Slide stuck

[AGee]

We have a 2007 Adventurer, bought new. Setting up camp slid out driver side slide and heard unusual sounds. Stopping almost full extension and before flat floor dropped in place. It appears that the slide shoe/guide, between the slide room bottom and the floor of the rig, pulled away on only one side. The screws pulled out of the flooring sub board. They did not shear off. The other side of the slide shoe/ guide is in tack.

The gear/motor are fine but I don't want to damage anything. The piece will wedge and tear sun floor if forced back in.

I am stuck, can't get slide in, can't drive and camp rangers are furious that I can't leave

Any suggestions, any one know about towing RV with slide out?

Desperate for suggestions.

[Marine359]

Feeling it for you.
If you only had three more seals and a caber, then lift and push.
I know, not funny.
I’ll try making a few calls. Used to live out there.

[imnprsd]

I can't tell from your pictures what I am looking at?

I presume you have an HWH slide system, but maybe not.

Is this the large "Flat Floor" slide you are having problems with?

If you have What's App I can talk you though it. Just send me your phone number by private message and I will call you on What's App. ...I'm in Mexico now but I am leaving this afternoon. After that I will not be available.

For those with HWH Flat Floor, this information may help. (The manual sucks.)

* Release the pressure to the solenoid that controls the slide. (The nut wrench is found by tanking the cap off the reservoir... and then using the other end to turn the solenoid nut.

* The top row are your 4 jack solenoids.

* Your slide solenoids are the bottom row.

* The slide solenoids on the frontside are your "extend" solenoids.

* The slide solenoids on the backside are your "retract" solenoids.

Mantra: "E" comes before "R" so your extend solenoids are towards the front.

Since you want to retract the room you need to loosen the end nut (or T-handle, but just enough to open the pressure line.

* Then you go back outside and find the RAM ends by opening your cargo doors. One left. One right.

* Undo the small thumb screw so the "All Thread Rod" (that rusty 6' long thing that disappears inside) can freely turn.

* Alternating sides, tighten the All Thread Bolt to draw the room in. You may use a tire-iron from your car, but inside your slideout compartment Winnebago provides a few tools for this purpose.

Note: These All Threads can only take so much force until they snap. So be careful about the force you put on your slide is climbing the ramp to lift-up.

Once you have the slide in you can crank faster. And it is much easier with 2 people operating spinning those All Thread Nuts at the same time.

Also, if that picture is your cross bar, which it may not be, because I can't tell what it is, you may have to remove it. It is there so the rollers can "land" on top of it.

* If you have 3-4 other people pushing in on the slide that may also help.

* When the slide is back in. Don't forget to tighten the solenoid nut.

[Wayne M]

DO NOT have it towed with the slide out. Don't think that is a good idea at all. Call Winnebago and ask them. Might be some way to shore it up for towing, but I don't think so. Also you would have to get a permit (towing company would) and require escorts. Lots of $$$.

[AGee]

I did get a chuckle out of that. Kinda helps in this situation too. Thx

[AGee]

I appreciate the suggestion but seems like this is for the manual instructions to put the slide in. That won't work. The photo loaded side ways but is from the driver side back end of the open slide. The rubber/plastic slide guide, the strip it self, pulled away from the base of the floor. Only half the strip is unattached, the other half is attached which is creating the issue for the slide not moving forward or back. Whether it is done mechanically or manually until that strip is reattached or removed.

[HappiHenri]

You apparently have the HWH flat floor system - a very complicated hydraulic system which utilizes angled nylon blocks to lift the slide up as it comes in, but which break & crack over time. A really awful design which should never have been produced. The amount of work they went to have a slide system simply lower down an inch of so to give you a flat floor was ridiculous.

But this is what they used and we have to live with it. However - there is help for you. I found Kevin Caudill on Youtube who has a 2007 Voyage on a W24 chassis, who has some very detailed videos on maintaining these models. He replaced these slide blocks - check here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o41dX04bj7Y

He has tons of other videos on maintaining these Workhorse RVs.

[imnprsd]

HappiHenri: I think you are not being accurate when describing the HWH Flat Floor to other owners.

You seem to have the basic understanding of how the slide mechanism works, but I'm going to venture out on a limb here and guess you have never adjusted the HWH flat floor or repaired one yourself. Is that correct?

...because if you have done this then job then you would know it's pretty simple; and on top of that, the HWH system will last longer than almost any other system in your coach... before it needs service.

