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Old 02-12-2012, 06:14 PM   #1
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Schwintek issues !! McClains RV issues !!

I bought a new Crusader fifth wheel back in June. After camping in it a couple of times it had a few warranty issues that needed to be addressed. One of them being the Schwintek slide in the bedroom was out of adjustment about an inch when fully retracted. I took it to McClains RV in Ft Worth TX. They got right on it and two days later they call and say all is well come and get it. I drive the 100 miles to them, hook onto my trailer, and go inside to check thier work. Press the button for the bedroom slide, and I thought the the whole thing was going to fall apart. Sounded like metal to metal grinding. I go in get the serivce manager and ask why he would have me drive a 100 miles to pick up a coach that was not fixed.. In fact it only took me 10 seconds and the press of a button to figure it out! The shop foreman and the mech that orginaly worked on it went to check it out. They ran it in and out dozens of times, you could clearly see that the slide was extending at a angle. The side toward the rear of the coach would get to the wall about 6 inches ahead of the other side. After 4 hours of this and a couple of calls to Prime Time they decide that one of the motors is about to give it up and that is was is making the terrible nosie. I explain to the service manager there is no way a electric motor going out sounds like that. The whole coach shook and vibrated when you ran the slide to the out possition. But they insisted that was the problem. So they said that when they had it fixed they would make the 100 mile trip to my house and deliver the camper. After a week and no camper I call to find out that the wrong motor was sent to them, and they are now waiting on another replacment. Another week goes by, no camper. I call, the new motor was installed but guess what. That wasn't the problem. After talking to Prime Time again now they have decided that the frame on the slide is somehow out of allignment and they need to shim it up. I was told I would have a phone call later that day. No phone call! 4:30 the next day and three calls to them later I get a return call from the service manager. Now Prime Time has told them that they have had this problem in the factory and they need to retrofit rollers under the side, and this will cure all my problems. They call me the next day, roller on, problem solved everything works great we will bring you your coach. I am a firefighter so I was on duty and couldn't be there when they brought it back. But after getting off work the next morning I run the slide out. Same nosie, not quite as bad but still not right. And when you have the slide all the way extended there is day light shinimg thru on the bottom of the slide. Get down on my knees and look under there. The rubber gasket has been cut out with what looks to be a pocket knief to make room for the rollers! When you go around to the outside and look one roller is in contact with the bottom of the slde the other is not. You can grab the one not touching and wiggle it back and fourth. Before McClains touched this slide out it worked perfectly other than being just a little out of adjustment. The only noise that came from the slide operation was the sound of an electric motor. Now I have a $30,000 coach with a slide that doesnt work right and parts cut off because they got in the way of thier repair job. If the slide sounded the way it does now when we were shopping for a new fifth wheel we would have never bought this camper. The fix for this problem looks like something someone would have done in their driveway! Now I guess I will call McClains back in the morning and see what they are going to do now. I have a 10 day trip planned with the family for spring break in three weeks and I can not afford to have this thing sit in thier shop for weeks on in. This is so frustrating!! My wife and I have worked really hard to save up and buy our first new camper, we loved it, it was perfect. Now it is 8 months old and has been cobbled back together with parts that were not designed to be on there. I feel like we have been ripped off!
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Old 02-12-2012, 06:22 PM   #2
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sorry to hear about your issues . is there another dealer reasonably close ?
that may be the best thing at this point . also make sure you document everything with this issue . It may come in handy later .

