Slide Out Slow and Ratchets

[Harold41]

I have a Crusader 351REQ. Two of the slide outs are thru the frame. One of them works fine. The other is getting slower and slower. In the last half of its' travel it makes the same ratcheting/clicking sound that is heard when both of these slide outs reach the end of their travel. What do I need to look for/at? I know my battery is getting weak but the other slide out and the 2 Schwintek slide outs are OK. I'll likely replace the battery next week when we get home.

Harold Wilson

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Harold41

I have a Crusader 351REQ. Two of the slide outs are thru the frame. One of them works fine. The other is getting slower and slower. In the last half of its' travel it makes the same ratcheting/clicking sound that is heard when both of these slide outs reach the end of their travel. What do I need to look for/at? I know my battery is getting weak but the other slide out and the 2 Schwintek slide outs are OK. I'll likely replace the battery next week when we get home.

Harold Wilson

time to crawl underneath when slide is out and spray some good dry lube on the parts that slide back into the frame. Make sure all sides are well lubed. run the slidein, then out. Repeat.

The ratcheting noise is from the clutch and its only supposed to do that when you reach the end, in or out.

Use only "Dry Lubes". They spray on but dry to a slick film. If you see any grease or dirt buildup scrape/wipe/clean that off first then spray.

Lastly, if battery is weak make sure you are plugged in and converter is on. Otherwise consider hooking jumper cables from a vehicle to battery(s) while operating slide.

[Harold41]

I used slide-out lube last week before we left. Acts the same when connected to shore power, but the other slide-out does not. Don't see anything obvious looking underneath. I'll probably look inside the frame next week.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Harold41

I used slide-out lube last week before we left. Acts the same when connected to shore power, but the other slide-out does not. Don't see anything obvious looking underneath. I'll probably look inside the frame next week.

Try operating the slide using the crank handle as if you had no power at all. See how the slide feels to you as it goes out or in. A lot of cranking but you might get a better idea of whether it's in the slide or perhaps gearbox. Like a worn/damaged clutch.

Another area to explore is the bottom edge of the slide opening. Make sure that nothing is dragging there from corner to corner. Look for scuffed areas on the bottom of the slide. Make sure the slide isn't binding as it reaches the point it slows and "ratchets". Might be a mis-alignment issue.

Might take two people to diagnose. One to push the switch and the other underneath watching what's going on as it binds.

Just a couple other possibilities.

[Harold41]

I didn't see any significant scuffing on the bottom when I looked at it this afternoon, just a couple minor scratches. I'll watch it as my wife pulls it in tomorrow. Probably try the hand crank next week at home.

[Dirt Sifter]

Just a FWIW, but we had a piece of the wiper above our slide out come loose and bind as the box slid out slowing it and making it work harder. Neither the repair service nor us could figure what was happening until enough pulled loose to stick up inside the TT. Lesson learned, don't forget to look up and all the way around a slideout.

[Garrette]

The clutch is supposed to ratchet when it hits something, like an obstruction or the end of travel to protect the gear box.
First, check underneath the slide box inside the camper, assuming it is a Lippert above floor slide. Maybe some obstruction, construction debris, grand kid debris. Take a good look, gears engaging the track, rollers look good, no varmints, etc. use the dry lub while there.
Second, lub the slide seals. If the seals get hard and do not want to flip, this will cause undue drag and may cause the clutch to ratchet. Lub both the inside and outside flappers.

I hope it is something simple. Let us know what you find.

[Harold41]

I replaced the battery this week after arriving home. On closer inspection of the bottom it appears that on one end the clearance between the main floor and the slide-out floor is less than it is for the rest of the floor. At that end I had a piece of repair tape over a repair where a protruding screw cut a groove in the floor. At this point about 4" of the wiper seal is torn as if it's getting caught and the repair tape is getting chewed up. I removed the repair tape and it seemed to work OK. I will probably smooth that area up more next week and watch it while someone else operates the slide. I also looked at the end of the slide channel and motor from the hole in the undercover that's there for manual operation. At that end it looks clean and OK