Schwintek Slideout - Here we go again!

[Rossi6998]

Once again, my slideout is not working properly. Over the weekend, the slideout made two loud popping noises when I extended it. No issue retracting the slideout at the end of my camping trip.

Today, I decided to try my slideout. The slide out extended a couple of inches and stopped. I retracted it and tried it again. This time, the slideout started to extend crooked. I stopped and retracted it again. I went outside the coach and found a metal piece from the awning mechanism over the slideout had broken off and was laying on the ground. It is the piece with a knob on it that rotates when the awning extends with the slideout.

My slideout was repaired two years ago because it would not extend.

So, tomorrow I will going to the dealership for repair.

[Park Super]

Your rig is obviously out of warrantee unless of course you have a service contract. I would be interested to know if Winnebago will be covering the cost of repairs as these slide issues seem to be a design flaw. Also, does your rig have the slim rack power gear or the old style fixed track? Sorry about your troubles and hope they will be resolved for you.

[Rossi6998]

Originally Posted by Park Super

Your rig is obviously out of warrantee unless of course you have a service contract. I would be interested to know if Winnebago will be covering the cost of repairs as these slide issues seem to be a design flaw. Also, does your rig have the slim rack power gear or the old style fixed track? Sorry about your troubles and hope they will be resolved for you.

Fortunately, I do have a service contact. I have the Schwintek system, so I am assuming it is the standard fixed track system. The only difference with mine is when they made the first repair, Schwintek supposedly upgraded the track and it was black instead of silver. So, the tracks on one side are black and silver on the other side.

[MisterT]

I had this same type issue happen with our main slide, loud pops.

It sounds like the gear jumped some of the rail 'teeth' while extending, though since you retracted it later it doesn't seem like it was the issue(?)

when this happened to us, the issue became that the rear bottom of the slide was now 'out of sync' of the others - with the slide in, the bottom rear was still out 1 1/2" to 2", or 3 or 4 'teeth'. when the top and bottom of one end of the slide are out of sync, there is no real way to solve the issue other than to either remove the gear to re sync, or replace the gear and column, as Thor did for us at the service center in Wakarusa.

[Rossi6998]

Originally Posted by MisterT

I had this same type issue happen with our main slide, loud pops.

It sounds like the gear jumped some of the rail 'teeth' while extending, though since you retracted it later it doesn't seem like it was the issue(?)

when this happened to us, the issue became that the rear bottom of the slide was now 'out of sync' of the others - with the slide in, the bottom rear was still out 1 1/2" to 2", or 3 or 4 'teeth'. when the top and bottom of one end of the slide are out of sync, there is no real way to solve the issue other than to either remove the gear to re sync, or replace the gear and column, as Thor did for us at the service center in Wakarusa.

Hmmm.... The slide did not "pop" this time, but it did the last two times I used it. The system is obviously flawed. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to take it in for repair. Plus, the piece from the outside awning mechanism broke. Maybe that malfunctioned causing the slide to malfunction???

[Bill596]

On our, bought new April 2013, 2013 Sightseer 33C the large drivers side slide pops and bangs both in and out. Just started about 4 trips ago. This last trip it took multiple times with engine running to extend. It retraced fine, however while driving on right hand curves (freeway on ramps) the slide banged and seemed to jump out a tooth or so. The front lower corner is out about and inch. All other corners are in flush. As it's out of warranty I took it to my regular RV repair shop. Today they called and tell me I need to take the coach to a Winnebago service facility as they cannot find the problem. The repair shop has spoken with Winnebago service who said the slide system was poorly engineered and to take the unit to Winnebago for repair.

Before I do that has anyone had Winnebago step up for the repair cost on these defective slide systems? Any suggestions on how I should proceed.

Bill Dwyer
2013 Sightseer 33C
11,000 miles
San Jose, CA

[hotseer]

Hi sorry to hear you are having the same problem we did. Ours turned into a BIG nightmare! We left in July last yr for Lake Tahoe from Ventura. We heard a banging in the Big full length slider. We have a Sightseer 33C as well. So in Fillmore I just opened and closed that big slider thinking I hadn't closed it fully on our last trip out. When we got to a cool 114 degree Mojave we stopped at a gas station and I walked around to check that slider only to find the bottom was 6-7 inches out while the top was in. So we opened the slider all the way and tried to close it. There was a terrible grinding noise as the top came in first and tilted the bottom was grinding up the floor and linoleum! Breaking base boards on the way in.. Good Sam came and helped us get it back in jumping gears. After we got home we took it to Camp World in Bakersfield where we bought it. After 3 1/2 months of hassles and delays Winnebago got a tech out there and installed all new motors and gears. on them! They ALSO found the front passenger slider rams were broken and stripped. So it looks like from reading all the forums this was a really BAD system, motors and gears all not nearly strong enough to handle the weight....what a mess. Myadvice is to call Winnebago...best of luck to all and I hope yours doesn't trash your vacation like it didours Dave and Cindy

[hotseer]

Originally Posted by Bill596

On our, bought new April 2013, 2013 Sightseer 33C the large drivers side slide pops and bangs both in and out. Just started about 4 trips ago. This last trip it took multiple times with engine running to extend. It retraced fine, however while driving on right hand curves (freeway on ramps) the slide banged and seemed to jump out a tooth or so. The front lower corner is out about and inch. All other corners are in flush. As it's out of warranty I took it to my regular RV repair shop. Today they called and tell me I need to take the coach to a Winnebago service facility as they cannot find the problem. The repair shop has spoken with Winnebago service who said the slide system was poorly engineered and to take the unit to Winnebago for repair.