hope you get some good news soon so that you can enjoy your camper .
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Old 02-12-2012, 07:23 PM   #3
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Yea I just figured out there is a Forest River dealer 10 miles from my house. So maybe I can get something worked out with them and Prime Time.
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Old 02-12-2012, 07:25 PM   #4
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jtad, I had the same problem with my 270ret. The couch slide was going in and out sideways. There is a control unit under the large drawer, under the stove. Remove the drawer to locate the control unit. A wire fell of the control unit on mine from road bounce. Your dealer does not know what they are doing !!!!
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Old 02-12-2012, 07:49 PM   #5
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Oh it goes in and out straight like it is supposed to.. What it amounts to is they adjusted it, got it way out of alignment, then ran it in and out till they burned up a motor. Then did all this other stuff based on what Prime Time told them. But Prime Time was basing thier response on what they were being told by the dealership... Your right they had no idea what they were doing. I found out after the fact that the mech had never worked on a Schwintek before. Now they have it so screwed up I dont know what to do with it.
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Old 02-12-2012, 08:01 PM   #6
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jtab, go to www.lippertcomponents.com. Then to customer service, then to manuals. I made a copy of slideout manual and keep it in my unit now!! It has a lot of good info..
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Old 02-12-2012, 08:08 PM   #7
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Mine came with the rollers but don't recall if the gasket is notched. Sounds like the dealer has some explaining to do. Keep us posted!
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Old 02-12-2012, 08:28 PM   #8
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Slide adjustments are fairly simple. The superslide on our Flagstaff wasn't quite perfect (I am fussy), and it only took an hour or so to get it just the way I wanted. And I know I am going to be far more careful with my unit than some dufus at an rv dealership. Besides, exactly what training do these guys have, if any?
The Crusaders are new, but one wouldn't think they would be still making modifications to the slides, as this is not new technology. The people who buy these campers should not be the guinea pigs.
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Old 02-12-2012, 08:44 PM   #9
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M109Rrider Your 2011 came with rollers under the bedroom slide?? Why would some come with them and others don't? The more I find out the more disappointed I am with this deal. And crocus your right, I normaly do all my own maintenance I am pretty handy that way. But it was our first new camper, and I had a list of small stuff but it was enough to justify a trip to the dealership . After all I did pay $30,000 + for a brand new coach that came with a warinty. In my mind they should fix these problems. But after all this I would have been better off buying used and work on it myslef.
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Old 02-12-2012, 09:09 PM   #10
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Yup. Tucked away for the winter right so I cant look but there's at least 2 small diameter (but 3 or 4" long) black plastic rollers. May be more than two, can't remember. Don't think it rides on the rollers the whole time. Think they're there as guides. Do you have the 320? The bed room slide on the 320 is 10-12' long. Perhaps) the rollers weren't thought to be needed on shorter slides?
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Old 02-12-2012, 09:30 PM   #11
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No I have 298 BHD so I have the same slide you have. 2011 model
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Old 02-12-2012, 09:44 PM   #12
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I have the 320. The bedroom slide on the 298 is much shorter by looking at the floorplans.
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Old 02-12-2012, 10:23 PM   #13
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The Schwintek system operates on 2 electric motors and shaft system. There is an electric motor/gear assembly at the top on each side of the slide engaged in the track that you see on the outside when the slide is open. A shaft and gear assembly then runs down toward the bottom of the slide and engages with the bottom track. The motors are independently controlled through a control box (probably located under the bathroom sink - that's where mine is), so that if (in your case) one side should finish it's travel first, that motor will shut off and allow the other side to "catch up". Since the wardrobe slide is, in escense, a box, I think it should ride on the rollers for support. The noise you hear could either be the motor/gear/shaft assemblies not aligned properly or the side of the slide rubbing against the wall as it goes in and out.
I hope this helps explain how it works at least. Good luck



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Old 02-12-2012, 10:37 PM   #14
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If it helps......here's more.



S
CHWINTEK INWALL SLIDEOUT SYSTEM

O
WNERS MANUAL



LIPPERT


COMPONENTS, INC.

Error codes
During operation when an error occurs the board will use the led’s to indicate where the problem exists.
For motor specific faults the green led will blink 1 time for motor 1, and 2 times for motor 2. The red led
will blink from 2 to 9 times depending on the error code.
The error codes are as follows:
2 Battery drop out: Battery capacity low enough to drop below 6 volts while running
3 Low battery: Voltage below 8 volts at start of cycle
4 High battery: Voltage greater than 18 volts
5 Excessive motor current: High amperage, also indicated by 1 side of slide continually stalling.
6 Motor short circuit: Motor or wiring to motor has shorted out.
8 Hall signal not present: Encoder is not providing a signal. Usually a wiring problem.
9 Hall power short to ground: Power to encoder has been shorted to ground. Usually a wiring
problem.
When an error code is present, the board needs to be re-set. Energizing the extend/retract switch
resets the board. Energize the extend/retract switch again for normal operation.
WARNING!
DO NOT MOVE THE RV UNLESS THE MOTORS ARE PLUGGED IN!
revb031811
Manual Override - C1 & C2 versions
1. Electronic Manual Override (available on board revision C1 and newer)
Locate the circuit board
Press the “mode button” six times quickly, press a 7


