Slow slides??

[Camper2b]

I'm with Tom, call an attorney. People shouldn't have to put up with these types of business practices. I remember taking several tours of different facilities a year or so ago. DUTCHMAN was the only one that made me feel like I was bothering them!

[calewjohnson]

Originally Posted by ACDRescuer

Cale , I would stop using the slide as when mine failed the first time it was catastrophic gear failure and the first thing we noticed was the clicking. It stripped the gearing and damaged a shaft causing the entire mechanism to require replacement. I was told by Lippert that if it had been corrected before the gears stripped it would have saved several components.
Apparently by reinforcing the column if the mechanism is not precisely in tolerance it causes other areas to fail.

Unfortunately, I have one more retract and extend before I reach my final destination....once I get there, I will reassess and start making some calls to get the problem known with Dutchmen, as my warranty expires 1 Nov 15...

Please keep us posted on your results, as I will likely follow suit.

With a $7500 rehab price tag, I wonder if you can get insurance to cover the wall repair, maybe wall damage from impacts driving down the road? I had a wall replaced in a Fleetwood 3 years ago from it collapsing after hitting a pothole. The fridge was dislodged from the wall and the furnace was cockeyed. This happened north of the GW Bridge on 95N in NY...

Cale

[azdryheat]

Earlier this year my main slide was rebuilt due to the lousy Schwintek slide system failing. Since the rebuild, the main slide has been working fine. I am convinced that our problems all lie in shabby workmanship. If the room and hole in the wall are square then the Schwintek should work as advertised. I was very surprised to see a Schwintek bedroom slide on a new, $388k Allegro Bus last month. Tiffin is a top-notch coach builder and if they're using it then it must be a good system - if built and installed properly.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by azdryheat

Earlier this year my main slide was rebuilt due to the lousy Schwintek slide system failing. Since the rebuild, the main slide has been working fine. I am convinced that our problems all lie in shabby workmanship. If the room and hole in the wall are square then the Schwintek should work as advertised. I was very surprised to see a Schwintek bedroom slide on a new, $388k Allegro Bus last month. Tiffin is a top-notch coach builder and if they're using it then it must be a good system - if built and installed properly.

Dutchmen does not understand the concept of square...

Aaron

[mjcarte]

Originally Posted by ACDRescuer

Cale , I would stop using the slide as when mine failed the first time it was catastrophic gear failure and the first thing we noticed was the clicking. It stripped the gearing and damaged a shaft causing the entire mechanism to require replacement. I was told by Lippert that if it had been corrected before the gears stripped it would have saved several components.
Apparently by reinforcing the column if the mechanism is not precisely in tolerance it causes other areas to fail.

Are you saying that after you reinforced the column, it caused other problem? Or was the next problem due to the wall being so messed up?

the other day I had looked at my system and discovered that there is a gap between the wall and the Lippert column. But because I was by myself, I couldn't extend/retract the slide to see if the Lippert column flexed. Will have to do that when we go out next.

[calewjohnson]

Originally Posted by ACDRescuer

Pirate,
Just passing along some of my hard earned knowledge:
Apparently from talking to many service shops, there is a problem with schwintek slides that lies in wait to create problems. I have had many lengthy discussions with engineering at Lippert about the issues with my main slide, which has been replaced entirely once already and continues to have issues. The root cause of the issue is the opening that is framed in the wall. The H-column, where the bearing blocks and pinion gears reside, does not have enough strength in the structure to resist the torque load from the motor when driving the large slide. The H-column relies on the aluminum wall studs to provide the strength to resist the torque twist. When the slide slows down, it is because the column is deflecting (twisting) in the wall of the trailer, and causes the rack block and v-roller to bind.
The easy way to tell if you have a twisting issue is to remove the trim strip on the inside of the trailer that covers the joint where the wall meets the vertical H-column. If there is any gap between the H-column and the wall frame, the column can twist. My solution (I had a 0.380" gap) was to purchase an aluminum angle .188x2x1.5" and cut it to the length of the column, then thru bolt from the outside to the inside. This creates a support structure that prevents the twisting due to motor torque.
The cause of the issue is jointly with Lippert and Dutchmen, as Dutchmen does not make each wall frame to specification within Lippert tolerances, and Lippert does not make the column structurally independent to work with increased wall gap.
Hope that helps.
Jeff

Jeff,

Curious if you had any resolution to your slide problem. I found a lot of broken screws on the outside of the slide, on the side that I had located the clicking. Today, I removed the #10 screws and installed #14 screws with some caulking on them. I operated the slide, works like a champ going out, smothe, quite, no clicking....however, at the end of the cycle come in, there is what I believe is gear skip. You can see the attached photos for the screws...

