generator slide won't stay locked in

B&B Travlers wrote:
Our Forest River Charleston diesel generator, when stopping slides out. It can be pushed back in, but wont stay. We are thinking it might be a bad cylinder. Any ideas?

B&B,
First off, let's make sure of a thing or two. You say it might be a "BAD CYLINDER"? Well, you're not saying whether it's a powered slide or not or, just uses a gas strut to keep it in and out.(They use the "over center" action to keep things in or out on doors etc.)

Second, is or, was there any form of locking mechanism that either has to be released or detached prior to the generator slide extending?

That condition you have is fairly serious. If you have to do a panic stop, that unit, by the sounds of it, sounds like it can zip out and possibly become dislodged and maybe damage equipment and or, maybe even become completely separated and do damage to other peoples cars or whatever, in front of you.

Ours is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330 CAT and it has a manual slide out generator trolley. But, in order for ours to slid out, I have to open the top part of the front fiberglass hood, then, reach down and pull a 1/2" diameter locking pin out of the frame of the gen slide which, allows the trolley to slide forward AFTER I PUSH ON A SPRING LOADED GENERATOR RELEASE HANDLE on the top

Only then will is slide out for service etc. But, not knowing your unit, I'm not sure if there's any preliminary actions that should be done, prior to your sliding it out.
Scott