We got our 2860 last weekend and was wondering if anyone ever uses the plastis poles to keep their slides from sliding out. We drove from Des Moines to Colorado Spings with no problems. I tried to insert a couple in the couch slide and there is nothing to hold them in place.
Mainly there for old hydraulic slides. If there was a leak, the slide could creep out. Rack and Pinion...its not going anywhere without juice.
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I did not know they were plastic in a Sunseeker. In my Flagstaff 5th wheel I would not move mine at highways speeds without them installed in my main slides. They are Lippert rack and pinion.
This subject was covered at length in several threads. There are advocates for "useful for hanging clothes" and I would never move the camper without them installed"; I am in the latter camp.
Never used them. The most I've had a slide creep is 1 inch, and that was a schwintek.
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when i got my travel trailer the dealer told me never to use them and just throw them away they said they had more damage from people using them then not
The slidlocks in my 2006 were metal bars and a the did was pop out of place and damage the cabinets, this told me that a design change was needed, I stop using them for the slideout and started using them to support my work table in the garage..........
Now that I think about it, my new camper didn't even come with slidelocks and I have three of them but I must say that the design is somewhat different.
I did try them parked in the strage lot and they are quite a bit difficult to place. Since the 800 mile trip from Des Moines did not show any creep I suspect I will not use them..as least for the slides.
To reiterate one of the posts in a quoted thread, the issue with the electric motor and rack system is the clutched pinion gear. It is designed to "bounce" out of the way to prevent damage to the gear by breaking of the teeth (it will wear however) when you get to the end of the rack or at full extension or retraction. (See photo of pinion assembly)
You can hear the gear "hopping" when you retract the slide to it's full closed position and continue to hold the switch. Either the motor will bog and blow the fuse, or the pinon will hop making that ratcheting sound.
There is NO security keeping the slide in when driving other than the weight of the slide on the rack and the motor driven pinion gear on the rack. The slide is also tilted outward slightly to allow the weight of the slide to help the motor get it moving.
The danger comes when there is any sharp sideways force placed on the slide. This force will start the slide moving on the rack by overcoming the clutch mechanism of the pinion gear (spring force). This side force can come from a curb strike, violent sway, or minor accident. Once the slide starts moving (even a little bit) the weight of the slide (inertia) could keep it going until fully open complicating recovery if the cause was sway, accident or curb strike.
Using the slide lock, by forcing a small downward rotation force on the top of the slide, it compresses the pinion gear spring and prevents the gear from hopping off the rack; effectively locking the slide in place unless the crash force is strong enough to shear off the teeth.
Again, you are completely free to use the slide stops however you wish in camp (laundry poles or whatever), but their place is installed to prevent unwanted extension when traveling. Just follow installation directions in your manual or on the wall (if you have a sticker like mine) and remember to remove them before you try to open the slide.
NOTE: The trim is NOT designed to hold against the opening force of the motor! It is only supposed to hold the force needed to compress a spring!
No need to be "King Kong" either. It only needs to be tightened enough to not fall out when you travel. 1/4 turn from "snug" is all that is needed to compress that spring. You can feel the slide rock toward you even though the slide seals are compressed. This is the pinion spring collapsing.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
You know when you pick up your new camper and it is the first time for everything as you get into this type of vacationing you would think that the dealer would make sure you understand how these things work and how to apply them, well I will tell you I have been camping for 13 years and I have had 4 new campers and not one time do I remember the dealer telling me the correct way to use them....The only thing that I can remember is that the dealer service department said that most people do not use them and they are not a big deal, so so much for safety which I am all for. My new rig has cables and chains (4) of them two on the top side wall on the extrior and two on the bottom extrior side wall on each slide out and there are no slidelocks required, maybe this is a better way to go ????? time will tell.
To reiterate one of the posts in a quoted thread, the issue with the electric motor and rack system is the clutched pinion gear. It is designed to "bounce" out of the way to prevent damage to the gear by breaking of the teeth (it will wear however) when you get to the end of the rack or at full extension or retraction. (See photo of pinion assembly)
You can hear the gear "hopping" when you retract the slide to it's full closed position and continue to hold the switch. Either the motor will bog and blow the fuse, or the pinon will hop making that ratcheting sound.
