Slide goes in but not out

bbelill · 05-30-2022, 03:34 PM

So I made the mistake of treating my 2016 Keystone 2400BH slide seals a few weeks back and have since read of the horrors if you use the wrong stuff. Unfortunately I did before having issues. Used 3-in-1 Rubber Seal Conditioner...bad decision.
Fast forward to this past Friday and my slide made a pop noise (guessing seals stuck to the slide some) and some noise while retracting it getting ready for the weekend but it came in fine. When we got to our destination on Friday my slide was jumping and skipping while trying to put it out. My father in-law and I had to help it out while my wife pushed the button otherwise it skipped every couple seconds and probably wouldn't have made it out.
After spending time researching this weekend I realized my mess up on the seals. Luckily since we have a 2 year old I had some baby powder with us. Treated the seals before we packed up and the slide retracted smoothly without issue.
When we got home I went to put the slide out again to unpack and the skipping is worse. Without doing much further research any ideas? I'm guess I may need to replace the gear box as I probably stripped it? Attaching a video of what it sounds like now from a Youtube upload - it almost won't go out at all now. Link: https://youtu.be/wKrFewh_GM0

Father in-law asked if it had something to do with the cables possibly, but I don't know why that'd be the issue if it's skipping like it is.

Hoping to do more research to possibly find a DIY way to fix it/replace parts so I don't have to go to a dealer, but with some major trips upcoming in the next month or two I'm at the point of just needing it fixed. Appreciate any insights anyone could give.

**sourdough** · 05-30-2022, 04:20 PM

I've not had that sound from any of my slides previously but it sure sounds like the gears are stripped. You can pull the facia on the top of the slide then pull the motor. I suspect the slide being stuck caused the gear to strip. I am sorry for your troubles

If it were me I would clean every slide seal; top, bottom and sides along with the bottom of the slide before replacing that motor. Don't know where all you put that other slide stuff but probably just turned everything into a tacky mess. Don't know what was in what you used but I've had some "conditioners" that turned to something resembling goo. You could clean off everything with either hot soapy Dawn water (you need to rinse with clean water and dry) or try rags soaked in alcohol and wipe down all of the areas I mentioned. Let them dry thoroughly then you can use Aerospace 303 on a rag to wipe down the seals (inside and out) then wipe off. Instead of that some use baby powder or various other things. If the seals are older and seem dry I would use the 303. Do not use "sticky" products as they will just cause you a lot of headaches.

Depending on what that product has in it and where you put it (bottom seal) it may have been drug onto the wear bar under the slide. If you did do that try to clean the bar (behind the bottom seal) with a cleaning solution on a rag worked behind the seal.

**chuckster57** · 05-30-2022, 04:40 PM

Treating the sweeper seals had nothing to do with your slide skipping. Did you use anything on the bottom of the slide?

If it’s cable driven and moves good in one direction, I suspect the gearbox is failing.

bbelill · 05-30-2022, 05:07 PM

Thanks for the replies!
Luckily I got lazy and didn't spray the bottom seal/wear bar area. Will be washing down the seals good, letting dry, and then applying either the Aerospace 303 Sourdough suggested, or baby powder again like I did today.

Found this video that seems to be pretty knowledgeable and helpful on the subject of the gearbox (exact same sound I have). https://youtu.be/TWiDACiH6Bk

Haven't looked into part costs or anything yet - going to be pushing the slide out tomorrow to start tearing it apart to fix. To be continued...

**chuckster57** · 05-30-2022, 05:10 PM

We use a foaming seal conditioner on virtually every sweeper seal and haven’t had a single comeback.

**sourdough** · 05-30-2022, 05:57 PM

https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-Corp...ps%2C96&sr=8-2

The first time I was having slide problems; jerking, squeaking, hopping, the service manager came out with a can of the above then coated all the seals with it including the bottom seal. It was all wet, the slide went in and out, gave me 2 cans and went on my way home 60 miles. The next day the slide was almost stuck in place. The jerking turned to huge shudders and jerks so took it back. Squirted it again and it moved OK. Got home and it's back to trying to rip the floor off. DW and I spent 4 hours washing and cleaning all that crap off, cleaning the bottom of the slide and the wear bar. Washed down all the seals with alcohol inside and out then put 303 on all the seals....voila! it was fixed!

The stuff coming out of the can was foamy and brown. Spray on your fingers and it was tacky. The seals were sticky as well. There very well may be a foaming seal conditioner that works....this didn't for us for sure.

**chuckster57** · 05-30-2022, 05:59 PM

Not sure the brand but it comes out white foam. Leave it on for a minute and then wipe down.

wiredgeorge · 05-30-2022, 09:04 PM

Is there a chance that the type of slide actuation is identified? I just replaced the slide motor and put together what was done in a how-to in the repairs/maintenance section. My slide is gear driver rack/pinion type. It opens/closes a large slide. I had the same noise and found the plastic gears inside the motor mechanism were chewed up. These gears had been greased at assembly 22 years ago and were worn and subsequently failed. See:
https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=51545

bbelill · 06-14-2022, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbelill

Thanks for the replies!
Luckily I got lazy and didn't spray the bottom seal/wear bar area. Will be washing down the seals good, letting dry, and then applying either the Aerospace 303 Sourdough suggested, or baby powder again like I did today.

Found this video that seems to be pretty knowledgeable and helpful on the subject of the gearbox (exact same sound I have). https://youtu.be/TWiDACiH6Bk

Haven't looked into part costs or anything yet - going to be pushing the slide out tomorrow to start tearing it apart to fix. To be continued...

