Hydraulic ram for slides question

[Jgkopp]

A month into our new purchase and I am looking things over and noticed this. On all three rams the nuts appear to not be cinched down onto the heavy gauge steel tab for moving the slides. I have them all fully out when I took these photo's so the inner nuts are up against the tab.

It would be all two easy for me to just wrench down on the outer lock-nut till it is drawn tight against the metal tab via the back two nuts, but then again all three are this way. Is this normal? It seems when pulling these in the threaded shaft is going to pull through the hole and then be up against the outer lock-nut. I don't see a problem of this outer lock-nut turning as it's a lock-nut.

So they have left a lot of play, were talking like three inches or so on one of them. Less on the other two. Posed this question to my sales guy who has not gotten back to me as of yet. I asked him to show these photo's to the factory to see if they intended them to be set up like this.

I am also concerned these white cable ties (shown in the foreground) used to secure a 120 volt electrical cord for slide movement via several cable tie mountings to a spring are not UV stabilized cable ties. UV Resistant cable ties are generally black in color. Seems over time these ties will crack and fall apart. I will then be dragging a 120 volt power cord across the ground when traveling with the slide is retracted. If this condition goes unnoticed it can damage the ground wire creating an electrical hazard if I plug something in that requires a ground.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/921/0HRZay.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/aplk8t.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/922/14LeNM.jpg

[chuckster57]

Perfectly normal. If you were able to see inside the frame you would see the other nut flush against the outside of the tab when the room is retracted.

As long as all three rooms extend and retract fully, leave them as they are.

I see those cable ties used all the time. Their exposure to UV rays is minimal in the long run. If you wanted to replace them, it would be your choice and money.

[Jgkopp]

Thanks Chuck, so your saying it is ok and normal for the threaded rod to slide back and forth within the tabbed hole? I am not sure the reasoning behind having that much slop, but I guess I will just leave it alone. Thanks for the reply.

Yes I will change out the zip ties to UV resistant black ones being they are outdoors.

[chuckster57]

Yes it is.

[bobbecky]

As in the photo, the nut positioned against the tab is the adjusted position pushing the slide out so the inside of the slide is against the inside wall. When the threaded area moves so the outer nut is in contact with the tab, this when the slide is being retracted, the outer nut is the adjustment for the slide, so the outside flange comes into contact with the outside wall of the trailer. If there wasn't slack at the tab, either the inside or the outside movement would be excessive, and damage the slide.