Before I do that has anyone had Winnebago step up for the repair cost on these defective slide systems? Any suggestions on how I should proceed.

Bill Dwyer
2013 Sightseer 33C
11,000 miles
San Jose, CA

I had a nightmare with my Winnebago 33c I wrote about 3 days ago but I don't see it in the forums AND I JUST wrote a long 3 paragraph response to you and anyone with these sliders. I am JUST SHOCKED at how many of these forums, articles, and internet stories about these sliders. Our problem happened out in the Mojave Desert at 116 degrees in July on the FIRST DAY of our two week trip! The BIG slider on the driver side was banging and rattling so when we stopped to gas up in Mojave I opened the slider all the way out and tried to close it. The top tipped in and the bottom was about 8 inches behind so being so badly tipped inward the base boards tore up the floor and linoleum and did a lot of other damage. Thank God we got a GREAT experienced Good Sam mechanic out to help us. With 3 six foot crow bars we got it to jump the gears to get it back. SO ON RUINED TRIP! We still went on to Lake Tahoe but had a broken slider the rest of the trip. So we drove it to Bakersfield Camp World after we got home in July and got it back the LAST WEEKEND OF OCTOBER! YES over 4 months to get it fixed! And yes we too had to wait for someone from Winnebago to come out to Bakersfield to fix it! By the way, the guy from Good Sam that came from Tehachapi to Mojave to help us said that THIS was the most popular calls they got! Newer motorhomes with broken sliders out in the desert! And it was 116,4 degrees that day! It took us 4 and one half hours to get that slider repairs enough to drive on our way to Lake Tahoe! He said ALL the problems they saw were motorhomes with the huge sliders and they were still using the SAME sliders they were putting in small trailers. Since then I have seen tons of trailers and small motorhomes with 6-8 foot sliders with the SAME motors, tracks, and gears as my Winnebago 33c with approx. 20 ft slider that's probably 2000 lbs approx. THE SAME MOTORS AND GEARS! SERIOUSLY? And the Good Sam guy said he has seen tons of $300,000 to $600,000 motorhomes with the SAME junky equipment breaking as well! Isaw one of you made a comment that Winnebago and ALL of those companies who made those should do a VOLUNTARY RECALL on EVERY unit they sold! NOW! I don't know about all of you good folks out there but I am NOT a millionaire! This coach cost us a fortune and it IS our retirement! Because our coach was only 14 months old Winnebago paid this bill. While they were waiting for parts I asked them to check on our passenger side front slider that was "rocking back and forth and jamming a bit when we opened or closed it. Two different techs at Camp World told me that the rocking was NORMAL in the past and NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT... So THIS time I INSISTED that the Winnebago tech look at it while he was there waiting for the new motors on the left slider. He called me up and said that ALL 8 bolts and nuts on the ram that attaches to the slider steel brackets WERE COMPLETELY STRIPPED and torn out of the threads and the ends of BOTH rams were pounded open and SPLIT! That slider was DESTROYING ITSELF! And Camp World told me THAT WAS NORMAL! When it was all done Camp World told me that bill would have been $5000 to $6000 and I was LUCKY Winnebago picked up the bill. I feel they SHOULD HAVE !! Yes it was NICE of Winnebago since it was out of Warranty, but what about ALL of those people who have to pay that bill on something that costs as much as these coaches do? Sorry this is SO LONG but my message to you is this, I HAVE heard of quite a few of these slider problems that were 3-4 yrs old and the owners were told they would have to pay for it. They did the same thing I did and more, they KEPT CALLING Winnebago or whoever put those JUNK slider motors and tracks and gears in and INSISTED they cover it like they did with others. My last message is this, someone out there who also had the slider nightmare made a VERY smart comment. MAKE SURE THEY REPLACE THE ENTIRE SET! EVERYTHING ON BOTH SIDES! ALL slider gears, all motors and ALL tracks! And beware as he found out that they came out with a new replacement set that ALSO had a bunch of problems! GEES! Make SURE they replace them with the NEW 500-1 motor / gear set. I look at my NEW set and see the HEAVY duty motors, gears, and especially the track and then look at the new small trailers that had the same tiny equipment as my old set had and cant believe the huge difference! Best of luck to ALL of you! CHECK ALL OF YOUR SLIDERS! Blessings and safe roads to all Dave and Cindy aka Hotseer

[Sun_Seeker]

After reading about all the problems that poor owners are having, have had, will have...I've made my decision...glad that I bought a non slider model...solid walls...and will not move onto one that I thought I might be interested in...the 2108DS. Nope...now happy to stay with my non-slider 1706FB. Done....

