Lock R Bar slideout lock

[Barrier2]

Hello All, This forum has been a great source for information about my MH.
I do wonder if I'm at times asking questions that may be obvious and I should know the answers already.
With that in mind I have been pondering this one. I found two Lock R Bars in my MH. After looking in the manual I found them described with an explanation of how to use them. When I tried I was able to lock them at the top of the slide however I was afraid of breaking the wood trim at the top of the slide and damaging the slide itself at the outside wall.
Is someone able to explain how to use them?? Please.
It would seem to me that the best place would be along the bottom not the top but that would also be impossible at the rear of the slide due to the sink cabinet.
My model is a 2001 36' Dynasty with the single slide.
thanks
Barrier
Robert

[Diplomat Don]

Barrier2...There are no dumb questions because we all have different levels of experience. On my coach, there is a hole in the wall where one end of the locking bar is inserted in the hole and the other adjusts tight to the slide frame. This hole is located on the wall near the top of the slide.

Again, on my coach, the frame where the slide lock rests on the slide is framed in aluminum and then has wood trim over it. I put mine into place and tighten until it's snug (won't fall or slip) then twist it about one turn more. It has yet to damage my molding.

[Dr4Film]

Got my coach second hand, I'm the second owner, and I never received any lock-bars for any of the three slides. I have never used anything to lock the slides in while traveling.

Should I be concerned???

I've owned this coach since December 2003 and have taken numerous trips and never had a problem.

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

[Barrier2]

Dr4Film, The bars on mine were in a rear closet, I'm sure if you had them you would have found them by now. There is a drawing in my Owners Manual.
I do not know how important they are, the ones I have appear to have been used rarely, perhaps the PO did not know how to use them either.
DiplomatDon thanks for the explanation I will try it next time I get to the Coach since it is in the Storage Yard.
Barrier
Robert

[Ed_G]

I would be interested in seeing this discussion extended to the need to use those slide lock bars. Our new 2008 Trek came with them also but we have almost never used them in the past year that we have owned it. I worry considerably about forgetting to remove them prior to extending slides... plus I rarely see them in use in any other motor home.

[chiefdave]

I use both of mine every time before I travel. I install them at the top portion of both front slides as the bottom of the slide is anchored by the slide mechanism itself. I know using them stabilizes the slides during travel. Accordingly, I have never had any problems with any of my slides. I know that many people are having trouble with the front roadside slide (refrigerator). I know there is quite a lot of weight on this slide. It only takes a couple of minutes to install them. I would like to know what people think of them and does it actually help. Someone invented these items, probably an engineer who decided they needed to be used.

[Jim Stewart]

I have them for the front of both front slides on my Safari Cheetah and have not used them. Just lazy I guess. I used to have a Newmar Mountainaire and the braces they used then (do not know if they still do) were very easy to use, they were scissor arms that were part of the slide. They came with a tool that was like a weird pry bar that hooked on the arm and with a little pressure, locked them into place and actually pulled the slide snug again the gaskets. I wish mine were that easy to use and such a simple design.

[Diplomat Don]

I have just the one for the large slide. My driver's seat is up against the slide and I can hear the slide rattle/move when I drive without the slide lock in. I put a red dot on the slide button to remind me to remove it.

[Barrier2]

Thanks for the answers.
Are there supposed to be Two each per slide, that is what I have?
Barrier
Robert

[Jim Stewart]

Mine only has one for each side of the front slides only. The back side of front slides and both front and back on the back slides run right next to the wall and there is no room to get in to put any in. If you look on the walls near the top on both sides of all slides, you will see the little round fixture with the keyed hole, that the one end of the brace fits into. However many fixtures you have, are the number of braces that should have come with the coach and also where they should go if used.

I dare anyone to read this post quickly 3 times in a row!

[WindsorDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrier2 I found two Lock R Bars in my MH. After looking in the manual I found them described with an explanation of how to use them. When I tried I was able to lock them at the top of the slide however I was afraid of breaking the wood trim at the top of the slide and damaging the slide itself at the outside wall. Is someone able to explain how to use them?? My model is a 2001 36' Dynasty with the single slide. thanks Barrier Robert

Where Do The Slide "Lock'R" Bars Go?
Robert,

It may look like the lock'r bar is against the wood trim in linked picture above, but it is not. There is a metal lip or flange that sticks out from the sides and top against which the metal body of the bar presses. The plunger part is the part against the coach wall as you can see in the picture.

I don't know if this is exactly correct and am happy to take suggestions. Mine is one long slide with a lock 'r bar fore (just behind the driver's seat) and aft (above the microwave. DiplomatDon says he uses one bar in the same place my forward one is located.

FWIW

[Dr4Film]

Well, here's a dumb question, Do all MH's, coaches, 5ver's, trailers, truck campers, prevost's, custom coaches, etc. that have at least one slide-out or more come with slide locks and are they supplied with them from the factory? Do the really high end coaches, $1M-$1.5M have slide locks?

I am wondering if my rig ever had them or possibly they never came with the coach in the first place. The owner's manual speaks of them and gives instructions on how to use them. It specifically tells about 2 for the large roadside slide, and 2 for the bedroom slide, but doesn't mention anything about my small PBT kitchen slide. The bars look different in the photo for the bedroom slide vs. the living room slide.

Both my roadside and kitchen slides have mechanism's located and each side that go from the top to the bottom and are covered with a thin black plastic cover which I have never taken off to look at. Frankly I am hoping that someone on this forum would tell me what function they perform. I am sure they don't have anything to do with locks for the slide, maybe for locking them out. The bedroom slide doesn't have these same fixtures.

[LewF]

Slide locking has many different requirements and methods. Some slides lock automatically - typically the bedroom bed slide with an electric drive, the ratchet clacking noise at the end of travel is the locking mechanism. On higher end coaches the locking bar is part of the slide and will lock automatically when the slide is pulled in. The locking bars that we have had experience with all have sockets on the coach wall where a slotted end of the bar fits into and the inboard end of the bar presses against a metal flange on the slide. Some slide have provisions for one bar, some two and some none. Our current coach with four slides has one electric slide with the ratchet locking mechanism, one fairly shallow slide that is cable operated with no locking mechanism and two hydraulic slides and only one of them has a locking bar, and only one. Lots of possible situations with slide locking.

We put a small 3 x 5 card with a warning reminding me to remove the lock bar over the slide operating switches. I put velcro on the corners and it covers the switches when the bar is in place.

I will not travel without putting the provided locking bars in place. Will a slide fall out, or come loose? Probably not but it has happened, do a search, and if it can happen, Murphy says it will happen. And, when it happens it will happen at a time to cause the largest amount of damage.

Hope this is helpful to some.

Lew

[beaverjim]

i posted this a while back on the subject. i did have my front slide start to come out on one of those rh on ramps as i was accelerating i first heard road noise and then looked out at the drivers side mirror and the front slide was on its way out. pretty scary! that was after traveling up and down the highways for over 2 yrs and not using them. i will not go anywhere without installing them after that escapade jim