Lexington 300SS GTS slide problem

Danimal713 · 06-25-2024, 08:23 AM

Going from Tulsa OK to RMNP in Estes Park CO over two days, the wind was so strong it folded the front of the slide awning under and started to billow the rear. Both ends started to tear. We made it to Limon CO and I was going to try to do a temporary repair with Gorilla tape. Checking from the roof I didn't think even Gorilla tape was going to hold and the winds were going to destroy it and then it would be flapping in the wind and I would end up cutting it off so I cut it off before we hit the road for 2nd day. We had a 4 day stay in Estes Park and there is a mobile repair service in Loveland called RVDoctor that was able to come install new awning fabric. The tech also noticed there was no anti-billow device on the slide so installed one. All seemed good. Slide went in and out fine. We stayed with friends in Colorado Springs and slide went out and back in. Last night arrived at Great Sand Dunes NP and tried to roll slide out and it goes out about 6" and then the gears start clicking. I am able to retract but slide won't go further out. I have been searching forums and blogs but found nothing so far. I removed the anti-billow device at the advice of RVDoctor. I know the tech also added tension to the slide awning but one tech in particular says/thinks it is a slide problem. I need some information and advice.

What is slide manufacturer in 2010 Forest River Lexington 300SS GTS?

I think it might be made by Lippert but want to confirm. It has two gear tracks underneath and looks like a motor under the dinette with linkage going to gear for front track. accessability is very limited. I have tried the emergency over-ride using a 5/8" socket/rachet but it doesn't move either way. I did read some Lippert doc that said with it in stuck position to use over-ride to go past then see if actuator can slide it out. The mechaniusm is stiff in one direction then very free moving in other but the slide doesn't move.

Next question- which rotation in in and out? The documents and comments in forums mention clockwise and counter-clockwise which makes sense but nice to know for sure which is which. Moving in both directions does not result in movement of slide at all. Fortunately the actuator is able to retract.

Is it possible that too much roller tension on slide awning is stopping the slide from extending? It seems to stop just as the top should be starting to slide out. The bottom slides out first, then the roller should start unfurling the awning.

I loaded some pictures but doesn't show much. Picture of side of 300SS showing slide, picture showing tpart of one track and last is bottom of slide as far out as it comes- about 6" but should be out 16".

Appreciate all responses. I have submitted this to JustAsk after joining but am not impressed. I finally got a response about 10:30 PM after I had already gone to bed. I submitted question at 6PM after doing lots of research and playing around with it. Thanks.

NoviBill · 08-07-2024, 04:50 PM

I have know helpful information. Would like to know if you found a solution?

ChrisParise · 08-07-2024, 07:14 PM

My 2006 Sunseeker has the same slideout room. I recognize the rails underneath.

Once, I had a packing blanket in the outside storage basement compartment on the drivers side and the blanket got caught up in the rod that the motor turns to run the gears. Slide would only go out a few inches and then the motor would stall. It would retract which unwound the blanket by a little.

Open your basement storage doors and look for anything jamming the assembly

Otherwise turning the nut to manually extend or retract should work but if it's movement is restricted then that suggests something is jamming the assembly

Danimal713 · 08-09-2024, 05:37 AM

Once we got home I started digging around underneath and found there are 2 manual over ride 5/8' nut heads. The one I needed was on the motor. It was under a plastic shield that has a round hole but the nut was not visible in the hole but slightly to the side. I cut some plastic away so I could access the nut and was able to get the slide out by using manual to overcome some resistance then use motor to move rest of the way. What had happened is the crown gear 0n the motor side of shaft had slipped. The set screw had come loose. The gear moved over about 1.5" and hit a nut/bolt holding the track to the bottom of slide. It damaged the edge of the gear knocking several small pieces of the gear off. I ordered a gear from Lippert and had it in 2 days (just under $37). I called Lippert support and they said to remove the stop on the track and move slide room out so the gear/shaft/motor could be accessed from inside but support yje slide from underneath on the outside. I thought about building and out rigger platform to catch it. Looking at it from inside I have wood trim all around plus there is a lip behind the trim so not sure it would even go out further and was a bit Leary to try it in my driveway even though I have room. looking at the gear the side/edge that didn't contact the nut was still in useable condition. I started moving room in/out until I could get a straight access to the set screw. I used a pry bar and the gear and track started to engage. I pushed the gear so the edge with the good teeth edge was in line with the edge of the track. then I used a hex Allen head on extensions and found the set screw quite loose (I believe it is 9/32" Allen- probably metric but I don't have straight metrics that would fit and 9/32" did). With set screw turned out but not enough to have it all the way out to fall off the end of the Allen and drop into the block this all rides on, I used a screw driver to apply BLUE Loctite to the set screw and tighten it down. Then I did same for set screw on the front gear- it too was loose. So for now, it works and I am considering it fixed. The difference front to rear when the slide is out is just under 3/16" measuring from side to edge of slide. It comes in and makes all the seals so while it was a pain to work under it due to lack of clearance, Not needing to replace that gear, I feel I escaped a bullet.

