Slide sticking

[gojodo]

Has anyone had problems with their slides sticking? In our 3075RL 2006 Montana our sofa side slide will stop while bringing it in. We give a minute and then release and repush the button and comes in the rest of the way. We have some extra weight behind our sofa but it doesn't seem like it would be heavy enough to matter. Any thoughts would be appreciated. John

[Debbie Asher]

I have the same problem and what they are telling me is that it's the breaker or something like that. When it get overloaded it stops resets and then you can get the slide in.

[nailbender]

Have you ever lubed the track and gears. If not, they could possibly be binding sightly and causing the slide to stop. If you do lube them, be sure to use a dry lube, grease and oil attract dirt creating a gooey mess.

[bw2]

As posted by Debie Asher, my 3400RL has begun stopping as well. The circuit breaker is opening during the in or out process. It resets and then completes the task. As you run the slides in or out, pause for a few seconds after the first or second slide. This should allow the circuit breaker/fuse to cool and the third and/or fourth slide will complete the task. I also will be cleaning and lubricating the slides underneath. The last check I will be making this weekend is the level of the hydraulic fluid in the reservoir.

[Waynem]

Members have reported adding a second breaker in parallel with the present circuit breaker, and that it has eliminated their problem.

My 3400Rl does the same thing. When the 3 small slides come in, I stop for 15-20 seconds and then continue with the main slide. That seems to work for me. Hey, I'm retired and can wait 20 seconds!!

[gojodo]

quote:Originally posted by nailbender

Have you ever lubed the track and gears. If not, they could possibly be binding sightly and causing the slide to stop. If you do lube them, be sure to use a dry lube, grease and oil attract dirt creating a gooey mess.

Nailbender, can you recommend a "dry" lube? Thanks John

[sreigle]

While the breaker can sometimes be the culprit, if the slides have been fine until now, then I'd suspect it's time to lubricate them, as others mentioned above. At least that works for us.

If your slides have kind of a jumpy motion when moving rather than the normal smooth action, that's usually a sign that lubrication is needed. Spray with the dry lube the teeth on the bottom of the rails and shoot some into the gear pack mating to those teeth.

Good luck.

[nailbender]

John, The lube I use is "Full Timers Choice Slide Our Lube & Protectant". I believe I got it at Camping World.

[TLightning]

Here's another possible problem, which I had a while back. When putting the slides out, the last of the four would slow down, almost stop and the motor sound would change. To make a long story short, there was a pin hole leak in the Individual Room Controller (IRC) letting air into the system and causing the fluid in the tank to foam. The IRC is the metal box above the tank that has the four controllers, one for each slide.

The fix is to find the leak...hose, fitting, IRC or pump. We going to change the IRC.

[sreigle]

Nailbender, I used to use that same lubricant you do, until the Keystone Service Center folks took my can of lube, sprayed a piece of cardboard, threw dirt on the cardboard and the dirt stuck to the lubricant. They then sprayed with a can of TFE 101 that they had, did the same dirt thing, and none of the dirt stuck. I conned them into giving me that can of TFE 101 and I'm still using it. Awhile back someone posted a website url where it can be bought.

I'd think any dry lubricant, maybe graphite like superglide has, would work. But I'll always do the dirt test first.

Tom, maybe you already know this but your IRC has a warranty of either three or five years (forgot which). I just got a new one to replace mine, which also had a leak. You might give Lippert a call about this and see if they'll send you a new one.

[nailbender]

Thanks for the info Steve, I will be changing brands.

[Waynem]

Wow!
$92.28 for 9.5 Oz.

[nailbender]

That is what I thought at first also but it is $92.28 for several cans, not sure how many. I found another site that has a single can for $6.99 or a case of 12 for $58.16, a lot more reasonable.

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle


Tom, maybe you already know this but your IRC has a warranty of either three or five years (forgot which). I just got a new one to replace mine, which also had a leak. You might give Lippert a call about this and see if they'll send you a new one.

Yep, called Lippert 10 days ago (actually three times over that period), they were very helpful in diagnosing the problem and said "IRC is in the mail."

FYI, the warranty is three years for most parts and five years for "any fluid power components, limited to any hydraulic cylinder and hydraulic pump."

[sreigle]

Don, it says 92.58 for a pack of 12 cans. I like the other prices you found better.

Pullrite told me I can use any dry graphite spray on the rails of my superglide hitch if I don't want to use white grease. I figure if it works on the superglide it oughta work on the Montana's slide rails. I'll still do the dirt test, though.

Just as a side note, I'm going to switch to the spray white grease on the superglide when the cover arrives so I can keep the dirt out of it when not hitched up. But white grease is not good on the Montana's slide rails.

[capn chris]

John,
Sounds like the classic "auto-reset breaker" problem that's been discussed here before. I replaced my 50A breaker and haven't had a problem since. The breaker is on the bulkhead in the front basement, between the pump and battery. Has a red palstic cover. Get a new one at RV store or Cabela's online. $5-7. Disconnect the battery ground, remove the old one, install the new one, and in 10 minutes you should be good to go! I bought 2, just to have a spare, but haven't nneded the second in over two years's use! Good luck.

[gojodo]

Steve, after your recommendation of the TFE101 spray, I checked out sources and found that Dry Lube sold by West Marine does the trick. It has DuPont PTFE 101 which of course is teflon. A bit pricey at West Marine, I think it goes for $13 for a large spray can.thanks again for your suggestions. John

[sreigle]

Thanks, John. I didn't realize TFE 101 is anything other than a brand name. That makes the search a bit easier. I'll keep in mind West Marine, too. Which also means regular marine dealers might have it in stock.

MIMF tells us that silicone spray is fine, too. So, in a pinch, I'd use that. My experience is that silicone doesn't last as long but it works.

[ghomer]

Chris, Where is the 50amp auto reset breaker located. I believe that my be my proplem. Our slides stop about three time while going in or out. Thanks George

[Tiffensdad]

Thanks everyone, you have answered 2 of my newest Monty questions before I even got a chance to ask them....