Slide leaking fluid

[dragrace728]

our 2000 36 FDS Alpine coach is leaking fluid. the fluid appears on the exterior of the living room super slide and leaks onto the lower cargo doors. The slide is operated with an HWH system. I located the hoses in the basement and they connect to a rectangle shape tube that i can see under the slide when the slide opens. Are the cylinders inside this 2" by 3" tube ? How do I access the cylinders to see if they are leaking? Thanks for any help. Danny

[Old Scout]

….yup, cylinders are inside the referenced tubes that are welded in the frame....process may vary by model year and length of coach and it is a major effort..... basically requires you to disconnect the ram piston rods from slide on driver's side and unbolt the end of the tube cap on passenger side, and perhaps remove the hydraulic lines to remove rams for inspection/repair...basement door frames or fiberglass side panels may also be in the way of fully removing cylinders....not a DIY job for the faint of heart.....

[dragrace728]

Thanks for your reply as you have confirmed my suspictions. the rear cylinder seems easy unless its too long. but the front cylinder is located in the small compartment where the pump and tank are located. it looks impossible to reach that area to use tools. could i have to cut a door for access ?

[Old Scout]

….agree, the front ram location is the challenge, I know of at least owner who cut the fiberglass panel near the "small" compartment to remove cylinder.....haven't tried it but all of the fixed, lower side panels are hinged/suspended from the beltline with a interlocking c-shaped hinge....like the passenger-side tank panel door....its bolted at bottom but can be lifted beyond 90 degrees to release the hinge at the belt line....if its possible for the front panels, this would be preferable to cutting them....

[dragrace728]

I'm wondering if I over filled the tank and caused the leak ? Ever tried a power steering stop leak product ? Better to replace the cylinder or have it rebuilt ?

[wolfe10]

I would not try stop leak.


Overfilling the reservoir would not cause a leak other than in the reservoir/pump area.


Until you determine exactly what is leaking (could be the hose end, could be the cylinder itself) no way to answer.


Then I would check with HWH-- their part number should be on the cylinder.


As to whether to rebuild it locally, depends on how much labor is involved. I would be more comfortable with either an HWH rebuilt or HWH new cylinder if you determine that it is indeed the cylinder that is leaking.


Short answer-- you/we need more information on the issue before pulling out our ouji boards.

[dragrace728]

This is the cylinder that I suspect is leaking....Will the cylinder come out after I remove the two hoses and two outer nuts and remove nut from other end of cylinder? The outer end is where it looked wet inside the access hole and the shelf below had fluid on it.[IMG][/IMG]

[dragrace728]

sorry ...having trouble posting pictures... i'll try again....

[Old Scout]

Again, no first hand-experience removing the cylinder but that is what I understand--eg, release piston rod from slide arm on driver's side, and remove cap and hose connections on passenger side end…..two options for leak: 1-cylinder rod seal on driver's side end; or 2- where metal tubes on passenger side connect to cylinder....my guess--its the cylinder rod seal....

[dragrace728]

Thanks Old Scout and Bret Wolfe,, you provided lots of help..

[dragrace728]

Got the cylinder out without removing the fender,, pretty tedious but not too bad....called HWH and they don't sell rebuild oring kits but will rebuild starting at $285.00 or sell me a new one for $407.00...Went to local hydraulic shop and they sold me the 4 orings needed and installed them on my parts for $7.59 so it's going back together soon........Any tips on bleeding or activating the system ?

[DrDaveMA]

When you get it all assembled extend/retract the slide several times to bleed air out of the system.

[DrDaveMA]

When you get it all assembled on the first extend, watch the slide carefully to avoid extending it unevenly, once you get it successfully extended then extend/retract the slide several more times to bleed air out of the system.

[Old Scout]

….don't know this for a fact but logic suggests you will be operating the slide with jacks down, so system fluid level in reservoir is already at a low point....need to monitor reservoir level to ensure there is enough fluid to complete the bleed process....point is that you lost some fluid during the rebuild--but don't overfill either--I know, not a very "technical" explanation.....