What Causes the Slide out Hydraulic Ram to slip?

[Ramblin Recks]

So while I was underneath my slide out (door side) lubricating the slide seals, I noticed that there was a gap in the adjusting nuts on the hydraulic ram that pushes/retracts the slide.

The threads are clean with no rust were the gap is. How does this get loose? There is nylon locknut on the outboard side and a jam nut on the inboard side.

I tightened the outboard nylon lock nut and then I opened and closed the slide and the slide appears to seal all the way around in the closed/ open position.

[AVid]

I do believe that gap is supposed to be there. It's that way on my present and past fiver. don't know the reason, but all my slides performed just fine.

John

Ran across this. It may help ya out. Lippert Slide Manual

[Ramblin Recks]

Originally Posted by AVid

I do believe that gap is supposed to be there. It's that way on my present and past fiver. don't know the reason, but all my slides performed just fine.

John

Ran across this. It may help ya out. Lippert Slide Manual

Thanks John. Interesting, I guess I will loosen it back up, book says 2-3 inches of free travel. My opposing slide was tight with no free travel. Guess I'll see what works best.

[Thurman]

I realize that slides on RV's are different than anything that is hydraulically actuated in an industrial setting but- -a hydraulic cylinder is a hydraulic cylinder any way I look at one. Never, ever have I seen a hydraulic cylinder application where there would be any 'free play' on the attachment end of the cylinder. I have seen a few applications where a "shock absorbing" device would be mounted but these would be of some type of rubber device securely mounted on the end of the cylinder. ALL applications of hydraulic cylinders which utilized any type of lock-nut on the end of a cylinder would have the lock-nut used as the defining set point of a certain dimension to be obtained utilizing the cylinder. The jam nut would be used to secure the cylinder rod at the desired set-point as determined by the lock-nut. The jam but should be of a type that would not normally come loose under normal operating conditions. IMO--the jam nut is what has come loose on you slide and should have been tightened back to it's original position to secure the bracket of the slide against the lock-nut. I have seen applications where the jam nut would not stay tight and the use of two (2) jam nuts would be used tightened together or another ny-lock nut (which yours appears to be) would be used on the side where you currently have a jam nut. I have a hard time believing that the manufacturer's booklet even recommended any slack at this connection point.