ChrisParise · 08-09-2024, 09:02 AM

Glad you got it figured out and your fix looks good permanently. Price was right too!

Was the nut to manually extend/retract your slide accessible under the raised slideout room floor (my access point is under what used to be a.jackknife sofa which are now dual recliners)

Having removed my rear slideout room motor to diagnose a motor that would not work, I don't recall there being a set screw on the crown gear but I'll look at it again since it's under the bedroom mattress platform. Just wondering if the front and rear motors are the same

Anyway, that's me just wondering and thankfully I haven't had any front slideout room issues but if I do your fix will come to mind!

Thanks for following up

Danimal713 · 08-10-2024, 07:26 AM

I found 2 manual over ride 5/8" nuts. One is in the storage compartment just behind the long front compartment under the slide (just in front of generator). It moves the front track (without motor). The other is under a plastic cover with a large hole but nut was not visible in hole but was slightly offset from the hole. By feeling inside hole to side I found the manual over ride nut attached to bottom of motor on rear track. Our Lexington is a 300S GTS so only the one 12' slide behind driver seat. It had a jack sofa in front (replaced with 2 recliners from RecPro) and dinette in rear. The motor and track that gear moved was under the front dinette seat. It sounds like you have a 283 or one of the older Lexingtons (or other Forest River models like a Sunseeker) with a rear slide. I sometimes wish we bought a 283 with the 3 slides but talking to 283 owners, We have more storage in huge outside compartment plus long galley kitchen. The stove coming in to block the sink in a 283 I don't think we would like. Also that BR slide doesn't give that much more access room around the bed according to one 283 owner we talked to. The 283 is around or just under 30' and the 300 is just over 32'. Now the slide is working again it's nice to have the room in the living area. Check the crown gear again on your slide. I would be surprised if it didn't have a set screw. get some BLUE (NOT RED) Loctite and get it into the threads. Good luck and reply if you need more advice/assist and get some pictures.

ChrisParise · 08-10-2024, 08:10 AM

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I have a 2006 Sunseeker 2860DS with a bedroom slide. Definitely going to check that motor for a set screw.

On my front slideout room, at the floor there's a plastic shield under the valance covering the raised slideout room platform edge. I've seen the shiled because once the valance came loose so I took it off to attach it better. My sunseeker has manual slideout room instructions pasted on the inside of a kitchen cabinet door and to manually extend or retract the front slide to access a nut behind that plastic shield.

I did have to manually retract the rear slideout room once. Easy. Takes a 5/8" socket.

Definitely going to check at least the rear motor for that set screw.

Thanks

NoviBill · 08-11-2024, 09:02 PM

Thank you for the update. I will store it away so if/when my 2006 255Ds fails I will know where to start.

Danimal713 · 08-12-2024, 08:36 AM

I am reading some of your work and filing it away as well. I have documented some of my mods to our Lexington too in this forum. I insulated in the front cap and moved the sound/AV system behind the TV and reclaimed the cabinet space. Also made 2 drawers look like 2 drawers front facia but built a drawer behind the is really 1 drawer. I also converted to lithium batteries and added solar. Some I might not have documented. but ask and I can do a thread on whatever you might be interested in. I added a 100W flexible solar panel to roof and ran wires down fridge vent to a solar charge controller then through a pass-through pipe in floor to battery but put a switch on it to shut it off if I didn't want it to feed the batteries.

You may also like: