Slide-out issue

[Janss]

Our motorhome has been parked on gravel beside our house for the last few months...hydraulic slides and jacks in and up. About a month ago, I happen to notice the large slide had moved out an inch or so, especially across the bottom. The other day, I noticed the small slide had done the same thing, maybe a couple inches. Of course, in both cases I went inside and pushed the button to bring the slides in all the way.

Anyone know why this would happen? I don't see any fluid leak under the motorhome, nor around or under the solenoids or fluid reservoir. None of the jacks have come down at all. The hydraulic fluid in the reservoir is just a little low...down to the bottom of the dip stick, not up between the lines. But I can see the fluid's reflection looking down on it. Seems like there is still plenty in the box shaped reservoir.

Thanks for any ideas.

[dougrainer]

Well don't take kens post as gospel. You have a 20 year old Winne? If so, odds are you have a HWH slide system. If so, the cause of a slide pooching out, is a internal leak at the extend or retract solenoid. Each slide room has a dedicated extend and retract solenoid. IF you have HWH, then go to the solenoids and manually open the T handles on the solenoids and operate the slides in and out for about 30 seconds. With the solenoids OPEN, the room will not move much. You just want to flush any possible debris out of the solenoid needle valves. This works about 50% of the time. The other 50% you have to replace the solenoids that are leaking internally. IF you have HWH jacks, then odds are on a 20 year old Winne you have HWH slide rooms. Doug

[Janss]

Thank you for your replies. Ken's post is over my head, but I get that y'all are saying it's probably the solenoid letting a bit of hydraulic fluid leak in or out. A few years ago, I had a solenoid changed because one jack was inching up over short amount of days after being extended to the ground. Sounds like a similar problem from your input.

[Lwiddis]

Yes, check the solenoid first.

[ken1961]

The early Production of this system proved to be unreliable for two reasons:
1. The room would drift out while driving to or from a location. This problem was “fixed”
by placing a Check Valve in the system, as noted in the following paragraph.
2. As fluid would be “lost” from the hose between the Master and Slave cylinder, the room
would not close evenly. As the room would extend, the front of the room would get ahead
of the rear. As the room would retract, the rear of the room would retract ahead of the front
of the room. If this condition is not corrected, the room will be damaged. This problem was
initially solved by the addition of a small in-line check valve, and was eventually replaced
by a Phasing Valve mounted directly on the pump. Custom Cylinders International, Inc.
has developed a pump system that eliminates the add-on valve by integrating a special
logic circuit to check the volume of fluid between the Master and Slave cylinders on each
activation cycle.

[rk911]

Sounds like a weak solonoid so there should be leak evidence somewhere. Could be anywhere along the line. I had a leak inside one of my storage bays one time.