Cable slides reliability.

Eastham · 06-12-2017, 02:41 PM

Hi.With alll the Rvs using the cable slide.would you consider this system reliable or a problem waiting to happen.I just bought a new cougar with cables and have read a few horror stories about them lasting a few months and crappimg out.any opinions good or bad would be appreciated. Thanks

**sourdough** · 06-12-2017, 02:44 PM

I've had cable slides (3) on my current trailer since new (3/2014) and the cables have given me no problem. One slide however chewed up a bottom seal that had to be replaced.

geobet · 06-12-2017, 03:14 PM

Best advice I can give is to learn how to adjust them when needed. It really isn't rocket science but there may come a time when you will need to adjust them and, for whatever reason, you can't haul it to a dealer or get a mobile tech, so.....just sayin'.

**sourdough** · 06-12-2017, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geobet

Best advice I can give is to learn how to adjust them when needed. It really isn't rocket science but there may come a time when you will need to adjust them and, for whatever reason, you can't haul it to a dealer or get a mobile tech, so.....just sayin'.

I've already printed all the manuals, identified parts and watched the videos. Now I'm hoping I never have to mess with it

ctbruce · 06-12-2017, 05:01 PM

I'm on year 2 with my trailer and no problems. Remember the horror stories you read is because mad people want to get it off of their chest and let everyone else know how wronged they were. What you seldom read are about all the times they work perfectly and give an owner zero problems. Just trying to put things into proper perspective.

ncgrl1 · 06-12-2017, 05:42 PM

We had a Cougar X-Lite 5th wheel that had 2 slides, 1 cable, and 1 was old school with the 2 big metal arms underneath. Neither gave any trouble, but the cable slide was much smoother and quieter the whole time we owned it.

Pmedic4 · 06-12-2017, 07:24 PM

OK, so now I'll jinx myself, but we haven't had any issues with our cable slides on our 5 year old fifthwheel. I do check to make sure they are lined up properly when using, to make sure they haven't jumped a pulley or rubbing on something.

When we originally got the RV, I wondered about reliability, but haven't seen any more complaints about them compared to the other types.

**chuckster57** · 06-12-2017, 07:57 PM

As a tech I can tell you WE don't see cable slides in for service any more than other types. Proper maintenance is the key to keeping any type of slide working trouble free for years.

cvin · 06-12-2017, 09:18 PM

chuckster how often should the slides be checked/maintained at the shop? and should any keystone dealer be qualified to do this?

**chuckster57** · 06-13-2017, 04:49 AM

If you can inspect/adjust the cables yourself, then there isn't any reason to bring it in.

dcg9381 · 06-13-2017, 05:54 AM

I'd prefer non-cable slides, but that's just me. I've had both types cause problems.

If you're buying a new RV, learn to spot when the cable slides are setup properly and cables are cutting themselves (or cutting into) the aluminum jam-clamps (covers). Cable slides are very much a "floating" design. They're cheaper, lighter, and they work... I do think they require more adjustment.

Eastham · 06-13-2017, 06:23 AM

Thanks for all the replies. It is good to see something positive about them,and not all the negitive.we will be using it for about 5 months so i hope all goes well.so far the last couple of months it has worked out very well and seem to be pretty well made .thanks again

**JRTJH** · 06-13-2017, 07:10 AM

Like dcg9381, I also prefer non-cable slides. For me, it's not that one is "better" or "more reliable" than the other, rather it's that both require maintenance and adjustment from time to time. Cable slides, in my opinion, seem to be "more picky" about how they are adjusted and are "less forgiving" of being "near the outer limits" of the adjustment range. That's not to say they are any less reliable or that they fail more often, rather, in my experience, they require "owner fidgeting" more often than ram driven slides.

Ram slides, in my experience, seem to be a "set them once and keep them clean" kind of system where cable slides seem to be a "watch the adjustment, keep them centered, watch for cable wear and keep the cables tight"... Whether it's more maintenance or just different maintenance, it seems I focus more and spend more time on that little cable slide than I do on the much bigger ram slide.

