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Old 10-13-2013, 05:58 PM   #1
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Blue LED lites under couch on 2014 Voltage

Has anyone gone to see the new 3970 Voltage? It has a very nice floor plan. With one exception, it comes with blue LED lites under the interior couch and in the built-in cup holders. It also has blue pendent lights over the kitchen sink counter. This look really makes for a cheap feel inside. What were the designers thinking when they came up with that? One good thing is that the LED's are on a switch so you can leave them off!
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Old 10-13-2013, 06:41 PM   #2
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Well sure, let's concentrate on the pretty and glitzy things and blow off the important things like A/Cs and slides that aren't quite ready for prime time.
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Old 10-13-2013, 08:47 PM   #3
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We just took delivery of our 2014 3895 with the Epic III package and it has the LED blue lights and cup holders and we love it! It is very nice mood lighting at night when watching TV of just relaxing. Our overhead light fixtures are not blue, they are a coordinating color with our color scheme.
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Old 10-13-2013, 11:32 PM   #4
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I see everyone mentioning the slides... and I gotta tell you, I haven't had a bit of trouble out of mine since day 1 (knock on wood). They work as advertised... and all I've done for maintenance is spray the seals with silicone, and sprayed the tracks with a thin coating of white lithium grease about every month or so.
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Old 10-13-2013, 11:39 PM   #5
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I see everyone mentioning the slides... and I gotta tell you, I haven't had a bit of trouble out of mine since day 1 (knock on wood). They work as advertised... and all I've done for maintenance is spray the seals with silicone, and sprayed the tracks with a thin coating of white lithium grease about every month or so.
Tom. Mine have worked fine as well on both my last 3950 and this unit so far. Sometimes people have blown motors or other mechanical issues but for the most part, there is not enough training and education to teach people what to do if the motors get out of sync. If you catch it right away its is an easy fix you can do just by running the slide in and out 3 times then all the way out and or in. If you let it go too long you can really tear up the motors. I was wondering about the lithium grease you are using. My dealer told me never put anything on the tracks because they are aluminum. Have you heard something different?
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Old 10-14-2013, 12:03 AM   #6
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I see everyone mentioning the slides... and I gotta tell you, I haven't had a bit of trouble out of mine since day 1 (knock on wood). They work as advertised... and all I've done for maintenance is spray the seals with silicone, and sprayed the tracks with a thin coating of white lithium grease about every month or so.
I think the problem most are seeing is with the Schwintek slides. When I took mine into CW they showed me how poorly the fascia on the slide was sealed and where the water had gotten into the floor and caused it to swell. When the floor swells it causes other sealed areas to pull apart and lets more moisture in. It also causes the rails on the slide to twist and the slide won't close completely. Right across the garage from where mine was looked at was a near new Voltage with the same problem. This isn't about the seals for open and closed, this is about engineering and craftsmanship of the build.
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Old 10-14-2013, 12:49 AM   #7
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Agreed, that is why I immediately installed slide toppers after purchase!
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Old 10-14-2013, 12:57 AM   #8
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...I was wondering about the lithium grease you are using. My dealer told me never put anything on the tracks because they are aluminum. Have you heard something different?
I haven't heard anything at all... but so what if they're made from aluminum? I mean, all moving parts need lubrication. I'm not saying that you guy is wrong, but I guess I'm missing the significance of his 'aluminum' statement. It's not like I'm spraying acid on them.


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I think the problem most are seeing is with the Schwintek slides. When I took mine into CW they showed me how poorly the fascia on the slide was sealed and where the water had gotten into the floor and caused it to swell. When the floor swells it causes other sealed areas to pull apart and lets more moisture in. It also causes the rails on the slide to twist and the slide won't close completely. Right across the garage from where mine was looked at was a near new Voltage with the same problem. This isn't about the seals for open and closed, this is about engineering and craftsmanship of the build.
So you're saying the problem isn't the Schwintek slides then... it's with QC at Dutchmen. That's a separate issue.

I don't mean to be critical... but that's where these forums are bad sometimes. We say there's something wrong with a component, when there's really nothing wrong with it at all. The problem lies elsewhere. Or vice versa... we blame Dutchmen for something, when it's really the failure of a single component.

Don't get me wrong... not trying to start a fight here. It's just in order to help each other diagnose & correct what the real problems are for these rigs, we need to be specific.
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Old 10-14-2013, 01:46 AM   #9
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I haven't heard anything at all... but so what if they're made from aluminum? I mean, all moving parts need lubrication. I'm not saying that you guy is wrong, but I guess I'm missing the significance of his 'aluminum' statement. It's not like I'm spraying acid on them.




So you're saying the problem isn't the Schwintek slides then... it's with QC at Dutchmen. That's a separate issue.

I don't mean to be critical... but that's where these forums are bad sometimes. We say there's something wrong with a component, when there's really nothing wrong with it at all. The problem lies elsewhere. Or vice versa... we blame Dutchmen for something, when it's really the failure of a single component.

Don't get me wrong... not trying to start a fight here. It's just in order to help each other diagnose & correct what the real problems are for these rigs, we need to be specific.

Point taken Tom, I'll be more specific. The Schwintek inwall slide has tracks mounted either side along the lower edge of the slide. Because of the water leak along the fascia caused by the poor workmanship at Dutchmen the floor swells and causes the track that is part of the Schwintek slide to twist or shift causing binding when the twisted part of the track reaches the motor. It is not Schwintek's problem but a symptom of the water leak and the design of the system. I think this is a better explanation and thanks for pointing out where others might have been confused.
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Old 10-14-2013, 03:29 AM   #10
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I used to be proud of the fact that my slides worked as designed. Lubed the seals and rollers and all was fine. Just like you fellas, I thought I was blessed and didn't get a Friday built unit.