On a side note, I was reading some Lippert literature, other than the initial shoddy install work, these Schwintek slides would not be bad if parts were easily had...follow the link, if you could get the mechanism, a single person could replace the slide gears at a campground. I have found a good mobile repair guy, we are looking into this, in case mine eventually craps out. When I pull it in to move for our Thanksgiving trip, I am going to look at re-engineering the gap...

Cale

http://lci1.com/images/support/lipsheet/0272.pdf

[Camper2b]

Originally Posted by ACDRescuer

Cale , I would stop using the slide as when mine failed the first time it was catastrophic gear failure and the first thing we noticed was the clicking. It stripped the gearing and damaged a shaft causing the entire mechanism to require replacement. I was told by Lippert that if it had been corrected before the gears stripped it would have saved several components.
Apparently by reinforcing the column if the mechanism is not precisely in tolerance it causes other areas to fail.

Just read this. Last couple of times out we noticed our small bedroom side making that clicking noise... whats next? I've got the main slide working pretty smooth and the smaller one I was less concerned until now.. this is getting on my nerves

[Soccerloco]

Curious in these bigger voltage is it typically the living room slide. If so how wide is it and does it have the recliner units. Just curious

[RVNevada]

Bill, On my 3895, the living room slide has 4 recliners and the kitchen slide has 2 recliners

[Soccerloco]

Just wondering if living room is same size as mine. I have no kitchen slider. I have used mine a lot. Wondering if lack of use can be detrimental

[RVNevada]

Sorry Bill, I can't go out and check, my RV is in for repairs, How's the tires doing, they are 16's?

[Soccerloco]

When do you get your rv back? Tires are doing great yes they are 16's F rated and max pressure is 95lbs have probably 2500 miles and no problems. Will x rotate at 5000 miles

[RVNevada]

I took it in on the 10th, for the Jack, that was leaking and the recall on the stairs, but I told them about the molding, they looked at it and the company said they were having trouble with the plastic molding, so they will be replacing all of the molding with rubber…?? So I don't know when I will get it back. thanks for the info on the tires

[Soccerloco]

Exactly what molding

[RVNevada]

All the Black molding, that goes down the middle of the RV, on both sides, Mine along with a few of the gang has the same trouble, with the molding bubbling out from the heat

[Soccerloco]

Will Check mine closely. Thanks! Hope you get yours back soon great time of the year for camping

[calewjohnson]

Originally Posted by Soccerloco

Curious in these bigger voltage is it typically the living room slide. If so how wide is it and does it have the recliner units. Just curious

Bill,

Mine has the 4 recliners in it. They are not heavy, I have had them out a couple times and are no longer attached to the floor. I would hazard a guess that it is my lightest slide, though it is the biggest. The kitchen has my fridge, stove, pots/pans and works like a champ. Lets don't talk about the bedroom, small, but loaded with a lot of stuff...

Cale

[Soccerloco]

Same here size does matters in some cases weight is another matter. So I assume that our LR slide is probably the same size. I looked from the outside of the LR slide and sort of visually checked for plumb sides and general squareness. Things look decent. Again we use the heck out of ours In out in out. So far other than this controller issue so good. I think frozen tequila helps. Cheers
I'd be lost without it...
Bill

[Camper2b]

Just an update: my small bedroom slide has that clicking noise when retracting. Doesn't do it when extending? Its coming from one of the lower tracks, just one out of the 4 tracks! Close inspection reveals nothing. No wear, no loose or broken screws, no signs of shifting, no floor swelling, no damage of any sort. Im wondering if its the gear itself on that rod that runs from top to bottom maybe getting worn? Does anyone else hear that clicking noise on your bedroom slide, or any other slide? It may be nothing, but I dont remember hearing it before. Thanks.

[nmroper]

How many have used this manual to verify their installation. Wish it would have been available when I did my PDI.

http://lci1.com/assets/content/suppo...s%20Manual.pdf