Outback 325BH · 06-13-2017, 07:33 AM

I own a TT with three cable slides. Here are my thoughts:
The design is pretty sound, however factor installation can be pretty bad just like everything else.
They are easy to adjust the slack out of the cables, keeping everything snug. However it is difficult to adjust the slide-out if it is not true/level. You need to support it so all cables can be loosened and adjusted.
Poor alignment of the motor (bad install) can cause issues with the sprockets and chain.
It seems all the slides with cables are limited in depth, implying there is a limit to them. All the slides I have seen that are half-deep as the camper is wide (to give a lot of space, especially with opposing slides) are not cable. I think 3 feet is the deepest I have seen.
They just seem hinky. Not sure if I like them or not. I think I like the drive mechanism and the support to be separate. The cables do both.

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Quiroule · 06-14-2017, 02:47 PM

Seems most of you don’t have problem with cable slide, good for you. I have had problem from day one, been to the dealer twice. They are eating the aluminum plates and the slide is ripping the side seal.

I would greatly appreciate, if someone can tell me how to adjust them so that the slide rides in the middle of the opening.

I know there are wheels on the floor which are probably supposed to do that, mine are about 2 inches from the slides and I don’t see how I can adjust them without taking the slide out.

slow · 06-14-2017, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quiroule

Seems most of you don’t have problem with cable slide, good for you. I have had problem from day one, been to the dealer twice. They are eating the aluminum plates and the slide is ripping the side seal.

I would greatly appreciate, if someone can tell me how to adjust them so that the slide rides in the middle of the opening.

I know there are wheels on the floor which are probably supposed to do that, mine are about 2 inches from the slides and I don’t see how I can adjust them without taking the slide out.

If like mine, there are also two rollers near the floor that guide the slide side to side and are not adjustable. They can be seen by pulling back the vertical seal from the slide box near the base of the slide.

What I have learned is that it is important to only move the slide when the TT is level. Any slope front to back and activating the slide will cause the slide to drift to the front or back of the opening, whichever is lower. Eye balling for TT leveling is not good enough, or I am not good enough at eye balling it.

As for the cables being centered in the clearance hole of the slide frame, there is at least two versions of the cable slide. I have the latest I believe and as I have previous posted, it is not a very good execution of the concept from an engineering perspective. The design uses a common clearance hole position that is not centered on any of the cables. I have had success (so far) by carefully filing the clearance holes to ensure the cables do not rub the aluminum frame since there is no provision to adjust the location of the guide pulleys relative to the clearance holes.

Outback 325BH · 06-14-2017, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quiroule

Seems most of you don’t have problem with cable slide, good for you. I have had problem from day one, been to the dealer twice. They are eating the aluminum plates and the slide is ripping the side seal.

I would greatly appreciate, if someone can tell me how to adjust them so that the slide rides in the middle of the opening.

I know there are wheels on the floor which are probably supposed to do that, mine are about 2 inches from the slides and I don’t see how I can adjust them without taking the slide out.

The slide doesn't ride on a track, it just slides across rollers underneath. What would cause it to not run true and mash against the side guide is if the rollers underneath were not parallel with the opening.

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dcg9381 · 06-15-2017, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quiroule

Seems most of you don’t have problem with cable slide, good for you. I have had problem from day one, been to the dealer twice. They are eating the aluminum plates and the slide is ripping the side seal.

I would greatly appreciate, if someone can tell me how to adjust them so that the slide rides in the middle of the opening.

I know there are wheels on the floor which are probably supposed to do that, mine are about 2 inches from the slides and I don’t see how I can adjust them without taking the slide out.

So I had this same problem. Answers:
1) Eating the aluminum plates (jamb clamps) is not good and is indicative of a problem. The only adjustment seems to be via a stopper that is put on the slide end of the cable and it's not much. I think the jamb-clamp has some adjust-ability via pull and re-secure, but not much. IMHO, cables should not ride on the aluminum or be cutting into it. Tim at Accu-slide is responsive.

2) Ripping the seal should not be possible on a properly sized slide opening with proper guide installation. In addition to the wheels on the bottom of the slides, there are wheels on the sides of the slide opening. These wheels are there to prevent the slide from getting too close to the opening and tearing up the seal. My RV was not assembled correctly. 4+ trips to the dealer before they gave up fixing it and it had to go back to Keystone for adjustments to cure this issue. I assume they pulled the slide, re-cut the opening, set the limiting rollers. One slide still had an issue, but after 240+ days in the shop, I'm about done.

3) Slides "float" you can't force them into the middle of the opening. This is why they require completely level when you open/close them. You might be able to work the slide in/out and push it toward center, but there is no adjustment to get it to center back up. Limiting rollers prevent it (should prevent it) from tearing stuff up.

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