2022 Fortis: Slide won't come in

[Jim917]

It seems like I'm having lots of problems with my 2022 Fleetwood Fortis 34MB, but this new problem takes it to a whole new level.

My living room slide won't come in, so I'm basically stuck here in this campground until this gets resolved.

Fortunately, it happened at a relatively convenient place and time. I'm in a huge wide open dry camping area at Lake Pleasant AZ, so I'm not occupying a specific campsite, and there's no issue with extending my reservation. There's plenty of room here.

I'm sure there are times when a stranded RV is stuck in a campsite that others have reserved. What happens then? Seems like the arriving camper might get turned away if the campground is full, even though they have a reservation! That's messed up. In that scenario, I'd feel pretty bad about screwing up someone else's trip. Fortunately, that's not a problem here. And we're not in any particular hurry to take the RV anywhere else. So things could be a lot worse.

Also, I'm only about a hour from home. This happened yesterday, actually, and I was so frustrated and fed up with everything that's going wrong with this RV that we just got in the toad and went home. In the big picture, I guess if I was going to breakdown somewhere, this was a pretty good place for it to happen.

So, today I left the DW at home, and I came back to the RV to do some projects and not leave it unattended.

Regarding the slide, I have two slides, and the other one works fine. That rules out something silly like forgetting to set the parking brake (which I've done). Also, the stuck slide will move about an inch back and forth. So, the motor is getting power and seems to basically work.

I don't really know what I'm doing, but there is a very helpful friendly gentleman here who knows a lot about how RV's work. He took a look, he couldn't see or hear anything obvious. He thinks there might be something out of sight blocking the mechanism from moving, and the motor senses the blockage and stops.

There's a little more to the story with respect to this slide. When we bought the RV, I hired a professional RV inspector to come with us for the initial walk-through when we picked it up from the dealership. She spent about 2 hours going over all the most important aspects to look for anything grossly wrong. She said that slide was making a noise it shouldn't be making. It was kind of a loud clicking or snapping sound. It would snap about 4-6 times as the slide moved, like something was catching.

The dealership's walk-through lady said "It's supposed to do that." Privately, the inspector assured me that it is NOT supposed to make that noise! Slides make noise, but it's not supposed to make that noise. My DW actually got in a very heated argument with the walk-through lady about her condescending and dismissive attitude about this and other things. She was a lot more interested in just saying whatever she could to get us to shut us up, rather than addressing our concerns. The argument was so heated that the walk-through lady stormed off part-way through the walk-through and was never seen again. (Someone else came later and finished.)

As a side note: I didn't tell the dealership that the woman with us was an inspector. I just said she was a friend who knows a lot about RV's and came along with us. My guess is that they wouldn't have allowed us to do an inspection like during delivery of our RV.

Anyway, two days after picking up our brand new 2022 RV, a 2" crack appeared in the fiberglass at the bottom right corner of the slide. The crack was in the main body of the RV, not on the slide. I immediately made a service appointment as my local RV dealer (not the place we bought it) for their earliest appointment, which was a month out. They ended up delaying that appointment because they were over-booked, and it was 2 months before they looked at the crack.

They said the crack was caused by a broken weld in the frame of the RV that was causing things to shift. They fixed the weld (although, they have yet to fix the fiberglass), and it was covered by warranty of course. They did not address the snapping sound, but they said the slide was working fine.

Fast forward to yesterday. This RV is less than 4 months old, and the slide is inoperable. Ask me how happy I am about that. It seems par for the course, though, unfortunately. In addition to many other minor problems, the check engine light came on at 3500 mileage. I got the code scanned, and it says "cylinder 3 misfire". I have an appointment in a couple days to get that fixed (if I can get out of this campsite by then!).

I really can't believe it. I expected a few problems, but nothing like this: a crack in the fiberglass body after 2 days. A check engine light at 3500 miles. A stuck slide in less than 4 months. A couple dozen other more minor issues. Sheesh! You'd think for $150K I'd get something that actually worked. I could rant for hours...

But getting back to the issue at hand, so here I sit with an inoperable slide. Maybe it has something to do with that snapping sound or the broken weld, or maybe not. This might be something completely new and unrelated.

I'm going to call Fleetwood first thing in the morning and ask them to send someone out to fix it. That seems like the right way to handle it. I'm not inclined to hire a mobile tech myself, since I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere. I'm also not inclined to try any sort of repair myself, since I have no idea what I'm doing and it's obviously a warranty issue.

Surely Fleetwood's warranty procedures have some way to deal with things like this. I hope they don't tell me to manage the repair myself and submit a claim form for the cost. I want them to fix it. We'll see how that plays out tomorrow when I call them.

[Triple H]

Sounds like you have lots of issues with this rig. I would get that slide in and drive it to REV Service Center in Oregon or Indiana and wouldn't leave until it is completely gone through and repaired.

