Lubing the slides

[jsnip42]

My slides are starting to make a lot of noise as they travel in and out. I think I read somewhere that they needed to be lubed once a year or so but I don't remember. What does everybody use on your slides and where do you put it?

[boylanag]

There is a dry slide lube in a spray can that we got at Camping World and I use it several times a year. There is a shiny rod underneath the slides that should be wiped down and then lubed.

[jimcol]

I'm not sure what they are called but I describe them as cogged rollers. Look underneath the slide where the slide arm meets the frame as someone operates the switch to move the slide in. You'll see them moving. They get wet and dirty as you roll down the road. Get very noisy. Use the dry lube boylanag refered to lubricate these. After lubricating move the slide in and out to distribute the lube around the roller. Jim

[kmh3212]

The dry lube is dry Silicone Spray. I have bought it a Wal-Mart and auto parts stores. You spray the black rubber flaps around the slides.
Like this (better picture) http://www.3inone.com/products/silicone-spray/

The silicone spray slide lube recommendation came from my owners manual. It goes on dry and leaves a slick invisible lubricant that protects and stops the rubber from making the squealing or squeeking noise. Seems to last quite a long time.

[twindman]

I asked a service manager at a Montana dealer and he said to use the dry lube on the 'cog' thing but nothing on the 'shiny' cylinder, as that would get lubed by the hydraulic fluid anyway.

[TLightning]

I don't think a product can be a dry lub AND a silicone lub. Having said that, I have used both on my slide mechanisms.

[sreigle]

First, if you hear a squealing, that's the seals that need lubing.

To lube the slide mechanism (other than the seals) here's a few things the Keystone Service Center manager told me.

1. NEVER lube that shiny round tube. Wipe it down but never lube it. I would think you could use some kind of cleaner to wipe it down but they didn't mention that.

2. Be very careful about those sprays you buy from Camping World, Walmart, etc, that purport to be for slides. They took my spray can from CW and sprayed it on a piece of cardboard. Then they threw dirt on it and shook the cardboard. Some of the dirt stuck. Not good. They then took a dry teflon spray (TFE 101 was the brand) and did the same thing. None of the dirt stuck. None. They said a teflon based dry spray will probably pass the test but to test it anyhow. Maybe I'm just too dumb to know better but that sure convinced me. I won't use anything on the slide mechanism that doesn't pass the dirt test.

I am not an expert but I consider the service center people to be experts so I follow their advice. I lube ours whenever it starts to get a little bit jumpy when moving in or out. Our slide mechanism has never got noisy. Just the seals get noisy. They'll naturally be noisier in colder weather but it still doesn't hurt to lube them. I use the standard slide seal spray but I would think the other dry and/or silicone spray should work on the seals.

[racerjoe]

When the slide is open, look underneath you will find two gears on a shaft,closest to the trailer, they are the rack gears,lube those and also anywhere the shaft comes thru any holding mechinisim to keep it stable. Then look up and you will see the "rack" itself,this is what the gears rotate onto to open and close the slide. spray them also. We do this a couple time during the camping season, to keep them lubed, but we do not fulltime so it may be nessasary to do them a little more,depends on how much you are moving them. That shiny tube is the cylinder rod from the hydrulic system that pushes and pulls the slide,just wipe it off with a rag. The cylinder is what moves everything and the rack gears keep it aligned while moving in and out.

[mail2us]

Keystone Service Center serviced our slides at the Fall Rally and used #101 TFE-Dry Lubricant Release Agent. It is indeed a dry product and I searched Google and purchased my own supply.

Keystone uses #C33 Silicone Spray from Cyclo Industries for the rubber seals that are outside on each slide.

Keystone said to be careful about certain lube products that are sticky, wet, etc. as also explained by sreigle quite well above. Good Luck.

[sreigle]

Dennis, that's the same thing they showed me, the 101 TFE.

Have you or anyone found the C33 Silicone Spray? I've not googled but have not found it in any stick store so far.

[awaywego]

Be careful when purchasing silicone in the spray can.
I recently bought a can that was labeled silicone but it had acetone as the propellant and you know what that will do to the rubber seals or any plastic.
Check the label

[kmh3212]

The 3-n-1 silicone spray is rated safe for rubber!

[mail2us]

Steve, the #C33 Silicone Spray can be found on internet. I thought I had the old shipping slip but don't. You can find it for around $5 a spray can. It doesn't require alot for the slide seals. I thought the shipping was a little high but at least it's now in my tool box.

[sreigle]

Thanks, Dennis. I'll try google.

[lenlin84]

Hi all,
A little late getting on to this thread but here's my 2 cents worth. As far as lubing the hydraulic piston that actuates the slide itself, the best and (as far as I'm concerned)only way to lube the ram is to use the same hydraulic oil that operates the system. A rag with a small amount of the hydraulic oil on it ,wiped across the chrome shaft will clean it and when wiped back off will leave just enough oil (only a few microns thick) to lube the seals in the cyclinder. Doing it this way, there will be no chance of introducing on the ram some fluid that may harm or swell the internal seals of the cylinder, which would of course then begin to leak like a sieve. This is the procedure we used on all hydraulic cylinders and landing gear of the all of the aircraft that I worked on for Trans World Airlines and American Airlines(42yrs). If it worked on the jet liners --- it should work on our slide hydraulics.