2008 cherokee 26k slide issue

[mrfikser]

ok, here is the deal, I bought this cherokee 26k (08) last year without any experience or clue what I was doing.....later.. found it had water rot in the floor area (I believe from a leaking water heater) anyway, got the rot fixed (I have no issues with fixing stuff right) and everything back together...I have some questions maybe someone here can help me with..it concerns the slide out (one large slide out w/couch on it) ...the bottom of the slide out rubs on the bottom along both edges on the bottom (normal I think) on these plastic pieces that are attached to the trailer (not the slide)...the outside floor of the slide out has black woven/water proof fabric on it (same as the bottom of the trailer) this fabric on the slide WAS wearing where it rubs the plastic pieces so I made up some sheet metal pieces to cover the worn cloth pieces....So here is my questions, 1. should it rub that hard on the floor of the slide 2. is there any up/down adjustment for the slide out 3. one of the pieces of plastic that the slide,slides on is cracked, are they available??? I believe when the floor rotted it allowed the slide mechanism to sink down which in turn allowed the slide to rub extra hard on the 'runners'...otherwise i am happy with the trailer.....just can't get any worthwhile information about the slide, besides 'push the open/close button...."and don't trust the dealer to fix it right (I believe that they are the one that fixed the water damage before I got it and the work was,,, to be really, really nice here, inferior at best, basically they just nailed wood on top of the rotted wood and called it fixed)...also, is there anything else that I should know about this particular trailer, besides the usual stuff, like keep the roof caulked and the seals good (I just replaced the slide seals).... other than that I am loving this whole trailoring/camping lifestyle and have a 6-8 week trip planned for the summer (did 3 weeks last summer)....

Frank

[Camper74]

The issue you are having with your camper slide out is the same thing I just discovered this week. I actually just signed up on this forum today to research my issue and found your post. Not sure if there are any other similar posts out there regarding this issue. I have a 2008 Cherokee 28A+. I bought it new in 2007. I have never had an issue with slides. The slide I am having issues with now is the large one on the drivers side. It has the dinette and couch on it. I got the camper out for the first time this year to clean it out and dewinterize it to prepare for our first camping trip in two weeks. When I went to put the slide out in, only one side of the slide out would come in and it is the side with the electric motor. So I investigated it and noticed that the side that isn't coming in is pivoting and creating friction on the 2x6 that stands on end with the vinyl piece stapled to the top of it. I also noticed that the tarp like material that you mentioned on the bottom of the slide out is tore up from rubbing on the top of this 2x6. I am guessing over time something has wore out or caused the slide out to sag on that side causing the friction issue against the bottom of the slide and the top of the support 2x6. I think I might find some plastic material to replace the vinyl cap on top of the 2x6 and cut the 2x6 down a little. I also need to repair the black material under the slide as well.

The out of adjustment issue causing it to sag some could have something to do with the brackets seen in the attached picture so I am going to play around with the adjustment as well. Does yours have these brackets? It sounds like your set up is the same as mine.

[mrfikser]

it looks the same to me...the black material for the under carriage and the bottom of the slide is available, it comes in rolls (like duct tape) and sheets that you glue on...About your trailer, I recommend that you look under the trailer all around the slide out and look/feel for rotted framing members (you can't really see them because the bottom fabric is in the way), if the floor of the main part of the trailer is rotted it will allow the slide out (which sits on top of the main camper floor) to sag and rub along the bottom areas of the slide out...also, because the material on the bottom of the slide out is damaged check that area also for rot ....I found part of the issue with this model is that the ridgid plastic that runs along the sides of the slide out does not run all the way to the bottom (it meets the bottom fabric a few inches up the side) that rain water runs down the sides and then is drawn up under the bottom by the wicking of the black fabric...The fix I did seems to have resolved that issue and at the same time strengthened the slide out, while giving the slide out floor something more substantial (stronger) to slide on than just that stupid fabric... Also, this model likes to leak where the slide out and the main wall meet, so check there for rot too...good luck...if you want I can email you pics of the repair (the metal part, all the wood repair is hidden behind the siding and the fabric on the bottom).. Frank

[Camper74]

If you could email me pics that would be great.

[mrfikser]

I will shoot a video for you...give me a day or so...

[mrfikser]

I tried to post a video...I think it broke the website...send me your email adress and I will shoot it directly to you...

[rsheedy]

I would like to have the video also as am having a the same issue on a 2012 Cherokee Gray Wolf 26RL, Thanks in advance Email is rsheedy1@hotmail.com

[mrfikser]

i tried to send you a video, but hotmail has a 25mb limit...so no video..what you need to check is the floor under the slideout front and rear ends...and the floor of the slide out itself...if you run you hand over the cloth covering the bottom of the trailer you should be able to feel the wood framing and it should feel solid and strong, when the floor rots it allows the slide to sink down which in turn causes it to bind where it meets the wall...I will take a few pics so that you get the idea where to look for issues and my fix for the slide itself..the fix for the floor is to replace the rotted wood...