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Bedroom Slide Flexing Issue
I started this thread regarding my 2015 36RL Redwood as a follow-up to my previous Thread "KingPin Weld Cracks". I mentioned in my final post on that Thread that the Service shop ruled out any weld cracks after removing the lower front skin for full examination and the structure was sound around the main frame attachments.
The Repair shop noted however the placement of a trim piece at the bottom of the left side of the bedroom slide. They had seen this before on other RV's and suspected there may be some structural problems. In fact there was now another 2013 36RL Redwood that came into the shop after mine with the same trim piece. I shared with the Service Tech that I had been hearing a clunking sound every time we brought the slide in. That provided another clue that this sound most likely was from some abnormal structure movement on the Bedroom Slide. Examining behind the Trim in that area showed a crack that appeared to be purposely cut to relive stress in this area. The cut was very straight and professionally done. The concern centered on what was causing this stress. The slide was operated and you could observe significant shifting of the surfaces surrounding the cut. I approved further work since the shop felt that the movement indicated a failure of the aluminum stud that supports the Schwintec Slide and possibly other issues that could lead to more major problems later.
I have attached 4 photos which document what the shop discovered after removing the Bedroom slide. Photo 1 shows the Trim piece that was hiding the cut on the lower left corner of the slide. When I purchased the 5th Wheel I never thought about this trim, other then being part of the construction of the coach. Photo 2 shows an actual weld break in the structural stud on the left side. On this photo you can see the weld break (arrow 1), and (arrow 2) shows the separation of the outside wall of the coach. Photo 3 shows additional contributing factors since there are only 2 machine screws attaching the outer aluminum frame assembly at the base to the Lippert Steel Frame structure which is the bottom foundation for the overall slide assembly.
The final Photo 4 shows further concerns. The stud that has the weld break is not plume with the overall slide frame. Having this stud and the one on the other side in plume is key to support the Slide Assembly and insuring the gears run smoothly minimizing failure. The Slide system is attached to the coach using these studs. The photo shows 8 numbers and only 1 - 5 actually penetrate the aluminum frame away from the outer edge. Number 6 and 7 are very close to the outer edge and the final three screws (Number 8) miss the frame altogether. There are similar issues with the right side stud which is also out of plume, but to a lesser degree.
The Repair Shop feels that all of these structure issues could cause the KingPin to flex a little more than normal. They will be reinforcing the Left Stud with additional bracing welded from the inside of the coach. They will also re-weld and repair the break adding more structure there and higher up to allow full support for the slide. They will be cutting through the inner trim up from the bottom inside the coach to continue bracing past the Closet Wall as needed. Additional bolts will also be added attaching the aluminum frame with the Lippert lower frame. Once repairs are completed, they will be replacing the trim as needed.
In closing, I have been attempting contact with Redwood about this issue since it clearly was a major error in the construction of this Coach. Yes, this coach is now 7 years old, but this error should not have happened. We still love the RV and the repair will be worth it to insure we have a correctly running front bedroom slide that is structurally safe and will minimize total failure of the slide system.
A footnote on all of this, the Repair Shop shared that the other Redwood in the shop will need the same repairs plus a new Schwintec System since it had a full failure.
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