Problem in Junction, TX!

markcee · 07-26-2021, 12:39 PM

Just arrived at Tree Cabins campground in Junction and upon deploying the dinette slide observed one of the upper cables is hanging on by a thread.

Have several calls in to mobile repair types, but so far no luck. Any suggestions, recommendations?

jasin1 · 07-26-2021, 01:06 PM

That looks like the very end of the cable from the picture.. I would see if you could make a splice temporarily as long as it didn’t interfere with the slide seals…any hardware store would have the supply’s
May be able to leave the old cable intact and piggyback or saddle a new one next to it..just a small length to the bracket and back to a good section of cable

**chuckster57** · 07-26-2021, 01:15 PM

That cable is going to need replacing obviously, question is can you get a new one in the next day or two and get it installed. You might be able to tape the frays tightly. I dunno just throwing it out there.

wiredgeorge · 07-26-2021, 01:25 PM

Did you ask the office at the park you are staying? They often will have numbers of local mobile RV techs. Failing to find one, what is the other end of the slide connection look like? Looks like pretty much just like a stranded cable and should not be hard to replace yourself. I might temporarily support the slide and when fully extended, can you see the connection point on the trailer side? I have never had a cable actuated slide so just spit balling.

markcee · 07-26-2021, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Did you ask the office at the park you are staying? They often will have numbers of local mobile RV techs. Failing to find one, what is the other end of the slide connection look like? Looks like pretty much just like a stranded cable and should not be hard to replace yourself. I might temporarily support the slide and when fully extended, can you see the connection point on the trailer side? I have never had a cable actuated slide so just spit balling.

Tried that and park has no repair tech recommendations….on a side note, staff isn’t even on site, had to call the number posted on the ‘welcome board’ repeatedly for 20 minutes until someone answered and provided us with our site number…but I digress…..

Not sure how a splice would hold as there is like a strand or two of cable left connected to the slide end, I may not understand what the splice would do, but seems like I’d need solid source material on either side for it to provide any strength.

We will be en route to N Mexico tomorrow to visit my stepdaughter….going to see if I can get a cable overnighted to her house and the wife and I will try and affect a repair.

So question:

Any special tips for getting the slide back in? Like, should I help push even if the cable is still intact?

Edit: Amazon ….’this product ships in 1-2 months’….oy vay

jasin1 · 07-26-2021, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

Tried that and park has no repair tech recommendations….on a side note, staff isn’t even on site, had to call the number posted on the ‘welcome board’ repeatedly for 20 minutes until someone answered and provided us with our site number…but I digress…..

Not sure how a splice would hold as there is like a strand or two of cable left connected to the slide end, I may not understand what the splice would do, but seems like I’d need solid source material on either side for it to provide any strength.

We will be en route to N Mexico tomorrow to visit my stepdaughter….going to see if I can get a cable overnighted to her house and the wife and I will try and affect a repair.

So question:

Any special tips for getting the slide back in? Like, should I help push even if the cable is still intact?

My thought was just loosen the bracket and thread a new piece of cable thru the hole.. loop it back ( maybe 1 ft) and use a cable connector to secure it to the old cable at a good section of it. Obviously not to use more then the trip your on but I don’t think there is a awful lot of tension on it or it would break right now…this would help support the slide while it’s extended…then when you retract you may need to ease the connector under the seal carefully…replace when you get home…hold the old cable with vise grips to something so it doesn’t unravel while repairing

markcee · 07-26-2021, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

My thought was just loosen the bracket and thread a new piece of cable thru the hole.. loop it back ( maybe 1 ft) and use a cable connector to secure it to the old cable at a good section of it. Obviously not to use more then the trip your on but I don’t think there is a awful lot of tension on it or it would break right now…this would help support the slide while it’s extended…then when you retract you may need to ease the connector under the seal carefully…replace when you get home…hold the old cable with vise grips to something so it doesn’t unravel while repairing

Ahhh, OK got it now, thanks for the clarification. Have a line on a replacement cable at a semi local RV store. If that doesn’t pan out, Home Depot here I come.

jasin1 · 07-26-2021, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

Ahhh, OK got it now, thanks for the clarification. Have a line on a replacement cable at a semi local RV store. If that doesn’t pan out, Home Depot here I come.

Yeah it was just a thought…it may not work but just brainstorming

wiredgeorge · 07-26-2021, 01:36 PM

Another thought. I know Kerrville and Ingram are about 40-45 minutes from Junction and they have more mobile RV techs services.

CG & Company (Moble RV Repair)
(830) 792-3646
1600 Sidney Baker St,
Kerrville, TX 78028

Mobile RV Solutions
832-309-4141

BJ's RV and Custom Car Hauler Repair Service
150 JJ Lane Center Point, Texas
(main) 580-247-0073

Mobile RV Repair
Phone number
(830) 367-3318
3367 Junction Hwy
Ingram, TX 78025

Javi · 07-26-2021, 05:21 PM

If you wrap the cable with a good tape you can cut it with a set of bolt cutters or a Dremel, the trick is the cable clamp.

roadglide · 07-27-2021, 05:03 AM

Have you removed the top facial to see what cable is bad? If it’s a repair cable remove the cable clamps and start that way from the top. I have two cable clamps on my Cable, that’s a repair kit. I doubt that it’s a repair kit but if it is remove those two clamps at the top and pull that cable enough and clamp at the slide bracket outside and and re-clamp the cable at the top .

