Slideout does not start

[Jh13]

Ran into an issue with the slideout on my Hemisphere 24BHHL and wanted to see if anyone has a solution. This has a cable driven slideout dinette. I noticed a while back that sometimes when I pressed the button the slide would not move. My fix I found though was that I’d bump it in the opposite direction and then it would move the way I wanted. This problem has been getting worse and worse though to the point where today we couldn’t get it to move. What we found though was if you give the slideout a good yank/shake, then go press the button it would move. It’s definitely deteriorating though to the point where I’m a little nervous to run it.

Troubleshooting points:
-when I press the button, the interior lights dim. To me this suggests that the motor has power and is just stalled out
-once it starts moving, it seems to run normally
-sometimes the slide will run one way normally, but will not move in the opposite direction
-batteries are less than a year old

Any thoughts? Is there maybe something that’s supposed to be lubricated on a regular basis in that cable drive?

 

[SeaDog-FRF]

welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. Make sure your batteries are at full charge. It sounds like you might have a motor going south. Take an amp draw on the motor to check it out. JMHO

 

[Aussieguy]

slides are power hungry ... I usually like to deploy them
a) still connected to truck .... with motor running
b) after connected to shore power.

The battery can act as a buffer
supplies more amps to the slide motor when needed... if you have a weak battery it can effect the slide.

Turn OFF other power hungry 12v stuff before attempting to use slides

 

[Jh13]

slides are power hungry ... I usually like to deploy them
a) still connected to truck .... with motor running
b) after connected to shore power.

The battery can act as a buffer
supplies more amps to the slide motor when needed... if you have a weak battery it can effect the slide.

Turn OFF other power hungry 12v stuff before attempting to use slides

The last time it got stuck on me was at a dump site after it was connected to our generator all night and then the truck for another ~4 more hours. That’s not to say you’re incorrect, but I am pretty confident in the batteries (both state of charge and age). Yesterday it would go out fine, but I couldn’t get it to come in until I went and jiggled the slide itself. That’s what led me down the lubrication question because it runs normally otherwise, sometimes it just won’t start.

 

[NMWildcat]

Welcome to the forum!
I would venture to say that the majority of slide problems are power related.
So I always start with the batteries. Have them load tested as even batteries a year old can have problems, or not be fully charged.
We always try to have the RV hooked up to shore power or generator when moving slides.
You don't say the age of your RV, but as mentioned, it could be the motor or gear box (if applicable).
It could also be a auto reset breaker for the motor that is getting weak.
Start with the easy stuff, which is batteries, and go from there.

 

[Aussieguy]

do any recommended service lube etc...
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next time it gets stuck... have someone press the in /out switch and

listen / feel the motor is trying to turn
OR use a multi meter to determine if motor is getting voltage / current

wiggle the wires going to the motor make sure they are securely connected
poor electrical connection can cause problems with motors.

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another possibility does your system use limit switches?

check that the limit switches are tight and haven't moved ...
adjust any limit switches making sure the slide does not travel too far out.

 

[Jh13]

do any recommended service lube etc...
-----------------------------------------------------------------

next time it gets stuck... have someone press the in /out switch and

listen / feel the motor is trying to turn
OR use a multi meter to determine if motor is getting voltage / current

wiggle the wires going to the motor make sure they are securely connected
poor electrical connection can cause problems with motors.

--------------------------------------------------------

another possibility does your system use limit switches?

check that the limit switches are tight and haven't moved ...
adjust any limit switches making sure the slide does not travel too far out.

I do not believe that the system uses limit switches. If the slide is fully one direction and I press the button in that direction, the interior lights dim which to me says it’s applying power and the motor is stalled. The same thing is happening when it gets stuck in this case.

 

[Larry-NC]

Gear type slideout?

I do not believe that the system uses limit switches. If the slide is fully one direction and I press the button in that direction, the interior lights dim which to me says it’s applying power and the motor is stalled. The same thing is happening when it gets stuck in this case.

Does this slideout use cables or gears onto the track (rack and pinion)? If rack and pinion, check for bent teeth on the rack, or gunk on the rack.

 

[Palinduff]

Corrosion on power cables?0 My dads slide was acting wonky and I cleaned the corrosion off the positive cable and it worked like a charm.

 

[F.R.O.G.]

