Passenger slideout issue-2015 Itasca Meridian 36ft--Help!

Just to let you guys know what I did and the results:
1. Disconnected the batteries to try and reset the system but did not work.
2. Tried to reclock the 2 motors but that did not work.
Fyi...Control panel--no flashing green lights for the motors, no flashing red lights for fault codes, and no low battery light. Chassis batteries showing 14 amps on main control panel. Did not attempt override mode as the slideout is off kilter with one end moving before the other and the slideout would not go all the way out, just halfway, so I brought in back in and tried to resynch the motors by holding the control button in for 10 seconds. So I guess I'm taking it to a repair place. I called them and the service manager told me he thinks it needs a motor replacement based upon what I told him. thanks again for your help on this.

Winnebago replaced mine. It failed within warranty. The dealer worked on it for a few visits over a year and I went to Winnebago. Problem solved. A Rep from Iowa at my dealer supervised the work on mine and a Forza the same day.

The equipment was retrofitted with heavier tracks. The motors sound more powerful. And the controller is a little different.

Thank you both for your replies and great advice. I will attempt to reclock the system. Looking at my owners manual, it also says to disengage the batteries for 20 seconds as another way to reset the system. Also states to press the reset button located on the back of the control panel touchpad. I appreciate both of you for helping me look at this problem.

9) LCI doesn't recommend installing the controller with a breaker, because it won't save a possible fault in the controller. It should be fused only. Do definitely try to find where the controller is, because if the room ever does stop moving, the light will flash and the flashes correspond to a fault code. And... You'll want to know where it's at in case you need to unplug the motor connectors, which allows them to freewheel.


False also. In my 12 years, I have NEVER had LCI state to ONLY use a ATC fuse. LOTS of Schwintek slide rooms have 15 amp resettable 12 volt Circuit Breakers. AND, in the hundreds of Schwinteks I have worked on, NONE had a failure that would be because of a resettable CB. Doug

6) False. The rollers support most of the gravity load, but a large slide room creates an eccentric load when the room is all the way out, and sometimes all the way in if it's not supported by the floor slides. This eccentric load is reacted by the pinion shafts in the walls. Two problems here.... 1) The gear tracks wear out prematurely, then the misaligned teeth create drag, or 2) The pinion shaft fatigues and breaks. Schwintek originally told owners the system should not be lubed, and now they tell owners it should be lubed with silicon spray EVERY use.

Absolutely WRONG. NEVER use silicone spray to lube. USE CRC lube ONLY. Does not need lube except a few times a year. A correctly installed room, with the room disengaged, 2 or 3 people can roll the room in and out if properly supported. I have worked on and fixed hundreds of Schwintek slide systems for over 12 years. If the Gear teeth drag then the room is NOT installed correctly. Doug

I know Doug is trying to help, but I have to respectfully disagree with some of his points....

1) Override mode is a good test, once. If you use override mode as a workaround, you'll burn up a motor. It only took a few times using this to burn one of mine up. And it happened on a bedroom slide, which still took 500+ pounds of force to retract the slide after the motor burned up.

2) I agree with this fully! That was kind of the point of my post.

3) Yes... Winnebago might be a good resource. Don't waste your time trying to talk to LCI

4) LCI sold a system that won't hold up to the applications they originally specified it for. It actually does work well for small slides, other than the occasional bad motor. I'd even go as far to say that I prefer it for small slides due to packaging efficiency. My 3 small slides have had no issues, other than the occasional bad motor.

5) The rollers themselves don't usually fail. The floor structure it what breaks down. This hasn't happened to me, but it was near universal with Thor Palazzo owners it seems like. Thor's fixed was adding galvanized flashing under the floor as a wear surface. This is fixable, but my point is, if your floor structure is breaking down don't keep using it. It'll end up getting stuck.

6) False. The rollers support most of the gravity load, but a large slide room creates an eccentric load when the room is all the way out, and sometimes all the way in if it's not supported by the floor slides. This eccentric load is reacted by the pinion shafts in the walls. Two problems here.... 1) The gear tracks wear out prematurely, then the misaligned teeth create drag, or 2) The pinion shaft fatigues and breaks. Schwintek originally told owners the system should not be lubed, and now they tell owners it should be lubed with silicon spray EVERY use.