[hotseer]

Hi Dave (Hotseer) here..Yes we had the SAME problem and it turned into a NIGHTMARE! Your slider motors, gears, and tracks are weak JUNK! It ALL needs to be replaced by Winnebago and THEY should pay for it! DONT WAIT until you have the mess we had in the Mojave Desert at 116.5 degrees! AND CHECK YOUR PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SLIDER that the couch is in! Tocheck it open the slider ALL the way out. From your entry stairs area look down at the slider ram bracket and make sure there is NO space where the slider ram bolts to the slider bracket, I thought the four bolts were just loose..No they were COMPLETELY STRIPPED! Then go over to the other side towards the front of the coach andlook backatthat bracket. If your slider rocks back and forth top to bottom instead of smoothly opening get it repaired by Winnebago! It should open smoothly even though it hasa slight dropto it. Its not the best design. The threaded holes in my brackets were ALL stripped and pummelled by the ram! To fixit they just drilled out the threads and thru bolted the brackets with MUCH bigger bolts,,,, you can call me if you want best of luck, Dave

[georgelesley]

Originally Posted by hotseer

Hi Dave (Hotseer) here..Yes we had the SAME problem and it turned into a NIGHTMARE! Your slider motors, gears, and tracks are weak JUNK! It ALL needs to be replaced by Winnebago and THEY should pay for it! DONT WAIT until you have the mess we had in the Mojave Desert at 116.5 degrees! AND CHECK YOUR PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SLIDER that the couch is in! Tocheck it open the slider ALL the way out. From your entry stairs area look down at the slider ram bracket and make sure there is NO space where the slider ram bolts to the slider bracket, I thought the four bolts were just loose..No they were COMPLETELY STRIPPED! Then go over to the other side towards the front of the coach andlook backatthat bracket. If your slider rocks back and forth top to bottom instead of smoothly opening get it repaired by Winnebago! It should open smoothly even though it hasa slight dropto it. Its not the best design. The threaded holes in my brackets were ALL stripped and pummelled by the ram! To fixit they just drilled out the threads and thru bolted the brackets with MUCH bigger bolts,,,, you can call me if you want best of luck, Dave

Thanks for the tip i just checked ours all was good. I will keep an eye on them however!

[emcee]

Originally Posted by Rossi6998

Hmmm.... The slide did not "pop" this time, but it did the last two times I used it. The system is obviously flawed. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to take it in for repair. Plus, the piece from the outside awning mechanism broke. Maybe that malfunctioned causing the slide to malfunction???

A jammed slide topper would prevent the slide from operating properly. That broken piece you found is the smoking gun.

[Nxkharra]

The new solution from Winnebago is New tracks that they are installing. The Schwintech didn't work well either (black color).
We have had the originals (silver) and Schwintech (black) going bad. Pops when extending, gets out of track and that's the end of slide out (full side slide out is just too heavy).
The new ones I think is called Protech

[Nxkharra]

Correction the new system is Powergear. Only certain dealers in country can install them as not all dealers have been trained to install.
Winnebago is installing these in their new coaches and claim they have not had issues with them....too New to tell. Full side slide sucks.

[Honwing]

Our 2016 Vista LX 27N is now in for repair on the passenger Full Wall Slide. This slide has the new and improved Powergear System. Camping World says that after 7,000 miles that the slide has excessive wear and the column and motors needed replacing. All new parts we're installed Friday and now they cannot get it to work at all. The slide has been noisy since new. The other two slides also pop a lot so hope they break before warranty runs out. Too many things have broke on this rv that I may have to go back to Forest City again for repair.

[Park Super]

Originally Posted by Honwing

Our 2016 Vista LX 27N is now in for repair on the passenger Full Wall Slide. This slide has the new and improved Powergear System. Camping World says that after 7,000 miles that the slide has excessive wear and the column and motors needed replacing. All new parts we're installed Friday and now they cannot get it to work at all. The slide has been noisy since new. The other two slides also pop a lot so hope they break before warranty runs out. Too many things have broke on this rv that I may have to go back to Forest City again for repair.

Don't wait for those slides to fail. Ours started popping and the dealer repaired. The popping is cracks on the column where the motor mounts.

[Nxkharra]

Not comforting to hear this about Powergear. After our installation we have the MH in storage and have not been using it. We will be on the road soon and will update.

[cochise1949]

Schwintek was absorbed by Lippert. More recently, Lippert bought Power Gear. I wonder if they are just calling the Schwintek mechanism Power Gear now as Schwintek has a poor reputation.

[Electra 225]

Originally Posted by cochise1949

Schwintek was absorbed by Lippert. More recently, Lippert bought Power Gear. I wonder if they are just calling the Schwintek mechanism Power Gear now as Schwintek has a poor reputation.

Probably, it IS all the same after all. I just hope the Powergear side of the aquisition has the most influence overall if you know what I mean. [emoji41]

Regards,
W.D.

[Honwing]

Power Gear was supposed to be the solution for Schwintek but in my case the Schwintek bedroom slide has been troublefree. Maybe because it is a small slide.