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C56pappy's avatar
C56pappy
Explorer
Feb 07, 2020

Slide out creep

My 2003 35' 343K Everest by Keystone 5th wheel is in outside storage with an RV cover to protect it from the elements. It has hydraulic pump activated slide outs that are completely retracted when I put it in storage. The battery is also disconnected or removed during storage. After a few days, warm or cold weather, all three slides start to "creep" out with the bedroom slide (upper overhang) being the most severe. I have built braces that wedge between the bed frame and the base of the bed platform with some success but that is only attacking the result, not the cause! I am considering some type of by-pass to relieve residual high side pressure but you would think that would be a function of the pump itself. I have discussed this with my local RV repair facility but they had no answers. I have placed foam swim tubes on all the corners of the slides to prevent them from rubbing and tearing the RV cover but that is little comfort. Anyone experience this situation or have any ideas how to solve the problem?
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Feb 08, 2020
    rwess wrote:
    It should not really be that major of a job to repair. I see 3 choices:
    1. Remove actuators and replace all gaskets and O rings yourself.
    2. Remove actuators and take to hydraulic shop for them to repack.
    3. Take trailer to hydraulic shop for them to do everything.

    There could still be one other possible cause. You could have a leak in a hose and that would allow the static pressure to bleed off.

    My 1999 Innsbruck 5th wheel had hydraulic slideouts. The entire package is extremely heavy and took up a lot of space. One area for the pump and reservoir, hoses to cylinders. More slideouts means more hoses and actuators. I have had numerous campers since and none have had that system since. Electric motors and gearboxes or electric motors/gearboxes/chains/cables are all that I see now. I do not know what they use in the large motor homes. I adhere to the KISS principal, keep it simple stupid. Electric motors and gearboxes are simpler and lighter than a full hydraulic system and a lot less cumberson and lighter.


    Excellent post. EXCEPT your first sentence. IT IS NOT AN "easy" REPAIR TO DO. Especially for a novice. You have to TEST each cylinder separately to determine which MAY have an internal seal bypass leak. Hopefully, the problem will be back at the pump and will be a solenoid or check valve bypassing. It is NOT a good idea to install blocks to "hold" a creeping Hydraulic room IN. Depending on the static pressure of the system(the rooms are kept retracted by PRESSURE), the wood blocks can be shoved and break the interior wall panel or the Slide interior fascia's, until the static pressure equalizes. The creep will stop after a few inches once the Hydraulic pressure is relieved from the room creep. Doug
  • rwess's avatar
    rwess
    Explorer
    Feb 07, 2020
    It should not really be that major of a job to repair. I see 3 choices:
    1. Remove actuators and replace all gaskets and O rings yourself.
    2. Remove actuators and take to hydraulic shop for them to repack.
    3. Take trailer to hydraulic shop for them to do everything.

    There could still be one other possible cause. You could have a leak in a hose and that would allow the static pressure to bleed off.

    My 1999 Innsbruck 5th wheel had hydraulic slideouts. The entire package is extremely heavy and took up a lot of space. One area for the pump and reservoir, hoses to cylinders. More slideouts means more hoses and actuators. I have had numerous campers since and none have had that system since. Electric motors and gearboxes or electric motors/gearboxes/chains/cables are all that I see now. I do not know what they use in the large motor homes. I adhere to the KISS principal, keep it simple stupid. Electric motors and gearboxes are simpler and lighter than a full hydraulic system and a lot less cumberson and lighter.
  • dapperdan's avatar
    dapperdan
    Explorer
    Feb 07, 2020
    These guys are SPOT ON!! You have a leak going on somewhere in your system. This happened to us on our old Montana, the bedroom slide would "work" it's way out in transit just a little. When I figured out I had a leak, started searching around and, for me it turned out to be easy. The fitting on the bedroom slide ram was a "tad" loose. All I had to do was tighten the fitting and didn't have any more issues with it while we owned it.

    Dan
  • fj12ryder's avatar
    fj12ryder
    Explorer III
    Feb 07, 2020
    Your local RV repair facility has no answers? You need to find a new facility. What you're describing is the hydraulic pressure leaking off, just as described above. Sounds like they don't want to mess with what could be a pretty major job.
  • rwess's avatar
    rwess
    Explorer
    Feb 07, 2020
    The hydraulic pressure is holding the slides firm against the trailer when the slides are pulled in. Over time that pressure, due to leakage past the O rings on the cylinder will bleed off. Apparently, the slide out creep is your slides returning to their natural relaxed position.

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