Want to Over-Extend Slide Out to Replace Glide Strip

[JohnDP]

I am in the process of changing out my carpet for luxury vinyl tile. I want to overextend my slide out to change out the glide strip, fully remove the carpet and clean up the seals. I have a 2001 Journey 36GD. I have seen in previous posts that the slide should be able to be extended three to four inches to access the glide strip.

I have taken the trim off the interior of the slide as instructed in numerous earlier posts, but my slide out still bumps up against two exterior stops. It appears there are two pieces machined out of hex stock that are used to hold up the rear of the compartments that also work as mechanical stops. The machined hex pieces are cross drilled with a through bolt of unknown purpose and are fastened to the bottom of the extension rail. I am at a loss on how to remove these stops or if that is the right thing to do?

I know this issue has been talked about many times before, but I am unable to find an answer to my problem.

Hoping someone can help.
JD Plout
New to a 2001 Journey 36GD

[Jim_HiTek]

I have a '02 Journey and don't have an answer to your problem but I do want to see others answers...good luck with the remodel.

[Lv2Roam2]

I'd like the answer too - recommend a call to WBGO. This could be tricky - dangerous and expensive - if not done right!

[NeilV]

Call Winnebago's support line and ask them.

On some of those HWH slides the process is to partially extend the slide and jack it up to replace the hard shoe with a carpeted shoe. Some use wedges while others use a thin air bag to get the job done. The process will be different with the Power Gear or other slides that use rack and pinion gears with electric motors on each slide out instead of a central hydraulic system. Also slide outs with hanging basement bins will be handled a little differently than those that slide out over stationary basement bins that don't move with the slide out. There also may be some hanger bolts for the bins that may have to be loosened first on some models.

[JohnDP]

Thanks Neil, I will give them a call.

[JohnDP]

I have successfully changed the glide bar on my slide-out from plastic/aluminum to the factory carpet covered aluminum extrusion.
I have a 2001 36 ft. Journey with one large slide-out.

After a while of not receiving any favorable responses, I proceeded down a trial and error path that ended up being successful. This was a one man task and took about three hours. Below is my process:

1.) Fully extend the slide out.
2.) Measure the height of the support beam from top to bottom. You want this so you can reset the floor to it original position.
3.) Jack both ends of the slide out up about two inches. I used bottle jacks and 2 X 4's. short 2 X 4 under the slide-out and longer 2 X 4 from the bottle jack to the short 2 X 4.
4.) Once jacked up, I placed some 1 X 3's under the corners of the slide-out on the interior floor to act as safety stops, in case a jack would get knocked over.
5.) Remove two locking screws on each support beam adjuster using two 7/16 box wrenches.
6.) Raise support beam using a 9/16 box wrench until it becomes loose/detached.
7.) Tip support beam onto the top of the storage compartments.
8.) Remove original plastic/aluminum slide. Remove screws on ends of plastic slide. Remove plastic. Remove screws in aluminum plate and remove the plate.
9.) Install the new glide strip, centered in place of the original glide bar. I had two order two for the length and cut one to fit. I reused self tapping shooter screws from the original glide bar.
10.) Reinstall support bar and locking screws (do not tighten locking screws yet) in reverse order of disassembly. set at original dimensions.
11.)Lower slide, remove supports and bottle jacks.
12.) Adjust support bar to desired height (you want your floor in the slide-out to be level with the fixed floor)
13.) Tighten locking screws.
.14) Complete.

Some of the screws near the fuel tank fill were a little difficult to get at, but I was able to put a Philips bit into a 1/4" socket onto a pneumatic socket wrench and get the old out and new in. Removing the support beam was much easier than I expected.
I make no guarantees about this procedure and you need to be your own judge on safety, but this is what worked for me and I would not think twice about doing it again.