I live in my toy hauler and have moved from state to state since March when I took delivery. I had my little quirks of having to joggle the slide 3 or 4 times to get it situated properly. One morning I was readying to hit the road, after an hour of jacking the big slide in and out and lubing the moving parts I was ready to go. I had only been sitting for three weeks so that shouldn't have been a concern. I have pushed and pulled and extended and retracted a few different times since March and always wondered why this had to be. There isn't any obvious reason we should have to deal with this problem, especially when it's time to go or close to check out time in an RV park.

The last time, late August, I parked, leveled and extended the slides. One side went out plumb and hit the limit switch and stopped as expected. The other side extracted partially and once again it was the jacking in and out to reach the limit switch. Except this time the one side was closed at the top and failed to extend the last two inches at the bottom. That's where it sits now, correct on one end and out of plumb on the other. Water infiltration and swelling is out of the question in this case. There isn't any evidence of this at all. What is evident it the wear pattern on the top rack of the assembly. It appears to me as if the track jumped off the gear for some reason. I haven't been able to correct this problem by electrically disconnecting the motors or by physically removing the offending motor. Nothing I've tried has worked. There has been a mechanical failure between the gear and the track. I can't see how there could be a problem what with three tracks being moved by a common motor driven shaft. The gear is now jammed in the track and I'm waiting on the mobile mechanic to make a visit. Fortunately I don't have to move and the rent is cheap. I have a broken slide and that's the bottom line. The warranty clerk let me know that her facility was very familiar with the Schwintek slide system and its problems.

I'll rehash the MTBF comment. For those of you that haven't had a problem with your slide yet will be surprised when it happens because it will. Not today or tomorrow but it will.

As mentioned, study the online videos on how to sync these things and what to do to overcome minor problems. Locate the sync modules for these slides and become familiar with them because you will have a problem. It looks like a fail proof system but posts and threads say differently.

Now my confidence factor has gone down the crapper regarding the Schwintek system. I probably will get a new motor and rack assembly but I will wonder if it will work properly when the time comes.
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Old 10-14-2013, 03:36 AM   #11
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How did this post become a Schwintek Slide topic?
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Old 10-14-2013, 03:42 PM   #12
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How did this post become a Schwintek Slide topic?
Oh maybe about the time (10/11/13), waytoogood asked lakebuster for a pic of slide toppers in a thread that started out as a brake problem.

If you want it tight then keep it tight
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Old 10-14-2013, 03:49 PM   #13
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Oh maybe about the time (10/11/13), waytoogood asked lakebuster for a pic of slide toppers in a thread that started out as a brake problem.

If you want it tight then keep it tight

It was a joke ! I don't care.
I enjoy reading all topics and subjects. This is a great forum!
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Old 10-15-2013, 03:08 AM   #14
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I will go a step further in making this a slide discussion. When I was at a KOA last weekend I was walking around talking "slides" with people. Some folks with the hydraulic slides said they sucked. Some with Schwintek said they sucked. Some with old electric slides said they sucked. I am guessing there is no good way to have a big hunk of wall move back and forth for years while being subjected to earthquake conditions every time you go down the road. I think slides in general are trouble waiting to happen and no one has yet invented a fool proof system.
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Old 10-15-2013, 03:50 AM   #15
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I will go a step further in making this a slide discussion. When I was at a KOA last weekend I was walking around talking "slides" with people. Some folks with the hydraulic slides said they sucked. Some with Schwintek said they sucked. Some with old electric slides said they sucked. I am guessing there is no good way to have a big hunk of wall move back and forth for years while being subjected to earthquake conditions every time you go down the road. I think slides in general are trouble waiting to happen and no one has yet invented a fool proof system.
Back and forth for years? Some of us could only wish for years.

Strange thing about the rolling earthquake thing. I left my coffee pot on the stove and 50 miles later I remembered it being there. Lo and behold, it was still on the stove when I stopped. The ride inside must be smoother than we think. All the stuff on the kitchen table is usually still on it after a day's drive if I remember to drop it to the stops.

Cable, juice and gears have worked for many things over the years. I don't think the mechanisms are so bad and I don't think rolling down the road is so bad for the slides either. If the weight wasn't such a big consideration perhaps they could use a combination of mechanisms, or full floor rollers with bearings instead of axles. Perhaps guides of some sort would be beneficial except here again it's the weight thing.

I know, I'll give up two TVs for a reliable slide system. I'd even throw in two of the refrigerator's doors and the Red Devil sucking machine.
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Old 10-15-2013, 12:19 PM   #16
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You must have smooth roads where you travel. I have accidentally left pots on my stove and they ended up on the floor! Usually anything standing upright like bar stools or toilet paper holders are on the floor as well. Our roads are horrible around here!
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Old 10-15-2013, 02:53 PM   #17
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You must have smooth roads where you travel. I have accidentally left pots on my stove and they ended up on the floor! Usually anything standing upright like bar stools or toilet paper holders are on the floor as well. Our roads are horrible around here!
Maybe your roads are rough over there because they use larger middle and side road markers for those that use the Braile driving method.
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Old 10-15-2013, 04:06 PM   #18
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Maybe your roads are rough over there because they use larger middle and side road markers for those that use the Braile driving method.
LOL! Obviously you have been here!
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Old 10-27-2013, 05:32 PM   #19
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Agreed, that is why I immediately installed slide toppers after purchase!
Did you do it yourself or pay to have it done? I'm interested in how to do it myself. Any help would be appreciated.
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Old 10-28-2013, 01:07 AM   #20
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Had the two awnings purchased and installed at dealer, they are Dometic SlideTopper Deluxe EZ with Black Cover and Black hardware. Cost was around 800 for the slide toppers including labor... See under Gallery Tab..
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