Overriding the Slideout System:

Your Power Gear Slideout System is
equipped with a manual override that
allows you to extend or retract a room in
the event of a loss of power.

If your system will not move when the
Switch is pressed, make sure that the
system is turned on and the battery is
connected and has a full charge. After all
of these are completed, follow these simple
steps to move the room manually.

Main Room Slideout:

1. Make sure that the ON/OFF Switch Key
for the system is turned off.

2. Locate the Slideout Motor. It will be
either ahead of the front rail or behind
the back rail.

3. Locate the two-pin connector on the
Slideout Motor leads and disconnect.

4. Rotate the lever on the backside of the
motor counter-clockwise about 1/8th
turn (looking from the rear of the motor).
This will release the break that holds
the room in place.

5. The room is now free to move. Using a
3/4th wrench or rachet, crank the room
either in or out (depending on your
need) using the manual override.

6. When the room is fully in or out, have
one person put pressure on the wrench/
rachet to ensure a tight seal while the
another person returns the Brake Lever
to its normal downward locked travel
position. This will ensure that the room
is locked into a sealed position.

7. Take the unit to an authorized dealer for
service.

[Jim917]

Here's an update. Good news. I called Fleetwood today and they were able to walk me through the solution over the phone. As I understand it from their description, the slide controller has the IN/OUT stop locations programmed so it knows where to stop for each direction. Occasionally for some unknown reason, the controller forgets its programming and doesn't know what to do. Apparently, that's what happened to mine.

So, he walked me through re-programming the stop points, and it seems to work fine now! What a relief!

The procedure involved unscrewing the IN/OUT switch panel from the wall, and using hidden magic buttons on the back to do the programming. Afterwards, at my request, he sent me a .pdf with the instructions. I'll post it here in case this happens to someone else.

[Jim917]

Originally Posted by Triple H

Overriding the Slideout System:

Thanks so much for the manual override instructions! Turns out I didn't need them this time, but I can see those instructions might be a life saver at some point in the future!

The hard part of that procedure seems to be finding and access the motor. I have no idea how to do that, and perhaps the task varies depending on whether the slide is IN or OUT.

[BillJinOR]

For more fun there is a thread here in the ford forum about not driving the rv with the codes you got for the # 3 cylinder. Seems to be a running thread on it. Seems it’s a known Ford issue. I haven’t read the thread.

[Jim917]

Originally Posted by BillJinOR

For more fun there is a thread here in the ford forum about not driving the rv with the codes you got for the # 3 cylinder. Seems to be a running thread on it. Seems it’s a known Ford issue. I haven’t read the thread.

The earliest appointment I could get at Ford is for Wednesday (2 days from now). It's so hard to get appointments these days!!! If it's a known problem maybe they can fix it quickly and easily. (fingers crossed)

[mack73]

Glad to hear you got it sorted - I had a similar situation in mine - the simple software override on the slide control panel got me working again.

My situation was the poor placement of the buttons below the kitchen counter by the entry door. The sink is right above. A bottle of water was knocked over and it ran down the side of the cabinet and straight into the switches for the awning and slide. For some reason this cause the limits to be reset. When I went to pull the slide in it went about 1 foot and stopped. About an hour of panic and I was finally able to get the troubleshooting guide downloaded over terrible internet in the mountains (yeah not sure why that manual wasn't printed out and in the packet you get...) Overrode it to get the slide in and did the reprogramming process when I got home and it's been great ever since (well except replacing the switch panel that shorted out)

[Jim917]

Originally Posted by mack73

Glad to hear you got it sorted - I had a similar situation in mine - the simple software override on the slide control panel got me working again.

... not sure why that manual wasn't printed out and in the packet you get...) Overrode it to get the slide in and did the reprogramming process when I got home

I'm intrigued by a couple of things you said, if you don't mind some follow-up questions.
1. What do you mean by the software override on the slide control panel? It sounds like you got the slide to come in somehow without doing the reprogramming yet. I'd love to know how you did that! I couldn't get mine in until the tech walked me through the reprogramming over the phone.
2. Can you point me to the manual you mention? Seems like that could be very valuable!

[2cyber71]

When using theses slim rack slides you must keep the button pressed after the the slide is all the way in or all the way out until you hear it click off. Otherwise you will be out of sync. Once out of sync it can get stuck in or out.
The dealer should have told you how important that is in your PDI

[Jim917]

Originally Posted by 2cyber71

When using theses slim rack slides you must keep the button pressed after the the slide is all the way in or all the way out until you hear it click off. Otherwise you will be out of sync. Once out of sync it can get stuck in or out.
The dealer should have told you how important that is in your PDI

That's a great tip! I'll be sure to do that. Thanks!

