2005 Travel Supreme ME Slideout Problem

[raywaller]

I have a 2005 Travel Supreme ME (Mid-Engine) with a slide-out problem. The large slide-out in the living room area is making a grinding noise (like the gear is slipping). I had the slide-out closed at one point but ran it back out because of a grinding noise and the fact that the bottom of the slide-out was still sticking out about and inch and a half. Now the slide-out won't start back in but just makes a grinding noise. HELP


Ray Waller

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by raywaller

I have a 2005 Travel Supreme ME (Mid-Engine) with a slide-out problem. The large slide-out in the living room area is making a grinding noise (like the gear is slipping). I had the slide-out closed at one point but ran it back out because of a grinding noise and the fact that the bottom of the slide-out was still sticking out about and inch and a half. Now the slide-out won't start back in but just makes a grinding noise. HELP


Ray Waller

Gear or Shear Pin

Crawl under and look for it Pretty sure it is up on the Drivers end - of the long Shaft.

On occasion, if just a Gear, it will catch, with a BIG Push from outside, allowing it to Close - issue is it is likely not safe to Drive as it may just roll back out.

Be sure the air is up and the coach is level on the frame, as per TS instructions air up the Coach, to move the slides, that way they do not bind and strip the Gears or Break the Shear Pin.

Best of Luck,

[f15epilot]

I have an ME and have had to replace that motor. Open up the pass thru on the driver's side; the motor is in the middle of that opening. There are two 1" tubular shafts coming off the gear reduction/brake drive. Each leads to the drive gears that move the slide via holes in the support rails. Have someone press the button and observe what happens. If the tubes rotate and the slide doesn't move, then you have stripped the drive gears on the bottom of the slides (unlikely). If the round shafts off the gear unit turn, but not the square tubes, then you have sheared off the pins that connect the drive shafts and tubes. If neither the round drive shafts nor square tubes rotate, but you hear the motor running/grinding, then you have sheared off an internal gear inside the motor/reduction unit and that assembly has to be replaced.

See one of my earlier posts for the motor model and source info. Mine was the first Travel Supreme ME they made. You referenced yours was a 2005. I'm guessing that is the Spartan chassis year. TS built the first two MEs on 2005 frames, but both are officially 2006 (or so I was told). Anyway, betting yours uses the same model motor drive. Easy swap. Only takes a box end and socket wrench to remove the four bolts holding it in place, and pliers to remove the cotter pins from the shear pins holding the drive shafts to square tubes. I put electrical quick disconnects on the red/black wires to the motor.

And as stated, only put slides in/out with coach in ride-level and jacks up. That was how I stripped the gears on mine (and dinged a trim piece). The frame twists when the jacks are extended enough to shift the openings and bind the slides.

[raywaller]

You are correct. I have a Spartan chassis. We were able to figure out how the slide mechanism works, so we removed the motor and inspected the gears. The motor is still good, but the smallest gear seems to have wallowed out the plate hole such that it doesn't stay in place when the motor torques as it tries to move the slide-out. We noticed the motor was the same on both slide-outs, so we ran the good one in and wedged it with boards on the inside (so it was locked in place for travel). We then removed the good motor/gear assembly and installed it in place of the bad motor/gear assembly. We then retracted the driver side slide-out and were ready to rock-n-roll. For safety sake, we installed the bad motor/gear assembly on the passenger side slide-out, so it and the boards would work together to help lock the slide-out in place. I've reached out to the manufacturer (KMG) and am about to order two new motor/gear units (since both existing ones are the same age). I thought it best to replace both units, and then have the original one that still works as a spare. You mentioned having the jacks up, but I thought I had been told years ago to make sure they were down (i.e., coach in level position) before running slides in or out. Since most RV sites are not level, that made sense to me, but I have experienced the frame-torqueing issue where the slide-out doesn't seem to seat until I retract the jacks. So I should put the slides out before leveling, and retract them after I've retracted the jacks (regardless of the site slope). Is that what you are advising?
What about aligning the slide-outs, once I get the new motor/gear assemblies installed. I have access to two tall floor jacks, if required.
The alignment would take place in my barn on level pavement, but I don't know what to adjust to square the corners with the coach sides.
Any suggestions/guidance. Your help would be appreciated.

[f15epilot]

Originally Posted by raywaller

You mentioned having the jacks up, but I thought I had been told years ago to make sure they were down (i.e., coach in level position) before running slides in or out. Since most RV sites are not level, that made sense to me, but I have experienced the frame-torqueing issue where the slide-out doesn't seem to seat until I retract the jacks. So I should put the slides out before leveling, and retract them after I've retracted the jacks (regardless of the site slope). Is that what you are advising?
.

