slow moving slides
2003 itasco spirit ...Why are my slides so slow to come in and out...Any help/?
Forum Discussion
Budsmith,
I'm assuming they're electric. Are they? Or are the hydraulic?
If electric, it most certainly CAN be the batteries. Our motorhome (granted it's a Class A, but there are similarities) will NOT deploy the slides with the engine running as a safety feature. It WILL retract them with the engine running, however, and I usually do that to give the motor an extra dose of voltage. :) Ours doesn't check if the parking brake is on, but it did want all of the bin doors closed before they would engage. Different manufacturers will incorporate different safety mechanisms.
On a rig of that age, it could be the motors are getting tired, but before I did anything at all that major, I would very carefully check ALL POWER AND GROUND connections to the slide motor and the slide motor controller. Old, corroded, loose and even burnt connections can create a significant voltage drop. A few years after we got our rig, I noticed our slides were slow. I discovered the ground wire to the slide control relay board was blackened and burned 6" up from the chassis ground connection point. That connection was loose and the poor connection was enough to generate enough heat to burn the insulation and wire.
Another thing to consider is if the brake is not disengaging when the slide is in motion. Our slide controller failed (a few years AFTER I discovered the loose wire) in such a way that the electric brake on the motors were not disengaging. The slide motor was able to move the slide, but it was much slower. Some motors have electric brakes, others have mechanical brakes. Check to see which system, if any, is used on yours. If the motor has a mechanical brake, make sure it is off. The brake is usually on the side of the motor opposite the driving gear.
Making sure things are clean is a good recommendation as well. Some try to lubricate their slides with lubricants which attract and retain dirt with the opposite effect occurring over time.
I would also recommend cleaning and using silicone on the slide seals and waxing the slide walls which are in contact with the seals. Every little bit helps, especially as these things age.
The recommendation about having a door or window open is good, too. If your rig is reasonably air tight, then it takes more effort to deploy or retract the slides if there isn't an easy way for air to be brought in or vented out as the interior volume changes. I've found that just opening one of the side windows a couple of inches makes a difference.
Good Luck,
~Rick
I'm assuming they're electric. Are they? Or are the hydraulic?
If electric, it most certainly CAN be the batteries. Our motorhome (granted it's a Class A, but there are similarities) will NOT deploy the slides with the engine running as a safety feature. It WILL retract them with the engine running, however, and I usually do that to give the motor an extra dose of voltage. :) Ours doesn't check if the parking brake is on, but it did want all of the bin doors closed before they would engage. Different manufacturers will incorporate different safety mechanisms.
On a rig of that age, it could be the motors are getting tired, but before I did anything at all that major, I would very carefully check ALL POWER AND GROUND connections to the slide motor and the slide motor controller. Old, corroded, loose and even burnt connections can create a significant voltage drop. A few years after we got our rig, I noticed our slides were slow. I discovered the ground wire to the slide control relay board was blackened and burned 6" up from the chassis ground connection point. That connection was loose and the poor connection was enough to generate enough heat to burn the insulation and wire.
Another thing to consider is if the brake is not disengaging when the slide is in motion. Our slide controller failed (a few years AFTER I discovered the loose wire) in such a way that the electric brake on the motors were not disengaging. The slide motor was able to move the slide, but it was much slower. Some motors have electric brakes, others have mechanical brakes. Check to see which system, if any, is used on yours. If the motor has a mechanical brake, make sure it is off. The brake is usually on the side of the motor opposite the driving gear.
Making sure things are clean is a good recommendation as well. Some try to lubricate their slides with lubricants which attract and retain dirt with the opposite effect occurring over time.
I would also recommend cleaning and using silicone on the slide seals and waxing the slide walls which are in contact with the seals. Every little bit helps, especially as these things age.
The recommendation about having a door or window open is good, too. If your rig is reasonably air tight, then it takes more effort to deploy or retract the slides if there isn't an easy way for air to be brought in or vented out as the interior volume changes. I've found that just opening one of the side windows a couple of inches makes a difference.
Good Luck,
~Rick
