There are a few things to think about on slides - mainly how the seals match when in, or extended.

Rubber "D" shaped (in cross section) seals are the primary weather seal in both positions. These are the seals that come flush to the wall and squash.

The secondary seals are called "WIPERS" and they clean off water when going in or out. Some seals combine both.

Alignment of the box is naturally a critical point.

Is it straight up and down in each position, so that there are no gaps?

Does the front of the box come in or go out as far as it has to each way?
Does the back also? Are they even?

Why does the box lift up when it first starts in, and what holds it up?

I have streaks on my carpet from the slide, what causes that?

My slide jerks, and I hear something like gears slipping/stripping - what can I do?

My slide hangs up - I dunno why. Doesn't want to come in/out...

Slideout leaks in various places - WTF?

I got something jammed in the edge of the box, now my slideout doesn't line up right.

How does a slide out work?

How many types/systems of slideouts are there?

My slide out is busting out the trim on my TT/5TH. Why?

These and other questions I'd like to talk about. It will take some time...

There are adjustments for a lot of stuff, but many are not obvious, and/or not well understood.

For sticking - get some spray lubricant and plaster it on the rails with the gear teeth on the bottom. If it can rust - it can stick. PAINT IS NOT A LUBRICANT! When it is scraped off from use, it allows rust to happen too - just like a rusted lugnut.

DON'T GET GREASE on the bottom of the box that rests on your carpet inside. In fact, it should be washed or cleaned once in a while.

Whoo - this is a huge topic. I may need some help here!

I suppose the logical approach is to take ONE question or issue at a time, and discuss it all the way out.

Bear with us, and welcome to "SLIDEOUT 101"


~Wolfie

 

I have the problem with my slide soiling my carpet when it is retracted.

I have looked at the underside and have concluded that it is a structural matter where the ends of the slide are cantilevered a couple of feet beyond the supports.

Recognizing that this cannot be corrected, I have started using a thin sheet of clear rigid plastic under each end so that the bottom of the slide does not contact the surface of the carpet. The available adjustments for the slide already are at their maximum adjustment and the slide cannot be "lifted" further.

I don't think the "soil" is from dirt on the bottom of the slide. The covering on the underside of the slide is black and it is my opinion that there is excess dye that is coming off when the slide is moved in or out. I thought about trying to put an additional cover on the bottom of the slide, but flexible material is not strong enough to resist rollling up when the slide is moved in and out.

My Unit is a 2003 Laredo.

Otherwise it is a great unit.

 

If the front and rear vertical seals are even from top to bottom with the outer wall of the trailer when the slide is in (stowed) - it's adjusted right. Normally the slide box lifts up above the floor inside.

If you look at the guide rails they angle upwards for this reason.

The up and down adjustment is a bolt at the head of the rail, with a locking nut. It should be hanging down under the end.

Adjusting the box upwards brings the top of the box in closer. Adjusting it downwards makes the bottom of the box meet first.

There are two or more lock bolts at each rail end that have to be loosened before making adjustments, and the slide may have to be supported with a jack and blocks of wood in some cases.

The PRIME consideration with that adjustment is getting the front and rear vertical seals to meet evenly. With the problem you describe - I wonder if the supports that the slide moves on under the box are missing or damaged, since it really should be lifting up.

There are usually a pair of teflon blocks that cause the slideout to lift as it travels inward, or a ramp shaped into the coaches outer floor edge that the slide comes up over when it first begins to move inwards.

*The main thing that holds the slide box up once it is all the way in is the flange around the outside of the box where it meets the wall, and the force of the ram and guides holding it against the wall. If the box geometry is shaped right, and the outer edge is holding it up, the frame of the slide box holds it.

QUESTION: Is there a greater gap along the top HORIZONTAL edge of the box than the bottom edge when it is fully retracted?

 

Just before I bought my trailer used from a private party, she had taken it to the dealer complaining of the original carpet being soiled. The dealer had replaced the soiled carpet and had the service person remove a short portion of the sweep wiper that is mounted on the trailer which wipes the bottom of the box - on the presumed basis that the rubber wiper was contributing to the carpet soiling. I don't know if any adjustment was made to the bolts at the end of the slide supports, but I don't think it would be normal to have the bolts adjusted to the highest maximum setting from the factory. I would think it would be set somewhere in the middle.

As it now operates, the slide box contacts the trailer at the top of the slide first when fully retracted and then the bottom pulls in tighe. The ends of the box slide extremely tight on the top of the carpet. there is barely enough room the force the rigid plastic between the carpet and bottom of the slide floor.

I have auxiliary jackstands to go under the slide supports when the trailer is set up for a long-term camping outing.

Do you think it would be a good idea for me to extend the slide all the way out, set the jackstands under the supports and adjust the bolts downward 1/4" or so and after resetting the locknuts, retract the slide? Or is this something that should only be done by the dealer's service personnel?

My concern is two-fold. One obviously is my own personal safety and the other is the possibility I might mess up something that would complicate the problem further. The unit I have has a rack and pinion setup that keeps the travel of the two supports coordinated during extension and retraction by electric motor. I don't know if there are other rollers under the slide floor that are not visible.

Thanks for your opinion on the above questions.

 

The thing you need to see is an even seal when the box is all the way in.

If you can adjust it so that the seal is even, but the box lifts up - without leaving a gap anywhere AND STILL GETS UP OVER THE CARPET - it is good.

But if the seals don't meet cleanly, there is another problem not identified. IE: Tilted up so high it can't seal correctly when retracted.

Likewise if the seals match, but it doesn't clear the carpet.

Contacting the factory help line is the next move.


The drive mechanism is a round unit with a bell-cap and adjusting bolts, the rack and equalising mechanism are the two rectangular bars with gear teeth under them.

There are two gears connected by a shaft that are intended to maintain the two guides at the same distance at all times - it keeps both ends at the same distance in and out from one end of the box to the other. Each side is held at the same spacing.

This is why the box comes in evenly.

How old is this one?

It sounds like the carpet marking might indicate something worn out.

 

It's a 2003 Laredo. The only wear on the underside of the slide out box is an area where the woven cover that appears to be glued to the underside of the floor is contacting an (almost) concealed screwhead. But that isn't contributing to the carpet soiling. It's only deteriorating the cover material. That may become a problem later when it really begins to ravel out. I have tried to file this screwhead down, but the clearance does not permit a file to get to where the problem is.

I think I will try to make some minor adjustment to the leveling bolts on the supports. The fact that the top of the slide contacts the side of the trailer first when retracting makes me think that it has been over adjusted by the dealer's service department as part of their attempt to correct the original soiling.

If I do the adjustment in small increments and then test the slide, that shouldn't be cause for too much trouble.

I don't think I would have to run the slide all the way out to make the adjustment anyway. Do you agree?

I just want to see if adjusting the bolts will allow the box to come in plumb from top to bottom. It seems to me that allowing the outer end of the box to be lower would likely "raise" the inside of the box by a similar amount depending on where the fulcrum is located (wall of the trailer). What do you think?

BTW, thanks for your replies. I have noticed on the several different threads that you have responded to that you have detailed knowledge about RV's - as well as a lot of other subjects. Sounds like you are involved in the business.