Slide Broke

[Trailer Trash 2]

I got a set of these screws in a jar in the Monty, bolts, washers and Nilanuts. I guess I should stop procrastinating and just change them.

[sreigle]

KTManiac, I agree that one should not replace with a shear pin that is stronger than the design calls for. But, in this case, the OEM pin was weaker than the design allows for and the recommended replacement is the correct one for that design. Or so we're told by Lippert. MIMF was at that time the Lippert rep and resident expert on the slide mechanisms and frame and that came from him. So I think these new bolts will perform as they're supposed to. Hopefully, anyhow. But your point is very well taken under normal circumstances.

[KTManiac]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

....But, in this case, the OEM pin was weaker than the design allows for and the recommended replacement is the correct one for that design. Or so we're told by Lippert. MIMF was at that time the Lippert rep and resident expert on the slide mechanisms and frame and that came from him. So I think these new bolts will perform as they're supposed to. ....

I agree, I was trying to get that across in my second paragraph, but was evidently not very clear about it.

[MAMalody]

Well, let's see. The same thing happened to me when the trailer was new. Broke one bolt in my back yard, dealer came out and fixed it and I observed. Two months late the second bolt broke. I replaced that one...took two hours. What can I say...my wife was not as good at that as she is now. That all happened in 2003...six years later, almost to the month the same thing happens again.

First time, nothing in the 5er, second time we are full-timers. My guess would be there is only about 50# more weight. On my model, 3575RL, I only have a desk and dinette on that slide. We have put a few additional items in the overheads, but that is about it.

I thought at the time of the first breaks I would get a harder bolt, but decided against it thinking it could be a sacrifical part.

I think it just might have been overtorqued when the first bolt broke and the slide went cattywampus. The orginal bolts and my replacements did have some thread back into the hole, maybe a quarter inch.

[dsprik]

I have 4 of the bolts and nuts in my tool box that Dale (MIMF) recommended. My original understanding was that these were backups if the slide comes under any undue stress.

I now see what some are saying... the original shear bolts may not be correct - shoulder too short - and they may need to be replaced.

I will crawl back underneath and check. My 3400 build date was July 2006.