To end the saga, got the motor and gear box assembly as described in the video I linked. Video was AWESOME at helping to complete the replacement myself. Slide now runs smooth as can be and hopefully will last.
Kept the motor as a backup since it was the gearbox that was the issue. Opened up the gearbox and they were chewed to crap - metal shavings everywhere in the grease.

If you run into this same issue with a cable system and are decently handy, I'd again suggest the linked video above.

bsmith0404 · 06-14-2022, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Not sure the brand but it comes out white foam. Leave it on for a minute and then wipe down.

I think you’re talking about the Thetford conditioner. That’s what I use as well. Every 6 months for 10 years so far on this RV and no problems.

ChuckS · 06-15-2022, 04:20 AM

If I were to use any type of slide seal conditioner that came out of a can it would only be 303... The rest of the stuff.. IMO.. is mostly snake oil

And if you apply this stuff on the D seals and close the slides in warm or hot weather then be prepared to hear popping sounds when you open the slides..

The stuff has a habit of making the seals stick to the exterior walls and when you try to open the slides you will see the slides often having issues during the initial motion.

I use nothing but baby powder or talc.. talc hard to find nowadays.. I got 8 years of good service on the latest RV wiper seals before I needed to replace.. the D seals and interior seals are still working as new on their 9th season..

Baby powder is all I have used for the last 25 years or so on any of my RV slide seals...

**chuckster57** · 06-15-2022, 04:32 AM

I will have to look when I get to work, but I have never had any issues with what we use. To each their own.

Falcon900pilot · 05-25-2023, 07:37 AM

Within the topic, an additional bit of advice over and above how to treat seals.

The gearboxes are under substantial operational stress. All three of mine were shot after three years of use, 10 camping trips a year. I took one apart after it failed and found very little lubricant inside. The gears were worn from play in the upper and lower gear shaft bushings. Bad design, bad lubrication.

Before installing the new motor, gear assemblies I drilled and tapped grease fittings on top. Now I routinely add a quality grease to the gearbox. It’s been five years and my slides operate as new. Virtually no drag, hopping or groaning as they operate. Bind up a gear and that starts the whirlwind of issues, and most RV mechanics breeze by this issue. Of course, keeping tracks or cables clean and or adjusted is important.

GlasNav · 05-25-2023, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon900pilot

Within the topic, an additional bit of advice over and above how to treat seals.

The gearboxes are under substantial operational stress. All three of mine were shot after three years of use, 10 camping trips a year. I took one apart after it failed and found very little lubricant inside. The gears were worn from play in the upper and lower gear shaft bushings. Bad design, bad lubrication.

Before installing the new motor, gear assemblies I drilled and tapped grease fittings on top. Now I routinely add a quality grease to the gearbox. It’s been five years and my slides operate as new. Virtually no drag, hopping or groaning as they operate. Bind up a gear and that starts the whirlwind of issues, and most RV mechanics breeze by this issue. Of course, keeping tracks or cables clean and or adjusted is important.

Thank you for this advice. Look at how compact this single gearbox is (picture), where were you able to add the grease fitting? Your equipment is possibly larger. However, I'm always interested in preventive maintenance.

tallen · 05-25-2023, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlasNav

Thank you for this advice. Look at how compact this single gearbox is (picture), where were you able to add the grease fitting? Your equipment is possibly larger. However, I'm always interested in preventive maintenance.

yes please what he ^^^^ said.

wiredgeorge · 05-25-2023, 11:10 AM

The gear box on my camper has plastic gears inside which require no lubricaton and in fact greasing would gum up. On the assembly in the Post #14 I would consider some motorcycle spray chain lube on the chain itself.

GlasNav · 05-25-2023, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Post #14 I would consider some motorcycle spray chain lube on the chain itself.

Haven't lubed a motorcycle chain since the latter part of the 70s when I switched to shaft drive. No grease slung up the back of my leathers in years! Do you really think that lightly oiled chain in my picture needs more lube?

**JRTJH** · 05-25-2023, 06:38 PM

I would be very, VERY careful about drilling a hole in the gearbox for a zerk fitting and even more very, VERY careful about adding oil or greasing the chain or other parts of the slide mechanical movement parts....

Some who weren't into RVing several years ago and some with short memories may not remember the recalls and the consequences of a couple drops of oil that dripped out of the gearbox and fell onto the slide roof. Any petroleum product that sits on the TPO roofing material for a length of time will dissolve the TPO, leaving a "bubble" or a "disfiguration" or even a "hole" in the TPO, and lead to a very costly slide roof replacement....

The "solution" to the recall was to put a drip pan below the gearcase box, supposedly to prevent that "drop of oil" from damaging/destroying the TPO membrane...

Think about it for a moment, when the slide is retracted, the TPO sits directly under the chains and the gearbox...

Screwing around with trying to "make things better" is, in this circumstance, opening a HELL OF A CAN OF WORMS, if any of that "chain spray" or grease from that "zerk fitting I screwed into the gearbox" happens to fall onto the TPO !!!!!

I'd think twice before modifying the gearbox and even think a third time before spraying any "petroleum product" on anything that sits above the TPO membrane.....

Here's what the slide motor, gearbox and chain assembly look like... When the slide is closed, all of that sits "directly above the TPO slide roof.... Any petroleum product that might "drip a drop" on the TPO is, at best, a bad thing to happen....

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