Community Forums

Glen and Sal · 01-24-2014, 10:31 PM

Hi, everyone, new member here. My friend told me this was the place to come for motorhome information. We just bought a 2003 Dolphin and can't wait to get out and start enjoying it. We do have a couple problems we need to get worked out first though. When we were looking at purchasing the motorhome, there was a small issue with the slide. The slide would stop when extending, but would continue out after waiting a few seconds. It would stop about every 5 inches, but would finally go out. Then it would come back in with no problem. Well, after getting it home and looking at it, we found the slideout seems to be out of square or racking in the opening. When extending the slide, the back top of the slide is dragging the side of the frame. When I tried lifting the back corner of the slide to see if this would help, I could get a proper gap all the way around the slide. Since this seemed to work, I tried adjusting the height of the slide where the track attaches to the bottom of the slide. The slide went in without any drag, but now the slide would not close all the way at the bottom leaving more than an inch gap. We lowered the slide back to its originally location and got the slide back in by lifting and pushing from the outside while retracting. When it was all the way in, the top back corner was overlapping the sidewall, no gap at all, and it may have tore the wiper seal in that area a little, but we were just glad to get it in. The MH was almost perfectly level when we were doing this (used a 3 ft level on the kitchen counter), figured this was a good place to check for level. Now the odd thing, when we raised the jacks, the slide "popped" into place and looks perfect from the out side.
Long story, but was just wondering if this is in fact an alignment issue or is something bent? It is a Powergear slide. I found TIP sheet #70 that shows how to do the rail alignment. Before trying this I wanted to see if anyone else has had this issue and what you did to fix it.
Thanks, Glen

Glen and Sal · 01-26-2014, 05:11 PM

Talked to someone today that said the back slide roller may be to low on that side. Does that sound likley? How would you adjust it?

Theberrys · 01-26-2014, 05:29 PM

Here is a link to all the slide documents I have collected over the years for our 1999 Tradewinds. Hope there is something in there to help.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=ae67f...2766057%212780

Also a link to all the documents I have. The chassis and engine documents won't apply but a lot of the OEM equipment was the same.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=ae67f...2766057%212101

Good Luck
Dick

Glen and Sal · 01-26-2014, 05:52 PM

Thanks, I'll check them out.

pops2 · 01-27-2014, 06:26 PM

Thanx for the info as we are in the process of buying a 1999 Tradewind so all I can gather will help my getting acquaintted with this machine. Thanx agin.

Glen and Sal · 01-28-2014, 06:54 AM

Hi pops2. Good luck on your search for a MH. I think I finally got my slide issue resolved. If you ever have any issues with the alignment on yours, it was pretty easy to adjust. Mine was off from side to side, so doing the rail alignment seemed to fix it.

Glen and Sal · 02-01-2014, 12:52 PM

May still have a problem. Maybe I am leveling the MH wrong I don't know. My driveway slopes left to right. When I go to level up, I find a spot on my driveway where the MH is slightly front low. The way I understand the leveling process, I raise the front about 3 inches, then lower the rear jacks till they touch, then the left or right ( in my case right) rear to level side to side. I can get it right on level, using a level on the countertop. Problem is, when I get leveled then try to put the main slide out, it binds real bad on the back upper corner. If I try to extend the slide, before leveling but still almost level front to back, the slide will go out fine but a little slow. It is pushing it slightly uphill because of the slope. Should I be leveling first of putting the slide out first?

bronk · 02-01-2014, 12:59 PM

Always level first.
Front/first, Rear/next, then Side to Side. It sounds as though you have the leveling sequence correct. Make any slide adjustments when level.

Bronk

tufftj · 02-25-2014, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen and Sal

May still have a problem. Maybe I am leveling the MH wrong I don't know. My driveway slopes left to right. When I go to level up, I find a spot on my driveway where the MH is slightly front low. The way I understand the leveling process, I raise the front about 3 inches, then lower the rear jacks till they touch, then the left or right ( in my case right) rear to level side to side. I can get it right on level, using a level on the countertop. Problem is, when I get leveled then try to put the main slide out, it binds real bad on the back upper corner. If I try to extend the slide, before leveling but still almost level front to back, the slide will go out fine but a little slow. It is pushing it slightly uphill because of the slope. Should I be leveling first of putting the slide out first?

Have you considered your countertop isn't level to your chassis floor?

bigdog · 02-25-2014, 03:01 PM

I was always told that you want to put your level in the bottom of the fridge. I found a concrete pad here in town that was vacant and flat out level checked with a six foot level in several directions. I parked the MH on it and let it run to get the airbags totally inflated and checked the fridge and leveler levels. I then shut it down and popped the air valve and let it settle for five minutes and then checked the levels together. Believe it or not,the MH was level aired down.
If I have to level,I usually use wooden blocks for side to side,drop the fronts jacks first for front to back and then the rears. The only times I have ever raised the tires off the ground was when I got new ones and then I chocked the ones left on the ground. I have seen the results of what happens when you raise the wheels clear off the ground and it wasn't pretty when the jacks folded up and the rig fell down.
It does make a difference in how your slides deploy when you're not level as believe it or not,you can torque a frame.

GREGORYJ · 03-03-2014, 06:55 PM

I always move the slides in/out find before leveling with the jacks. Sometimes when leveling with the jacks first, the rear interior top corner wooden frame of the front slide could touch the mirror frame on the wall causing damage to the mirror frame. The jacks sometime torque or twists the RV chassis very slightly. So now I always put the slides out first. If I level the RV by driving it onto blocks under the tires and not using jacks, the slides also work fine.