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Old 10-16-2015, 03:28 PM   #21
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No, that was the bedroom slide. The one in question is the kitchen and entertainment centre slide.
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Old 10-16-2015, 06:33 PM   #22
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The main slide definitely moves up and down at several points as it is being extended or retracted. And one of those points might just coincide with the damage. But 8 inches doesn't sound right.

Anyway, when retracting, the slide tilts up as the slide out floor rides over the rub strip on the main floor. It stays tilted up until about the mid point, which is when more than 50% of the weight is inboard of the rub strip. Then it tilts down and the slide out floor will drag on the main floor. The slide out should tilt up again at the very end as it seals against the exterior wall. This is typical operation.

If you have excessive weight along the outermost portion of the slide out, then it will take longer before the slide out tilts back down. Also, if the height adjustment for the slide out is set very low, like at the bottom of it's adjustment, then the slide mechanism will act as a weight and keep the slide from tilting back down til later in its inward travel.

My entertainment slide out does have a rub point on the ceiling, but it is at the point where the slide out is fully retracted. The main slide out is just a few inches further forward and with the sloped ceiling, it has more clearance. I've considered cutting the offending trim, but then I'd have to do both sides of both slide outs for consistency.

One more thought, the batten strip that is getting damaged is hiding one of the ceiling joints and there is an aluminum ceiling rafter directly above it. The ceiling may be sagging since CR just uses staples to attach the panels to the rafters. If it is sagging, even just a fraction of an inch, some screws should pull it up and maybe provide enough clearance to prevent more damage.
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Old 10-16-2015, 07:18 PM   #23
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Can you set up a camera inside and video it while you tow it a short distance?
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Old 10-17-2015, 04:34 AM   #24
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I have thought of that, but I don't know how we could do that. I will await what the tech at Crossroads will come up with first. If the tech cannot figure it out, then the easiest thing would be to have someone ride in the trailer for a short distance.
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Old 10-17-2015, 04:39 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayle1 View Post

One more thought, the batten strip that is getting damaged is hiding one of the ceiling joints and there is an aluminum ceiling rafter directly above it. The ceiling may be sagging since CR just uses staples to attach the panels to the rafters. If it is sagging, even just a fraction of an inch, some screws should pull it up and maybe provide enough clearance to prevent more damage.
Larry, the batten strip that gets damaged is not hiding a ceiling joint. It is hiding previous damage to the ceiling.

Since the ceiling got damaged, the batten strip was applied to cover the damage because replacing the ceiling panel would be a major operation due to the rear cabinets. We agreed with the cover up fix instead, and it turned out to be a good move since the damage occurred again. Imagine having the ceiling panel replaced, only to have it damaged again!

In this particular instance, covering up the damage is the best move. We just want to address the cause so we don't have to keep replacing this batten!

Like I said before, if the cause cannot be determined, then a metal glide plate on the ceiling would be the best fix.
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Old 10-17-2015, 09:00 AM   #26
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OK, I understand the purpose of the batten strip. I believe the problem is happening while opening the slide out, not when closing it. I say that because the front of the wood trim is curved and should not catch on anything. But the back side of the trim is basically a 90 degree corner and is probably digging into the batten strip while opening the slide out. Maybe just taking a wood file to the back corner of the trim and round it a little will allow it to slide along the batten strip and not grab it. In addition, I would replace the batten strip with something smoother, maybe smooth plastic rather than metal. Plastic will flex more than metal and an off-white color will be less visible. Try double sided tape rather than screws to keep the surface completely smooth.
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Old 10-18-2015, 06:16 AM   #27
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Thanks, Larry. We will look into that.
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Old 10-18-2015, 02:19 PM   #28
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If that slide is jumping 8 inches there is a problem.
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Old 10-28-2015, 01:10 PM   #29
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We finally have an answer to our problem. There are some gears in the slide mechanism that are stripped, causing the slide to jump a bit going in or out. It has never done this while we were watching, but it is the only thing that could cause the ceiling damage.

The dealership is waiting for a price on the part from CR, and there will be 4 -5 hours labor on top of that. In the meantime, we can still use it, but we will put the slide in and out with two people - one to operate the switch and the other to hold a piece of plexiglass between the slide and the ceiling to protect the ceiling.
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Old 10-28-2015, 06:50 PM   #30
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I know this problem and fix.
Had the same thing happen to our 335SS when we got it in 2012. a 2013 year model. Our dealer replaced a ceiling section, speaker cover and slide trim molding at the back of the large kitchen slide. They finally agreed that this large slide tips when traveling. So they provided us with slide locks and the problem is solved. Crossroads agreed and paid for all the repairs and the slide locks. Our dealer had several of this model with this problem.
Been using the locks no big deal and have noticed many of the manufactures have gone to this because of the size and weight of the slides.
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Old 10-29-2015, 04:31 AM   #31
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Here is a picture the dealership provided us of the problem. The row of teeth should be straight but some are chewed off a bit. This is causing the slide to not go in and out properly.

