Darned slide

[Jandcinok]

We’re in a campground in a small town in N.M., we’re breaking down to move. While I’m running in our big slide, its almost done (about 6 or 8 inches left) it slows down and I hear a loud crunch. Not good. I extend the slide just a bit and start looking and I find the electrical bundle raceway has caught on the edge of the platform where the wiring slides onto. I hope I’m explaining to where it can be understood. It has caught and created a droop in the raceway in 2 places, inside the storage compartment and outside the compartment.

The raceway is secured to the bottom of the slide where the wiring turns up 90 deg. and enters the slide wall, its not screwed down anywhere else, it just slides back and forth on the “platform” (?) over the top of the tanks. This plastic is really tough and now deformed making the slide hang up. After cutting away part of it, and using some scrap lumber I found, I got the droops pushed up to where the slide would nest, while my wife bumped the switch an inch or two at a time. Thankfully it doesnt appear to have damaged any wiring, and we make it home.

Has anyone else dealt with such a thing? If so, what was your fix?

[krivanj]

I can't really exactly see in my mind what you are trying to show, but I think based on what I read, that you are handy enough to think it through and come up with as good an option as one of us could do. Pictures might help.
Since you were able to improvise to get it in, keep thinking, maybe you have a smart neighbor who you could ask???
That's the best I can do with what you gave me so far.
Good luck!

[Argosy]

You should be able to get measurements from the old piece, search for extruded plastic u channel.

[THenne1713]

and you suspect the CAUSE was? Missing screw that was never installed? Missing screw that fell out? Improperly installed? Hit something on floor UNDER slide? (socks, slipper, dog toy?) OR WHAT?

[Jandcinok]

Well, I was pretty sure I was going to struggle describing what the situation was, sure enough, I accomplished that.

As the slide was retracted, the leading edge, for whatever reason caught the compartment framework and was doubling up the wiring raceway. Think accordion. Looking at the edge that caught and the way t was deformed, it sure looked like this wasnt he first time, its just the first time it didnt pop free, I guess.

I didnt think to get a picture then, I was a little too focused wondering oh my, no what? The raceway plastic was wadded up on the inside and outside of the compartment. I cut free the leading edge piece (about 3 in) to get rid of the part that catches on the edge of the frame. Under the slide I couldnt push up on the raceway to get the bend out of it, finally I came up with some lumber for a fulcrum while my wife bumped the slide in. My back is junk, after we finish, the next day Im in the emerg. room, thats another story.

Its kinda hard to see but the top pic shows the raceway with the slide extended. After the trip home, it was amazing how much it relaxed and straightened out. The dip is still there, there was another inside the compartment. On the flange where the wiring turns up into the slide, most of the screws were pulled through the plastic.

You can see the rough edge Where I cut off the part that caught.

The piece of channel you can see is where the raceway caught, and started wadding things up.

Ive no idea why it did it, I do think by looks this wasnt the first time, just this time it didnt let go. We were lucky there doesnt seem to have been any wiring damage. We’re fixed up now, not a difficult solution after some contemplation. Ready to hit the road again.

[Jandcinok]

Missed posting pics.

[Dutch Star Don]

See if this will resolve your issue. Newmar uses this on a couple of my slides. It's like a large plastic motorcycle chain that is designed for holding electrical cables as they move in and out.

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-URBEST-...979934951&th=1