Judge64
Senior Member
I wanted to provide those interested in the Vroom Slide System with an update on their progress as they continue to refine their slide solution and grow their business.
As we work our way across the country to Alaska I stopped at the new Vroom Slide System Headquarters in Marana, AZ. I had a motor with a bad encoder so I was having to use the LCI Controller Override to extend and retract the slide. I wanted to have Vroom replace the motor when we were in the area during out trip. I think the Vroom Slide System is an outstanding solution for the long-time problems heavy and/or full-wall slides have with the Schwintek mechanism. If there is one weakness, replacing a motor is more difficult than with the Schwintek Slide Mechanism. But that is because the motor in the Schwintek Mechanism is only secured with a small single screw, which is one of the failure points.
The new Vroom location opened about 3 months ago and is dedicated to the Vroom Slide System installations and is about 20 minutes north of Vroom Engineering's HQ, where they still manufacture the hardware for the system. When you pull up to the new facility it is very impressive and located in a growing northern suburb of Tucson. In the front of the building are offices and a waiting room and the back of the building are where the service bays are located.
They have four large bays to accommodate any size RV. Three of the bays are currently being used to install the Vroom system. While I was there they had two other Thor's in the shop.... both Class A's having the system installed.... a Palazzo and an Outlaw.
The fourth bay is being used for component assembly and shipping of parts. Vroom now has ~10 RV Repair Shops around the country trained or being trained on installing the Vroom Slide System. This will greatly help make the system more accessible for RV owners around the country. I could tell they have really ramped up that part of their business based on the amount of parts and a couple of workers dedicated to that part of the operation.
The people at Vroom are some of the nicest and politest people I have seen in all my years of being in business or using a service-related business... and it all starts with the owner and founder of Vroom Slide Systems. Brian is one of the best people out there.... personally and professional speaking.
Brian's team greeted me and got the process started of getting me pulled in and completing some paperwork. Then Brian came out to say hello and give me an update on his system and the business.
He began designing and developing his system back in 2020 and I was one of the early adopters having the system installed in September 2021. Brian told me they have learned a lot about the weaknesses of RV slides and also learned a lot about their design for solving some of the problems. Over the past 18 months since I had my system installed they have refined their design to make further improvements. They are also now better equipped at the new facility to deal with other aspects such as floor roller adjustment and replacement and even fabricating components to deal with design and manufacturing weaknesses.
Brian told me that while I was there, they were going to upgrade my system with the latest hardware design. I have not had any issues with the Vroom slide mechanism since it was installed. I did have a collapsed roller due to Thor using very substandard rollers for a heavy, full-wall slide and I did have the current motor encoder failure but those are the same motors used by Schwintek. But the Vroom H-Column, Gears, Bearings and Tracks all still looked and operated like new.
The one thing I learned is the Vroom Mechanism floats. As a result they have learned that in some RV installations there is not enough clearance at the top of the column the motor encoder could get bumped or dislodged if you hit a large enough bump while moving. This is likely what happened in my case. They were going to install shafts that were slightly shorter to allow for more clearance in my SV34.
I told Brian we were on our way to Alaska so I wanted them to make sure everything was going to be good to go for a long trip and rough roads. He told me to leave it for the day and I could pick it up around noon the next day, which was fine for us since I booked the Hampton Inn in Marana for two nights (about 7 miles from their location) to make sure I gave myself enough time.
We checked out of the hotel at 11:00AM and went back to the shop and they were just finishing up from all their work. They do a great job of cleaning up inside and outside the coach when they are done with their work. They even asked me if their work met my expectations when I looked everything over!
They ended up installing their latest hardware (gears, bearings, shafts) and also two new motors plus they made shorter shafts to allow for more clearance. They checked all of the floor rollers and made sure they were all adjusted properly. All of the rollers looked good since my visit last September when they replaced a couple of bad rollers. They also installed all new wipe seals and resealed everything on the outside.
