Slide Out Will Not Open

[Linda Hartin]

My 2016 Rockwood Mini Lite slide out frozen in out position. How to close manually??

[Old Campers]

Linda,

I have learned alot while struggling with our Schwintek slide. There is a process for overriding the controls of a Schwintek slide. The instructions are included in one of the posts on this subject. Although it allows the slide to move in or out, it does not solve any problems.

If your slide is a different type, there could be a different solution. Some can be manually cranked in and out. But this is also an emergency effort which does not solve the problem.

I now know that some of the advice I have received has not helped but I am sure it was given with good intentions.

I would guess that if your slide is stuck in, you will need to take it for service. If you do extend it and then cannot get it back, you have a real problem.

Rich

[Rv tech]

You figure that slide problem out yet ? If you go to Lipperts web site. They are the manufacture of that system. You can get all the info. You will need. I deal with those darn slides daily. If you haven’t figured it out yet post it up and I will try to help you.

[mmmartin33]

Get a kill switch to install on the battery terminal. Our battery no longer is dead when we want to go camping.

[Muzzledan]

Sounds like it’s time to replace the battery.

[lamokadave]

If not the battery, there is a slide control reset somewhere near or in the slide. It's an electronic box like device with a button on it. You should see printed reset directions on the device. Something like press button 6 times and hold on the 7 th push. If the motors are out of sync, that should correct

[Tankmaster]

Originally Posted by lamokadave

If not the battery, there is a slide control reset somewhere near or in the slide. It's an electronic box like device with a button on it. You should see printed reset directions on the device. Something like press button 6 times and hold on the 7 th push. If the motors are out of sync, that should correct

Please let us know when you get this resolved. I have been having some slide issues as well. Thanks

Tank

[BBogey]

We were stranded twice ( LONG ways from home) with our slide stuck OUT! Bottom line, for us, was the batteries were bad!!!! Made NO sense to me, ( l thought shore power, generator, engine running , would power anything - WRONG!!!!

New batteries installed and have now taken about 6 trips with zero problems ( fingers still &#129310

[patyoung1]

I had the same problem with both my slides. Front slide stopped. Turned out that the gear box teeth were broke because the chain was too tight that operated the slide. And, my cables were twisted five times. Back slide stopped next day. This time, the slide motor went out due again to the chain being too tight. Manual says slide chain should have 1 inch slack.

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by Old Campers

PLEASE HELP!!! I brought our Forest River Grey Wolf 26RL trailer home from its annual Pennsylvania Safety Inspection this afternoon. I am now finding that the slide out will not slide out. It starts and moves out an inch or two and the motors stop. It will come back in. Trying again, it only goes out an inch or two. THis is very frustrating because the slide motors were replaced less than a year ago. Since the motors work for a few seconds, I am not sure it is the motors. ANY SUGGESTIONS???

Thanks, Rich

Plug into shore power and try it. I would take it back for warranty also.

[Old Campers]

Hello RV Tech and others who have given input,

I have spent time trying figure out the problem with my Schwintek slide and I have found out a lot,
1. Replacing the battery did not change anything.
2. Forest River is no help at all. They told me that they just install the slides and I should go to Lippert/Schwintek. They did not care that my slide has failed twice in less than 2 years. All they know is that the trailer is out of warranty. They provided no technical help.
3. I have communicated with Lippert/Schwintek by phone and email. They say they just sell the slides, any help should come from Forest River. They told me to contact Forest River. I talked to Technical Customer Support twice and got conflicting advice. The first tech told me the Hall Signal fault could be cured by cycling the slide in an out. He said the problem is that the motors are out of sync. This is correct as the front motor runs a second or two longer than the back when going in or out. He said if I re-timed the motors the fault would be resolved. I can only get the slide out or in by overriding the controller. He told me that re-timing the motors requires 12.75 volts from my battery. He said when I was going to re-time the motors, I should call him for guidance. MY new battery puts out 12.55 volts. I checked on line and with Advance Auto parts and both say the proper voltage for a new battery is 12.5V. Since I could not figure out how to get to 12.75V, I called the tech again as he suggested. I was was told by another tech that the first one only works via email and I could not contact the first tech. The second one then told me that the advice from the first was wrong. The Signal Hall fault is caused by a short between the controller and the motor or in the motor. The Schwintek manual says this so these technicians were no help at all.
4. With no help from either Forest River or Schwintek, I complained to Forest River Customer Service about the poor location of the controller. It is under the back side of the slide and the indicator lights are impossible to see with the slide in and totally inaccessible with the slide out. I had to remove a trim panel to get to the controller when I had the slide out in override. I sent several photos to Forest River asking why their assemblers installed the controller under the slide when there is accessible location about 18 inches away. By the way, Schwintek told me the wire harness they provide is 30 ft long so the control did not need to be installed under the slide. So I complained about the location of the slide with photos. Customer Service told me the location is not a problem because they have not received input from RV service people. At about $90 per hour I would not complain either. The last motor we had replaced cost about $600 ($230 for the motor and the rest for labor and tax). The attached photo shows the location of the controller. It is easy to see the controller but too far from the controller to see the indicator lights and override button. The space between the floor and the slide is 7 inches.
5. With difficulty I removed the screws securing the controller and at least I could see the indicator lights and the small button that allows me to put the slide into override (one of the 2 ways to get the slide to move. The other is to disengage the motors and then manually push the slide in. This only works for retracting slide and pushing it takes at least 2 people with great effort.
6. I am thinking that that the problem is just what the manual says.... A wire short or a short in one motor. I asked Forest River for a schematic of the slide but of course they did not respond.

