it would hopefully lying on the floor near the slide side wall and not tangled up under the slide.
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Old 06-02-2015, 02:22 AM   #8
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Well, it won't hurt for me to check....some how I still think it is my slide topper bumping against the side of the coach though. Thanks for the pic!
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Old 06-02-2015, 04:20 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Tytlfamily View Post
Well, it won't hurt for me to check....some how I still think it is my slide topper bumping against the side of the coach though. Thanks for the pic!
Went out and looked at the toppers on my coach this morning. You may be on point with your thumping noise. If you look at the attached photo when my slides are in there is a screw that goes from the topper head and rests against an oval plate on the side of the coach. It appears the purpose of the screw is to keep tension on the topper roller so it doesn't bounce around and to keep tension on the topper fabric while travelling. I can see that if this screw was not in contact with the oval plate there would be the potential for it to knock on the plate as wind while travelling comes impacts the roller and topper fabric.

Not sure if your setup is the same but here is a picture of mine.

Click image for larger version

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Old 06-02-2015, 04:25 PM   #10
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Hi Dave, I will look at mine, I happen to be at a service facility now, I asked them to take a look.....The guy already heard the sound when he backed the coach into the bay for service.
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Old 06-03-2015, 01:13 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Tytlfamily View Post
Hi Dave, I will look at mine, I happen to be at a service facility now, I asked them to take a look.....The guy already heard the sound when he backed the coach into the bay for service.
Any luck figuring out the thumping?
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Old 06-03-2015, 02:25 PM   #12
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Hey Dave, no...stumped everyone at the service place. They checked the slide, the topper, lubed the tracks, made sure the slide was retracting completely...no dice. It almost sounds as if it is in the small, hollow bottom part of the cabinets above the slide. I can't help but wonder if a piece of framing for the cabinet came loose inside or something like that. I shudder at the thought of CW starting to rip into my cabinets and trim, on a wild goose chase!!
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Old 06-03-2015, 02:36 PM   #13
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I bet Thor left some pliers in there or something--take a metal detector to it!

Are there any outlets on the underside of the overhead cabinets? (If so you could pop the cover off and take a peek in there.)
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Old 06-03-2015, 02:57 PM   #14
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Yeah, I was thinking something like that too....but why now after 4 months is this just starting? i just don't get it?
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Old 06-03-2015, 03:10 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Tytlfamily View Post
Yeah, I was thinking something like that too....but why now after 4 months is this just starting? i just don't get it?
My cabinets that also serve as a wire chase have a false bottom (lower shelf) that I can just lift out. In my bedroom cabinet when I lifted one side I found a screwdriver rolling around thumping whenever it hit the cabinet walls or frame.

Why after 4 months? There could have been a pile of sawdust or some bolts, nuts or screws that kept something from rolling and has just now worked itself loose.

Since we are getting a few days of rain in the forecast I plan to take the opportunity to find as many access panels as possible, take them off and first see what is inside for future reference and then take a vacuum to the sawdust and whatever Thor left behind. Nuts, bolts, screws and tools will find a place in a storage bin or toolbox.
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Old 06-03-2015, 03:13 PM   #16
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yeah, it will be something to check....but in the mean time, the SafeTplus they installed yesterday still needs a little centering adjustment, and I am going to start having my tow package installed....won't have a lot of days off during June and July, so as long as the noise is nothing serious with the slide, it will take a back seat for while!
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Old 07-07-2015, 05:39 PM   #17
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I have the same bumping/thumping noise right behind the driver's seat (Dinette) on my 2014 Challenger DT. Mine seems to move from front to back and comes and goes. I've had it to the dealer multiple time and they can't seem to find the issues. It's definitely something lose and it's moving or rolling. It's extremely loud and annoying, as those of you with the same problem are aware. I hope someone figures it out before the slide out has to be torn apart...
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Old 07-07-2015, 07:30 PM   #18
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Same here! I have a 2016 ACE 30.1 and there is something banging in there behind my head also. CW says they can't find the problem.
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Old 08-12-2015, 04:03 PM   #19
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Same Issue

I just bought a 2015 Outlaw 37LS and have that same thumping noise behind and above my head in driver seat. I don't hear it all the time, but it's driving me crazy trying to figure out what it is. I will check those issues out that have been discussed, but if anyone finds out for sure, please keep us posted.
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Old 08-13-2015, 12:47 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by DogHowse View Post
I just bought a 2015 Outlaw 37LS and have that same thumping noise behind and above my head in driver seat. I don't hear it all the time, but it's driving me crazy trying to figure out what it is. I will check those issues out that have been discussed, but if anyone finds out for sure, please keep us posted.

I have a 2015 Thor Hurricane 32N and have the same experience. Don't know what it is...
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