Calibrating slides

[marandjwr]

what is the procedure for re-calibrating the slides? I know it entails 3 times but don't remember the rest... anyone?

[Dave&Ginny]

For the electric slides......

I was told at the factory to bring the slide all the way in and keep holding the button a second longer. Then run it back out just a couple of inches and then back in again. Repeat this 2 or 3 times. They should re-sync themselves.

[marandjwr]

haha... they told us last year at Service center, just couldn't remember... thank you!

[homeguy]

I've done that several times and mine still lacks about 1" of completely closing. I have just given up on it.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by homeguy

I've done that several times and mine still lacks about 1" of completely closing. I have just given up on it.

Two years ago I was having an issue with the bedroom slide (electric) not closing. Each time I tried to close it would stop farther out from the closed position. After calling the Redwood customer service manager and being told to use the CRC Power Lube with Teflon on the rails, that solved the immediate problem after the first lubrication.

Subsequently, I have been told by the Factory Service Center two different techniques to "reset or re-sync" the motors. The first technique, when opening or closing the slide, hold the control switch for 3 to 5 seconds after the slide is all the way out or all the way in. The second technique is what Dave was conveying. Run the slide all the way in, then back out 2 to 3 inches, then back in and repeat this 2 or 3 times.

I personally lubricate the slides with the Teflon spray a couple of times each year. Then, when operating the slide, I always use the first technique of holding the control switch for 3 to 5 seconds or until I can no longer hear the motors trying to run after the slide is all the way in.

Hope this helps.

[5th_Time]

Guy, do you remember back in '12 - holding the button for the electric slide room for even a second after the slide was in would blow the fuse... Redwood then changed the circuit design and rewired which fixed the problem. There was a bulletin on this.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by 5th_Time

Guy, do you remember back in '12 - holding the button for the electric slide room for even a second after the slide was in would blow the fuse... Redwood then changed the circuit design and rewired which fixed the problem. There was a bulletin on this.

Mike......I don't specifically remember that issue with the electric slide. I did have an issue with a fuse blowing, that was related to the hydraulic leveling system, when the trailer was not connected to shore power. Subsequently, after I took the trailer into the Redwood Factory Service Center at Syracuse for its first annual warranty inspection in September 2012, they reworked/reconnected the electrical and hydraulic system in the battery compartment area due to a couple of TSB's. One of the things that I discovered later was that the 10 Amp fuse was changed to a thermal 15 Amp circuit breaker. I never had any more problems with the fuse/breaker blowing/tripping after that.

Guy

[lwg]

Originally Posted by homeguy

I've done that several times and mine still lacks about 1" of completely closing. I have just given up on it.

Mine does the same thing every time. I've tried all the tricks mentioned here to no avail. I literally have to go out and push/help the slide go all the way in every time we retract the slides...

I really, really don't like the schwintek slide in our Redwood.

[atom ant]

I got panicked when we bought ours because the bedroom slide stuck out further than the others, but part of it is just the design. The seals compress tight before the slide overlap flanges get tight to the coach.

I ran around and looked at every brand on the lot with Schwintek, even the large slides, and it was the same. I felt better anyway.

As long as I can feel in there and the seal is compressed, I'm good. The bottom seal doesn't fully compresses in the center, but I think that is more to do with installation than design. Still works.

Keep it lubed.

[lwg]

Originally Posted by atom ant

I got panicked when we bought ours because the bedroom slide stuck out further than the others, but part of it is just the design. The seals compress tight before the slide overlap flanges get tight to the coach.

I ran around and looked at every brand on the lot with Schwintek, even the large slides, and it was the same. I felt better anyway.

As long as I can feel in there and the seal is compressed, I'm good. The bottom seal doesn't fully compresses in the center, but I think that is more to do with installation than design. Still works.

Keep it lubed.

This is my issue. At the front of the Schwintek slide when closed the seal isn't even touching the side of the RV. Its a good 1/4" away. The only way I can get it to compress is to push on the front part of the slide when it's motoring in...

I've tried lubing, etc and nothing seems to help. The dealer tried to tell me that I needed to hold the button down for 10 seconds (you heard that right) after the slide was all the way in or out or I'd be causing the motors to get out of sync. Over the past year I haven't had the slide come in all the way on it's own a single time.

