Yeah, I figured that would grab your attention...

People, I'm still learning stuff so fast it's like a rocket sled ride. But you know what? The biggest problems I see so far with slide-outs is just plain lack of sufficient lubrication....

Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I'm going round three with a slideout that was nearly rusted fast and the motor drive gear rounded off because it just was never lubricated! What do you want to guess happens when several hundred pounds of metal, wood, seals, AND FURNITURE are sliding in and out on two metal rails? Ever had trouble with the jacks getting rusted on the front of a fifth wheel? Yeah? It's kinda like that only more so.....

Water likes to hang around more on a horizontal surface than it will on a vertical one. The rubbing surfaces that are supposed to "SLIDE" abrade more, and bottom line: If you want your slide outs to live you need to grease them!

Sho nuff...

Because what happens is this: There IS a clutch that will cut out when the limit is reached on extension. IT WILL ALSO CUT OUT IF THERE IS TOO MUCH RESISTENCE TO MOVEMENT AT ALL. RUST don't slip, it just won't! Rust tends to weld pieces of metal together, and guess what your slides are made out of? And if the clutch fails to slip, the straight edged gear on the motor drive will rapidly begin to resemble a bowling ball...

(Which is kindee pricey to deal with, what with labor and all, he observes)

Add to this that you just can't paint the sliding/rubbing surfaces. Think about it for even a split second, and you will instantly realise that paint ain't staying there.....

So the only other option is grease. It does two things: It provides lubrication, and it also prevents rust.

The easiest option is a spray lubricant that becomes grease after the propellent evaporates. PENE-GREASE is one of them. I personally like spray cans of white lithium, but I have been told it attracts dirt. Ask about this at your RV place, not only will you be glad you did - THEY will be glad you did, trust me on that'n...

~Wolfie

 

That's part of the problem I had with mine. I don't think it was ever greased before I got it. It's cable-driven which made it worse. I used some good moly grease on it last time. It sets most of the time either being lived in or storage so i'll lube it and let it come in and out a few times about every six months. I didn't see any places to add oil to the motor though.

 

The motor itself is (theoretically) permanently lubed brass or bronze bushings. Believe that, and I have a seventy four AMC "Pacer" for sale....

But the main issue is the slide rails themselves, and the roller & gear at the end of the track. If I can get pictures of the basic mechanisms at work, I'd be glad to share them. ALL systems. There is cable, rack and gear electric, and hydraulic, currently.

~Wolf

*The spray lube that turns into grease is especially helpful with the slide all the way out. Shoot it inside the rail slots, and then cover the rail on all sides - you should be good to go!

PS: I reckon I just saved a whole mess of Y'all thousands of dollars, and I SAVED ME a lot of sweat. I hate working on those things....

I'M HAVING A GREAT DAY! And I hope you are too!

~Woofster

 

What about keeping the seal lubricated? Isnt there something for that also? I know it is expensive to replace.

 

Oddly enough - the best things you can do for your seals is keep an eye on them and ensure they don't detach from where they are supposed to be.

Most auto parts stores have "A STUFF" called 3M Emblem and Plastic Adhesive, which comes in a big red tube and smells like plastic model glue. This is really good for re-attaching seals that have come loose, the only key to using it is that you have to hold the seal(s) in place for three minutes while it dries...

Tape works most of the time, but don't forget to remove the tape. And try not to rip the seal back off when removing said tape - I have been playing with the idea of laying a strip of paper over the seal where the tape crosses it and using DUCT TAPE to make it stay put.

 

Greywolf,
If you lube impregnated bronze bushings they WILL seize. I have seen it many times while working on industrial machinery where the operator decides to HELP maintenance keep up with oiling.

 

I realize there is a lot of work that goes into maintaining your RV's, but the best solution to those rubber gaskets and seals (especially around your slide-outs), is isopropyl! Just take a clean cloth and absorb the cloth and clean off those seals. Isopropyl is one of the only things that rejuvenates rubber!

 

Now that's interesting....

I know to stay FAR AWAY from ArmorAll, because once you use it on something, it relies on it. You have to keep on using it from then on.

 

We're not talking about the motor innards here, just the rails themselves which are made of hardened steel. Seriously hard steel - you'll smoke a dozen bits trying to drill even one hole in them!

 

Thanks Greywolf, I was about to ask about this. I was looking under the slide and noticed the gear and track was dry.

 

We had an old jayco that required lubing quite often. Our montana is much better.

 

Funny. This was one of the first things I posted about two or more years ago when I was brand new at RV servicing. A lot has happened since then, but the basics seem to hold true.

I'll warn you about this (late as it may be) be careful when spraying lube under the box so that you don't get any on the underside of the box itself. The bottoms of some slideouts scrub across the carpetting inside, and grease of any kind makes a nasty smear to clean off!

ONLY get it on the rails, if you overspray onto the bottom of the slideout clean it off thoroughly before retracting it.

 

dry lube works fantastic, 10 years now never a prob with slide. Just have to not over do it and clean off build up every so often, it does not attract dirt and repels water. Im sure someone will say something bad about it but I love it and it works great for me. I belive its liks a wax subtance.

 

Dry Lube here too. Almost everytime before I retract it. I use a grey dry graphite. Has kept all the steel from rusting too.

I got the black marks on the carpet though from the silicone spray on the vertical seals. It runs down the sides and eventually onto the corner of the slide bottom. Had to clean that off well and then the carpet. Will put a rag at the bottom from now on when lubing the side seals.

 

I use some stuff called EZ-SLIDE Graphite Based coating which is a dry film lubricant. Looks and sprays like spray paint and leaves no marks on the carpet. Our slide was sticking bad so when I was able to get it out all the way sprayed this on the rails, cables and pullys. Have not had a sticking problem since.