All this leads to two alternatives: Try to find a short or replace a motor OR take the trailer in for service and expect to spend $600 again. Since Shady Maple RV cannot take the trailer until Mid-July, I would like to take a shot at fixing it myself. Without a wiring diagram (schematic) I don't know how to track down a short. I guess I could buy a motor from Schwintek (about $230) and replace one and see what happens. If not improvement, switch out the second motor. I am not sure how difficult replacing the motor would be.

RV Tech, What is your advice?? I am open to any suggestions.

[NMWildcat]

Call an independent service only shop/mobile. We get much better service and prices from them. Might even save some $$$ from the replace and test method.

Get it fixed, then sell it. We know some folks that have nothing but continuous problems with their schwintek slides, and some others that never have any problems. All I know is I will never own anything with a Schwintek slide if I can avoid it.

[frankraney]

I would not replace the motor....if it comes out and back part way....it is good... Something is binding it. If the battery were weak, it would just stop or slow way down... .

[Old Campers]

Hello Frankraney, The slide is not binding. When I put the slide into override, the slide goes in and out correctly. But override is only a temporary fix.

Hello MNWildcat, I always try to fix things my self. But not before I am sure the outcome will be positive. I am not sure if this the the wiring or one motor and although I am an engineer, I doubt I could find the problem with out some real good advice. This is the reason I contacted Lippert/Schwintek and Forest River. THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL, DID NOT CARE, AND TOLD ME TO GO TO THE OTHER COMPANY. I always fear making the problem worse. I am so frustrated with the slide, that I am considering trading the trailer or just selling the trailer and giving up on camping.

I like Shady Maple RV. They are a local independent RV service company. But if the design of Schwintek slides is poor resulting in unreliable slides, no servicer can fix the problems.

Rich

[snappy_1]

This is a little different idea on your problem if the battery is not the issue. Slide out timing. I was broke down by the side of the road with my slide out half in and half out. This is a Forest River Evo trailer a 2015 . I learned lots and this may help someone down the road. The Swintec system on the slide is powered by two motors located at the top corners of the slide. They have a wiring harness that goes to a dual motor synchronous velocity slide controller. Lippert part number 13398-C2. Latest update is a -D2 which Lippert says is lots more durable. My controller was located by the power inverter by the tv area. Remove the wall cover inside the cabinet and you will see it. Hopefully picture enclosed. Read the red led and the green led. The flashes will match with the fault codes listed on the unit. If you do indeed have low battery power it will probably flas fault 3. The emergency backup for Schwintec is to press the button six times and hold on the seventh time. Instructions are on the controller. This is supposed to allow you to get the slide in one time to get it to the dealer. ( not waiting all summer for me ) No crank in, no other emergency back up. Really bad design guys. I ended up replacing the rear motor, the wiring harness and the controller. But hey, I can throw parts at it as good as the dealer for thousands less. No lines and no waiting. Changing the motors will mess with the trim on the inside and out side but pretty easy to pop out and back in. One screw holds each in. The controller is a plug and play and so is the wiring harness. You can change out the whole smack in under a day if you need to. Keep on campin !

[snappy_1]

Been using the camper for months now and no further problems. My poor RV guy even said he has no idea how this system works. Very light in weight all right. I guess that’s the idea. Need a better emergency backup big time.

[snappy_1]

Originally Posted by frankraney

I would not replace the motor....if it comes out and back part way....it is good... Something is binding it. If the battery were weak, it would just stop or slow way down... .

See post #55

[snappy_1]

Originally Posted by cavie

I think I'm confused about your description of front and rear. I thought you were describing top and bottom. My top stops first the bottom continues for a short time. Same in reverse. bottom first the top to follow. Sounds like you is getting into a bind. I think you need to adjust your stops. Just a guess.

The timing is causing the problem I bet. You need to find the sync timing controller for the dual slide motors. Trace the motor wiring backwards . Seems like they put the controller in various places. On the controller there is a red and a green led. Read the flashes. That is the key. Mine ended up,being a wiring harness problem. Simple system once you understand it. All about weight I guess. To re time the slide is just a procedure. Run the slide out all the way. Run it in six inches. Run it all the way back out . BE SURE to hold the activation button all the way at least five seconds after the slides stop moving either direction. VERY IMPORTANT This keeps the motors in time. Do the slide in and out a foot or so for at least four times. Then run it to full in or out. Controllers are about $125.00 for the super ceded model and motors about the same price.mwiring is about fifty bucks each.

[snappy_1]

Rich. E mail me I can solve this for you. Do you know if yours is a Swintec system ?
Ben. Royhaus@gmail.com

[mmmartin33]

Old camper, so sorry you are getting no help what so ever. And playing the blame game is such a cop out. I noticed you mentioned Shady Maple RV. If you are in SE PA, I suggest calling Fretz in Souderton. They are good people. Do NOT go the Stoltzfus. Total idiots that play the blame game too.

Good luck! Please continue to post.