Leaking Slide-Out Motors on 2018 Montana High Country 381TH

[Fish]

Has anyone on here had to replace their slide out motor. I have a 2018 Montana High Country 381TH and I have replaced both of my front slide out motors. I was wondering if there were a recall or something on them because they leak fluid out. Thank you

Just Curious

 

[Mikendebbie]

Floor plan for a 381TH below…
Aren’t the two front slides Schwintek electric slides (not hydraulic)?
I don’t think there was a recall for either of those (Schwintek or hydraulic) for 2018.

 

[RMcNeal]

I have replaced 2 for my rear Schwintek slides. They are fairly easy, but my hands aren't as small as the guy at the factory, apparently. I thought the High Country had cable slides?

 

[Mikendebbie]

Yes - cable slides. That makes sense as I recall something about those cable motors were leaking oil onto the slideout roofs, and someone suggested placing a pan under the motor to catch the oil. I had a 2017 Laredo travel trailer with cable slides and I was aware that the cable motors were subject to oil leaks. Don’t remember if the pan was a “factory suggestion” or a forum suggestion. No idea if there was a recall for leaky motors. I don’t recall the years this was an issue. Is this still a problem with cable slide motors today?

Edit: found this thread from December 2017 on the Norco motors on cable slides leaking.
The title of the thread says “Awning motor leaking oil” but the OP acknowledged the title error in post #8…
Evidently the “catch pan” idea was a factory suggestion. Also, post #4 includes a link to a video from Montana High Country owner about his issues with leaking motors. I do remember the warranty fix was to install new motors AND install a new TPO roof membrane on the affected slides. This subject got lots of attention on the forums back then. I tracked it because I had the Keystone Laredo at the time. When we bought the Monte in January 2018, I quit worrying about it.

Aawning motor leaks oil.

I read a article about a 2017 Montana having an issue with oil leaking from awning motors. According to Ketstone, they are aware of the issue. They provided owners with a quick fix. I was wondering if someone had heard if the 2018 has been fixed.

www.montanaowners.com

 

[jkxtreme]

Three key factors for any slide out is keep it aligned, keep it clean, and keep it lubricated. Dry lube is better but if you don't have dry lube, use silicone then keep it clean. We are full time and have put probably 25K miles on our 5th wheel. Many stays are only overnight so the slides get a workout. We have a 2023 Montana with 5 slides. Our slides work flawlessly and are quiet. We check them everytime we stop for the night and keep them aligned. Those gears and pulleys like lubrication and like to be clean so keep those facts in mind.

 

[Mwjk]

We have the Schwintek system on our 5th wheel in the upper bedroom slideout. We replaced one motor in Sept. 2025 and we are now replacing the same motor along with one of the rollers. I'm curious if this is a common problem and how long should they last? I would think longer than 8 months.

 

[Mikendebbie]

Your rig is a 2019 (I think). Schwintek slides are a popular topic on many forums. Most people come to the forums seeking help with a problem - so there is lots of information to be had here using the search feature. Only Keystone has the numbers for the true frequency of Schwintek issues, and that would only be warranty claims.

I am thankful that the Schwintek slides are on my rig is the relatively small bedroom slide, which I think Schwintek is well suited for. On the IRV2 forum, many motorhome owners have huge FULL WALL heavy slides with Schwintek mechanisms, and they have continual problems…so much so that lots of owners spend $4k -$5k to have the Schwintek removed and have the Vroom slide mechanism installed.

I have always treated my Schwintek like a baby, strictly follow the instructions for holding the button until the motor times out, and liberally use PTFE lubricant as suggested by YouTuber My RV Works. He has many Schwintek related videos on his channel, all very informative. The video below is a good one to watch…

 

[Mikelff]

I have cable slides that leaked oil on my slide out roof on all 5 slides. While Rv tech was fixing my A/C unit, he cleaned off the oil with alcohol and covered the area with Eternabond tape. He said the oil will damage the roof membrane over time if not cleaned off roof. He said the Eternabond tape will prevent any potential water leak and protect roof from any future oil leaks. He said if I see any more oil just clean it off with alcohol. If it’s a big leak, I should replace the motor. I haven’t seen any more oil drips since then. These motors are notorious for leaking oil. The motors are working fine so I guess I’ll replace if they fail or see a big leak.

 

[Route 66 Rambler]

This was a common problem for a few years around 2018-2020 or so on the BAL Accuslide cable slide motors. The slide motors were overfilled and would leak out oil onto the slide roof and destroy the membrane. Free drip pans were available from BAL back then. We just called and they sent the drip pans in a few days, no questions asked. This was the case with our 2019 Montana High Country. Two of our slide roof membranes were bubbled up from leaking oil when we purchased. Had both roofs replaced before we picked it up. We installed the drip pans and no problems since. The motors would leak out oil until the normal amount was achieved. The drip pans are a sufficient fix. If you still have leaking oil from 2017, your slides must not have been used much to force out the oil or the new motors have been on the shelf a long time.