Hydraulic slide issues - 335RLBS Mountaineer TT

[fulltimedreamer]

The story begins when we were leaving Ft. Yargo after campground hosting for five weeks. When I brought the slides in the soleniod that activates the hydraulic pump hung in the retract position and would not turn off. Consequently, the 12volt breakers kept tripping as the slides were already in. I quickly removed AC and DC power. I remembered that the old voltage regulators on cars would do this and you could tap them with a hammer and they would start working properly. So, I tapped the solenoid with a rubber hammer, reconnected power and the slides could then be extended and retracted.
At our next stop I noticed that I started having problems with the slides stopping several times while extending and retracting. Apparently, the breaker is tripping and then it cools and resets and then the slide starts again and then resets, etc., etc. I use a silcone spray on the slide mechanism regularly and the slide didn't seem to be dragging and everything looked like it was lined up OK. We were traveling so I left it alone and it just took longer to put the slides in and out.
After a wonderful week in Outer Banks, NC the slides would not come in. No pump sound - nothing. I used my cordless drill to retract the slides (The manual describes this and it is not hard to do but you better have a good charge on your drill.) and hit the road. During the five hour drive we made that day I decided that the 12 volt electrical connections might be corroded. At our stop fro the night I checked the electrical connections on the A-Frame and they indeed looked corroded so I loosened, sprayed with silicone and retightened. Slides were a little sluggish but came in. At the next stop I took all the 12 volt connections on the A-Frame and battery loose, sanded, sprayed with silicone and reattached. The slides work better but the large slide still stops one time while being retracted.
We made it home and I still need to resolve these issues. Next, I am going to check the connections on the solenoid. Here are my questions for you. Is there something I can spray on all these connections to help keep down corrosion? I've noticed on the battery connectors on my F250 Super Duty that they have brushed on a black paste of some sort. Any idea what this is? Could this be used on the 12 Volt connections on the trailer? I think the salt air in the Outer Banks exacerbated the the situation. Should I replace the 12 volt breaker on the A-Frame? I'm thinking the solenoid problem may have weakened this breaker. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

[jsmitfl]

Fulltimedreamer, I use to have a saltwater boat and found that a spray called corrosion block works real well. also theres one called boshield. Both can be found at a boat parts store. I think Bass pro even sells it. They can be used directly on all electronics and all. Spray the battery post and in the morning they look like new. Great stuff. Check Lear Chemical Research Corp. 416-564-0018 Good Luck

[fulltimedreamer]

quote:Originally posted by jsmitfl

Fulltimedreamer, I use to have a saltwater boat and found that a spray called corrosion block works real well. also theres one called boshield. Both can be found at a boat parts store. I think Bass pro even sells it. They can be used directly on all electronics and all. Spray the battery post and in the morning they look like new. Great stuff. Check Lear Chemical Research Corp. 416-564-0018 Good Luck

JSMITFL,

Thanks for the info. I'll check our local Bass Pro to see if they carry Corrosion Block. Thanks again!

[NJ Hillbilly]

You could coat the connections with dielectric grease and then sprat battery terminal protector over them. Grease everything, assemble then clean off excess, spray with protector or even undercoating or liquid electrical tape.

The stopping and restarting (breaker tripping) could be from dry seals. Do You lube the rubber seals around the slides often? That was the cause of my breaker tripping, the added friction overloaded the pump.

John

[Northstar]

Some great posts. Thanks guys. Happyrving....

[Random Line]

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John

What do you lub those slideout seals with. Silicon spray or something special?

[fulltimedreamer]

I have been using Protect-all on the rubber seals when I apply it to the rest of the coach. The rubber seals seem to slide pretty easily over the slides as they expand and retract.

After investigating further, I decided that perhaps the fuse link on the A-Frame might be causing the problem as this is the device that gets hot - trips - cools - resets, etc. I purchased one at my local RV repair shop for $3.50 and replaced the one on the coach. The slides now work flawlessly.

I opened up the old fuse link and found that the points were corroded (rusty and pretty much burned away) as well as having corrosion around the screw heads. In the future I am going to keep new fuse links on hand as this device is out in the weather and I can see that this may be a recurring problem with an easy fix.