Slide rollers

[Camping family]

Thinking of adding slide rollers to my slides. How do I know what brand slides I have and anyone know where to purchase the rollers. For anyone who has done this was it difficult for one person to do. Also from videos I seen after jacking up the slide to install the rollers has anyone had problems with the slide getting out of alignment?

[Camping family]

Anyone done this if so can you provide any info

[sourdough]

I've not done it. I have installed uhmw strips on a trailer and had total uhmw installed on this one. It looks like you have a cable slide (Bal/Norco) and an electric? ram slide (big slides). I believe we have members that have installed rollers, or at least investigated it, and I know others have installed the strips. What is the goal in installing the rollers?

[Camping family]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I've not done it. I have installed uhmw strips on a trailer and had total uhmw installed on this one. It looks like you have a cable slide (Bal/Norco) and an electric? ram slide (big slides). I believe we have members that have installed rollers, or at least investigated it, and I know others have installed the strips. What is the goal in installing the rollers?

Been looking at videos and it seems with the rollers the slides move in n out much smoother.

[jxnbbl]

If you end up doing it please post the result. This is probably the next enhancement that I'll do on our trailer. We went from a 273 trailer with one
slide to a 330 with 2 slides. The larger one really seems big and personally don't like the physics of it. Im envisioning problems with increased reputations...

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Camping family

Been looking at videos and it seems with the rollers the slides move in n out much smoother.

I've seen rollers on hard bottomed slides and I've seen rollers on darco covered slides. Of course the hard bottoms pose no problem - my bedroom slide is that way, but even then they leave little "tracks".

On darco slides I've seen the rollers "twist" and bunch the darco. I don't know if the darco was a problem in the first place (probably), the roller was slightly misaligned or ?? I've seen that twice. Personally I would be very hesitant to put rollers on darco because darco is such a weak material anyway. I've not heard of uhmw strips (skis) failing in all of the installations I've read about and mine have never caused any issues.

I almost went with rollers. In fact I talked to a BAL engineer to get the specs, model #s etc. but worried about that darco material flexing, getting porous, leaking and ruining my floors so didn't do it. Just something to think about.

[Ron]

We installed the rollers on our 17 Voltage, pretty easy to do once you get started, glides in and out with ease now, I still need to install some uhmw
on the slide where the rollers are for better protection of the Darco

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[Camping family]

Originally Posted by Ron

We installed the rollers on our 17 Voltage, pretty easy to do once you get started, glides in and out with ease now, I still need to install some uhmw
on the slide where the rollers are for better protection of the Darco
Attachment 42080
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Attachment 42082[/ATTACH]

When adding the humw is that going to raise the slide up when opening n closing? Will that cause a,problem with the alignment of the slide?

[sourdough]

I don't know what Ron is using but I used 1/8" thick uhmw and you don't have to do anything.

[Hblick48]

I just finished putting slide-ski's on my living room slide and 1/8 inch thick UHMW on my kitchen slide. I did have to adjust outside kitchen slide height to accommodate raising the slide. The end pieces were 18 and 24 inched wide because I wanted the UHMW to span the aluminum frame structure as the underlining plywood had disintegrated on the ends from water wicking through the darco.

Slides glide like butter.

[Mikendebbie]

Great pics of your UMHW installation. Thanks for posting!

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Camping family

When adding the humw is that going to raise the slide up when opening n closing? Will that cause a,problem with the alignment of the slide?

I plan on using 1/8" uhmw , will not raise the slide enough to create a problem

[Hblick48]

Originally Posted by Ron

I plan on using 1/8" uhmw , will not raise the slide enough to create a problem

I did not have any slide alignment issues when I installed Slide Ski's on my LR slide that lowers for a flat floor.

Adding 1/8 inch UHMW to my kitchen slide (that doesn't drop) caused an issue when slide retracted. It would come in "nose high" and then flop down to the floor when enough weight was on the inside. I had to adjust the outside of the slide to ride higher so it didn't come in "nose high".

Also, my slides are hydraulic. If yours is not, raising it may cause issues with the slide mechanism alignment.

[Ron]

Adding uhmw beyond the rollers toward the inside of the slide where it is always on the uhmw will not create an issue with trying to raise up or drop down off the uhmw,

[ChuckS]

Ive been running two strips of UHMW on my hydraulic slides now for over two years, Not one issue.. No vertical adjustments were required. Gear pack teeth to guide bar teeth mesh is perfect on both gear packs...

I would not use rollers on Darco because sooner or later the roller or rollers will bind and when they do it wont take much time and you will have torn Darco..

Slide skies are an option also.. but my method was much less expensive.. ALso I know now that IF I were to have any Darco damage anywhere else I could simply place a UHMW patch over that area..

If the Darco on either of my main hydraulic slides really develops issues I will replace the entire bottom covering with a UHMW section

My bedroom slide is also hydraulic ( cradle style ) and if that covering ever cracks then the entire bottom will get UHMW

[bobnelms]

My 2016 Cougar 5th wheel has wear bars instead of rollers. The wear bar on the kitchen slide was completely shot. I purchased rollers in hopes of using them to lift the slide off the wear bar a bit, but the rollers would not fit and I had to return them. They would have interfered with the closing of the slide. I ended up having the wear bar replaced. I'm glad I did, because keystone completely redesigned them -- and from what I've seen they'll last a whole lot longer than the originals.

[bobnelms]

This is great information, for sure. I was particularly interested in your comment about the edges of your slideout floor being affected by moisture. Same is true for mine. I put slideout skis on the my slideout to cover the affected area of the floor -- and so far so good. I guess it would have been better to put the uhmw material there instead, but from your photos it seems you fastened the uhmw material to the floor with screws, etc -- and I'd think they'd DESTROY my wear bar when going over them, back and forth. Am I missing something?

[Army Paladin]

I have had trouble for a while with my slide kinda hopping on its way in and out. Just before out Yellowstone trip I decided to put the rollers on and now have decided to not look back. They have worked great without any more issues. I am going to look at putting some of that plastic up so it does not tear the fabric.
They make several sizes but I went with the 3/4” roller and used 1 1/2” x 3/8 lag bolts. Jacked up both ends of the slide and had not problems and it may have raised the slide maybe a quarter of an inch.

[Hblick48]

Originally Posted by bobnelms

This is great information, for sure. I was particularly interested in your comment about the edges of your slideout floor being affected by moisture. Same is true for mine. I put slideout skis on the my slideout to cover the affected area of the floor -- and so far so good. I guess it would have been better to put the uhmw material there instead, but from your photos it seems you fastened the uhmw material to the floor with screws, etc -- and I'd think they'd DESTROY my wear bar when going over them, back and forth. Am I missing something?

All of the screws are countersunk so the screw head is below the UHMW. I put some construction glue on the screw threads (drill pilot hole, drive in screw, unscrew, glue on threads, screw in for 100+ screws) PITA, but they shouldn't back out on their own. UHMW surface is perfectly smooth.

[Vet4jdc]

I added the rollers and the UHMW in 1/8" thickness.