John, could you please post of picture of your slide lock so I know what you are talking about?
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File Type: jpg gears.JPG (66.0 KB, 9 views)
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Old 10-29-2015, 02:36 PM   #32
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Wow there is a big problem or misalignment somewhere. Never seen gears that chewed up. Hope they get it figured out and repaired soon.

The first pic shows one slide lock located on our large slide. We use two one in the back and one in the front. Only takes a second to place them. The one in the back has to be done with the living room slide out and we use a small fold up stool to place it. The one in the front is easier because of the steps going up to the bedroom.
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File Type: jpg Sldie lock label.jpg (118.9 KB, 5 views)
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Old 10-29-2015, 03:56 PM   #33
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Thanks so much for posting these pictures. My husband will look into ordering some of these. Our floor plan is a bit similar to yours in that the living room slide would have to be out and you can reach the other part from the stairs.

We will also continue to use the plexiglass to protect the ceiling when putting the slide in and out, and until we get these slide locks, we will put a pillow or something on top of the slide end closest to the ceiling (in the back). We will also, of course get the gear thing replaced. It's a matter of getting the part in.

One question - if the slide bounces that much in transit, would you not notice it from the rear view mirror in the truck?
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Old 10-29-2015, 04:13 PM   #34
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We never noticed anything when towing. We had only had the camper several weeks when the problem happened. I know one other person from our dealership had noticed the slide tipping while towing on a trip. Thats when the dealer came up with using slide locks (these were used on all slides many years ago) and did several test towing trips to make sure this would solve our problem before repairs were made.
Anyway we've traveled over 8,000 miles with no problems once we started using the slide locks. I put a note under the slide switch at the control panel (In RED) as a reminder and can't miss when running them in/out.
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Old 10-29-2015, 05:56 PM   #35
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Thanks very much, John. You have been most helpful.
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Old 10-31-2015, 08:39 AM   #36
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One question - if the slide bounces that much in transit, would you not notice it from the rear view mirror in the truck?
A bouncing slide would not cause damage to the gears and it would be dampened by the top gasket seal. Slides do tip out at the top since they are only held in place by the gears at the bottom. So, the bars at the top will prevent that. If you have ever watched the movie 'RV' and Robin Williams makes that sharp turn at the beginning of the movie, the motorhome slide tips out a good 6 inches.

If a gear skips 1 or 2 teeth, then the two sides will no longer be synchronized and the slide should bind. Are the teeth on both sides damaged? Regardless, both should be replaced. I think your slide was positioned too high which put too much pressure on the gear and the rack causing premature wear. It is also possible that there was a 1/2 tooth misalignment between the front and rear tracks which forced just one set too high.
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Old 10-31-2015, 09:30 AM   #37
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I don't know if there are two sets of gears, and if there are, what kind of shape the other one is in. The tech only mentioned one, so I assume he checked both. When we put the slide out next we can probably take a look.

I guess what confused us the most was the fact that the ceiling damage was a good 8 inches from the end of the slide. The end of the slide has a piece of trim which we figure is doing the damage.

We are leaving for Florida December 6. If we don't get this repaired before then (it's a case of getting the part), then we will get it done in the spring. We know that if we get slide locks and protect the ceiling when putting the slide in and out, we can live with this until spring.

I never noticed the slide in the motor home tipping out in the movie.
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Old 11-01-2015, 09:50 AM   #38
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What about routine maintenance? Several times each year, I apply silicone spray to the gears and racks to minimize wear and rust. Also visually inspect the guide for the power cables, bottom seal and the fabric protecting the slide out floor. Finally, there is a rigid black plastic edging just under the slide out side walls. It slips under the side wall trim and extends about 5 inches under the floor. The inner edge is tapered to match the inner edge of the floor. Anyway, this plastic piece may crack, especially where it tapers and damage the bottom seal and allow water to damage the slide out floor. So, it should be inspected and replaced if cracked.
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Old 11-01-2015, 03:15 PM   #39
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I asked my husband and he says he bought special lubricant for the gears and does it regularly.

There sure is lots of maintenance on these things!
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