I agree, not all sites are level and putting the slides in/out on ride-level is a bit of a pain since you have to shut off the engine, run the slides, start the engine to extend jacks, and repeat for retraction. At least I have to on mine since my jacks require 14v/alternator power for full auto functions. If yours work with the motor off, then it would be easier.

I've tried it both ways and on ride level, the slides fit squarely centered. When leveling requires one or both front jacks to 'lift' the coach, the frame flexes and the slides do not stay centered. There are multiple threads on the Travel Supreme Owners forum here and the consensus, not scientifically measured, but still, a majority of posts say to move the slides first, and then the jacks down to level; retract the jacks and let the air bags fully inflate, and then retract jacks.

Here's my thoughts on why. My ME front jacks are mounted on a cross member of the frame. Though study, the frame longerons that run front back are where the air supports and suspension mount, and are much stiffer/stronger. Lifting via a cross brace with the jacks, then, causes a twist. Also, and more a factor for our ME chassis, the motor sits between the front and rear jacks. That means when our front jacks extend, they are lifting the weight of the motor along with the weight of the coach. On a true diesel pusher, the motor weight is behind the rear jacks and axle, and like a teeter-totter, works as a lever to help lift the front. So the lifting and twisting moment from our front jacks is amplified.

I have several friends with other DP RVs, and most of their manuals say to put jacks down before slides. One of them, says slides then jacks. I think some TS owners have talked to various former TS employees who built our RVs, and those employees said the TS method was slides, then jacks to level; jacks up and air bags inflated, then slides in.

That's how I do it and I avoid any spot that is sloped excessively to either side.

[Busskipper]

...................................... the TS method was slides, then jacks to level; jacks up and air bags inflated, then slides in.

That was the Printed procedure from TS.

If you think about it and know some of the stories on TS it is easy to understand. The air in the airbags will give just a little, whereas the Jacks don't.

Back in the Last RV Boom - 2004-2007 - when the Industry was inundated with "New RV'ers" the stories are Bazare - the number of Automobile Transmissions that were just destroyed..........the Granite that was "Installed Incorrectly" and cracked when the auto levelers did not work.............The Granite showers that just started to Leak..............on and on.........Part of the TS demise was that the customer was always right, and they spent Millions $$$$$$$$$ trying to keep the customer happy.......

Enough of the old stories ...... slides in and out when the Coach is aired up - Just works Better, -

Best of Luck,

[raywaller]

Thanks guys! I appreciate your advice and recommendations, and will follow them going forward. Hopefully, the slide-outs will not require alignment once I start extending and retracting following your procedures. KMG does not have the motor gear assemblies in stock, but can provide them in a couple of weeks. That should work, as I don't have travel plans until October.

[f15epilot]

Just a follow-up. If you want an alternate way to inflate the air-ride w/o running the motor, here's an alternate method --> use a small air compressor and the air hose quick connect in either the front (over the generator) or the right/front bin. I took two male air hose connectors and a 1/8in NPT union, screwed the two together to make a male-to-male gender changer. I insert that into my air compressor hose (I carry a small pancake compressor for inflating toys) and push it into the air connector in the right/front bay. It takes a while, but the little pancake will inflate the bags. In fact, when we spent the night in Lazy Days maintenance bays after having the passenger windshield replaced, that's how we kept the RV on ride level with our jacks in-op (one connector was slightly unseated).

It comes in handy in my hangar where I store my RV. When I want to get the RV on ride level to move the slides in/out (e.g., to clean stuff), using an air compressor is way easier than starting the motor and dealing with the fumes. The compressor cycles off/on at about 120psi, which keeps the bags fully inflated.

[raywaller]

I mistyped. I have a 2007 TS ME, not a 2005. I have installed one new motor/gear assembly, and will install the second one shortly. For pressurizing the coach suspension, I need to mate a "commercial" male air compressor fitting to an "industrial" male fitting. I can then connect my pancake air compressor to my quick connect, which is located in my right/front storage roll-out drawer.

By the way, I just happened to watch a Smithsonian Special (Air Warriors) about the history of the F-15 Eagle. Very interesting! I, personally, worked on the F-105, and was stationed in Okinawa, Germany, and Libya (before Kaddafi kicked us out; big mistake in the long run). Go USAF!

Again, many thanks.