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MrWizard's avatar
MrWizard
Moderator
Sep 09, 2022

Slideout stuck in half way position

1997 Bounder 36S
Because of extended extreme heat, a few days back i decided to bring in the slide and reduce the space to be cooled,
But it didnt come all the way in,
its now half way in/out, so now its not weather sealed or bug sealed, the blood suckers have been eating me alive, and we have major rain approaching from hurricane Kay, its hydraulic, when i push the switch for in or out i hear the pump whine but the slide doesn't move, doesnt even "thunk" like hydraulic ram piston & linkage usually does when working,
Maybe the Heat has addled my brain cells, but i havent found the fix for the problem, im guessing that hyd solenoids arent being activated, the slide system and leveling system are separate , i need to get it in so the rv will be rain tight, i don't need or want the high wind driven rain pouring in,
The freaking 2 week triple digit extreme heat interrupted my fuel line replace/repair so i am unable to start the engine, but have two battery chargers, and have always had enough power to easily operate the slide,
What am i missing where do i need to look, can i pull it in with a come along or ratchet strap, push it out some how,
I have a 6 ton hyd body ram/tool/jack
I prefer having it come IN
But OUT is better than stuck half way, i use the word stuck, but its not physically bound as far as i can tell, its not twisted and has clearance on both sides and top , its not stuck in the opening and its not gear driven, its hasn't been leaking hyd fluid,
Control for the solenoids or the pump blowing an internal seal are the only things i can postulate as possible problems, but my thinking might be muddled

15 Replies

  • It is amazing the 97/98 Fleetwood Bounder owners manual has NOTHING about the Slide or Jack system. So, it will depend on the poster to supply more info. Brand and type Jack system. Brand and type Slide system. IF you have 2 separate Hydraulic pumps, only need slide system Brand. Both HWH and Powergear back then supplied 2 pumps. BUT, Dewalt also supplied a Slide HYD system. SO, without knowing what system you have, it is almost impossible to give to accurate help. The sound of a freewheeling pump, usually means that either the system is sucking air or the solenoids are not opening. BUT, sucking air would mean low fluid level and you should have seen evidence on the ground of a leak. Does your system have a key lock button interface inside for operation? Doug
  • any body close that could help? shear pin? low fluid. more than one fuse? can you tarp it for the storm all things you already checked.
  • MrWizard,

    I'm sure you checked this, but I didn't see it specifically mentioned in your post....

    Are you sure there's sufficient hydraulic fluid in the system? If you checked it before you moved the slide, check it again with the slide mid-deployed.

    Sorry, I don't mean to annoy if you've already checked that, but in troubleshooting, it's always important to start from the beginning.

    Good Luck, and I hope you're able to get this resolved quickly.

    ~Rick
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    If it is a hydraulic system there should be two things you need to check first off

    One is the circuit breaker feeding the pump. solenoid and controls

    The other is the manual overide procedure. (Find that in your manual)
    Do not have the manual... Find the make and model of the system and google

    Make model manual

    Likely can find a PDF online.