Ha. I actually did write a results of going back to the dealer, but never posted it! For that I apologize.
This is a follow up to my slide out issue that I wrote about in October. I’m still holding my breath.
As I wrote, I had gotten LaMesa RV to take the RV back to work on the slide out, making sure the slide out rollers were carrying the weight of the slide out. It took almost two months to get it back to the shop when I dropped it off. When ready, I looked at it with a more critical eye. I was told that the stripe would not be straight as the whole slide out has settled a bit, and to try to get it all straight would require removing the slide out and rebuilding it, something that $678 could not cover. So they lifted up the slide, remounted the roller brackets, used beefier screws and put it back. I tested the front roller, and it rolled and could not be stopped. However - and you know there would be ANOTHER however, didn’t you? - the rear roller wasn’t turning at all. When I pointed that out, it was quickly taken back to the shop, and when it came back, a “shim was installed” and the roller now turned and I could not stop it. With that, I accepted the work - reluctantly.
To be honest, I feel this is, at best, a temporary repair. After all, the clearance on the slide is only about 1/4 inch. In still have my one year warranty, and I’ll bet I’ll need to use it. I just don’t see anything that would really prevent it from dropping down slightly once more. The remodel that Winnebago engineered starting in 2019, eliminated this issue. But I’ll bet it will need to be propped up and adjusted again…and again. If I still lived in Colorado, I’d have taken it back to Forest City to the factory to have it rebuilt, but it’s too far to go there from California.
As for the operation, it’s clear there are no hangups on the slide, as the slide goes in and out easily. The sound of the stress that it had before is gone. So the end of the story won’t really be known until later this summer when I take it out of the storage lot, planned in late April. Ask me again this summer.
Overall, I’m not pleased with this. I felt that LaMesa didn’t do a big enough job, although I’m sure I got $678 worth of work out of them. It just hasn’t improved the problem enough. Here is what the tech wrote on the invoice:
“Slide out room is at factory hole setting. Moved room side to side, up and down. Power gear wall racks are set on rollers and mounted. Moved up as much as possible without damage to slide system. Solid mounted. Roller on left bracket has a 1/4 inch slot and one side dropped down 1/16 of an inch. Installed a 3/8 inch tapper to replace the bottom 5/16. Both rollers free spin. Seals are good, rollers too.”
Unfortunately, as soon as I brought my rig, I prepared it for winter storage and took it to the storage lot, so I haven’t had a chance to use it yet and see how it works.
The tolerances are so close and tight in the slide out. The total clearance can’t be more than a half inch. So it doesn’t take much for things to go haywire. Thinking about this some more maybe I can provide it tiny bit of lift to the brackets by placing some washers under the bottom screws that should pivot up the bracket. But I’ll have to wait to do that this coming spring. Keeping my fingers crossed. However, I do have an alternate shop I can take it to if I need to. Let’s see what this summer brings.
