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mickey48's avatar
mickey48
Explorer
Sep 15, 2017

slide outs

i have a 2011 keystone outback 5th wheel. i have mechanical operated slide outs noy hydraulic, my one slide after being retracted( closed) will not open without me manualy opening it a inch or so. when we try the motor just clanks.
  • Possible you have a broken or in my case, partially broken shear pin. In my case the pin broke but only partially fell out. The shaft would have to turn a little before the slide would finally move and then it would try to move one side before the other and bind.
  • Some times when you have a cog and a rail, the cog will jam on the rail when to much pressure or the button is not let go but they keep over cranking, this can cause a parallel unit to go out of sink and cause binding or bind so tight against the rail that it will not start until dislodged by a push.

    Check and make sure that the mechanism it self is not loose, motors, rails and all hardware associated with the slide operating mechanism.

    navegator
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    More likely a dead spot on the motor. I have this with my Kwikee Steps. Short of replacement it might be possible to "re-index" the motor. but I don't know if that will help. To Re-Index.

    IF and I really stress that **IF** your slide is like mine run out about half to 3/4 the way (Actually most any thing between full out and full in) under the slide you will see the racks and gears.. I can pull a pin (Carefule of waskers( It is a "hair pin" type pin like those used on some hitch pins.

    Knock the gear sideways, Turn it a notch, or two, and then knock it back and re-pin it.

    Do both gears same number of teeth

    Might work but.. I will not guarantee.. Problem may return.. New motor should fix and that is **IF** (that big if again) the problem is teh dead spot.

    Those controllers are strange

    I sometime find I have to hit IN then OUT to get mine to work.
  • If you can hear the motor operating it appears it's a mechanical problem. May be as simple as a broken shear pin.

    If you have the skill set you need to observe the slide mechanism while someone operates the switch. Depending how it's built, you may have to drop some underbelly first.
  • if it were a pin would it operate after i bump it out manually
  • mickey48 wrote:
    if it were a pin would it operate after i bump it out manually


    Perhaps. The pin (looks like a 1/4" bolt) can break at one end and then it will move a little. This allows the gear to rotate loosely a little bit before the slack is taken up. That action could result in bind.

    With the slide in the out position, look for a roughly 1" square tube that goes from one side of the slide to the other. In each end there will be what looks like a 1/4" bolt - that is your shear pin.
    Make sure the head is still on one end and a nut is on the other. If either side is missing, the pin has broken and needs replacement.

    I had one break on my last TT and never could figure out why. It never happened again.

    In a pinch you could use a 1/4" bolt but you should put in a real shear pin. They are available anyplace you find snow-blower parts. Tthe blades of the blowers are connected by the same pins. I got a set off Fleabay real cheap.

    Anyone with a rack and pinion type slide should at least have a spare bolt on hand.

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