Bedroom slide.

[Alberta3]

We have a 2004 Tropi-Cal purchased new. The bedroom slide has been trouble from the start. It was worked on several times while under warranty, including once at National service center in Fla., nothing really helped.
Breaks the shear pin at least every other time we open or close, sometimes every time. Dry lube interior mechanisms at least every other month. Wax exterior often.
Mu husband is thinking of a design change. He is very good at these things, I know he can do it, but I am hesitant to change/ add rollers etc.
Love our MH, very few other problems.
Please help with suggestions, ideas or moral support. Have to have it fixed before our September trip to escape the heat.
Thank you,

Sherry

[Clark Savage Jr]

Sherry (love that name - she was my first crush) ...........

The pin to which you refer as a "Shear" pin is not intended as a shear pin, like on an outboard motor. It is a drive pin and is not supposed to break under normal use. You should not use a normal split pin - they just aren't strong enough. Power Gear recommends the use of a heavy duty pin which is wound up like a snail. It is almost solid - but is actually tougher than a solid pin.

They are available at McMaster-Carr hardware online at:

McMaster-Carr

Be sure to buy the "heavy-duty coiled pins" in the proper diameter and length. You can always grind them a bit shorter if your exact length is not available. Local hardware stores do not usually stock these pins.

I also recommend the use of a special split pin driver to prevent damage to both the pin and the hole in the shaft. Harbor Freight Tools sells a 28-punch set under the term, "Transfer Punch Set" item #3577 for $9.99. Well worth the money.

Transfer Punch Set - 28 Piece

Power Gear realized their design flaw and finally changed the drive connection from a drive pin to a Woodruff key in later models. Earlier pin drives may be converted to a Woodruff key - last I looked it was about $140 for the conversion kit.

[Alberta3]

Doc, thanks for the reply. Our BR slide was made by RBW Industries, no longer in business. Kitchen and LR by Power Gear. I do appreciate the info. on Power Gear. That being said, any other ideas ? DH is pretty strong and so am I and we can barely move the slide with both of us pushing on it. Should it be that hard to move?
Will welcome all ideas.
Thanks,

Sherry

[Clark Savage Jr]

Originally Posted by Alberta3

Doc, thanks for the reply. Our BR slide was made by RBW Industries, no longer in business. Kitchen and LR by Power Gear. I do appreciate the info. on Power Gear. That being said, any other ideas ? DH is pretty strong and so am I and we can barely move the slide with both of us pushing on it. Should it be that hard to move?
Will welcome all ideas.
Thanks,

Sherry

Oops! I assumed it was a Power Gear product. My bad.

I know nothing about the one you have. All I can tell you is that I would hate to try to push ours in! I doubt we could move them an inch.

Rich

[whitewhale]

How much weight do you have in the slide? Books are our problem. Going to unload a lot of them tomorrow.

[menoble]

Originally Posted by Alberta3

DH is pretty strong and so am I and we can barely move the slide with both of us pushing on it. Should it be that hard to move?
Will welcome all ideas.
Thanks,

Sherry

My BR slide is powered by a brakemotor, if 12V isn't applied to release the brake, it will not move. The book fails to mention that in the Manual Override paragraph.

[donhoward49]

Sherry, Is your slide a box with just the bed, or a larger wall slide.. I have some ideas if its a box slide. Some things I did because the dealer wanted $2200 to replace the nylon blocks.

[Alberta3]

Don,
Bed and small night stand only.

[donhoward49]

Alberta3 On mine the slide rides on three nylon blocks. With the slide open, pull back the bottom seal from out side. See the blocks. If they are warn down you might have rub marks on the bottom of the slide.. too far down and you get into the screws that hold the blocks.. Mothers Carnuba rubbed liberally on the slide walls helps. I also placed two brackets with wheels under the bed to help support the slide. I bought the wheel brackets at Ace Hardware. I will try to post a picture of the bracket..

[donhoward49]

If no picture this time message me with your email...

[tedgard01]

Has your husband used these shear pins?

http://www.harborfreight.com/315-pie...ent-67682.html

I also have a Dolphin, and the slide broke a few pins. The motor is under the bed and it was the gear that is under the rail that sheared the pin.

That gear is hard to reach and you are working upside down and backward to replace the pin, so I can understand the frustration (if yours is like mine).

Regardless, I found that the shear pins that you get at the auto parts store simply don't take the torque needed. If he uses one of these heat treated pins, and one that has to be tapped in place (biggest diameter possible), he may find that it will last.

Note: The pin was slightly longer than needed (it stuck out on each side of the gear slightly), but there is no issue with binding as there is adequate room all the way around.

The old shear pin's were replaced by the dealer, then by me, then I went to these pins at Harbor Freight Tools, and it has resolved the problem.

[mbrandt1402]

We also have an '04 TropiCal & I have had to repair a stripped gear, so I'm familiar with the drive system. I'm not so familiar with the term "brake motor" so while I'm not in total agreement with menoble's post, it might just be terminology.

There is a worm drive gear-and-wheel-set in the drivetrain. When you try to manually move the slide, you are pushing the wheel against the worm gear and trying to make it turn. The "leverage" between the wheel and gear in that direction is terrible. Most of your effort just pushes the worm gear up against the stop without spinning it at all. The analogy would be trying to move your car forward by pushing almost straight on against a door. There is no brake to release - the ability to hold the slide in place is built-in via the worm drive.

Without the gear drive in place, the slide should move fairly easily. We used our TropiCal once while I was waiting for parts to repair our slide drive & I had to block the slide closed. Otherwise the slide would pull out a few inches if I took a corner briskly.

I would remove the drive system and test the slide to see if it is bound-up in some way. Opening ours was difficult because there is no good place to push, but I could close it fairly easily - just a few "lunges" against the exterior wall.

Assuming the slide moves as it should, I would take the gear drive apart and examine it for wear or mis-alignment. My gear drive is a welded assembly. I wouldn't exactly call it junk, but it did not look like the most precise gearbox in the world. There is a small gear (just a straight cut gear, not the worm drive) that is the most common failure point. It is usually bronze (a steel or cast iron gear is available, but most likely never used in production for the slide drive) and it wears or gets a tooth broken. That gear is what I had to replace. I'm wondering if there is something wrong with your gear that binds the mechanism and causes the sheared pins.

If that gear is bad, do a Google search and you should be able to find threads on replacing it. Or go to my profile and send me an email or message and I'll find the information.

[Alberta3]

Thanks to all for help and suggestions.
We have ordered the heat treated pins. DH has removed the nylon blocks and is replacing them with two 20 inch long ball bearing rollers. I am holding my breath that this works.

Sherry

[donhoward49]

Sherry,, What a great idea. We need pictures. This could give me a fall project..