For the 2015 owners, how do you like the cable slides?
The jury is still out for us. We did a quick peak of our 3990 over the weekend that just arrived at the dealership. Appears the main slide is not extending out all the way. Left side cabinet doors on the entertainment center won't open all the way. Bumping into the slide trim.
I responded to mddean on another post. We also thought that because the slide did not appear to extend all the way out and our cabinet doors did not open all the way, there was a problem. After sending pictures and questions to our very knowledgable PDI guy, he said the slides were installed correctly. The motor is mounted at the top of the slide and to allow clearance, the slides could not be extended out as far as they were designed. They made exterior adjustments and interior ones where they could. The cabinet doors not opening all the way is one casualty. The motor on the bedroom slide is under the bed and it does extend all the way as originally intended. It's just something we have to live with I guess. We have not had any problems with the slides themselves thus far. However, we have only had the camper a couple of weeks.
sundancer 87
Senior Member
Live with it you say!! That's the problem with the RV industry, they figure if you want your toy bad enough you'll live with crap work.
So, you live with it for a year and all of a sudden the problem you've been living with becomes a major problem, but alas, warranty time is over.
Consumers need to stop enabling ****ty RV craftmanship, period.
HornedToad
Senior Member
I had a Heartland Torque toy hauler with a cable slide for a little over a year, and the guy I sold it to a year ago parks next to me in storage. Two years, No problems.
The cable slide was on the door side with a couch, about 10 ft long. The heavy kitchen slide with the fridge, stove and cabinets was an electric through the frame slide.
The motor for this cable slide sat on top of the slide behind the trim. The trailer came with a tool to manually override the slide, which I never had to use. I do recall that when the slide was out all the way, the only way to access the motor with this tool would have been to remove the trim.
That would explain the previous posters comments...
"The motor is mounted at the top of the slide and to allow clearance, the slides could not be extended out as far as they were designed."
From what I've read about these cable slide systems there is some maintenance to keep the proper tension on the cables and they do break. But the maintenance / repair is not as involved as with the Schwintek system.
The cable slide was on the door side with a couch, about 10 ft long. The heavy kitchen slide with the fridge, stove and cabinets was an electric through the frame slide.
The motor for this cable slide sat on top of the slide behind the trim. The trailer came with a tool to manually override the slide, which I never had to use. I do recall that when the slide was out all the way, the only way to access the motor with this tool would have been to remove the trim.
That would explain the previous posters comments...
"The motor is mounted at the top of the slide and to allow clearance, the slides could not be extended out as far as they were designed."
From what I've read about these cable slide systems there is some maintenance to keep the proper tension on the cables and they do break. But the maintenance / repair is not as involved as with the Schwintek system.
Brian Berry
Senior Member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2015
- Posts
- 120
The only thing I noticed with our 3800 is that the main slide tends to jerk out,as if there is no lube on the rails... I still have to get under it to investigate. Other than that no complaints on main or wardrobe slides.
The same with us on our 3970. The cables are working fine, just a little jerky. The dealer worked on adjusted ours so the cabinets open a little wider, but still not all the way open. When they did the changeover to the cables, the design engineers must of forgot that the motor sitting on top of the slides needed some room.
One thing that they did get in from Dutchmen was a replacement trim piece for side of the main slide near the stove. There was a gap, even though all of the seals were just fine.
One thing that they did get in from Dutchmen was a replacement trim piece for side of the main slide near the stove. There was a gap, even though all of the seals were just fine.
fran7892
New Member
we have a Kodiak 229bdsl we have a problem with gray water filling with three showers and doing breakfast dishes we had other trailers and never had this problem. The pad says we have two gray tanks we don't understand where they both are.
VCToyhauler
Senior Member
We got ours in May, and have had no issues now after 5 trips, so far so good. Will check on that periodic maintenance though, but no issues at all.
We've had our 3970 since March, came from an all-hydraulic Keystone. Been through about 50 opening and closing cycles - some with traveling and some in storage. No problems to date - knock on wood. First several were a bit jerky, as others have reported, but I've lubed what I can and the last several have been very smooth. Make sure...MAKE SURE....unit is level before moving slides. And, same story on the main slide not opening all the way. I actually raised the issue during walk-through at Holman dealership, and their "slide expert" informed me it was a design issue, not a specific functioning issue with our unit. We've worked around it, and I may actually split one cabinet door that doesn't open all the way and put hinges on it to open fully - would make getting favorite bar libations out and usable much more convenient.
bill_covert
Advanced Member
Had ours since may 2016 3605 no problems, what lube or oil are u using.
bill_covert
Advanced Member
sorry 2015
Broken Cable
My first comment is; generally content with cable slides. Next is observations; on living room slide keep exterior door shut, you can see frame flexing if not. The kitchen slide cable snapped several strands (see pic). I was able to cut back broken strands until taken in, still worked (able to use slide with caution). We did a 4500 mile trip to Yellowstone, so in context extensive use first summer. Lunch breaks, rest stops, etc; figure 8 full open/close a day. Next always use generator or shore power when operating.
My first comment is; generally content with cable slides. Next is observations; on living room slide keep exterior door shut, you can see frame flexing if not. The kitchen slide cable snapped several strands (see pic). I was able to cut back broken strands until taken in, still worked (able to use slide with caution). We did a 4500 mile trip to Yellowstone, so in context extensive use first summer. Lunch breaks, rest stops, etc; figure 8 full open/close a day. Next always use generator or shore power when operating.
Attachments
This is encouraging news about cable systems being used now. I had to cancel an order for a V3605 last year due to employment situation, and have missed being able to have that unit in our lives, but after looking at all the problems with the Schwintek system people seem to be having, I am glad I didn't take delivery of that unit. I will keep the 3605 on my primary list now that they have gotten away from that system. I am sure the Schwintek system in some properly engineered systems work fine, but I would not want to take a chance as we are intending on being remote/boondocking most of our time away from home.
Last edited:
HornedToad
Senior Member
Here is an interesting post for those with cable slides by avid off the Heartland forum...
"My Cyclone has the BAL cable operated slides. Recently the BR slide sounded like a cat with his tail in a wringer for the first 6" of movement in either direction. I thought at first it was the slide rollers needing oil, nope not it. A few calls to several dealers for warranty service (4-6 weeks) convinced me to try and fix it myself. I downloaded the BAL Installation guide and the Troubleshooting guide. It provided a lot of info, mainly that when a slide is fully extended or retracted the visible cables (4) should have 1" of up and down free play, 1/2" in each direction. The back BR lower cable was like a banjo string when extended. That caused the cable to rub on the side of the hole thru the frame. After figuring out how to get at the adjustments (remove the trim piece over the slide) I found that the jam nuts that lock the adjustment screws had never been tightened. One adjustment had tightened up and was causing the problem. I adjusted it correctly and tightened the jam nut and all is well, the screaming cat left. I checked and the other 3 jam nuts were loose on the bedroom slide. A little adjusting for fit and tension and then locked the jam nuts and it works great. While there I also sprayed the rubber seals with silicone spray, inside and out.
While doing this I looked at the kitchen slide cables. When the slide is extended they have 4-5" of slack. Way too much according to BAL. I saved them for another day but a quick look showed the same problem with the jam nuts on that slide also. At least the 2 I could get to by standing in the BR and reaching over the top of the kitchen slide with it retracted. The problem is to get at the adjustments on either slide the trim piece over the slide has to be removed. Once I get the BR put back together I'll start on the kitchen.
The BAL instructions don't begin to make a lot of sense until you are actually looking at the mechanism then everything falls into place. Not a big job once you figure it out."
"My Cyclone has the BAL cable operated slides. Recently the BR slide sounded like a cat with his tail in a wringer for the first 6" of movement in either direction. I thought at first it was the slide rollers needing oil, nope not it. A few calls to several dealers for warranty service (4-6 weeks) convinced me to try and fix it myself. I downloaded the BAL Installation guide and the Troubleshooting guide. It provided a lot of info, mainly that when a slide is fully extended or retracted the visible cables (4) should have 1" of up and down free play, 1/2" in each direction. The back BR lower cable was like a banjo string when extended. That caused the cable to rub on the side of the hole thru the frame. After figuring out how to get at the adjustments (remove the trim piece over the slide) I found that the jam nuts that lock the adjustment screws had never been tightened. One adjustment had tightened up and was causing the problem. I adjusted it correctly and tightened the jam nut and all is well, the screaming cat left. I checked and the other 3 jam nuts were loose on the bedroom slide. A little adjusting for fit and tension and then locked the jam nuts and it works great. While there I also sprayed the rubber seals with silicone spray, inside and out.
While doing this I looked at the kitchen slide cables. When the slide is extended they have 4-5" of slack. Way too much according to BAL. I saved them for another day but a quick look showed the same problem with the jam nuts on that slide also. At least the 2 I could get to by standing in the BR and reaching over the top of the kitchen slide with it retracted. The problem is to get at the adjustments on either slide the trim piece over the slide has to be removed. Once I get the BR put back together I'll start on the kitchen.
The BAL instructions don't begin to make a lot of sense until you are actually looking at the mechanism then everything falls into place. Not a big job once you figure it out."
sundancer 87
Senior Member
Just shows ta go ya, makes no difference the make, model or system, the RV industry must have the biggest screw ups ever being paid for an attempted day's work.
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