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bphill2220 · 09-05-2021, 03:02 AM

On our DSDP 4018 model year 2019 the bedroom slide has always clunked and popped when operating in or out. Being very new at coaches (less than 5 years) I just assume this could be somewhat "normal". I estimate we are around 40 trips on this coach, mostly shorter and we travel for a few hours, stop and overnight, and repeat. So our 40 trips amount to around 100 times of a full cycle on all of the slides.

Every once in a while the bedroom slide would not go all the way in or out and power to mechanism would not continue to allow the slide to travel. We would reverse the direction and let it travel all the way in the opposite direction, change direction and then slide would fully operate. Again being pretty new at coaches, assumed this is the way things go.

Last trip, 400 miles from home. Slide did not travel all the way back in. 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch from fully in. We had to travel home with the slide out.

Upon inspection (I am not sure it is related) there are 3 screws at the top of the slide awning the top one was broken out of the aluminum track and the aluminum track was bent. When I operate the slide the screw and the aluminum track is banging into the bracket that holds the metal magnet and the "C" shaped awning cover is not making it all of the way back to fully closed. I removed the top screw for now and that assembly will go all the way in (need to figure out a better solution) but it still rubs. It appears the whole awning is too far forward and will hit that bracket and magnet no matter what I do.

Back to the real problem. Slide does not go fully in our out. I have watched the slide control in the bay while operating the slide direction out. The counter (I assume volts) reads 30 to 37 and once the slide gets to as far out as it will go (in its present failed state) the motor / slide stops and the counter goes to 00. Slide travel on the way in the counter rarely is above 20. This tells me that it takes less current to go in than out, odd but okay. When the slide is traveling in and the slide gets to about an inch from fully retracted the motor / slide stops and the display goes to 00. I think the slide stopping and the indicator going to 00 (in either direction) is telling me that the control mechanism thinks its work is done so it stops supplying power.

I can perform some mechanical tasks after reading lots of manuals and posts and taking advice from this forum. I am ready for some sage advice -- even if the recommended action is "take it to a professional".

D20 · 09-05-2021, 07:58 AM

Do you have the KMG APN-0159 slide out controllers?

That amperage reading you are getting when the slide out is extended sounds very high. I would start by inspecting the mechanism, including the torque of the slide motor mounting bolts and checking for broken motor mounting bosses, to see if anything is out of order.

Dutch Star Don · 09-05-2021, 08:17 AM

Before getting too deep into electrical issues, lift the bed and remove the black carpeted floor panel under the bed. This will expose your motor. You need to check that the motor bolts (4 of them) are tight and the motor isn't shifting.

Second, if you were to kneel alongside the bed, in the middle, and look down into the frame work, there are four large carriage bolts (rounded tops) near the center of the bed frame wall on both sides. These bolts and center the bed mechanism in place. If they're loose, the assembly/slide can move around. Newmar did not use lock washers on these and they can come loose. Even if they're snug/tight, it's a good idea to remove two at a time and add flat and lock washers. The bolts drop down into the frame and the nuts are on the bottom. Easy to take the nuts off, but hard to put back on. When reinstalling the bolts, install them from the bottom up and then install the washers and nuts, which is much easier from the top.

10 fan · 09-05-2021, 08:18 AM

Have you looked under the bed to see if anything is loose or broken? Once you remove the wood floor under the bed you can watch it go in and out. Many (including me ) have had loose motor bolts. It's easy to apply the motor bolt fix without removing it. Many (including me) have had the 4 bolts (on each side) that hold the wood slide frame to the metal frame underneath come loose. Many did not have washers and the bolt would slide in the slot. That is also how you adjust the front to back position of the slide. Mine came loose and it slid forward and would stop in the wrong place. My stop bolts also came loose for extending the slide. They are very hard to see and even harder to tighten. I'll try to find and old post where I posted pictures. Sorry this is so long.

bphill2220 · 09-05-2021, 03:19 PM

From what I am reading I need to look underneath the bed as my next step. Thanks for describing how to get to the motor, I would not have figured that out.

Yes I have the KMG APN-0159 slide out controllers, from what I had read above 30 on the dial seemed to high.

I plan to go to our storage unit in the morning and I will report back.

Thanks for the replies.

Dutch Star Don · 09-05-2021, 06:19 PM

Pretty funny....."10 Fan" and I typed pretty much the same thing at the same time.

tomato · 09-05-2021, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10 fan

Have you looked under the bed to see if anything is loose or broken? Once you remove the wood floor under the bed you can watch it go in and out. Many (including me ) have had loose motor bolts. It's easy to apply the motor bolt fix without removing it. Many (including me) have had the 4 bolts (on each side) that hold the wood slide frame to the metal frame underneath come loose. Many did not have washers and the bolt would slide in the slot. That is also how you adjust the front to back position of the slide. Mine came loose and it slid forward and would stop in the wrong place. My stop bolts also came loose for extending the slide. They are very hard to see and even harder to tighten. I'll try to find and old post where I posted pictures. Sorry this is so long.

Following as my bed slide is off-center and needs adjustment. Does it adjust side to side at the same adjustment point as front to back? Pictures if those would be great.

bphill2220 · 09-05-2021, 07:44 PM

I removed OSB boards covered with black carpet on both sides of the bed. As the group predicted 9/16 bolts (all eight of them) were loose. Each at least a quarter turn, several 3/4 quarter turns maybe slightly more on 2.

I could not see where anything was bound or broken. I was able to use camera phone to watch underneath the bed while operating. I cannot see anything keeping it from moving all the way in or all the way out. Neither direction is making the full cycle. It is almost as it the mechanism thinks its work is done. I cannot tell where the limit switches are but I am thinking these might be the issue -- although why would both fail.

A mention that the slide has sort of lost its mind (or at least where it should stop) I think I can see the in direction limit bolt, but these are not being contacted -- so I am not sure that this is what they are.

I will look again to see the 4 carriage bolts that were mentioned.