Winnebago, Schwintek In-Wall Slide-Out system - Problems ??

[rv2go]

I have been at Winnebago in Forest City, IA for several days waiting for service. While here, It is alarming to see all the motorhomes here that are having problems with their slide outs that have the Schwintek In-Wall Slide-Out system by- Lippert Components, Inc. One has stated that their slides have failed 10 times in the last year and are threatening a lemon law suit, that is available in their state.

How about you...Any problems with your Schwintek In-Wall Slide-Out system by Lippert Components, Inc.

[Effy]

Mine work fine on our medium slide but I wouldn't trust them on a full wall. It's simply under engineered for the task. Adding the 3rd rail is a Band-Aid IMO. This issue is what has kept us from buying a 29.3. I simply don't trust the full wall slide on the cheap mechanism.

[smlranger]

The HWH hydraulic slide systems are pretty tried and true. I believe that is what Provost and Foretravel uses. Guess Winnebago and others decided to go cheap to keep the costs down. I saw the Schwintek system on a new Winnebago at a dealer two years ago and my basic country boy mechanical mind thought it looked flimsy. From what I have read on several forums, apparently it is.

[timmac]

GMandJM wrote:
What's it doing wrong...or not doing at all?

Friends have a 2015 Tour and haven't mentioned any issues with their slides.

Well that 2015 is still new, wait another year and see what happens..

[Goldencrazy]

The 2016 Winnebago's have a new mechanism. The rails are no longer screwed to the slide. They are attached to the front and are flexible which has apparently ended the twisting in tests. I will see as I have a new one coming. My last one had no trouble with the swintek other than need to lubricate but when not well lubricated it screamed.

[chuckftboy]

I'll soon be in the market and we prefer the full wall set-up but I absolutely will not purchase any coach that uses Schwintek,Wife gets very stressed when the coach is broke. Now that they have purchased PowerGear there may not be many options for a rack and pinion system like I presently have. May just need to go to a bit higher end model to get what I want.

[emiddleb]

Here's a thread on the issue in a Winnebago forum... about 10 pages of comments so far...

clicky

[Bruce_Brown]

We saw one parked in the long term lot in Gettysburg this past summer. The slide was about 1/2 way out and crooked. Looked bad for sure.

[azdryheat]

Had to have the main slide rebuilt on my Voltage, which, by the way, dumped the Schwintek slide system this year in favor of a cable system. I've vowed to never own another RV with a Schwintek slide.

[Doin_it]

We had an issue early in our first year with the full wall slide on our 2014 Itasca Suncruiser. It would not retract evenly, ending up with one end sticking out about an inch. Parts were replaced, adjustments made, and all has been OK since. The service tech told us several times to be absolutely sure that the motorhome be accurately leveled before extending the slide.

[rv2go]

GMandJM wrote:
What's it doing wrong...or not doing at all?

Friends have a 2015 Tour and haven't mentioned any issues with their slides.

In talking with the owners, it appears that the larger slide are giving the most problems. The motor gears strip the track that pushes the slide out or in.

[luvlabs]

IMHO poor installation and poor selection of the Schwintek to move heavy slides has caused problems for Winnebago and Thor. Schwinteks do fine when moving slides that smaller, like bedroom slides. They do poorly for the large kitchen and living room slides. Those are better moved by hydraulics or larger geared electric slides.

I have a Tiffin Phaeton and the big slides are hydraulic and the bedroom slides are Schwintek. No problems to date.

[GMandJM]

What's it doing wrong...or not doing at all?

Friends have a 2015 Tour and haven't mentioned any issues with their slides.