Continued Dinette Slide Issues

[BRS50]

We just returned this week from a two month trip that included an early September stop in Smith Center. Our main goal was getting that dinette slide fixed right. It seems like twice was the charm on the visits to Excel Service Center. Curtis, Larry, Steve and Tim really put in some time and effort to get it right with only a few days to work on the shortened Labor Day week. They changed the angle of the ram arms (cutting and re-welding), replaced the gears and one roller, raised the slide and beefed up the slide wall with an encased 2x4 installed perpendicular between the door and slide. They were fair on the charges since the previous effort didn’t solve it and were also able to take care of quite a few other items too, great job by ESC.

That vertical support makes a difference and even though it does stick out it blends in pretty well since they matched the wood and wall covering. When you look at the size of the opening and the depth of the slide there's just not enough strength for a really heavy room leaning outward with a short header wall and just a few inches between the slide opening and door opening. That perpendicular support solved almost all of the outward bowing of the header since they tied it into the floor, ceiling and the side wall.

After leaving SC we had a great trip stopping in Stockton, KS, Littleton & Ridgeway, CO, Abiquiu & Alamagordo, NM, Fort Davis and Big Bend, TX plus quite a few campsites on the long return trip from West Texas. We've retracted many times and the slide operation is very smooth, quickly and easily climbs the ramp then pulls in without clunking noises. I’ve been using the rocker switches in the cabinet to operate. The one time I tried the digital wall switch there was a bit of the old hesitation so I’ve gone with the rocker switches since then. Great tech Tim at Excel told me I shouldn't worry about that slide again and close to 20 reps since has made me a believer. I'm finally relaxed when I hit that switch!

[rockintom]

Brad.....thanks for sharing. Very interesting. I wouldn't have thought about the 2X4 reinforcement. I have to ask....what is that snake looking outfit above the door header? I can't really tell in the pic.

[BRS50]

Tom,
That is a Sweetgrass Braid. They're used in Native American culture for ceremonial purposes, sometimes burned for the smoke. A friend gave it to us for good luck when we got the trailer and we put it in that spot. We've had lots of good fortune, good health and good times in the Excel but I guess the good luck coverage didn't extend to slide outs!

https://prairieedge.com/sweetgrass-braids/

Brad

[rockintom]

Thanks for sharing, Brad. That looks like something I'd smoke back in the day!!! Very kewl.