lubricating slide and seals in dusty environment

[hxckidd]

So i am curious if you have found conditioning your slide seals or lubing your slide tracks have any ill effect in dusty camping conditions?
I do alot of camping in the desert, and slighly worried about applying anything that will attract more dirt and dust to my tracks or seals.

Thoughts?

[Max23]

A dry lubricant such as

https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-Non-St...05&sr=8-5&th=1


Pledge is widely suggested for the seals as it won't make them stick yet keeps them soft.

I'm sure you'll get many more responses more helpful than mine. Just a starter.

[markcee]

Ditto....many types of dry lubricant available. Here's another example:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Rollers...9&sr=8-10&th=1

I've also heard of people use a dusting of baby body on the seals, which will keep them from sticking.

If you have cable slides, the cables themselves should not be lubricated. Wipe them down once in a while with a clean cloth.

[dutchmensport]

Simply sprinkle some good old fashioned baby power on a soft cloth and wipe your slide seals. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The problem I had with any kind of slide seal was the fact, if the slide was left "in" or left "out" and the opposing seal was pressed up against the wall, the rubber would stick to the wall (inside and out) and then the rubber would begin to shred.

The next trailer and there-after I never used any kind of slide lube sealer again. I stuck with baby power and have not had any issues since.

[sourdough]

Where I live I don't have to go anywhere to get my trailer covered, pounded or sand blasted by dirt - it's the nature of the land.

I clean all the seals with denatured alcohol and let it dry. I then use a cloth with Aerospace 303 on it and rub the seals down. After it has absorbed for a bit (by the time I get from one end to the other applying it) I go back over it and dry off any excess with a dry cloth making sure it is completely dry. It keeps the seals clean, soft and flexible. It has UV blockers that are supposed to help protect the seals.

Whatever you do don't just skip cleaning and treating them. Just helped a newbie a couple of days ago getting set up. Bought a '17 (memory) Cougar Xlite from a family member and brought it here. As I went over it with him (slides were giving him trouble too) I looked at the 3 slides. Every one of them had slit, torn and pulled out seals - every slide. Looked like they had never had any maintenance at all. Reinforced to me that although sometimes it feels like a real pain worse things will happen if I don't do it.

[dutchmensport]

sourdough, the ripping, tearing, and shredding is caused when the rubber deteriorates and softens enough that it actually glues itself to the walls of the trailer when they make contact. Neglect can cause that I suppose over time. But using the wrong "lubricant" on them can cause it much, much worse. Think of putting motor oil on rubber. Over a short time, what happens.

I would gather your friends slide seals were a product of using the wrong cleaner opposed to neglect.

[Lee]

Hi,

I do as Danny does. 303 on the seals x2 a year minimum.

For the slide out track, dry lube x2 year minimum.

[bobbecky]

The seal maintenance has been covered, but Lippert recommends no lubricant on the slide rails. Even oiling the bronze bearings of the gear packs doesn't seem to make any difference. I used to spray the gears and racks with dry silicone lube, and all that did was help cause the gears to jump the teeth on the racks which causes the slides to get out of alignment. This is copied from the Lippert slide maintenance manual:
The Lippert Through Frame Slide-out System has been static tested to over 4,000 continuous cycles without any noticeable wear to rotating or sliding parts. It is recommended that when operating in harsh environments (road salt, ice build up, etc.) the moving parts be kept clean. They can be washed with mild soap and water. No grease or lubrication is necessary and in some situations may be detrimental to the environment and long term dependability of the system.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

sourdough, the ripping, tearing, and shredding is caused when the rubber deteriorates and softens enough that it actually glues itself to the walls of the trailer when they make contact. Neglect can cause that I suppose over time. But using the wrong "lubricant" on them can cause it much, much worse. Think of putting motor oil on rubber. Over a short time, what happens.

I would gather your friends slide seals were a product of using the wrong cleaner opposed to neglect.

I'm aware of the what the wrong lube on the rubber can do as I've seen it before. This didn't really look like that though and there we so many other anomalies in the way the exterior of the slide looked I didn't suspect that cause. I didn't get to visit with him long enough to get any clues as they were busy setting up and he's been going to work since.

[Customer1]

At a Lippert tech session on slides the factory instructor said the only treatment the seals need is soap and water.

[travelin texans]

I used a silicone spray on all the slide mechanisms as well as anything else that needed to move freely, dirt/dust doesn't stick to it like other lubricants.
I used Pledge furniture polish, actually the dollar store imitation, on all the slide seals as well as all gaskets & weatherstripping throughout the rv for years & never had to replace any of them. I tried the baby powder, but found the Pledge was much less mess, seemed I wore a good bit of the baby powder no matter how I tried, but I smelled good.