Lubracating the slides

[Trailer Trash 2]

While camping the last time out I stoped at CW and purchased a can of Lube for the slides. ( Dry Lube for slides ) this stuff says it repells water, rust, and dirt. it also says do not use it on nilon bushings. has anybody used this stuff?
I did place a call to the manufacture of the slides and asked if I can use a dry lube on the gears and rack. they said yes. so I did. but for a dry lube it sure looked like I was using LPS #3.
the reason I wanted to lube the slide was, while extending them, the pump seems to cause the automatic braker mounted on the wall to pop, when the slides are almost all the way out. the Tech said the fuse needs to be replaced with a new 50 and another 25 amp in parrlel, then to the pump. he also said the fuse will deplete a little every time it pops. Is this true?
so has anybody had experance with this product?

[Kathi]

What is the name on the can? We got the Fulltimers Lube and the Fulltimers Conditioner. Haven't used it yet, but it was on sale for $10.38 and so we thought we would get it now for later. Did it stop the poping?

[harleyrider]

I bought the same stuff as Paul & kathi and for a dry lube it sure looks wet to me when I sprayed it on.In fact it was dripping on the ground when I sprayed it on.Maybe I used to much!!!

[sreigle]

When our rig was new the breaker had to be replaced with a bigger one by the dealer, per the mfr. No more problems. We also have discovered that when the slides start to jump a little when moving, rather than moving smoothly, the slide gears and rack need to be lubed, but not the round chrome bar. I used the stuff from CW until this past week when Keystone showed me what was happening. Here's the text from another post a couple of days ago. There are probably other brands just as good.
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During our recent appointment at the factory service center the tech told me our slide rails are accumulating dirt/grit. He asked what I use for lubricant and I showed him the dry-lube slide stuff. He took that can and sprayed a piece of cardboard, then sprinkled dirt on it. He shook the cardboard and the dirt stuck to it. He said it contains petroleum products. Not good. He then did the same test with a can of lubricant they had in the shop and the dirt did not stick. He gave me a can of this so now I have to find out where to buy more.

What I was using is ProtectAll Heavy Duty Slide-Out Dry Lube. It says it "resists" Dirt, Sand, Salt, and Road Grime, but "resists" is not apparently good enough. The label says it contains Petroleum Naptha, in the fine print at the bottom of the can.

What he gave me is SprayWay (brand), No. 101 Industrial TFE-DRY Lubricant Release Agent. It says it contains a waxy fluorocarbon. It also says, among the ingredients, it contains a "liquefied petroleum gas", which I guess is ok.

There are probably other equally good products out there but at this point I'm not aware of them. So my two remaining cans of the ProtectAll product will be used for the slider hitch and rear stabilizers until gone.
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[OntMont]

quote:"among the ingredients, it contains a "liquefied petroleum gas","

That is the propellant, usually just a propane/iso-propane mixture. Most aerosol cans use propane since Freon was banned. Keep in mind that you have a potential flame thrower in your hands - No Smoking etc.

[MIMF2]

OntMont, very good observation! The aerosol cans are indeed flame throwers!

I still maintain that all you need to do is to keep the gear pack and gear rack clean and brushed off. Use a mild detergant if you must. But, when it has dried, spray the roller or spur gear and gear rack on the bottom of the inner tube with silicone.

[Trailer Trash 2]

OK thats one question, now what about this one.

the reason I wanted to lube the slide was, while extending them, the pump seems to cause the automatic braker mounted on the wall to pop, when the slides are almost all the way out. the Tech said the fuse needs to be replaced with a new 50 and another 25 amp in parrlel, then to the pump. he also said the fuse will deplete a little every time it pops. Is this true?

[MIMF]

Don, that is true. Typically, Keystone will install a 50 amp auto-reset breaker when the coach is built. The motor on the pump is rated to pull as much as 100 amps if it has to to do the job. Frequently, that 50 amp auto-reset is not enough. Especially if it is operating three rooms or more. The longer the pump motor runs, the warmer it gets, the warmer it gets, the more amperage it draws and before you know it, the breaker pops. So, if you have a 50 amp breaker and it starts to pop, there are several reasons which I will outline. Each time it pops, it does get weaker and will take less amperage to pop it after each time it does.

To keep your breakers living longer, check your power supply from the battery. If the battery has a bad cell, even though it shows it is putting out 12 volts or more, that pump motor will drain the battery very quickly. The more it drains the battery, the more amperage it pulls. The more it pulls, the quicker the breaker pops.

