Rear Slide 340RLQ

[haymour]

This is for the owners of above listed model.
Has anyone experienced the rear 2 road side slides tipping out while making a right hand turn? I would like to hear what the factory did to fix it and if it worked!!! My slides slammed back so hard it dislodged the fire place and the kitchen slide slammed in so hard it unloaded the freezer all while in transit.

I was told that "This is normal" DUH! Any suggestions.

I noticed this problem going up hill at 5-8 miles an hour! I've had 3 other makes of 5th. wheels and this is the 1st. with this problem!!!

[racerjoe]

It looks like your model came with the "auto self cleaning" system. I am surprised the dealer did not tell you this is the left hand turn only model and you had to special order the one that turns both ways!!
(just my shot at a little humor)

[Montana Sky]

My 3400rl is going on five years old and I have yet to experience the slides coming out during transit. I would get in touch with Lippert to see what they say. This is not normal.

[SlickWillie]

quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky

My 3400rl is going on five years old and I have yet to experience the slides coming out during transit. I would get in touch with Lippert to see what they say. This is not normal.

I'm thinking I recall seeing problems with models with kitchen slides tipping out at the top while turning. The slides are not secured at the top, merely at the bottom, and depend on the weight to keep the top aligned. I have been told in high wind areas, particularity along the coast, that the wind may tip the slides in at the top.

To answer haymour's question, I suppose one could put struts at the top of the slide on the inside. Just be sure to remove them before hitting the slide out switch. Our SOB TT had these struts to lock the slide in.

[David and Jo-Anna]

Although we've had serious frame damage problems in the last year, we've never had a problem with any slides on our 2007 340RLQ Big Sky coming out or slamming back in while traveling down the road.

[richfaa]

Haymour....Does your model have slide toppers???

[bsmeaton]

Welcome to the Forum!

I have to side with the "it's normal" group. The slides will tip out if you turn hard enough and put enought inertia on the rig. The only real thing that keeps them closed at the top is the depth of the slide and the weight towards the center. The bedroom is the hardest to tip because of the bed. The kitchen is the easiest because it is shallow and has significant top end weight. One fella actually lost the Apollo oven out of the top.

There are no models immune. It's just the design. Those that say it has never happened is probably exactly that - it hasn't happened to them because they drive a little more conservative, or they just haven't seen it happen because it occurs on the outside of the turn out of sight of the mirrors. Given a hard enough turn, any of them will tip out. There is nothing to prevent it. Try pushing out the top of any of your slides while they are closed. They all can be tipped. It might take two people on the corners to do the large slide or the bedroom, but they will tip out. Almost scary when you see it happen.

I haven't had it happen - but I did ask Lippert about it. They said to check the outside studs and nuts along the outer edge of the slide underneath where the slide box is attached to the frame. They are the only thing that attaches the slide box to the slide mechanism that pushes and pulls the box out. That attachment cannot be completely tight, because the slide has to tip up to get over the floor runners to allow athe slide to park on top of the main floor. Its the actual design - which changed a decade or so ago. The older 5ers had higher floors on the slides, whereas these have been improved to have level floors when everything is open.

I've actually considered putting an interior slide lock on kitchen slide if I ever have trouble throwing food or something. Its just an expandable bar with rubber feet on each end that is used on smaller units with manual slides.

[richfaa]

The reason I asked if the rig had slide toppers is because I read somewhere, perhaps on this forum,that the tension provided by the slide toppers would prevent that from happening.Sounded kind of far out to me as I would not think he toppers could provide that kind of tension. We tried to push out the kitchen slide top and could not do it??? Brad's explaination makes more sense. To our knowledge the slides pulling out in a turn has not happened to us in many miles and many turns.

[haymour]

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

Haymour....Does your model have slide toppers???

No, that was the suggestion from the factory. I've talked to several "Dealers" and they say that the slide toppers do not have enough tension to hold the top of the slide in while in transit.

[TLightning]

I just started a thread on the "Repairs and Service" thread on my kitchen slide coming out at the top.