Fixed the slideout that the dealer could not

[wurlitzer28]

Just a TIP for people who experience cable operated slideout failures.

Symptom: 2014 Georgetown with 2 slides. The long Liv/Kit slide would jam on the left side as it was being extended about 70% of the time. If I just moved it in 1 to 2 second steps I had a good chance of fully extending the slide. This would always occur at the same spot, extended by about 1/3 from the closed position.

Dealer "Fixed it" 2 weeks after delivery but the problem quickly returned.

==========================================
There are 8 cables [4 cables to each side motor which is in the center] with attachment blocks where you tighten up the cables.

At about 1/3rd extended, the blocks with the cables must freely pass each other. A simple shift of the cables allows these blocks to twist from their normal vertical position to, in my case about 30 degrees from vertical.

Now when these twisted blocks attempt to pass each other while extending the slideout, the OUT and IN blocks collide and stop the slide's motion. Awful and expensive noises are also heard.

I cut a sheet of 1/4" underlayment the full height of the cable compartment [5" wide] and about 40" long as that is more than the IN/OUT blocks ever travel from each other.

I placed this new piece between the 2 sets of IN/OUT cables so that while the blocks might drag a little against the underlayment, they could never touch each other. Problem solved on the left side. Will have to go back to the right side of the motor to insure it does not become a problem.

Note to Forest River, there is a line between inexpensive and fricken cheap. The staples used to hold the slideout facade together makes it virtually impossible to service this area without damaging numerous wooden surfaces. The dealer had already broken, and never fixed the facade backing piece of plywood.

[Decon Blue]

Good job!, FR sadly would not take the time to built it right, it’s all about getting units out the door as fast as possible. Glad you got it fixed.

[cjd10]

Interesting. I have had to adjust mine twice. If (when) it happens again I think I will adopt your solution.

[itat]

Originally Posted by wurlitzer28

Just a TIP for people who experience cable operated slideout failures.

Symptom: 2014 Georgetown with 2 slides. The long Liv/Kit slide would jam on the left side as it was being extended about 70% of the time. If I just moved it in 1 to 2 second steps I had a good chance of fully extending the slide. This would always occur at the same spot, extended by about 1/3 from the closed position.

Dealer "Fixed it" 2 weeks after delivery but the problem quickly returned.

==========================================
There are 8 cables [4 cables to each side motor which is in the center] with attachment blocks where you tighten up the cables.

At about 1/3rd extended, the blocks with the cables must freely pass each other. A simple shift of the cables allows these blocks to twist from their normal vertical position to, in my case about 30 degrees from vertical.

Now when these twisted blocks attempt to pass each other while extending the slideout, the OUT and IN blocks collide and stop the slide's motion. Awful and expensive noises are also heard.

I cut a sheet of 1/4" underlayment the full height of the cable compartment [5" wide] and about 40" long as that is more than the IN/OUT blocks ever travel from each other.

I placed this new piece between the 2 sets of IN/OUT cables so that while the blocks might drag a little against the underlayment, they could never touch each other. Problem solved on the left side. Will have to go back to the right side of the motor to insure it does not become a problem.

Note to Forest River, there is a line between inexpensive and fricken cheap. The staples used to hold the slideout facade together makes it virtually impossible to service this area without damaging numerous wooden surfaces. The dealer had already broken, and never fixed the facade backing piece of plywood.

If you can post some pictures of your fix it will be very helpful for other owners with that type of slideout mechanism.

[wurlitzer28]

iTat, I'll be away from the rig today, but will take some photos before I button it up.

[RJJ]

Sounds like an inexpensive and good cure to a problem many of us have had. Mine only hit occasionally now, but this would eliminate that entirely. Nice post.

[cariboo camper]

Originally Posted by itat

If you can post some pictures of your fix it will be very helpful for other owners with that type of slideout mechanism.

There are some really helpful You Tube sites. I keep one that shows how to adjust cables on my tablet just in case. Looks quit complicated but I did have the chance to be in an RV shop and saw they were working on a slide. The mechanic took a minute to show me the basics. Think I could handle the job easily.


If I ever had to do the adjustment or repair on the road it would be cheaper to buy the necessary tools, if I did not carry them, rather than have shop repairs done.

[itat]

My current TT doesn’t have a cable-operated slide mechanism but I’ve seen them on quite a few trailers. It’s good to read about the nuances of other systems. If it’s not too problematic a system I’ll know not to rule it out on whatever might be my next trailer.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by wurlitzer28

The dealer had already broken, and never fixed the facade backing piece of plywood.

You mean the dealer's minion has broken the plywood facade. Did you mention the damage to the dealer?

Im not sticking up for shoddy work, but, if the worker broke it and said nothing and you said nothing, who is to blame the dealer did not repair the damage they themselves caused?

The answer is BOTH you and the worker. If you didn't mention it then make them repair their own screw ups!

[wurlitzer28]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

You mean the dealer's minion has broken the plywood facade. Did you mention the damage to the dealer?

Im not sticking up for shoddy work, but, if the worker broke it and said nothing and you said nothing, who is to blame the dealer did not repair the damage they themselves caused?

