New Flagstaff 228D - Couple of Questions

[MOCAMPER1967]

Hello Everyone,

I picked up a brand new 2016 Flagstaff 228D camper last week and drove straight to the campground. It's equipped with the electric winch and it seems to be extremely loud. I haven't used one of these before so I'm not sure if this is normal or not? It was loud enough that it was almost embarrassing to raise the roof. At the dealer they had shown me a couple other pop-ups and one was noisy like this and one was not. The salesperson claimed the noisy one was "not level" but I checked and double checked our camper at the CG and it was level in all directions. Any input would be greatly appreciated before I make myself look silly at the dealer.

Second question, the two pins in the dinette slide out do not align with the holes so it cannot be fully extended. Probably off 1/8". Assuming I will need the dealer to adjust these as well. I've tried moving it around and pulling it out different ways but there is no way it is going to align.

Thanks!

[GalsofEscape]

Welcome to the forum and the world of popups. Yes, the winch is very loud. My 2010 hw popup came with a different model winch, it was pretty quiet but I think there were issues with it and it is no longer available. I had to replace my winch this year, this new model is definitely much louder but is faster. I have gotten used to it.

I would have the dealer look at the dinette.

[MOCAMPER1967]

Originally Posted by GalsofEscape

Welcome to the forum and the world of popups. Yes, the winch is very loud. My 2010 hw popup came with a different model winch, it was pretty quiet but I think there were issues with it and it is no longer available. I had to replace my winch this year, this new model is definitely much louder but is faster. I have gotten used to it.

I would have the dealer look at the dinette.

Thank you Galsofescape. i just don't have any experience with these but it sure seems excessively noisy to me. Should be fun the first time I roll into camp late! lol. I'm taking the camper to the dealer tomorrow to have them check out the slide. Appreciate your input!

[kinma13]

First off. Welcome to the forum and FROG. Yes the new style winch is loud. My slide is off a mm or so bur I can get the pins through, I would have the dealer align it. Don't want to not have it fixed then something really go wrong.

[61cubby]

Winch is pretty loud on our '15 2514G as well. Also new winches have no lubrication on the gears, metal on metal. Questioned this and it comes that way from the company and the manual for it says NOTHING about lubing it.....ever.

[matwiyj]

There is another thread on this issue here:

I removed those pins that hold the slide out OUT and have never had any trouble with it sliding back in by accident. Perhaps on unlevel ground it might be an issue but we've spent probably 100 nights in it and it hasn't been.

The threaded rods that hold the slide closed for travel didn't pass through the original holes so they had been ground out (by the P.O.) to accommodate the new positions. I bought mine in a repo auction and it appears it was rarely used, but when it was they didn't know how so did lots of damage.

As in the thread above, the 228D has a potential problem with the rear bed pulling on the very short box where the furnace is. When the bed is weighted with people it pulls out on that box and I would bet that is the alignment problem, not the slide going out of alignment.

On mine I put a metal tie-plate to firmly attach that box to the frame. If you pull the flat rubber piece that is attached to the short box, and brushes up against the slide, you see a bar of aluminum that butts up against the frame.

I pulled the bed out, forced the bed up by pushing a canoe paddle up under the bed. This forced that aluminum piece to be closer to the frame, and I used self-tapping screws to join the frame and aluminum piece to stop it from pulling away when the bed is weighted. Seems to have worked for me.