Wire management track on slide out broken

[gkainz]

On our '10 Laredo 245RL, the electrical wires to the slide out are mounted in a plastic cable management track - not sure what it's really called - that fastens to a metal stud on the slide out and on the trailer. The plastic loops on the slide out pin end broke a year or two ago, so I tied that up with zip ties. This year the plastic broke in the middle - half way between the slide and trailer, and then that broke the body side pin ends. So, the track still keeps the wiring from getting pinched in the slide out mechanism, but flops around when towing.

Does anyone know of a replacement type device that doesn't require separating the wiring bundle from slide or body to install?

I'm thinking just making zip tie loops in the middle between the two broken halves and letting those work like a hinge for now.

Greg

[chuckster57]

Since you don't want to have to cut the wires, try this:

Remove all the plastic track. Cover the wires with split loom and zip tie it in several places to keep it on the wires. Then using a P clamp anchor it at the frame and just below where it enters the slide. Then using a screen door spring (long and skinny) attach it at one point to the frame and the other end to the center of the wiring bundle. Make sure that the spring isn't slack when the slide is closed, and it should stretch with the slide out.

[dcg9381]

For split loom, don't use the standard plastic automotive stuff.. It has a very finite lifetime and will eventually crack.

I've been using stuff from TechFlex for my EFI wiring projects. It's great, easy to work with, holds better than plastic split loom, and seems to be a lot tougher...

[B-O-B'03]

Remove all the plastic track. Cover the wires with split loom and zip tie it in several places to keep it on the wires. Then using a P clamp anchor it at the frame and just below where it enters the slide. Then using a screen door spring (long and skinny) attach it at one point to the frame and the other end to the center of the wiring bundle. Make sure that the spring isn't slack when the slide is closed, and it should stretch with the slide out.


For split loom, don't use the standard plastic automotive stuff.. It has a very finite lifetime and will eventually crack.

I've been using stuff from TechFlex for my EFI wiring projects. It's great, easy to work with, holds better than plastic split loom, and seems to be a lot tougher...

The plastic used to hold the slide wires on our 22RBPR broke, while it was under warranty and the dealer shipped me a new one... he also suggested "when it breaks again, and it will, you should replace it with a screen door spring".

Sound like a common problem and I noticed the new piece was broken the other day... so, screen door spring it is.

Thanks Chuckster & dcg9381 for the details on installing it.

-Brian

[cardinal96ss]

I have a related problem. While my wiring trays are not broken, one spring that holds the tray up when the slides are in had broken and another had lost its spring qualities and had stretched out, making it useless.
I am about to order two replacements from Trekwood, which supplied the originals to Keystone.
http://www.trekwood.com/products.php?product_id=148856
Good idea?? I don't know.

[B-O-B'03]

Since you don't want to have to cut the wires, try this:

Remove all the plastic track. Cover the wires with split loom and zip tie it in several places to keep it on the wires. Then using a P clamp anchor it at the frame and just below where it enters the slide. Then using a screen door spring (long and skinny) attach it at one point to the frame and the other end to the center of the wiring bundle. Make sure that the spring isn't slack when the slide is closed, and it should stretch with the slide out.

OK, I am having a heck of a time finding a screen door spring that is long and skinny, like grandma used to have on the back screen door of here house.

The closest one I have found looks like it will hold a 20+ pound weight with ease and is under 16 inches long, any ideas?

Thanks,

-Brian

[gkainz]

Good grief! It only took me 4 years to finally fix this! Last week (month? Year?) I found and ordered a replacement cable management track from Amazon, and last night I finally crawled under the trailer and slideout and replaced the broken one I had wired, zip-tied and manually tucked up out of the way for years.

To solve the first area of breakage, instead of screwing the end of the track to the frame of the slideout as originally installed, I screwed a small flat hinge to the wall and the cable strap to the other side of the hinge. Now when the slide is fully extended, there's no sideways flex on the 2 screw holes.

There was no plug or connector I could find in the harness to unplug and route the cable through the cable management standoffs, so I clipped each standoff at the top and slid the cables through the slot. I'll go back and glue the snipped areas (yeah, best intentions - just like the 4 years it took to actually DO this repair!). One benefit of opening up the wire loom entirely, looking for a connector is, I found the broken wire I had suspected that caused one of my slideout lights to quit working ... another old thread here that I'll update.

"When a man says he'll get something done - he means it! There's no sense in bugging him about it every 6 months!"

[rhagfo]

Good grief! It only took me 4 years to finally fix this! Last week (month? Year?) I found and ordered a replacement cable management track from Amazon, and last night I finally crawled under the trailer and slideout and replaced the broken one I had wired, zip-tied and manually tucked up out of the way for years.

To solve the first area of breakage, instead of screwing the end of the track to the frame of the slideout as originally installed, I screwed a small flat hinge to the wall and the cable strap to the other side of the hinge. Now when the slide is fully extended, there's no sideways flex on the 2 screw holes.

There was no plug or connector I could find in the harness to unplug and route the cable through the cable management standoffs, so I clipped each standoff at the top and slid the cables through the slot. I'll go back and glue the snipped areas (yeah, best intentions - just like the 4 years it took to actually DO this repair!). One benefit of opening up the wire loom entirely, looking for a connector is, I found the broken wire I had suspected that caused one of my slideout lights to quit working ... another old thread here that I'll update.

"When a man says he'll get something done - he means it! There's no sense in bugging him about it every 6 months!"

This sounds very much like something I did, I just used a piece of garden edging I had sitting around the house at the time.

https://i.imgur.com/JTt2DU8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/d9nurb9.jpg

[cavediver]

I bought a replacement from trekwood. Working okay. Sounds like others have good ideas. Next time it breaks I'll try some of their ideas.