There is NO security keeping the slide in when driving other than the weight of the slide on the rack and the motor driven pinion gear on the rack. The slide is also tilted outward slightly to allow the weight of the slide to help the motor get it moving.
The danger comes when there is any sharp sideways force placed on the slide. This force will start the slide moving on the rack by overcoming the clutch mechanism of the pinion gear (spring force). This side force can come from a curb strike, violent sway, or minor accident. Once the slide starts moving (even a little bit) the weight of the slide (inertia) could keep it going until fully open complicating recovery if the cause was sway, accident or curb strike.
Using the slide lock, by forcing a small downward rotation force on the top of the slide, it compresses the pinion gear spring and prevents the gear from hopping off the rack; effectively locking the slide in place unless the crash force is strong enough to shear off the teeth.
Again, you are completely free to use the slide stops however you wish in camp (laundry poles or whatever), but their place is installed to prevent unwanted extension when traveling. Just follow installation directions in your manual or on the wall (if you have a sticker like mine) and remember to remove them before you try to open the slide.
NOTE: The trim is NOT designed to hold against the opening force of the motor! It is only supposed to hold the force needed to compress a spring!
No need to be "King Kong" either. It only needs to be tightened enough to not fall out when you travel. 1/4 turn from "snug" is all that is needed to compress that spring. You can feel the slide rock toward you even though the slide seals are compressed. This is the pinion spring collapsing.
herk, what are those two white marks on the bottom cover to your slide out? I had the same thing but mine where wider, mine came from the slide out dropping down out of position and dragging on the edge of the slide out opening, I posted pic's here on the form when it happen, if you are interested in seeing the pic's they are under the thread called " Truoble under the slide out"
You know when you pick up your new camper and it is the first time for everything as you get into this type of vacationing you would think that the dealer would make sure you understand how these things work and how to apply them, well I will tell you I have been camping for 13 years and I have had 4 new campers and not one time do I remember the dealer telling me the correct way to use them....The only thing that I can remember is that the dealer service department said that most people do not use them and they are not a big deal, so so much for safety which I am all for. My new rig has cables and chains (4) of them two on the top side wall on the extrior and two on the bottom extrior side wall on each slide out and there are no slidelocks required, maybe this is a better way to go ????? time will tell.
The cable slides do not need them. They are made by NORCO and use a system that requires the motor to actually TURN to let the slide in or out.
Barring a cable break from frayed cables (you should inspect them periodically as a state safety inspection is not required to look at them) the slide will stay where you leave it.
The gearing of the motor puts the mechanical advantage on the side of the motor and not the slide. It would take 100 men and a boy to pull on that slide hard enough to turn that motor one revolution.
What EVER you do do NOT lose the tool for manually opening the slides. It connects to the motor and you attach it to a battery operated drill. You do HAVE one in your tool kit right?
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
herk, what are those two white marks on the bottom cover to your slide out? I had the same thing but mine where wider, mine came from the slide out dropping down out of position and dragging on the edge of the slide out opening, I posted pic's here on the form when it happen, if you are interested in seeing the pic's they are under the thread called " Truoble under the slide out"
Most likely a screw tip. As long as it does not tear the covering I should be OK.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Unlike your case. Your issue looks more like a nylon bearing surface that the slide rides on being forced into the bottom of the slide because it is out of adjustment.
Here is the procedure to adjust the slide if you have a few buddies, some time, and a huge set.
A couple of PDFs on the pinion and issues with the teeth just for fun
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
After following a TT down the highway for a number of miles, where I could see the top of the slide "waving" in and out, I decided to start using mine. The dealer had told me that they were unnecessary.
BTW - I followed the TT that had the "wing" slide into a rest area, and told the drive/owner what was happening. He said that he couldn't see th upper part of the slide in the mirror, so he had no idea.
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