The problem is that it looks complicated, as you put it, until you figure it out.

Sort of like knowing how to fix your Atwood HWH the first time it fails. Then then next time it's easier. HWH is no different. It's just "foreign" to most of mechanics and unfortunately those who do understand it want to charge you up the ying-yang, because the stigma is that is such a big job and so complicated, but that just another example how how some shops are killing is RV industry by over charging.

It's NOT complicated if you know what to do!

I just hired a 2 guys in The Reef RV Park, in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) to do a complete HWH overhaul; and if these 2 guys can do the job with basic tools and 2 bottle jacks and a few 2x4s, then why is it so hard to find mechanics in the USA to do this job?

Why? ...Because people ignore their slideout warning signs... and then one day they start bending metal.

Plus, you don't find any maintenance recommendations on the slideout so owners don't pay attention to it. Just like their transmission, but that's another topic for another day.

IMO, to do HWH slide maintenance should cost $900 in a shop, but it ends up costing $2,000+, because everyone has no idea how these things work... and when they crawl under the coach and look at it, the first few times, it's hard to figure out. But when you do figure it out, you discovery the HWH flat flow glide mechanism is really very simple! Like that Atwood water heater.

That said, if you don't know how to fix your Atwood HWH, then I would not recommend you try doing any maintenance or adjustment on your HWH.

[HappiHenri]

imnprsd - Wow! You seem to have made a lot of assumptions about me, my experience and my abilities from my short comment on the HWH flat floor. And of course - your ignorant statement is totally wrong. (you know what they say about people who "assume")

I have spent far too much time reading Winnebago and HWH documentation, watching videos and crawling under and around my HWH flat floor system to replace the angled nylon blocks after my "wonderful" HWH flat floor was retracted one day and ripped up the front portion of my main floor because the front blocks failed and did not lift the floor "up and over" the initial hump when it came up off the glide strip support rail - ripping right into the edge of the main floor it used to lift over.

I then spent days working on this system to replace all those blocks and make numerous adjustments - after which I totally stand by my observation that this system is indeed very complicated and very badly designed. And I can easily say that after learning about it, working with it, fighting it and wasting far too much time trying to get it operate properly - and now fearing for when it will fail again. Which it will.

So why badly designed? 1st - because they did not make those angled nylon lift blocks nearly large or durable enough to lift and support all the weight which is on that slide. Which BTW - includes 3 large lower compartments which could be easily loaded with hundreds more lbs of stuff. Those blocks will fail again - it is only a matter of time.

2nd - They made no provision in this design to replace any of the angled blocks or glide pads which the rams ride on. Yet they sell them - without providing any way to replace them. One would hope that the engineers who designed this monstrosity would have built it in such a way that all those wear items could be replaced. But they did not. To replace the angled lift blocks requires loosening and bending out the stamped steel plates which ride up on those blocks - just barely possible and an operation for which it was never designed. As for the nylon "glide" pads supporting the rams - there is no way which I can find how to replace those. I have all new pads to replace my cracked and broken ones - but short of removing and disassembling each entire ram system do not see how this can be done. Bad design is all I can say.

3rd - Mounting 3 large storage compartments to the slide. Adds a huge amount of weight which the slide has to raise up and bring in every time it is operated. The slide is heavy enough all by itself - why stress it even more? Again - bad design.

4th - They went to a lot of trouble (expense, weight and complexity) to achieve a flat floor with that slide out. Yet in our model across it's 12' length you can only see about 18" of the seam where the floor falls even. And it is under the dinette where having a flat floor is quite pointless and unnecessary. I would have preferred as much simpler and reliable slide system that did not drop down that 1"+ to achieve a level floor - because it does not really achieve anything- at least in my model. (Though I know of of other floorplans where the entire kitchen is built on that slide so the entire length of floor is seen.)

5th - HWH supplied no instructions that I could find which explain how to replace any of these nylon wear blocks and pads. A lot of other information on adjustments and hydraulic piston care, etc, but that is all.

So you claim that working on this system is easy, simple and obvious - yet it appears from your photos that you had to totally disassemble both ram systems - that cannot have been easy or simple.

And what is it about the Atwood water HWH?? How is that relevant to an HWH flat flat floor slide mechanism??

[imnprsd]

HappiHenri: I just pointed out the obvious and you reply practically makes my case in your reply. But I am glad to know you really gave it your best effort.