[mack73]

Originally Posted by Jim917

I'm intrigued by a couple of things you said, if you don't mind some follow-up questions.
1. What do you mean by the software override on the slide control panel? It sounds like you got the slide to come in somehow without doing the reprogramming yet. I'd love to know how you did that! I couldn't get mine in until the tech walked me through the reprogramming over the phone.
2. Can you point me to the manual you mention? Seems like that could be very valuable!

I guess this will really depend on the type/model of slide system you have - I'm not sure that the fortis has the same as the bounder.

Also pressing and holding after it reaches the limits depends on the system. With the powergear in my bounder it doesn't matter if you hold it, once the programmed limit is reached power is cut. But yes there are some systems that are not synchronized the same way and holding does ensure that the ratchet system is in sync.

1. The manual override process allows you to operate each of the slide motors manually. This process simply erases the programed stops so you can do whatever you need to. Like perhaps the motors are out of sync so you can move one in/out to get them lined back up. If you engage the override, you will have to reprogram the stops before it will work without the override (just pushing in/out)

To do this you will pull the slide control panel off the wall, then manipulate the buttons that are on the back.

2. Manual is attached. The override process is on page 6. Might want to confirm you have the same and/or find the correct manual for your slide system

[Jim917]

Originally Posted by mack73

... Manual is attached ...

Great, thanks so much!

[KocomoBugs]

Sorry to be off topic. I just picked up my 22 fortis 36db last week. The radio does not match the website standard equipment. Just curious, what features does your radio have? Does it have gps and car play? Mine has neither. I have many other issues but more related to broken or items not working like recliners not reclining.

[Jim917]

Originally Posted by KocomoBugs

Sorry to be off topic. I just picked up my 22 fortis 36db last week. The radio does not match the website standard equipment. Just curious, what features does your radio have? Does it have gps and car play? Mine has neither. I have many other issues but more related to broken or items not working like recliners not reclining.

I haven't played with the radio much, but I know it doesn't have GPS. Also, I have seen no indication of car play, so I don't think it has that either.

You're having trouble with your recliners, too? Mine suck. The footrest will come up when you pull that cable, but there's an issue with the springs where the footrest won't stay up when you put your legs on it. It just sags back down. The dealer ordered some parts for it in December, but like half a dozen other things ordered at the same time, they haven't come in yet. After 2 months, they can't even give me an ETA. It makes me wonder if the order is even in the queue.

I'm astonished at how many issues I'm having.

There's a broken weld in the frame that was first indicated by a crack in the fiberglass by the bottom right corner of the living room slide. The crack appeared around the first of October after we owned it for just a couple of days. As of the middle of February, neither the weld or the crack have been fixed.

Interestingly, after the slide got stuck OUT a second time, a tech told me it was jamming due to the cracked weld. We have since stopped using that slide at all, and we've been tripping over each other trying to use the RV with that slide IN.

It blows my mind that a serious problem that was there on Day 2 has not been fixed 4-1/2 months later, and it's preventing us from opening the slide. Not exactly living up to my expectations for an expensive new RV.

The propane gauge stopped working. It worked initially, but then suddenly started reading empty at both the tank and the panel.

The lights over the front bunk don't work.

There is a leak in the gray tank. If you fill it until water backs up in the shower, you'll find a river flowing into the plumbing compartment.

The window blind by the table doesn't work at all. (This was a Day 1 issue)

The drawers in the bedroom work very poorly. They are hard to start-to-open, and hard in a different way to fully open. The latches are so tight that the screws are getting ripped out of the wood as we struggle to use them.

Some of the compartment doors will open even when locked. The handle remains locked, but the door still comes open.

There is a nail that came through the bottom of the slide and was starting to tear the rubber seal when the slide went IN/OUT. I cut off the nail and put tape over it.

Some of the compartment locks don't work well. The key will sometimes spin all the way around.

At 3500 miles, the check engine light came on, for a cylinder 3 misfire.

The electric water heater first started making a rapid clicking, but shortly after they "fixed it", it stopped working completely.

One of the headlights stopped worked.

The sway bushings were bad, and got replaced by Ford.

There's a soft buzzing from the speakers over the bed at night. We can usually get it to stop by turning on the radio in different modes with the volume set to zero.

One of the USB charging outlets doesn't work.

Four of the lug nut covers are very loose, and will probably disappear at some point.

The hinge for the storage door at the dinette bench is ripping out of the wood, with virtually no use.

The auto-level is way off, and the bathroom door swings strongly even when the auto-level says "Success".

There were loose wires hanging down in various places that needed to be zip-tied in place.

--------------
Those are just the things I can remember off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm missing some. A few have been fixed, but as the months go by, my list gets longer instead of shorter because issues come up faster than they can fix them.

KocomoBugs, what issues are you having with your 36db?