Ratchet noise when closing

[jrctoby]

I am new to slide outs. The dealer said that a Ratchet noise when the slides reach full open or close is normal. My 2016 Roo 23ikss has 2 slides Dinette/sofa slide ratchets but the stove/kitchen slide does not. Both seem to close and open fully and operate smoothly. Is there something I need to take care of? I have a Schwintek slides.

[heavynlori]

Our Schwintek slide does not make a ratchet sound but the other two non-Schwintek slides do ratchet when open/close fully

[cavie]

Originally Posted by heavynlori

Our Schwintek slide does not make a ratchet sound but the other two non-Schwintek slides do ratchet when open/close fully

They mix slide manufacturers on 1 RV?

[heavynlori]

Yes common practice - our neighbor has a Jayco and ours is a Prime Time

Both units have both kinds of slides

[Cabinfever97]

Be aware there may be times they just stop, in or out, without any ratchet. That is also normal. So when the slide stops going in or out you can take your finger off the switch. After a few times you will know when you are open and closed.

[Filterman]

Originally Posted by Cabinfever97

Be aware there may be times they just stop, in or out, without any ratchet. That is also normal. So when the slide stops going in or out you can take your finger off the switch. After a few times you will know when you are open and closed.

X2 It’s only if you push the slide slightly beyond its open or close limits that you heard the ratchet. I tend to bring it in or out to the point you can visibly see it’s travel is complete and then just give it a touch to snug it up.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by cavie

They mix slide manufacturers on 1 RV?

Yes they do.

[koller1509]

They use different models because of the differences in the sizes of slides.

[GL1800Rider]

If the slide you have that doesn't make the ratchet sound is a Schwintek, make sure you hold the button down at least 5 seconds after extending and retracting to prevent the motors from getting out of sync.

Here is what the slide tracks look like on a Schwintek

[tc cruiser]

Originally Posted by GL1800Rider

If the slide you have that doesn't make the ratchet sound is a Schwintek, make sure you hold the button down at least 5 seconds after extending and retracting to prevent the motors from getting out of sync.

Here is what the slide tracks look like on a Schwintek

Good to know as my E pro has a schwintek slide and I only put it out til it stops then take my finger off the switch. I was afraid to break something. It was never explained to me to hold it for 5 seconds after full extension or retraction.
Thanks
TC

[rockfordroo]

I've attached some manuals on the Schwinteks, FYI.

You should probably find the controller now, before you really need to. It could be most anywhere. They like to hide them behind panels that are screwed shut. Mine is behind the panel on the left, it has 2 hinges on one side and one hinge on the other; you have to unscrew the single hinge to open it.



This is what the controller looks like:



A Schwintek shouldn't "ratchet."

[CraigBean7672]

jrctoby

Do yourself a favor and continue to research the type(s) of slide(s) you have and how to bring them in manually in-case you ever need to. My unit has two slides that make that ratchet sound and one that does not. The two larger ones are the ratchet types and it came with a wrench to manually move those in or out.

The wardrobe slide is smaller (non-ratchet type). It started acting up after 3 years and was getting worse so I changed out the motor/gearbox. Had to remove the valance inside the bedroom to get to it, I pulled the motor, took the model number off it and searched the internet to get a new one. Really not difficult to do, most of the time spent was figuring out how to do it and get it back together again the easiest way. Youtube was my friend. It appears the only way to move it manually is to insert an Allen wrench in the gearbox, if the gearbox goes then I'll need to unhook the motor/gearbox altogether and push the slide in by hand. Not a big deal, however, you want to know how before you need to.

[tc cruiser]

rockfordroo,
Thanks, my controller is located under the sofa on the slide on my e pro 19fbs. I found it after the kick board in front of the sofa fell off from the short screws the factory used to install it . I believe I will just leave it off as it doesn't look bad without it. After reading this post I searched and found how to reset and troubleshoot the schwinteck slide.
TC

[rockfordroo]

Great. Good luck. I've had no issues with mine.

[itat]

I believe the slide-out on your Roo is a Lippert “Electric Through Frame Slide-out System”.

This video may be helpful in this discussion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEN5gYf4lQ8

[bedubya]

Originally Posted by itat

I believe the slide-out on your Roo is a Lippert “Electric Through Frame Slide-out System”.

This video may be helpful in this discussion.

Wow, that video is great. I thought I had a Schwintek slide, now I know for sure that I do. When it has realigned itself, I thought there was a problem. Now I know that's normal.

But I have a question that the video did not answer. To get past the kitchen sink, I have to run out my slide about 10 inches. If we are parked in a parking lot, I don't extend it any further. If the two of us sit at the table when it is not fully extended, are we doing damage?

[TryingToLearn]

Originally Posted by bedubya

To get past the kitchen sink, I have to run out my slide about 10 inches. If we are parked in a parking lot, I don't extend it any further. If the two of us sit at the table when it is not fully extended, are we doing damage?

If you're not bouncing up & down I wouldn't worry about it but if you are driving with someone sitting there put a wooden wedge under the end to ensure there is no up & down movement since the slide is cantilevered at the outside wall. This will prevent gears & tracks from getting stripped or broken from the road bumps!