I'm curious: Do you know how to fix a Atwood Hot Water Heater? Sounds like you do.

...The point is that if you are not smart enough to figure out how to fix an Atwood HWH then maybe you should not attempt this HWH repair yourself, because it's so simple the average mechanic can get lost, and so is the case with this HWH system.

So there you go: The HWH is just too simple for some of us to understand. Like binary math. And look at us all now... living in a digital world we don't understand!

I mean if two guys from Puerto Penasco, with just basic tools, 2-bottle jacks, and a couple pieces of 2x4s... can fix and adjust my HWH slide in the dirt, what is it that makes these guys so much better than the mechanics in the USA who don't know how to do this job? ...Or people to couldn't figure the HWH system out?

Answer: They understand "simple." And they are not out to gouge the public for they took their time!

Also, with the ram out we did not bend or pry open the steel plates (or do any modifications). The removal of the plastic triangles and bearing pads was simple and straight forward, just as the HWH manual said.

If your premise is "There must be a better way?" Then I agree with you. And there is. You should have removed the ram!

I also will agree with some of your HWH design points. Every system in an RV could be made a little better, but I see the HWH flat floor to be a real engineering marvel, probably because I understand how it works; but you trashed a good company and I'm guessing the sting of what you paid to fix your HWH flat floor still hurts. I can understand that. I'm not a huge Cummins fan for similar reasons when it comes to their lift pump design.

I'm also sure there were HWH flat floor operation warning signs you ignored before you have a major failure, because it's easy to do, and we all do it. Fortunately, I decided to overhaul the HWH floor before I got stuck, but I ignored the warning signs for a long time.

Maybe next time you need HWH flat floor service you should head for The Reef At Rock Point and let Gabriel take care of your coach while you go eat lunch and drink some margarita's at the restaurant next door to The Reef.

BOTTOM LINE: Gabriel did a great job for me, and I tipped him big time, because he did not charge me enough.

MORE SUGGESTIONS

* There's a trick to removing the RAM; and doing so makes life easier. The HWH manual says that plain and simple. Did you read the manual? Oh... that's right. You said you did.

* For everyone else, IMO, if you can't think in 3D then I would not attempt this HWH repair on your own. And what makes me upset are mechanics who will just replace the outer triangles and not do the overhaul right... like Gabriel did for me.

[imnprsd]

I forgot to post a picture of how to raise or lower your rams.

Adjustment Tips

* First you adjust the ram height with the slide extended. This is so your vertical wood molding inside the coach (on both ends of the slide) are not putting too much pressure on your floor. In fact, I think keeping the wood trim 1/8- 1/4" off the floor is a good idea.

==> The idea is to adjust the height so the "glide shoe" can drag across the carpet. This will help synchronize the cylinders.

==> For those wanting a vinyl floor, they make a different "glide shoe" for vinyl and in my coach you would have to remove the horizon bar to expose the glide shoe.

* Then you move the slide (Big Box) forwards of backwards to make sure you have 1/8 - 1/4" gap between your fender wells... and preferably end up with equal gaps on both sides.

Note: Your RV is not always level so you need room on both ends to avoid binding.

* Then you close the slide and use your Allan Wrench to adjust the height oof the Big Box so your paint lines match up. When you have the right height, just lock the nut down.

Note: The travel in is controlled by an "L-stop" on the passenger side of the ram. And the ram extension is controlled by adjusting the hydraulic locking nut at the end of the ram... also accessed on the passenger side. (Note: Most likely you will not have to adjust the in-travel or the out travel, but know you know how.)

* The horizonal bar under the Big Box is a "landing bar" the rollers land on when the slide is FULLY extended. This most commonly gets bent then you don't adjust it and/or ignore the warning signs. (See picture below to view the long, horizonal bar.)

My advice is to keep an eye on your paint lines; and if you start hearing or seeing your HWH slide making noise, then just don't extend it all the way until you can get it serviced. Most of the time you can live with it being extended 97% of the way out and no wind or rain will enter the coach. This will get you through the season at least. Also, you can synchronize the cylinders when you close the slides. So don't worry about that.

Just order the "Slideout Kit" and the "Bearing Pad Kit" an any of your bent hardware pieces from HWH. And head for The Reef At Rocky Point and ask for Gabriel or go to HWH in Moscow, IA. They know how to adjust your floor the correct way.