th time and hold for approximately
5 seconds.
The red and green LED lights will begin to flash, confirming the override mode.
Release mode button.
Back inside coach; use the normal slide control switch to retract the room.
A video demonstrating this technique can be found on the internet.
Follow this link:
2. Manually push room in override
Locate the circuit board.
Unplug both motors from circuit board (releases motor brake).
Push or pull slide room in as desired; Larger rooms may require several people to push.
Keep both sides of room relatively even.
When room is completely in, plug both motors back in to the control board (this applies
brake for road travel).
3. Disengage motors, manually retract room and travel lock.
Repeat this process for both sides of slide room.
Push or pull room back in to opening, keep both sides relatively even.
The room must be travel locked to keep room in place for road travel.
A video demonstrating this technique can be found on the internet.
Follow this link
Mode Button
Motor Retention Screw
1/2”
Pull the motor up until
Bend back wipe seal and disengaged, about ½”
visually locate motor
Locate and remove motor retention screw
located near top of each vertical column.
Trouble shooting flow chart
Checking Fuses
The Schwintek Inwall Slide requires a minimum of 30 amp fuse. Check the 12 volt fuse box for blown
fuses, and replace any if necessary. Consult the rv manufacturers documentation for the location of the
12 volt fuse box, and the location of the Room Slide Controller’s fuse. If the fuse blows immediately
upon replacement, there is a problem with the wiring to the Inwall Slide control box. Have qualified
service personnel check and repair.
Obstructions
Check outside the rv for possible obstructions: tree, post, car, etc… Check inside the rv for any
obstructions: luggage, furniture, open cabinets, etc… Also check for smaller objects that may be
wedged under the floor or in the sides of unit. Remove obstructions before proceeding.
Error Codes
Consult rv manufacturer’s documentation for the location of the Inwall Slide Controller. See page 1 for
a description of the error codes, and possible problems.
Low Voltage
The Schwintek Inwall Slide Controller is capable of operating the room with as little as 8 volts. But at
these lower voltages the amperage requirement is greater. Check voltage at the controller. If voltage is
lower than 11 volts, it is recommended that the battery be placed on a charger until it is fully charged. It
may be possible to ’jump’ the rv’s battery temporarily to extend or retract the room. Consult the rv
manufacturer’s owners manual on the procedure for ‘jumping’ or charging the battery.
**********Never ‘jump’ or charge the battery from the power connections on the Inwall
Controller. Always do this at the battery.*****************
Only 1 side moving
The Schwintek Inwall Room Slide has a separate moto


r to operate each side of the room. Does only 1
side of the room move a short distance (2 to 4 inches) and stop.
Will non moving side move with help


?
If only 1 side of the room is moving, then with someone’s assistance press the switch to extend or
retract the room while pushing the non moving side in the appropriate direction. On larger rooms it may
be necessary to have 2 or more people pushing the room.
Non moving side moved manually
Try to push the non moving side in and out. If a motor shaft has broken then it will be possible to move
that side of the room several inches by hand. Larger rooms may require several people to push.
Debris in the rack
Check all 4 gear racks on the side of the room for debris.
Do status led’s light
Consult the rv manufacturers documentation for the location of the Room Slide Controller. When the
room slide direction switch is actuated, do the status led’s light up. Check this in both the extend and
retract modes.
IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS CONSULT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED
DEALER OR CALL LIPPERT AT:
(866) 524-7821.

101810REV

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Old 02-13-2012, 10:55 AM   #15
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Just recieved a call from Roger at Prime Time RV. He said he has a call into the service manager of Mcclains RV. As soon as he hears back from him he will give me a call. So far impressed wth how fast they got back to me. Sent them a email at 7 PM Sun night, phone call 9 AM Mon morning.
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