Slide Question

Chief203 · 10-07-2018, 07:49 PM

All,
I did a search but didn't find the answer. I bought a new Kodiak 255 BHLS back in April. This is my second travel trailer. The first one I owned once you started the slide either out or in, you had to continue without stopping or the slide motors could get out of time.

Question is since my 255 BHLS appears to only have one slide motor, can you stop the slide in either direction without causing problems? I ask this because the you can't get in the bathroom without letting the slide out, at least partially. It would be nice to be able to use the toilet while on the road without letting the slide all the way out.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Hart_family · 10-09-2018, 03:11 AM

We have the same trailer (year and model). I know what you mean. The bathroom door won't open until the slide is about half-way out. I too am interested in the replies of others. My understanding is that you can stop the slide in either direction, and partially out/in. However, I have heard that you should not be sitting in or putting weight in the slide area unless it is ALL the way in or ALL the way out. As far as using the toilet on the road, I can't think of a solution other than to stop in a parking lot where you can put the slide out a bit until you can access the bathroom.

Chief203 · 10-09-2018, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hart_family

However, I have heard that you should not be sitting in or putting weight in the slide area unless it is ALL the way in or ALL the way out.

Thanks for the response. Just for information the owner's manual states do not walk on the slide when in the retracted position. I can understand why because when I investigated I found there is no support under the edge of the slide. I guess over time it could affect the slide travel. There is about an inch gap along the entire bottom of the slide with no support.

I've read somewhere there is a mod some folks have done by placing pieces of 1x1 inch wood under the gap as support. I think I'll just avoid walking on it . I think that's easier than trying to remember to removed the support pieces before letting the slide out. My memory is not what it used to be.

woody2010 · 10-13-2018, 10:05 PM

We frequently slide our slides out a little bit to get in and put them back in without opening all the way. Most of the time we do it while we have it parked on our street so our neighbors can still get by. On our 299BHSL, we can only get into the bunkroom if we open the slide a bit.

rich2481 · 10-14-2018, 02:37 PM

There is a You tube video about how to " calibrate" the slide. We open our slide to use the bathroom all the time, otherwise you cannot get in,, when finally at a camp site, I will open the slide, then back in for 10 inches or so then back out, Just like the video shows.

sgtbarby · 10-14-2018, 02:59 PM

I would say it depends on the slide mechanism..we did that quite often with our Voltage 3600, only to find out it decycles the motors on the slide out, it actually caused the large slide out to twist. Our mechanic said to never open it partially, either all the way in or out any time we move it...we have the three tracks that ride along the side of the slide out. Oh and go figure, they actually put the reset module behind the wall in the front storage compartment, mechanic moved it to be more accessible if ever we need to reset it again..

Rockyroad · 10-15-2018, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief203

All,
I did a search but didn't find the answer. I bought a new Kodiak 255 BHLS back in April. This is my second travel trailer. The first one I owned once you started the slide either out or in, you had to continue without stopping or the slide motors could get out of time.

Question is since my 255 BHLS appears to only have one slide motor, can you stop the slide in either direction without causing problems? I ask this because the you can't get in the bathroom without letting the slide out, at least partially. It would be nice to be able to use the toilet while on the road without letting the slide all the way out.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Hi,
I have a 242RESL 2014 model and having trouble with the slide. My system is a Lippert through chassis electric mechanism which may be the same as yours, if so then there is no problem with partial extension or retraction. If there are others looking at this who know my van model I need to know if the slide runs on rollers or if it is friction. My slideout is binding on the passive side and is jumping teeth on the rack and pinion. I have not any luck in adjusting the vertical adjustments. HELP!

israelws · 10-19-2018, 05:04 PM

Have a 2013 Voltage 3200. Both slides (Lippert System) have had to be worked on several times with complete replacement of motors drive gears etc.

The smaller bedroom slides works fine now but the large & heavy living room slides struggles every time you put it in & out and acts like it's going to crap out at any time.

I believe that this was too much of a slide for the Lippert System to handle and would never buy another trailer with that system on a large slide.

Hart_family · 10-19-2018, 08:43 PM

I finally just called Keystone and talked to a senior mechanical person there. They said it is not a big deal to put a slide partially out just to get by.

HOWEVER, they said to NEVER sit, stand, walk, or put weight on a slide UNLESS it is fully out. When the slide is partially or fully retracted INTO the trailer, it does not have support like it should. They said this applies to ALL slides on ALL Keystone, Crossroads, and Dutchmen RVs, including motorhomes. Who knew?

This is too bad because it sometimes is nice to use the slide portion of the trailer when it is not fully out (e.g., like in transit for a quick stop break or something).

They had not heard of people putting wood supports beneath, but of course offered the standard legal caution of damaging the RV or invalidating the warranty.

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