Forum Discussion

yankeeslover's avatar
yankeeslover
Explorer
Oct 03, 2013

Slide maintence and general winter storage questions

thanks, 1st year with TT.. 2014 primetime tracer 2670. we are brand new to rvs. I live in upstate NY in the Adirondacks so winter camping is out and have to store camper for 6 months.
some questions on storage,especailly the slide. I try not to bring my camper into svc dept as I cant pay the outrageous amounts that they charge so im looking to try my own maintence. I am wondering first about the slide gaskets? i see some recommend to use baby powder twice per year and others say stay away from powder and use the silicone spray on the gaskets. which is better? powder or spray? im trying to get as many years as i can out of the slide..Also what about opening and closing the slide to lubricate it?. Its an accu-slide with the cables...i heard to open and close every 10 days to keep it lubricated but what do i do during the winter when its zero degrees for 5 months, do i still open and close the slide or is it ok to keep it closed all winter long and wait till spring to open? the service manager at dealer said no worries in keeping closed and motor does not need lubrication as its electric so don't keep opening and closing once per week.. is this true?
im gonna store it at the dealers lot for the winter.. they do a free roof inspection for me every 6 months and take up a bottle of dicor and apply on cracks if need be for free.. any other thing i should be aware of for the winter? besides the normal winterization..thanks

7 Replies

  • 1stvee's avatar
    1stvee
    Explorer
    Oct 04, 2013
    I had a major MH manufacture tell me to put Corn Starch in an old sock and dust the slide gaskets as often as needed. This is to keep them from sticking to the surface they are mated to. Especially when open or closed for extended periods. AEROSPACE 303 is a must for any rubber or petro based material, such as tires, seals and vinyl. Unlike the "old standby" that make it look shiny and bright 303 does not breakdown the petro chemical base allowing it to dry out faster. 303 also has great UV protection. I discovered it while in the Boat business about 30 years ago. It was extensively tested in the Florida sun and salt air.
  • Seattle_Lion's avatar
    Seattle_Lion
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2013
    badboy368 wrote:
    i use AEROSPACE 303 on my slide gaskets on the slide side and on the wall slide. Works fantastik


    Can you give a bit more info on AEROSPACE 303? New to me.
  • badboy368's avatar
    badboy368
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2013
    i use AEROSPACE 303 on my slide gaskets on the slide side and on the wall slide. Works fantastik
  • mlts22's avatar
    mlts22
    Explorer II
    Oct 03, 2013
    I'd bring the slides in, just because if the motor did fail, it is a lot easier to handle hauling it to the dealer with the slides in than trying to find the manual crank slot (if any exists) if the slides are stuck out. I've not really heard of problems with slides, other than undervoltage with the battery.

    If you use a trickle charger, I'd recommend a Battery Minder. They are a nose ahead of the others because they will desulphate the batteries, helping prolong life. Just plug in, attach to batteries, walk off, and it will do the rest. I've had very good luck with one.
  • SteveAE's avatar
    SteveAE
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2013
    Sounds like you have a good plan. So unless you were to bring the battery out to the dealers lot, you won't be moving the slide anyway.
    In regards to your question about what to put on the slide seals, I don't have a good answer for you. However, I suspect you will get plenty of input here.
  • yankeeslover's avatar
    yankeeslover
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2013
    thanks steve, yeah I had camper since mid june. I will be taking the battery home with me and probably store it in my basement... gets about 45 degrees in basement but will throw it on a trickle charger once per month or so.....
  • SteveAE's avatar
    SteveAE
    Explorer
    Oct 03, 2013
    You may want first think about what you are going to do with your battery. If there is no power to the rig, your battery will be drained (even if you don't use it), possibly to the point of being damaged (esp. in the cold temps). So you might want to consider removing the battery, bringing it home, and storing it inside a garage with a trickle charger connected. Of course, if you do this, there won't be any power to run the slide. If your rig is new (like brand new), maybe the dealer hasn't installed a battery yet, in which case all is good....except your slide won't move.

    Have a great winter,
    Steve

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