[atom ant]

I'm confused, the seal is actually attached to the side of the coach, and the slide comes in and meets it. Is it not touching there at all?

[mhs4771]

If you read the maintenance instructions, there is a Torque adjustment, once the torque required to move the slide reaches that point, the slide motors stop (designed to prevent overload on the motors). The instructions give the directions how to adjust the torque setting, but in our case it was already at max, so I now just put something under the mattress to keep it from jamming into the dresser drawers and the slide closes all the way.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by lwg

This is my issue. At the front of the Schwintek slide when closed the seal isn't even touching the side of the RV. Its a good 1/4" away. The only way I can get it to compress is to push on the front part of the slide when it's motoring in...

I've tried lubing, etc and nothing seems to help. The dealer tried to tell me that I needed to hold the button down for 10 seconds (you heard that right) after the slide was all the way in or out or I'd be causing the motors to get out of sync. Over the past year I haven't had the slide come in all the way on it's own a single time.

That sounds to me like it is more of a slide adjustment issue. You would think that the dealer service department would have enough knowledge to do that type of work. Did the slides close properly when the coach was new?

[lwg]

AA,
The slide has a gap of about 1/4" before it touches the seal.

MHS,
That's a great idea. I figured there was some sort of torque overload prevention that shut the motors off but did not know it was adjustable. It sounds similar to a garage door opener in that respect. I should look into this a bit more. I'm assuming that each side of the slide has its own torque adjustment? I will read up on this one and do some experimenting this weekend if the weather is nice enough.

Hoosierguy,
It worked initially, but only for about 2 months. The first time we had the issue we panicked as we were several hours from any dealers who could service it. Redwood support helped us a little but that's when I figured out the pushing on the slide trick.

[atom ant]

Let us know how the torque adjustment goes - sounds like that might be the trick.

Does it not touch any of the seals? Or just the front?

(I would be worried traveling in a rainstorm, seems like it would come right in.)

[lwg]

Originally Posted by atom ant

Let us know how the torque adjustment goes - sounds like that might be the trick.

Does it not touch any of the seals? Or just the front?

(I would be worried traveling in a rainstorm, seems like it would come right in.)

The torque adjustment yielded no change for me. For one you can't really tell how to adjust the screw, seems like it will just turn and turn...

As for the question on seals. The slide will extend all the way like it's supposed to, its just the retracting that's the problem. It leaves the 1/4"-1/2" gap between the seal and the trim piece.

Guess it needs to go to the dealer afterall...

[rob_fla]

Our last SOB 5th Wheel had the Schwintek slide system on the bedroom slide and on the large Kitchen / Entertainment Center Slide.
The Bedroom slide always worked perfectly, the large Kitchen / Entertainment Center slide was always problematic, struggled to operate and seemed overloaded.
I had to sync the large slide all the time as it rarely came in even on both sides but with holding the button after the slide was closed it always would sync both sides and pulled in even and tight.
When shopping for our Redwood, one of the many items on my list was if it had Schwintek Slides, they had to be small and light.
Our FL met the list as the two front living room slides only have a sofa in each slide and are very light.
Our Front Living Room Schwintek Slides have worked flawlessly so far, keeping fingers crossed.

[johnboytoo]

Our previous sob's had the schwintek slides and since the first one was an early adopter of that slide system, we did a lot of research and found that 95% of issues were with the installation at the mfg, not with the slide system...

for instance, our first had the slide 'cutout' just a BIT smaller than it should have been for the slide
(a LONG slide with bed and big bath!)
and therefore 'dragged' one side...
once the mfg rep checked it, they had the opening 'trimmed' and we never had another problem.

[lwg]

I've often wondered if weight is part of the problem. We have the combo vented W/D, probably 40 lbs of gear next to that, we also added the sleep number bed and put a 3/4" wood platform under that to support the bed.

[atom ant]

Oh mine got a new attitude when we put in the side by side W/D (about 300 lbs). It still close fine, but the door to our bedroom no longer reached the other side. Had it shimmed, looks like I need to do it again.