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tvfrfireman's avatar
tvfrfireman
Explorer
Jan 20, 2019

schwintek slide issue

Have been struggling with a 13 foot slide on our DRV fifth wheel for months and replace almost every part. I finally noticed while cleaning and waxing the bottom of the slide some slight depressions where the rollers travel along the slide while it moves in and out. I then realized the slide has settled very slightly in these grooves. The bottom of the slide is made of one inch plywood with a white protective barrier on the bottom that could be melamine. I called my dealer and they knew all about this problem and told me they installed eighth inch stainless strips a bit wider than the rollers to bring the slide up so the teeth of the drive gears don't bind in the track mounted to the slide. I was wondering if I could use aluminum for the same purpose as I can cut aluminum. Have any of you folks done this to the troublesome shwintek slide? This has been an ongoing nightmare and fails at the most inopportune times. I would be grateful for any help in this issue. Thanks, David
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Jan 20, 2019
    I made the same mod to my last trailer (for different reasons) and may have to do this one.
    I ordered the stainless steel from these folks: Online Metal
    Make sure it's wider than your rollers so you have a place for screws that wont interfere with the rollers.
    ALso, I would not use alum. The roller will act similar to an English wheel and the softer the metal, the more it will want to curl. The SS was not bad to work with especially when I could orderer it cut to size.
  • Ozlander's avatar
    Ozlander
    Explorer
    Jan 20, 2019
    I think aluminum will be OK assuming the rollers turn.
    If so, there should be very little wear.
  • MrWizard's avatar
    MrWizard
    Moderator
    Jan 20, 2019
    The Alu will wear faster than the stainless
    There is good reason to use a hard material
    You could try UHMW AN ULTRA DENSE poly plastic used in industrial applications
    You can get that in 1/8 thickness and cut with a hack saw easy
  • drsteve's avatar
    drsteve
    Explorer
    Jan 20, 2019
    Aluminum is soft, perhaps durability is the concern. What does the dealer think about using aluminum? Any particular reason they use stainless?

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