Keep all of the electrical connections snug. Check the chassis grounds and positive connections regularly from the battery all the way to the Trombetta solenoid switch on top of the motor. Be careful around all terminals. It would be a very good idea to disconnect the positive lead from the battery and the 30/50 amp shore-power cord along with the power cord to the TV.

Watch the fluid level in the tank. With the rooms all retracted or in, the fluid level should be 1/2" from the bottom of the fill/breather cap. If you ever need to add fluid, use ATF Dexron 3 or Mercon. Don't be concerned about the color. It doesn't matter. ATF is designed to work in extreme temperature conditions and will help the pump operate easier causing the motor to work less and pull less amperage. Especially in cool or cold weather.

Lastly, keep the slide room mechanism clean. Usually flushing with a garden hose under standard residential water pressure will do the trick with the rooms extended. Brush the teeth of the spur gears and gear rack to remove dirt and dust. Add some paint once it drys, if you wish to control corrosion. The bed slide is up under the bed so, there is not much you need to do there. After the paint is dry, and the room is still extended or out, spray a little silicone on the teeth of the rack and spur gear. That will help keep it quieter.

Now after all this, if the breaker still pops, then the best thing to do is do an amperage draw test thru the complete cycle of the rooms going out and coming in. If it is drawing more than 50 amps, which is not uncommon, then it may be necessary to add a second breaker to the first in parallel, not series. If the first breaker had a history of popping, then I would replace that one also. Do not exceed 100 amps total. If you do, you will simply loose the protection to the motor.

I think that I have covered much of everything in this post. If you or any one else has any questions, you know where I can be found.

Have a great day!

[OntMont]

Thanks again MIMF for your ongoing advice. We have not had any problem with our slide-out mechanism yet, but my fluid level is not as high as you suggest, so I will top it up.

Thanks! (Wish Dometic had someone like you to communicate with us).

[carlson]

Dale, (MIMF)
Question??
Would you reccommend that if we find that dirt or road grime has gotten onto the slides or the gears that we use brake cleaner first to remove dirt and grime then re-lubricate
Thanks

[sreigle]

Good question, Sven. I was also going to ask what's best to clean the racks since Keystone pointed out that ours has accumulated some grit. Brushing brake fluid on them while laying on the ground sounds like a real mess all over me. But I guess it needs to be done, brake fluid, detergent, whatever.

[RMccord]

Found this on a Yahoo Search
Appears this product is unsed in the Screen printing and graphic arts area. Interesting that they found it suitable for use here.
I beleive from description in above post this is the identical product. Not very expensive. If all agree I am going to order some.

SPRAYWAY Embroidery and Screenprinting Products presented by the PAS Store
... 101. SPRAYWAY TFE-DRY LUBRICANT RELEASE AGENT NO. 101, 16 oz ... S821. SPRAYWAY NO-FRAY SPRAY NO. 821, 16 oz ...http://www.brothermall2.com/Sprayway...18272004687667 - More from this site

Thanks

[MIMF2]

Sven,

I'd use a good solution of Dawn dish washing detergent and warm water and brush it down. The break cleaner might damage the two plastic rollers. There is one on each side of the spur gear at each end of the room. Then rinse thoroughly. Let dry, and then lubricate with silicone. The silicone will mostly help reduce any noise. Otherwise, just keep those parts clean.

[Trailer Trash 2]

Thanks for the good information MIMF I will invest in an Amp probe to watch the draw on the moter and see if it is necessary to put 2 fuses in parralel, but I will get a new 50 though. thanks again.

TT2

[RMccord]

Here is another source for the lubricant that the mfgr is using per Steve.
http://www.bkproducts.com/sprayway.htm

This is the description on that page for this product
"Industrial TFE Dry Lubricant
Dual-purpose agent for artists, picture framers and graphic artists, auto, electrical, hardware, and industrial.
Lubricant for machine parts, locks, blades; cord, twine or other items made from natural or synthetic fibers.
Release agent - ideal on binds, conveyors, printing screens, glass and textile-conveying equipment.
500°F heat resistant.
Order #101

I think I will order some tomorrow.

[sreigle]

Just to make sure I didn't create any confusion, this is what the tech showed me at the service center and what he gave me a can of (two cans, actually). I have no idea whether this brand is used on the brand new rigs or not. Just didn't want to create confusion about that.

[OntMont]

If it is TFE Dry Lubricant, that would mean it contains Tetra-Fluoro-Ethylene, AKA Teflon. This is different from the Silicone spray that Dale has been recommending. It might work just fine, but it is not Silicone.