Power Gear Slim Rack Slide Retrofit

[bogey]

Would like to here who has had the original swintek slide system changed to powergear slim rack on winnebago tour or itasca ellipse and was the conversion successful in eliminating kitchen slide problems on these motorhomes.

[creativepart]

Have you checked out Vroom slides in Tucson? All reports are that this company has solved the problems:

https://vroomslidesystems.com/

As an aside, we have the Powergear Slim Rack slides and have had minimal issues over 5-years.

[Wayne M]

When we purchased our used 2015 in 2017 the kitchen slide already had the Power Gear racks. We did have a problem with one motor but that was most likely a lack of understanding on good practices, like holding the button in for 5 seconds after extending or retracting, and never reverse directions unless an emergency. No problems since I started following the procedure.

[Americanrascal]

We have 2 slim rack systems on our rig. On each unit the drive blocks broke and required replacement. The first slide was under warranty the other slide they broke and we had to eat it- rather pricey work. One the rear bedroom slide we also had a controller failure which was replaced under warranty.

I was told (but have no verification) that the newer Lippert drive blocks now use a stronger material and drive block failure is less of an issue. I hope that's right!

From what I have seen an hear the VROOM system is a better set up.

[cruizerEd]

We had our full wall slide swintek slide system replaced with powergear. We had it done by Leisure Coach works in Fontana CA (east of LA). They did excellent work.

This was about three years ago and they were challenged to find the right part numbers. Once they were confident that the part numbers were correct.

The work probably took two or three days after they had the parts but getting the parts took weeks.

They did not remove the slide but just jacked it up. They removed the exterior trim and one bedside cabinet that was in the way.

I can look up the price but something like $5700 was the total cost and our warranty covered all but $1500 of it.

The system has worked well since we got it.

It is a much tighter fit than the swintek. Just 1/16 of an inch will cause it to squeak. It typically slides forward, probably from hard braking. When it start to squeak I just pull the slide away from the squeaking end while it is coming in or going out and it clears up.

I always do the sync thing of pushing in first when it is in and out first when it is out. I also always use reversible clamps as slide locks one third of the way up from the floor with a 12inch section of 2x4 against the wall to spread the load.

Powergear says it doesn't need lubrication but I spray it with dry lube every now and then.

I also lube the rollers under the slide which are not part of the the swintek/powergear but are critical to it's function.

Let me know if you need more info.

[Jopopsy]

Originally Posted by cruizerEd

I always do the sync thing of pushing in first when it is in and out first when it is out. I also always use reversible clamps as slide locks one third of the way up from the floor with a 12inch section of 2x4 against the wall to spread the load.

Can you elaborate on this? I’ve never done this but I’m wondering if I should.

Anybody else do this procedure?

[cruizerEd]

The sync is a procedure tomakes sure that the slide controller knows both ends are at their limits. By doing the in first when in and out first when out the slide system tends to stay in sync because tiny errors are corrected each time the slide is moved in or out. It seldom does anything. That is to say the motors seldom move. Occasionally when the slide is in and you push in the one or motor will move in and this will make sure you start with both ends of the slide completely in. It happens even less often when the slide is out but if we have been parked a long time and there has been a lot of thermal cycling while the slides were out they will move in a little. This happens most often on our closet slide. By doing this "pesyncing" I have never had to do any other syncing as described in the link at the beginning of this paragraph.

As for the clamps. I noticed on my swintek setup after driving the bottom of my full wall slide would be out a little. This makes sense. When the slide is in it is hanging cantilevered over the rollers that are on the outer edge. The slide is held vertical by the outer slide flange pressed against the outer wall of the rv. The motor lock is the only thing holding the slide in to resist the torque created by the static and dynamic loads on the cantilevered slide. The loads will tend to torque the slide out at the bottom.
The motor is at the top and the only thing holding the bottom is is the gear on the end of a long shaft which is probably 5 feet long or more. There is no way that the bottom gear at the bottom of that shaft can be held solidly under the stresses by that shaft. The forces trying to twist the slide around the upper edge as you drive probably twist that shaft a little letting the slide bottom move out a bit. Once the slide has torqued out enough the inner edge of the slide structure or some item of furniture will start resting on the floor and add support to the slide but this is highly undesirable and could result in a variety of cosmetic and functional damage to the floor or furniture. Our slide has a carped block tucked under one of the cabinets that is probably intended to keep the floor from being damaged in anticipation of this type of failure but I don't find that any comfort. Also unless the shaft remains completely elastic returning 100% of its original shape this sagging will be come permanent.

By putting a clamp one thirds of the way up the slide the forces are resisted at the point that minimized the deflection of and strain in the slide and wall. See BEAMS: STRAIN, STRESS, DEFLECTIONS figure 3.2 (b). It could be argued that this should be one thirds of the distance from the bottom of the slide to the top rail. My position is that even the slide motor lock and mechanism isn't 100% solid, that it to say it could distort making the only solid support at the top edge of the slide.

In my opinion without the clamps you have essentially figure 3.2(d) (link above) with the top edge (or locked motor if you preferer that assumption) being the ridge attachment at the left. I don't believe the bottom gear held only by a long thin metal shaft provides significant resistance for early deflection at the bottom and as such effectively doesn't exist as a support until it starts to distort and generate torque from its elastic distortion.

BTW Syncing will not correct for this because there is not sensor at the bottom and no way for the system to correct for the bottom being out of alignment with the top. That is to say this system has no way to sense and correct for vertical alignment. If the system had 4 motors it might cost a little more but it would function much better by locking at the top and the bottom and by being able to align (sync) both horizontally and vertically. A mechanical lock at the bottom would help but that would be hard to do and still have this a purely "in wall" system.