I made an assumption that you have a 2023 model, which might not be the case. On that assumption, here are the manuals for your slide. Note what it says in the Quick Start about being sure you have adequate battery power or or on shore power when operating the slides, and how to determine if low voltage is your issue.

If you need a different model year, go to Owners | Forest River Inc., A Berkshire Hathaway Company and click on "Interactive Manuals."

2023 Hemisphere Component Manuals - Slides

Hope this helps.

 

[doanshop]

If plugged into shore power or running gen, and trying to move slide does it still happen if not recheck your battery

 

[Jh13]

I was able to do a little more advanced troubleshooting now that the trailer is home.

First off, it’s an Accuslide system. Trailer was connected to shore power. Slide hadn’t been operated in about 24 hours. Slide started retracted.

I extended the slide to midway without issue. Hit the retract button, nothing (sound, movement, nothing). So that likely eliminates the battery angle. Extended a little more, still nothing. Eventually put it all the way out. After a few cycles of pulling and then hitting the button, I finally got it moving in. Once it got moving, I was then able to move the slide in each direction just fine so I exercised it a bit.

So I guess I’m going to go the lubrication route? My only explanation was that after I exercised it, it sort of got loosened up and operated fine. I see that slide out lube is a thing so I may try putting that on all the cables and chain. The other obvious thing is that maybe the motor is starting to go out, but the trailer is a 2019 and doesn’t get a ton of use so I’d hope it’s more robust than that…

One thing I did notice: once the slide is fully extended and comes to a stop, I can still hear the motor making a faint buzzing noise as long as the button is still depressed. Is that normal? Not sure if it’s done that in the past and I’m just paying closer attention now.

 

[Aussieguy]

Click the support tab to get their PDF's for troubleshooting and Installation
both files have good information
https://balrvproducts.com/product/accu-slide/

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still sounds like an electrical problem...

Bad switch?
at the motor's pig tail OR behind the switch ... can you swap the yellow and the green wire .
this will make the switch operate in reverse OUT becomes IN

if the problem is now slide won't extend .... safe to say you have bad switch
Check it with a multi meter....

Wait a couple of seconds between hitting IN / OUT
I have noticed on other 12v motors that if I switch them fast, without a pause they can stop working for a little while.
This is usually for motors that have under voltage protection.

 

[cmulvey]

Click the support tab to get their PDF's for troubleshooting and Installation
both files have good information
https://balrvproducts.com/product/accu-slide/

-------------------------------------------------------
still sounds like an electrical problem...

Bad switch?
at the motor's pig tail OR behind the switch ... can you swap the yellow and the green wire .
this will make the switch operate in reverse OUT becomes IN

if the problem is now slide won't extend .... safe to say you have bad switch
Check it with a multi meter....

Wait a couple of seconds between hitting IN / OUT
I have noticed on other 12v motors that if I switch them fast, without a pause they can stop working for a little while.
This is usually for motors that have under voltage protection.

X2 - Sounds like a switch to me. Easy to check with a multimeter.

 

[F.R.O.G.]

{snip}
One thing I did notice: once the slide is fully extended and comes to a stop, I can still hear the motor making a faint buzzing noise as long as the button is still depressed. Is that normal? Not sure if it’s done that in the past and I’m just paying closer attention now.

From the "Operation" section of the quick-start manual that I posted:

1. Ensure slide out system has adequate power to operate the slide room, a fully charged battery, and/or shore power hookup.
2. Activate the slide room by depressing the desired direction of the switch until the slide room has achieved its desired position. Holding the switch down until the control turns each motor off will result in the best sealing position.
3. Ensure that the rooms are fully retracted before moving, leveling, or stabilizing the unit

 

[chief96]

cable system slide

I've had some problems with a closet slide in my unit. Your problem is beginning to sound more like a motor or the gearbox having problems. Sounds like you've gone through the battery/power checks pretty well. Is the slide balanced so it returns/exits evenly? When slide actually moves is it noisier than the other slides? in the unit. I've lost both the motor and gear box on ours. Lots of youtube videos to look at that might help. Hope this helps .. Goodluck

 

[caosoccer2729]

Is this a hydraulic slide system if so check ur fluid also do u have the battery disconnect on that is extremely important in moving the slides with out problems if ur still having issues you can give me a call at (574) 327-1441 and I can video chat u thru the process or if ur close to Elkhart Indiana I can just take a look for you I have done this for many people on here and haven’t come to an issue I can’t solve yet