Noisy slideout

[A_Miel]

I did the "red carpet" walk-through for my 2017 Winnebago 5th wheel and the slideouts (opposing slides in living room) were very noisy, squeaky and squealy going out and in. They said it is totally normal - is this true? They agreed to lube the slides and gears before delivery. But seriously - I don't know if just lubing would take care of this.

Thanks ahead for helping with this question. 🙂

[GPG52_]

Hi Jarata 1
No it was not Camping World.
We purchased our last two coach from a local dealer just outside of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
They have been super good to us.
I always request the same Service Technician to work on our unit, he seems to know his stuff and better still cares to listen to our request.
GPG

[jarata1]

It's not camping world is it

[GPG52_]

We had the same problem, but it is now fixed.
My 2c worth: It is not normal to have excessive squeaking. (Not to mention very annoying)
Ours is a Lippert system and we found a Service Bulletin showing how to correct the issue. "Lippert Components Electric Through Frame Slide-Out Assembly OWNER'S MANUAL"
Page 9 Rev: 03.10.2015
CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR SQUEAKING GEAR PACKS
1. Loosen both gear packs bolts until tension is off the gear pack
2. Using a manual pump oil can, pump 2-3 squirts of synthetic motor oil onto gear pack drive in lubrication points.
NOTE: do not lubricate rack or pinion gear teeth, lubricate drive shaft only.
NOTE: LCI recommends Mobile One Fully Synthetic 10W-30 Motor Oil to lubricate gear pack.
3. Extend and retract slide-out arms several times to work lubricant through gear pack

I printed the page and brought it to the dealer to perform the work. The page has 4 pictures showing the procedure and lub-points.
In our case our unit has an Artic-Pack... so dealer had to cut an access door to reach the gear pack. It was a simple flap which he re-sealed after the work was done.
Hope this helps. GPG

[A_Miel]

Thank you!!

[DutchmenSport]

Yes they make noise. Congrats on your new camper!

[A_Miel]

Yep - transport driver is checking it out for me. I do intend to keep everything lubed and checked regularly. Just wanting to avoid major problems from the get-go.
It's a gorgeous fall day here in Western WA. Hope you are enjoying yours!

[newtondak]

I'd have them go ahead and lube the slides see what it sounds like after that - BEFORE you take delivery.

[troubledwaters]

It's is going to be impossible for someone on this forum to tell you whether the noise is normal or not. No one on here can hear it and a salesman will tell you whatever.
Do they make noise - yes. However "very noisy, squeaky and squealy" doesn't sound normal to me. Maybe your exaggerating what you are hearing but better yet have someone you know and trust (that has an RV with slides) give you an second opinion.

[MFL]

I use a dry lube spray on the teeth under the slide, which in turn gets onto the gears. I use talcum powder/baby powder on the wiper surfaces, except for the outsides facing the elements. On outside wiper surface, I use RV seal conditioner, to keep them soft and pliable. I use Protect All on the slide side surface, to keep it slippery. Yes, I do the slide side windows and frames as well. Every little thing can help for smoother/quieter function.

Tip: Do not leave ladder legs in the way when closing slide! (don't ask)

Jerry

[A_Miel]

That's super helpful. Thank you!

[A_Miel]

"mine do a lot of squeeling even after spraying greasing and everything else I can do" - OK so this is very normal then it sounds like. Was yours like that from the beginning?

[the_bear_II]

Two noise sources on slideouts:

The sweeps along the side of the slideouts will squeal against the siding depending on how dry the siding is. There is a spray on coating to stop the squeal.

The slide mechanism depending on what it is (mechanical or hydraulic) may squeak, rattle, clink, click, motor/gear grinding...etc. Usually lubrication will quiet this down.

On our 5th wheel a piece of sheet metal was contacting the slideout ram and made a terrible noise (AKA-fingernails on chalkboard) until I discovered the piece of metal and bent it away from the ram.

So yes just like garage door openers there will be some noise when using opening or closing the slideout. I would compare it with other models at the dealer to see if the sounds are similar.

[lee_worsdell]

mine do a lot of squeeling even after spraying greasing and everything else I can do