Let me know if you need anything more. Given time I can come up with some pictures of the locks in place if that would help.

[Wyatt]

Lippert made the Schwintech and they also Slim Rack system. They’re both Powergear systems.

[Z-LIFE]

Originally Posted by cruizerEd
AS for the clamps. I noticed on my swintek setup after driving the bottom of my full wall slide would be out a little. This makes sense. When the slide is in it is hanging cantilevered over the rollers that are on the outer edge. The slide is held vertical by the outer slide flange pressed against the outer wall of the rv. The motor lock is the only thing holding the slide in to resist the torque created by the static and dynamic loads on the cantilevered slide. The loads will tend to torque the slide out at the bottom.
The motor is at the top and the only thing holding the bottom is is the gear on the end of a long shaft which is probably 5 feet long or more. There is no way that the bottom gear at the bottom of that shaft can be held solidly under the stresses by that shaft. The forces trying to twist the slide around the upper edge as you drive probably twist that shaft a little letting the slide bottom move out a bit. Once the slide has torqued out enough the inner edge of the slide structure or some item of furniture will start resting on the floor and add support to the slide but this is highly undesirable and could result in a variety of cosmetic and functional damage to the floor or furniture. Our slide has a carped block tucked under one of the cabinets that is probably intended to keep the floor from being damaged in anticipation of this type of failure but I don't find that any comfort. Also unless the shaft remains completely elastic returning 100% of its original shape this sagging will be come permanent.

By putting a clamp one thirds of the way up the slide the forces are resisted at the point that minimized the deflection of and strain in the slide and wall. See[URL="https://courses.washington.edu/me354a/chap3.pdf"

BEAMS: STRAIN, STRESS, DEFLECTIONS[/URL] figure 3.2 (b). It could be argued that this should be one thirds of the distance from the bottom of the slide to the top rail. My position is that even the slide motor lock and mechanism isn't 100% solid, that it to say it could distort making the only solid support at the top edge of the slide.

In my opinion without the clamps you have essentially figure 3.2(d) (link above) with the top edge (or locked motor if you preferer that assumption) being the ridge attachment at the left. I don't believe the bottom gear held only by a long thin metal shaft provides significant resistance for early deflection at the bottom and as such effectively doesn't exist as a support until it starts to distort and generate torque from its elastic distortion.

BTW Syncing will not correct for this because there is not sensor at the bottom and no way for the system to correct for the bottom being out of alignment with the top. That is to say this system has no way to sense and correct for vertical alignment. If the system had 4 motors it might cost a little more but it would function much better by locking at the top and the bottom and by being able to align (sync) both horizontally and vertically. A mechanical lock at the bottom would help but that would be hard to do and still have this a purely "in wall" system.

Let me know if you need anything more. Given time I can come up with some pictures of the locks in place if that would help.

I know this is an old thread but everything you said makes total sense and it is exactly what is happening to me. My full wall slide is out about 1-1.5 inches on the bottom when fully retracted. More so in the rear then the front. The kitchen island is scraping the floor.
I would love to see pictures of the locks in place if possible. Also, do you have any ideas how to realign the top and bottom before I start using locks?

[cruizerEd]

Originally Posted by Z-LIFE

Also, do you have any ideas how to realign the top and bottom before I start using locks?

Let clarify here this is a schwintek rack and this is a slim rack (scroll down in pdf to see rack)

I may have erroneously referred to the slim rack as a Power gear and it may have been at one point but now it is lipper.

This discussion applies to both but the schwintek is much more likely to be stripped.

I would replace a schwintek with a slim rack instead of repairing the schwintek.

Mine was always coming in all the way, it was only after driving that the slide moved at the bottom and probably less than 1/4 inch. So I didn't have your problem. Ours was a schwintek and it stopped coming in at the back because the rack stripped out. When our schwintek failed we could not find the parts so it wasn't an option. We installed a slim rack cost was about $5K but I'm sure it is more now.

The way I see it is either your shaft is permanently bent, the drive gear has jumped a few teeth, the rack has shifted or bent (not sure this is possible), the rack is stripped, the drive gear is stipped but some how moves the slide but can't finish the job (pretty unlikely)

If the rack is stripped you'll be able to see the problem at the bottom when the slide is out since that is what brings the last few inches of the bottom in.

If the shaft is bent you would think the slide wouldn't go out straight either. Does it go out straight? I seriously doubt you can restore the shaft but you would certainly have to remove it to try. You're going to have to remove the gasket or some how look to see if the splines are vertical or twisted like a candy cane.

If you live a charmed life the gear jumped the rack teeth you will have to disassemble the unit aligned the slide with jacks and reinstall the mechanism. I think this is just a matter of loosing and lifting the motor but you'll have to research that.

The hard part is this all of this has to be done with the slide nearly all the way out and you have to jacked up the slide to get it vertical. Also the slide will have to be perfectly position fore and aft and that will be a trick.

What every you do make sure you have released the motor brake or moved the motor so it isn't engaged before trying to force the slide manually.

As for the clamps here is a link. These work to hold it in place and might provide enough force for some light correction.

Something like this would apply more force for correction but I doubt that is the solution. They wouldn't work well as a transport slide clamp.

Something like this will move or break anything on the slide you apply it to. Just kidding, don't use this.

[Z-LIFE]

Thank you for the response and all your knowledge. Definitely will use the clamps for travel! Have been using door stop wedges under the cabinets in several places to try and stabilize it under way ( recommended by a dealer).They were constantly popping out, so I know this full slide shifts a lot going down the road! I will post when I get to the cause and a solution.