7) Sure. Go ahead and try this. Just beware the motor current limits are programmed there for a reason. It is possible a bad motor can cause this symptom, but you'll see one end stop first, then the other end stop a second or 2 later after the ends got too far out of synch.

8) Similar to above, if the system needs to be re-clocked, you'll see the 2 ends moving out of sync. There's no downside to re-clocking, so this is good advice. Just make sure it's actually at its end of travel when you do this.

9) LCI doesn't recommend installing the controller with a breaker, because it won't save a possible fault in the controller. It should be fused only. Do definitely try to find where the controller is, because if the room ever does stop moving, the light will flash and the flashes correspond to a fault code. And... You'll want to know where it's at in case you need to unplug the motor connectors, which allows them to freewheel.

carringb wrote:
Get it to a qualified RV repair center ASAP. Not a dealer.

Your Schwintek system is failing. It's stopping because the motor current is hitting the level that makes it think it's closed. Good chance the under-floor rollers have gouged the floor, but it could be any number of causes for excess drag. In my case, it was because the fasteners in the framing had broke. Eventually, the excess load from this caused one of my pinion shafts to break. Luckily, this happened in my driveway, and I was able to remove one of the motors and move it manually.

If your slide-out finally gets stuck, you may not be able to move it. Lippert deserves a Class Action for the troubles this system has caused. I wouldn't be surprised if this system has a 100% failure rate on large slides.

FWIW - Mine was rebuilt twice under warranty, and then again this last summer out of pocket, to the tune of over $5,000.

To make things worse, MFGs are now required to install the 3-trax system on large slides, but Lippert won't allow retrofits even if the MFG approves it. Lippert told the repair center that they wouldn't warranty any components if I was upgraded to the 3-trax version.

While he had a problem, his hysterics and posts about Schwintek are all wrong.
1. Has anybody tried to operate the Slide in override mode? If so what happened?
2. You have a full wall slide from the specs for your model. THAT is NOT good for the regular Schwintek system.
3. Contac Winnebago and see what they state about any problems and fixes
4. LCI(Schwintek) just builds the rack system. They have NOTHING to do with who installs it or what it is installed in. Winnebago (any OEM)is responsible for the design and engineering and how the components will work.
5. Yes, the under floor rollers are critical for supporting the room and gliding in and out. This is designed by Winnebago
6. Full wall slides are a problem for the Schwintek system as it is a lot of weight in the room. ALL the Schwintek system does is move the room IN and OUT. Nothing else. It does not support the room.
7. The main thing is to get the room in override and see what happens.
8.Do you know how to reclock and time the motors? It is simple. When you fully extend or retract, HOLD the button for 10 seconds after the room stops. THAT retimes and synchronizes both motors.
9. Is it possible that your 12 volt circuit breaker for that room is tripping when the room stops? Or does the room IMMEDIATELY start to move again when you attempt to move it after it stops after that 3 inches? Doug

Thanks for letting me know.

Get it to a qualified RV repair center ASAP. Not a dealer.

Your Schwintek system is failing. It's stopping because the motor current is hitting the level that makes it think it's closed. Good chance the under-floor rollers have gouged the floor, but it could be any number of causes for excess drag. In my case, it was because the fasteners in the framing had broke. Eventually, the excess load from this caused one of my pinion shafts to break. Luckily, this happened in my driveway, and I was able to remove one of the motors and move it manually.

If your slide-out finally gets stuck, you may not be able to move it. Lippert deserves a Class Action for the troubles this system has caused. I wouldn't be surprised if this system has a 100% failure rate on large slides.

FWIW - Mine was rebuilt twice under warranty, and then again this last summer out of pocket, to the tune of over $5,000.

To make things worse, MFGs are now required to install the 3-trax system on large slides, but Lippert won't allow retrofits even if the MFG approves it. Lippert told the repair center that they wouldn't warranty any components if I was upgraded to the 3-trax version.

Yes the engine has to be running when operating the slideouts