The answer is BOTH you and the worker. If you didn't mention it then make them repair their own screw ups!

===================================
Only 6 months after the dealer screwed this up, did I take it upon myself to remove the facade to verify my suspicions. Upon removing the facade I then saw the plywood backing the facade on the left side had been attached to and saw it had been completely cracked in half.

So it is 100% the dealer's fault for the breakage and not fixing it properly such that when 1,000+ miles from home the problem returned.

As the dealer had promised to fix this in a week, but took 3 weeks thus forcing me to cancel a trip, again it is a dealer problem coupled with a cheap installation by FR.

I did NOTHING wrong except evidently posting a FIX for others to use or ignore but given social media you decided I was partially to blame.

[wurlitzer28]

Originally Posted by cariboo camper

There are some really helpful You Tube sites. I keep one that shows how to adjust cables on my tablet just in case. Looks quit complicated but I did have the chance to be in an RV shop and saw they were working on a slide. The mechanic took a minute to show me the basics. Think I could handle the job easily.


If I ever had to do the adjustment or repair on the road it would be cheaper to buy the necessary tools, if I did not carry them, rather than have shop repairs done.

=====================================

Agreed, the YouTube sites are vary valuable. That is how I developed my initial assumptions of what was happening before attempting to remove the facade and try my fix.

Once I opened the unit up, my suspicions were confirmed.

However, once adjusted, as viewed in the numerous YouTube videos and cycled a few times plus a couple thousands of miles of shake rattle and roll, there is nothing to prevent the 2 sets of IN/OUT cable blocks from rotating enough to collide.

It does not take much of a rotation as these blocks come very close to each other even when everything is adjusted correctly.

As numerous others have reported similar problems with this design and installation, I thought this FIX would be inexpensive and a permanent solution to this flaw.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

You mean the dealer's minion has broken the plywood facade. Did you mention the damage to the dealer?

Im not sticking up for shoddy work, but, if the worker broke it and said nothing and you said nothing, who is to blame the dealer did not repair the damage they themselves caused?

The answer is BOTH you and the worker. If you didn't mention it then make them repair their own screw ups!

Your a little harsh about the repair, it was put back together already, how would he see hidden damage?..

[wurlitzer28]

Originally Posted by itat

If you can post some pictures of your fix it will be very helpful for other owners with that type of slideout mechanism.

================================

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vA4KMtLGKQb4ay4x8

Here is a google link to a photo of this rather simple but much needed, IMO, fix.

Not much to see other than a set of cables in front and the other set of cables behind the underlayment with no way for the blocks to touch each other.

Obviously this needs to be done twice on the left and right sides of the motor which drives the cables.

The ONLY real critical dimension is the length of the 1/4" underlayment to assure at either end of the IN/OUT travel, neither one of the cable attachment blocks go past the end of the underlayment.

A single drywall screw at either end just prevents the underlayment from shifting left to right.

As my slideout is one dimension, everyone else has a different size unit so just make sure the underlayment is long enough and is positioned left->right so that none of the blocks go past the end.

[rebeltown]

Wurley28, I have no idea what these "blocks" look like or what they are made out of but is it possible to round off the edges and corners so they are not apt to interfere with each other and lock up? Since your solution seems quite simple I doubt my solution would be any faster or easier.

[Decon Blue]

Originally Posted by wurlitzer28

===================================
Only 6 months after the dealer screwed this up, did I take it upon myself to remove the facade to verify my suspicions. Upon removing the facade I then saw the plywood backing the facade on the left side had been attached to and saw it had been completely cracked in half.

So it is 100% the dealer's fault for the breakage and not fixing it properly such that when 1,000+ miles from home the problem returned.

As the dealer had promised to fix this in a week, but took 3 weeks thus forcing me to cancel a trip, again it is a dealer problem coupled with a cheap installation by FR.

I did NOTHING wrong except evidently posting a FIX for others to use or ignore but given social media you decided I was partially to blame.

Well said !!

[wurlitzer28]

Originally Posted by rebeltown

Wurley28, I have no idea what these "blocks" look like or what they are made out of but is it possible to round off the edges and corners so they are not apt to interfere with each other and lock up? Since your solution seems quite simple I doubt my solution would be any faster or easier.

===============================
I suppose you could try that but there are 2 cable and one chain anchor per block and IMO that is a lot of possible interference to deal with.

The most difficult part of this FIX is taking off the facade and the cheap method used to install the plywood board behind the facade which the facade is screwed into.

As you are in there anyway, sticking a piece of very cheap underlayment between the 2 sets of cables on each side is cost effective and totally prevents anything from catching on the blocks.

Here is a link to one of the many YouTube videos on these cable type systems.

Starting at the 2:30 mark watch where he starts to show the cable blocks passing each other. They are supposed to do that but in the real world not so much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQWBI0gnhpI

[wurlitzer28]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

Your a little harsh about the repair, it was put back together already, how would he see hidden damage?..

=============================
Exactly Witch Doctor! We were 1000+ miles away when it failed again and not about to dismantle the slideout while on the road.

The previous poster sure makes it difficult to want to spend the time to help others with a "Possible" FIX. Such is social media. [anti-social is more like it]

Anyways, thanks again.