Slide design by Grand Design

[Cptnvideo]

We recently purchased a 2022 Grand Design Solitude 378MBS.
There are 4 slides and there are 4 named slots for slide switches. But there are only 2 slide switches. Grand Design controls 3 slides with one switch and the bedroom slide with the remaining switch. To make matters worse, the sequence for the slides to open/close is terrible. The curb side slide (which blocks entry to the entire living/kitchen area) is the last to go out.

Edit: Apparently this is a normal design for hydraulic slides. It would be nice if Grand Design would make some modification to make the curb side slide go out first, then in last.

[Lantley]

Always compromise in the RV world. My 5 cable driven electric slides are certainly not an enginerring marvel. At times I'm dismayed how fragile the system is. However they can each be operated independently.
I believe that hydraulic slides are a more robust system, but not being able to operate or control them independently is a huge negative to me.

[ACZL]

Our old Cedar Creek Silverback had 3 slides and 1 switch. BR went out/in 1st, then the Main Street side slide (couch/dinette), then the BH was last. All went in in same order they went out.

[1320Fastback]

katysdad wrote:
Changing lines won't change sequence. Lightest or least resistance goes out first. Heaviest last. Same on retraction lightest first heaviest last. Pump is pushing fluid to all 3 cylinders at the same time. Not sure if used anymore but some units a few years back had a manifold near the hyd pump with manual valves you could block off individual slides.

Retractable Landing gears of older airplanes and war birds are similar. If you've ever watched a landing gear transit it can be anything but smooth sometimes as the gear with the least resistance at the time moves then the other. They also didn't put any bigger of a pump than necessary for weight concerns

[Cptnvideo]

I found the valves. The next time we open slides, I will close 2 at a time to identify and label. So, at least we can open a particular one.

[Lantley]

BurbMan wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Hopefully this can be corrected by swapping some wires.

Hoses, not wires....The Heartland we just bought has 3 slides, and this is my first rodeo with hydraulic. After the short time we've owned it I can tell you I will never go back to electric-driven rack and pinion. Our sequence is street side bedroom slide, curb side main slide, street side kitchen slide. As Doug said, the hydraulic lines are plumbed that way....when slide 1 is almost home (either in or out), pressure builds and starts moving slide 2, etc. When retracting the slides they go in the same order, not reverse order. Doug knows the most about this, but I think the only way to change the order is to re-route the hydraulic lines and change the order in which the slides are connected from the pump.

I stand corrected.
You know I thought hoses not wires after I had already hit send ..LOL
Sounds like it may not be quite as simple as we hoped but that there is a solution.

[Skibane]

katysdad wrote:
Changing lines won't change sequence. Lightest or least resistance goes out first. Heaviest last. Same on retraction lightest first heaviest last.

Maybe you could add some resistance to the slide you want to open last.

[BurbMan]

I found this YouTube Video of how you can control slides individually on a Grand Design, see if yours has these fluid control knobs. This may be all you need!

[BurbMan]

Cptnvideo wrote:
But our fridge/oven/pantry/TV slide goes out before dinette/theater seat slide. I would have expected the fridge slide to be heaviest.

Mine are opposite, the dinette/seating slide goes out before the fridge/oven slide. Maybe those theatre seats weigh more than you think?

[Cptnvideo]

katysdad wrote:
Changing lines won't change sequence. Lightest or least resistance goes out first. Heaviest last. Same on retraction lightest first heaviest last. Pump is pushing fluid to all 3 cylinders at the same time.

That certainly makes sense. But our fridge/oven/pantry/TV slide goes out before dinette/theater seat slide. I would have expected the fridge slide to be heaviest.

[katysdad]

Changing lines won't change sequence. Lightest or least resistance goes out first. Heaviest last. Same on retraction lightest first heaviest last. Pump is pushing fluid to all 3 cylinders at the same time. Not sure if used anymore but some units a few years back had a manifold near the hyd pump with manual valves you could block off individual slides.

[Cptnvideo]

Crespro wrote:
Chad of changinglanesRV.com has a Momentum and has a mod that permits extension of one slide.

Thanks. I will look into that.

Edit: Just watched a video of his. I can close 2 valves in a propane compartment to make just the curb side open. That will help. But I would still like to reverse the sequence if that is possible.

[Crespro]

Chad of changinglanesRV.com has a Momentum and has a mod that permits extension of one slide.

[Cptnvideo]

BurbMan and Lantley, after Doug's post, I am hoping the sequence can be a simple swap of hydraulic lines (or something similar). Yes, the curb slide should definitely move first.
If the sequence can be reversed, I will be a happy camper.

[BurbMan]

Lantley wrote:
Hopefully this can be corrected by swapping some wires.

Hoses, not wires....The Heartland we just bought has 3 slides, and this is my first rodeo with hydraulic. After the short time we've owned it I can tell you I will never go back to electric-driven rack and pinion. Our sequence is street side bedroom slide, curb side main slide, street side kitchen slide. As Doug said, the hydraulic lines are plumbed that way....when slide 1 is almost home (either in or out), pressure builds and starts moving slide 2, etc. When retracting the slides they go in the same order, not reverse order. Doug knows the most about this, but I think the only way to change the order is to re-route the hydraulic lines and change the order in which the slides are connected from the pump.

[IDman]

Simply take it back to the dealer so the service manager can tell you "we're really swamped now so leave it, and we'll get to it around the middle of July."