markcee · 07-27-2021, 04:11 PM

Update: Picked up the replacement cable this morning and taped up the fray tightly with a single layer so we could bring in the slide and move on to Carlsbad (where we have a 3 night reservation). Figured the tape might prevent binding. Plan was to secure a cable cutter and crimp tool here in Carlsbad and do the job. Anyway, this morning when we were packing up, I got a text from one of the Carlsbad area techs I reached out to yesterday, stating they could make it out Thursday morning. DW and I discussed and figured we'd sit this one out (ok, we wimped out) and have them do it and we could watch and learn for next time. I'm glad we did as we gingerly deployed the slide here in Carlsbad (enough so we could access the coach) it was obvious the cable was not coming out cleanly as all the cable coming out was now as frayed as the initial few inches were yesterday. I removed an inside rubber channel to see the exit hole and found that the strands of the cable were jamming up in the pulleys....a real mess. At any rate, I hope no further parts are needed and that only a bit of extra time will be required for the tech to complete the fix.

Thanks again to everyone for your input. Very much appreciated!

**sourdough** · 07-27-2021, 04:35 PM

Mark hope all goes well with the repair. Don't know if you are familiar with Carlsbad by might give Lucy's a whirl if you like Mexican food. Been a while since I was there but it was about as good as it gets.

markcee · 07-27-2021, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Mark hope all goes well with the repair. Don't know if you are familiar with Carlsbad by might give Lucy's a whirl if you like Mexican food. Been a while since I was there but it was about as good as it gets.

Looks good, just checked it out online. We will go there Thursday evening to celebrate our perfectly functional slide!

**sourdough** · 07-27-2021, 05:54 PM

Glad you got your slide fixed. Carlsbad is OK but it is kind of off the beaten path compared to "cities".

Me and my son used to head to Carlsbad from Hobbs bird hunting. When we had time stayed in Carlsbad and always ate at Lucy's. Back then Lucy was there, owned the place, loved my son and it was a great time - long time ago. We JUST (DW and I) discussed taking the RV and spending a few day in Carlsbad and eating at Lucy's.

If you had the time, a drive up the mountains from Carlsbad to Queens, NM is worthwhile IMO. Once at Queens the roads/forest roads/then forest "backroads" open up and you (I) can spend weeks up there....but there are no improvements past Queen campground; and in Sept. the apples at the store will be coming off...exceptional!

jasin1 · 07-27-2021, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

Update: Picked up the replacement cable this morning and taped up the fray tightly with a single layer so we could bring in the slide and move on to Carlsbad (where we have a 3 night reservation). Figured the tape might prevent binding. Plan was to secure a cable cutter and crimp tool here in Carlsbad and do the job. Anyway, this morning when we were packing up, I got a text from one of the Carlsbad area techs I reached out to yesterday, stating they could make it out Thursday morning. DW and I discussed and figured we'd sit this one out (ok, we wimped out) and have them do it and we could watch and learn for next time. I'm glad we did as we gingerly deployed the slide here in Carlsbad (enough so we could access the coach) it was obvious the cable was not coming out cleanly as all the cable coming out was now as frayed as the initial few inches were yesterday. I removed an inside rubber channel to see the exit hole and found that the strands of the cable were jamming up in the pulleys....a real mess. At any rate, I hope no further parts are needed and that only a bit of extra time will be required for the tech to complete the fix.

Thanks again to everyone for your input. Very much appreciated!

Would be interesting to know what caused it to fray on a newer trailer…I wonder if they damaged it when they initially crimped the cable while installing the slide at the factory?…I will be looking at my cables carefully since hearing about your problem

markcee · 07-27-2021, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasin1

Would be interesting to know what caused it to fray on a newer trailer…I wonder if they damaged it when they initially crimped the cable while installing the slide at the factory?…I will be looking at my cables carefully since hearing about your problem

It's my understanding that the cable should be running from the mounting bracket cleanly through the center of the hole. This one appears to be riding hard along the side of the hole as it goes in and out. I don't know if this is something that just got whacked out of alignment or an ongoing issue. My wife is sure she sees the interior bracket misaligned. We took a ton of pics, so curious to see what the tech says.

I can tell you that I stare at those cables every time I deploy the slides and noticed nothing. It's like this issue occurred over night. You'd think constant wear would expose itself gradually.

GMH · 07-30-2021, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

It's my understanding that the cable should be running from the mounting bracket cleanly through the center of the hole. This one appears to be riding hard along the side of the hole as it goes in and out. I don't know if this is something that just got whacked out of alignment or an ongoing issue. My wife is sure she sees the interior bracket misaligned. We took a ton of pics, so curious to see what the tech says.

Is the cable centered in the hole now or still rubbing?

Sokcap48 · 08-01-2021, 08:52 AM

markcee- Glad you got it fixed. It happened to me in the middle of AZ. And it had been “fixed by CW” perviously. I got mine in and got it fixed with a part myself. What I found is those cables are supposed to go in at a 90 degree angle to the side of your unit. You might check to see if your repair people moved that bracket up or down as needed. What you do is bring in your slide to where it is about 4 inches from being in. Then get to where you are level with the cable and you will be able to see if it is going in at 90 degrees. If not you can loosen your cabl then undo that bracket then replace it up or down as needed. Hope this helps.
When CW replaced my first cable it was still going in at the wrong angle and rubbed till it broke again

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