Brian only charged me for labor, which was about 10 hours total. I thought that was very fair given everything they did and getting their latest hardware. They really stand behind their system and have excellent customer service! Something you don't see at many RV shops these days.... or anywhere else for that matter.
The slide moved in and out smoothly and quietly.... just as it had prior to their service.... but no more Manual Override. I'm very confident we'll be good to go as we start working our way up to Alaska.
They are a victim of their own success. Given how many RV's have Schwintek Slide Mechanism failures.... or multiple failures.... a lot of people are lining up to get the Vroom System installed. Even the OEM's are now getting more interested in the system than they were two years ago given all of the traction Vroom is now gaining in the industry.
They do have a phone number now dedicated to the slide business so you don't have to call Vroom Engineering HQ. The number is (520) 209-2788. Even though I prefer to deal with Vroom directly, they can refer you to the other RV shops that are located closer. Those shops may have shorter wait-times than Vroom HQ. I'm guessing that Vroom has a ~6-month wait-list because of demand... even with the newly expanded operation.... given what I have heard from people I have talked to recently trying to get scheduled.
I had also heard from some people that the early RV shops were complaining about parts availability from Vroom but now that they have a dedicated HQ for the slide business and have finished a new revision of their hardware, I think the third-party shops will have a better access to parts given what I saw when I was at their HQ this week.
If you are having issues with the Schwintek Mechanism and you are being quoted repairs north of $1500 - $2000, I would seriously consider contacting Vroom. The price has increased over the past 18 months between component and labor inflation along with the demand. They also now get involved with roller issues as part of the upgrade process since rollers are key to smooth operation so that is additional expense for installing the system. But it would be well worth the cost to consider upgrading to Vroom in the long run. I know many people who have spent $1500 - $2000+ multiple times to fix the same slide. That is just throwing away good money after bad.
From my experience, the Vroom Slide System is well worth the money... and the peace of mind. I would not hesitate to do it again if I had another coach with the Schwintek mechanism.
Here are some pics of the new operation.....
As we work our way across the country to Alaska I stopped at the new Vroom Slide System Headquarters in Marana, AZ. I had a motor with a bad encoder so I was having to use the LCI Controller Override to extend and retract the slide. I wanted to have Vroom replace the motor when we were in the area during out trip. I think the Vroom Slide System is an outstanding solution for the long-time problems heavy and/or full-wall slides have with the Schwintek mechanism. If there is one weakness, replacing a motor is more difficult than with the Schwintek Slide Mechanism. But that is because the motor in the Schwintek Mechanism is only secured with a small single screw, which is one of the failure points.
The new Vroom location opened about 3 months ago and is dedicated to the Vroom Slide System installations and is about 20 minutes north of Vroom Engineering's HQ, where they still manufacture the hardware for the system. When you pull up to the new facility it is very impressive and located in a growing northern suburb of Tucson. In the front of the building are offices and a waiting room and the back of the building are where the service bays are located.
They have four large bays to accommodate any size RV. Three of the bays are currently being used to install the Vroom system. While I was there they had two other Thor's in the shop.... both Class A's having the system installed.... a Palazzo and an Outlaw.
The fourth bay is being used for component assembly and shipping of parts. Vroom now has ~10 RV Repair Shops around the country trained or being trained on installing the Vroom Slide System. This will greatly help make the system more accessible for RV owners around the country. I could tell they have really ramped up that part of their business based on the amount of parts and a couple of workers dedicated to that part of the operation.
The people at Vroom are some of the nicest and politest people I have seen in all my years of being in business or using a service-related business... and it all starts with the owner and founder of Vroom Slide Systems. Brian is one of the best people out there.... personally and professional speaking.
Brian's team greeted me and got the process started of getting me pulled in and completing some paperwork. Then Brian came out to say hello and give me an update on his system and the business.
