Community Forums

Terry W · 07-14-2017, 03:25 PM

I went out today and picked up my MH, it's been sitting for a couple of months. When I got there the rear edge of the pass side rear slide was out about 5". The front edge was in the correct position. I know it wasn't like this when I stored it!

I hooked up the batts and closed the disconnect switches and tried operating the slide. It jerked around a little and extended to fully out and retracted to the normal position. I operated it a couple of more times and all seems normal.

Has anybody else run into this? Any thoughts or suggestions?? Characteristic of this year and model??

Terry

Old Scout · 07-14-2017, 03:42 PM

Like all room slides on an Alpine [of this era], the slides are closed/extended by bi-directional rams. The main slide and bedroom vanity slide use two separate rams that are synchronized by a synchronizer cylinder. Pressure is maintained on the close side of the rams to keep the slides in while traveling/stored[no locks]. If one of the rams loses pressure, that end of the slide will creep out. So---could be a leak in that ram, the connecting hoses, or the solenoid back on the HWH pump manifold.

wolfe10 · 07-15-2017, 01:13 PM

Agree. Check for hydraulic leaks on cylinders (either end of bedroom slide, installed vertically), hoses, and retract connections which are over the CAC/radiator. The latter would show up as an oil leak on the front of the CAC/radiator and likely be visible from outside, but more leak on the inside/backside of the cooling package. This is a common failure point, as the heat of the CAC and radiator break down the hoses and connections.

Old Scout · 07-15-2017, 02:34 PM

To clarify--OP has a 40ft 2005 so the offending slide is the two-ram vanity slide, in the bedroom, on the passenger side of the coach. Synchronizing tube is on the backward facing bulkhead of the battery compartment, near ceiling--very easy to access, inspect and work on, if needed.....

wolfe10 · 07-15-2017, 03:06 PM

Thanks, Old Scout.

So, ignore the part of my post above about issues over the CAC/radiator.

That issue applies to only driver's side bedroom slides.

Terry W · 07-17-2017, 08:37 AM

Thanks guys,

I at least know where to start when I can get to it. This is the first time there's been any movement and in the few days I've had it home it hasn't budged.

Funny thing, the reason I brought it home is to start planning and measuring for a pad to park on and keep it at the house permanently to. We just moved and one of our must haves was RV parking. Got it

I haven't had a MH parked at home since we had a 23' class C in the early 90s. We won't have covered parking but we will have electricity, a level cement pad and a clean out for dumping. One tight spot getting past the house but plenty of room after that. We can actually turn it around in the driveway. Needless to say we are very happy.

Terry

M&J · 07-19-2017, 11:54 PM

I experienced the same issue intermittently on our Vanity Slide. It would creep out while stored and would take a few weeks sometimes and sometimes it held fine. It has gotten worse and I had noticed it creep as we drove the last time we had it out. It held the last time I retracted it at a rest area and stayed for a week or so. I had all the slides out in the building for a week and then moved it out this evening and washed the coach. The Vanity Slide crept out multiple times and I had to retract it three times while washing around it. After putting it back in the building I found that the Sync Cylinder had an O Ring bulging out of the body of the cylinder. It had a very fine spray of oil that hit the right hand bulkhead or wall when the slide hit the end of the throw. Oil ran down behind the Vansco unit which made it hard to spot at first. Attached is a picture of the O Ring issue.

This cylinder was replaced a year and a half ago after a battery fire and the first trip had an oil leak in the same area that the repair shop said was an O Ring. I think this is the same issue again as there are teeth marks on the cylinder body from a Pipe Wrench or Slip Joint Pliers where it was tightened down. This obviously was not done at the factory by HWH. If it is the same issue as last time there must be an issue with the way the cylinder is machined but we will find out.

Old Scout, do you know if there is a specific procedure for removing and replacing the Sync Cylinder to avoid damage to the slide mechanism due to air in the lines etc?

I appreciate the help on this.

Old Scout · 07-20-2017, 07:32 AM

Hopefully Paul [AzPete] will jump in with some HWH "facts" but several years ago I had to replace a weeping hose on the main slide syncro tube. Info I got from HWH then was to leave the hose connection slightly cracked and actuate the slide to get most of the air out--two-person job and kind of messy to catch any escaping fluid. Once majority of air is out--retighten connections, then exercise the slide from stop to stop to remove any remaining air. Like the main living-room slide, you can also disconnect the rams from the slide to do the stop to stop exercise but if the slide is pretty well aligned to begin with, the stop to stop will fine tune the alignment and remove any air......
As for the syncro tube leak--HWH had [has] a habit of using unique sized and shaped 0-rings. Not sure if it is the case with the tube seals but problem might be that they used wrong seals....The design of the vanity slide seems to make it pretty jerky during operation--HWH installed an adjustable dampening valve on the feed hose to reduce flow/pressure. Might close the valve a bit to help to slow down the slide once tube is repaired.

wolfe10 · 07-20-2017, 08:09 AM

When I replaced all the hoses to our wardrobe slide, I bled it exactly as Old Scout posted.

If just replacing the sync cylinder, reattach the feed line from the HWH reservoir/motor. Install, but do not tighten the two "out" lines. Have someone "bump" the switch until the air is mostly purged, then tighten the lines and run the slide a couple of times.

Since I replaced the lines all the way back to the front, it took longer to bleed than you will experience.

And, check with HWH on O ring replacement/cylinder overhaul.

Brett

DrDaveMA · 07-20-2017, 05:09 PM

My bet is the fire damaged the old cylinder, the shop that repaired it knew it was damaged, rebuilt it with close enough 'O' rings, extra torque to over come the miss sized 'O' ring, 1 year later you have the problem, not the shop that thought they knew how to do it.

If Paul Maddox (azpete) does not reply (he sometimes is really busy) give him a call, he will be able to help you sort it out. He has published it several times here so he does not mind calls, but PM me if you need his number.

c_oneil · 07-20-2017, 08:01 PM

I just replaced the hoses on my wardrobe slide and was surprised at how easy it was to get the air bled out. Instead of leaving a connection loose and letting the fluid squirt out I put the ends of the hoses into a plastic jug. I pushed the extend and retract button till I had fluid gushing out then pulled the end of the hose out of the plastic jug and installed the connections. I was surprised by how tolerant the sytem was of a little air left in the lines. I ran the slide in and out a few times to be sure but the first time in and out it worked smoothly. I did not remove the syncronizing cylinder or the room cylinders but just replaced the four hoses to the slide cylinders and the hose up to the pump.

M&J · 07-23-2017, 10:58 AM

Thanks everyone for the info. I apologize for the delay in responding as I had a few things at work that took all my spare time for a few days and have been out of town the past couple of days. I was able to find a document online after I had posted my issue. It was pretty much the same as what Carter noted he did.

I have attached the document.

I am concerned about the o ring being a special type that only HWH will be able to provide so I will try to make contact with Paul on this as well.

Thanks again for the help on this.

Mark