Slideout problems

[Biggestbird]

I am new to this site and don't understand how to use it. I have a 2003 Dutchstar4004 with 3 slides. It is new to us so are getting familiar. Last time we went out we thought we had both the locking arms for the drivers side slide free but one was not and the slide is now not completely in (or out) on one side. Suggestions on how to correct this?

[tom chelbana]

Can you on bolt the locking arm from either the slide or the coach? Might be tension on bars so be careful if you can remove the bolts.

[TonyDi]

Glad to have you here in the forum with us.

Happy Trails!!!

[tizzyfit]

With the slide in, check to see if the locking arm in question is bent. If it is bent, you'll see a bow in it. I had the same problem and had to remove the locking arm in order to get the slide all the way in and out. With the slide all the way in, open the window in the slide and you'll be able to get a ratchet on the 2 bolts that hold the arm to the slide. There's not much room to work, so don't expect this to be a 5 minute project. Best of luck!

[Biggestbird]

Don't know if I can unbolt it but that is not the real problem. What happened when we tried to extend the slide the first time with one arm still locked, the unlocked side still extended and we heard, and felt, the mechanism trying to extend the locked side. The result after it was all over is the underside supports which run the slide in and out and at different positions. The slides have a main support bar on each end which is what goes in and out. That support bar has holes in it. The mechanism that actually runs the slide in and out is a wheel that looks like a tinker toy with studs in in and the wheel goes from one hole to the next to either extend or retract the slide. One side is now about three holes ahead of the other making the slide sit at an angle. I have thought of extending the slide and then jacking the side that is not fully out up enough (putting the jack under the above mentioned support bar) to free it from the tinker toy wheel, thus possibly being able to just push it out to its full extended position.

[Polyian]

The correct way to adjust the slide is documented in the Newmar quick tips section. Also, the pdf is available from Newmar. Correcting your slide involves loosening the trans torque bushing (s) and readjusting the slide manually, then re torquing the bushing. You will need a crows foot wrench and a torque wrench capable of up to 145 ft lbs. Don't ask me how I know, but it was related to the slide locks on my Baystar. A lesson learned.

[BPoland]

Read the procedure for loosening the Trans Torque bushing, and loosen them on both sides of the shaft, where it enters the motor housing. You will need the afore mentioned crows foot wrench and a hammer. Once the Trans Torque bushings are free, the shafts are now free to turn independent of each other. There are multiple methods to get the slide completely in. I like adjusting it with the slide in. Worst case, you can use a pipe wrench on the shaft to rotate in until both sides of the slide are in. If you have enough friends to help, you can push the slide back in. I also engage the slide locks now. This keeps everything tight. Now you go back and tighten the trans torque bushings. There is a procedure on COM-Net. Now you use the torque wrench and make sure its tightened to specs, and you're done.

Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't. I wish I could say I have never been in your shoes, but I cant. As long as nothing is broken or bent, you should be able to get her back in line.

[Mountain Art]

I did the same thing on my 2004 Mountain Aire the living room slide was about 4" further out on the back . Re-adjusting the slide sounds complicated but it really isn't and takes very little time, once you read and understand the instructions.

[Mountain Art]

I did the same thing on my 2004 Mountain Aire the living room slide was about 4" further out on the back than on the front . Re-adjusting the slide sounds complicated but it really isn't and takes very little time, once you read and understand the instructions.

[rmcobb]

Anyone have a link to the instructions that are being referred to. The instructions I pull up from Newgle, indicate the TT bushing is torqued to 175 ft-lbs.....not the mentioned 145 indicated earlier.

[Mountain Art]

http://www.mo-fl.com/Slideout/full_S...nformation.pdf

[Biggestbird]

Well we got it fixed and learned something at the same time. Eventually had to extend the slide, jack up the side that was all the way out so the drive mechanism (looks like huge tinkertoys with studs in the holes) would clear the channel it sits it, and then rachet the drive in until it was equal. It worked. Maybe not the way Newmar would have done it but it worked and I learned a lot about how the mechanism operates.

[Mike_Harriet]

Originally Posted by Biggestbird

Well we got it fixed and learned something at the same time. Eventually had to extend the slide, jack up the side that was all the way out so the drive mechanism (looks like huge tinkertoys with studs in the holes) would clear the channel it sits it, and then rachet the drive in until it was equal. It worked. Maybe not the way Newmar would have done it but it worked and I learned a lot about how the mechanism operates.

We also have the 2003 Dutch Star 4004 with three slides. So curious, how did the slide get so far out of adjustment? And I really can't see how I could raise the slide high enough to clear the gear. How did you do it.

[Ed Headington]

I assume you are talking about a slide with one motor and two sprocket drives (as opposed to a full slide with two motors). I went through the process described by Polyian. I purchased a torque wrench from Harbor Freight and got the crows foot (open end wrench end that attaches to the torque wrench) on Amazon. One thing, 145 ft-lb of torque is a LOT of torque. If your wrench is 1' long, you will have to apply 145 pounds of "push" on the wrench. I couldn't do that. So I bought a 3' length of 1-1/4" pipe to give me more leverage. Also you will probably want to clamp the shaft toward the motor so it doesn't rotate while turning the nut on the torque clutch. Sounds complicated, but if you call Newmar and explain your issue and ask them for the directions, following the directions is not that hard.


Ed Headington