Power Gear DigiSync RPE Slide extended when in storage

Yoda2405 · 08-29-2020, 08:07 PM

Our 2011 Winnebago 34Y was in storage with the FW Slide locked and when I went to storage lot to check on it, the bottom of the slide was extended about 5" while the top was locked in place by the slide locks. The slide locks have an electrical interlock that prevents the slide mechanism from powering up but somehow the slide tried to extend.
The interlocks were working because I had to bypass them to get the slide to come back in, since the mechanism was jammed due to the angle of the slide and the slide locks would not unlock.
Checking the slide after finally getting it in everything seems to be working other than the slide cocking pulled a bottom cabinet front off and pulled a floor tile up where the cabinet front dug into the floor.
Does anyone have any idea what could cause the slide to try to deploy even with the slide locks on?
TIA

Winterbagoal · 08-29-2020, 08:11 PM

Earthquake or explosion.

ziaptrn · 08-30-2020, 11:12 AM

I had a similar problem but not to your extreme. After pulling in slides and locking them, the driver's side slide would creep out on the bottom maybe 1/2" at most.

When I operated the slides in and out, they came all the way in and went all the way out as appropriate...only when driving did the bottom of the slide creep out.

After checking all adjustments and everything that I could think of, I remembered that when I replaced the slide motors on the other side that there is a brake lever on the motor assembly. If you need, I can send a pic of the motor brake lever, which is covered with a black vinyl kind of sleeve/cover.

So - with the slide all the way in, I cycled the brake manually (locked/unlocked) several times. I did this on both ends of the slide, and then extended the slide all the way out and did the same thing - cycled the brakes on the motors.

After doing that - no more slide creeping out.

YMMV and I have no idea if this is the same problem for you, but its an inexpensive (free) start!

John

LSC9901 · 08-30-2020, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziaptrn

I had a similar problem but not to your extreme. After pulling in slides and locking them, the driver's side slide would creep out on the bottom maybe 1/2" at most.

When I operated the slides in and out, they came all the way in and went all the way out as appropriate...only when driving did the bottom of the slide creep out.

After checking all adjustments and everything that I could think of, I remembered that when I replaced the slide motors on the other side that there is a brake lever on the motor assembly. If you need, I can send a pic of the motor brake lever, which is covered with a black vinyl kind of sleeve/cover.

So - with the slide all the way in, I cycled the brake manually (locked/unlocked) several times. I did this on both ends of the slide, and then extended the slide all the way out and did the same thing - cycled the brakes on the motors.

After doing that - no more slide creeping out.

YMMV and I have no idea if this is the same problem for you, but its an inexpensive (free) start!

John

Can you explain in a bit more detail just how you manually locked and unlocked the brake ? I have moved the vinyl covered lever on mine and it seems to have lessened the amount of travel I am experiencing. Now mine creeps out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. In moving that handle it seems to only move in one direction. When released it appears to return to the starting point. I do not seem to get any definitive action in the opposite direction. Any pics and further explanation would be much appreciated.

ziaptrn · 08-30-2020, 11:48 AM

You have described exactly what I did...and I don't have more to offer.

I moved the brake from the "on" to "off" position. The idea is that the brake stays on all the time unless one needs to open or close the slide in an emergency - at which point you would unlock the brake and push/pull as needed, then re-lock the brake.

Make sure that you run the slide in and out a few times all the way, and don't stop the slide in mid-run (per the manual). Let it go all the way in and all the way out and it is supposed to re-synch itself. THEN after I did that, I released and then re-engaged the brake - once with the slide in, and once with the slide out. It might be worth measuring distances when fully extended to make sure that both sides are moving the correct distance, which is adjustable. Also, the top should contact first when coming in and the bottom follow to seal. When opening, the bottom should move out and the top seal open after the bottom slide starts moving.

I have attached a photo of the brake - the black lever on the end, but it sounds like you have located the brake. It does only move in one direction - from locked to unlocked and back again. There isn't a lot of 'play' in it, either.

I'm not sure if this helps for you, but it is what I did to stop 'creep' on our rig.

John

Yoda2405 · 08-30-2020, 02:06 PM

I don't think my issue is slide drift for a couple reasons. First the MH was in storage on a level pad and secondly the slide had moved so far out it was in a bind with the slide locks that are located on the top of the slide on my model. I am not sure if I have locks on the motors as well, possibly.
I have two gear and pinions assemblies on arms supporting the slide which is about 25" long. It was really forced out. I was amazed it had not blown a circuit breaker or a motor.
Something energized the motors trying to extend the slide while it was locked, which I could not do as the slide control is interlocked with the slide locks and I had to manually bypass these interlocks to be able to drive the slide back in so I could then unlock the slide locks and then drive it out.
It made some strange sounds, I assumed the slide was re-centering itself from being in a bind. Afterward it seemed to move in and out normally.

Thanks for your suggestion,