He began designing and developing his system back in 2020 and I was one of the early adopters having the system installed in September 2021. Brian told me they have learned a lot about the weaknesses of RV slides and also learned a lot about their design for solving some of the problems. Over the past 18 months since I had my system installed they have refined their design to make further improvements. They are also now better equipped at the new facility to deal with other aspects such as floor roller adjustment and replacement and even fabricating components to deal with design and manufacturing weaknesses.
Brian told me that while I was there, they were going to upgrade my system with the latest hardware design. I have not had any issues with the Vroom slide mechanism since it was installed. I did have a collapsed roller due to Thor using very substandard rollers for a heavy, full-wall slide and I did have the current motor encoder failure but those are the same motors used by Schwintek. But the Vroom H-Column, Gears, Bearings and Tracks all still looked and operated like new.
The one thing I learned is the Vroom Mechanism floats. As a result they have learned that in some RV installations there is not enough clearance at the top of the column the motor encoder could get bumped or dislodged if you hit a large enough bump while moving. This is likely what happened in my case. They were going to install shafts that were slightly shorter to allow for more clearance in my SV34.
I told Brian we were on our way to Alaska so I wanted them to make sure everything was going to be good to go for a long trip and rough roads. He told me to leave it for the day and I could pick it up around noon the next day, which was fine for us since I booked the Hampton Inn in Marana for two nights (about 7 miles from their location) to make sure I gave myself enough time.
We checked out of the hotel at 11:00AM and went back to the shop and they were just finishing up from all their work. They do a great job of cleaning up inside and outside the coach when they are done with their work. They even asked me if their work met my expectations when I looked everything over!
They ended up installing their latest hardware (gears, bearings, shafts) and also two new motors plus they made shorter shafts to allow for more clearance. They checked all of the floor rollers and made sure they were all adjusted properly. All of the rollers looked good since my visit last September when they replaced a couple of bad rollers. They also installed all new wipe seals and resealed everything on the outside.
Brian only charged me for labor, which was about 10 hours total. I thought that was very fair given everything they did and getting their latest hardware. They really stand behind their system and have excellent customer service! Something you don't see at many RV shops these days.... or anywhere else for that matter.
The slide moved in and out smoothly and quietly.... just as it had prior to their service.... but no more Manual Override. I'm very confident we'll be good to go as we start working our way up to Alaska.
They are a victim of their own success. Given how many RV's have Schwintek Slide Mechanism failures.... or multiple failures.... a lot of people are lining up to get the Vroom System installed. Even the OEM's are now getting more interested in the system than they were two years ago given all of the traction Vroom is now gaining in the industry.
They do have a phone number now dedicated to the slide business so you don't have to call Vroom Engineering HQ. The number is (520) 209-2788. Even though I prefer to deal with Vroom directly, they can refer you to the other RV shops that are located closer. Those shops may have shorter wait-times than Vroom HQ. I'm guessing that Vroom has a ~6-month wait-list because of demand... even with the newly expanded operation.... given what I have heard from people I have talked to recently trying to get scheduled.
I had also heard from some people that the early RV shops were complaining about parts availability from Vroom but now that they have a dedicated HQ for the slide business and have finished a new revision of their hardware, I think the third-party shops will have a better access to parts given what I saw when I was at their HQ this week.
If you are having issues with the Schwintek Mechanism and you are being quoted repairs north of $1500 - $2000, I would seriously consider contacting Vroom. The price has increased over the past 18 months between component and labor inflation along with the demand. They also now get involved with roller issues as part of the upgrade process since rollers are key to smooth operation so that is additional expense for installing the system. But it would be well worth the cost to consider upgrading to Vroom in the long run. I know many people who have spent $1500 - $2000+ multiple times to fix the same slide. That is just throwing away good money after bad.
From my experience, the Vroom Slide System is well worth the money... and the peace of mind. I would not hesitate to do it again if I had another coach with the Schwintek mechanism.
Here are some pics of the new operation.....
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