Lippert Slide Mechanism

[lestortue]

Our 2014 Winnebago Journey 40U has about the same story as yours (post#60) The first six months the front passenger slide worked as it was supposed to, except it made loud scrubbing/creaking noises during travel. We took the coach to Forest City in July and had them work on it during the GNR. They "shimmed" the rails because the slide was not square. This worked for about 200 miles then the noise started again.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, (Sept 15, 2014) the slide "ate" the bulb seal just behind the passenger chair and the sofa arm dropped down on the tile floor. CW of Chattanooga shimmed the couch arm up off the tile, replaced the torn bulb seal and told us that the seal wasn't really needed anyway and not to worry.

October 15th the slide finally failed completely after making a loud bang noise followed by metal crunching/grinding sounds. It also ate the bulb seal on the right (facing) side of the slide. We were able to get the slide in, then called Winnebago. This resulted in getting an appointment with Miller's RV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to drop it off Nov 4, 2014. No telling how long we will be without a rig and even when it is fixed, how long will it last until it breaks again....

[streamcamper]

Originally Posted by lestortue

Our 2014 Winnebago Journey 40U has about the same story as yours (post#60) The first six months the front passenger slide worked as it was supposed to, except it made loud scrubbing/creaking noises during travel. We took the coach to Forest City in July and had them work on it during the GNR. They "shimmed" the rails because the slide was not square. This worked for about 200 miles then the noise started again.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, (Sept 15, 2014) the slide "ate" the bulb seal just behind the passenger chair and the sofa arm dropped down on the tile floor. CW of Chattanooga shimmed the couch arm up off the tile, replaced the torn bulb seal and told us that the seal wasn't really needed anyway and not to worry.

October 15th the slide finally failed completely after making a loud bang noise followed by metal crunching/grinding sounds. It also ate the bulb seal on the right (facing) side of the slide. We were able to get the slide in, then called Winnebago. This resulted in getting an appointment with Miller's RV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to drop it off Nov 4, 2014. No telling how long we will be without a rig and even when it is fixed, how long will it last until it breaks again....

Do I understand correctly that the slide was operating fine, except for the noise while driving, until they worked on it and shimmed the rails?

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by gbburgess

Hi everyone, I have been watching this site for a number of years. I seldom ask a question however, I do have one now. We are looking at a new Tuscany or Berkshire this spring. I assume either will have Lippert slide mechanisms. My history with Lippert is my 2007 FR Georgetown 373 (55,000 miles) with (2) 16' hydraulic slides. Never had a slide problem but replaced hoses as they deteriorated. Now I know there are 50,000 Class A or C motorhomes built every year, so how many really have problems? If I just read the comments I would never purchase anything with Schwintek systems. So do we just hear about the problems and never about the units working well. Help! I am on the fence and do not want to invest that much money and buy a future problem.

Can't comment on the F.R. Bershire, but the Tuscany uses Schwintek only on the smaller slides and still uses the larger/heavier system under large slide..

To use Schwintek on the bigger and heavier slides, all mfgt's should learn from the 2013-early 2014 Palazzo fiasco. These lightweight rack systems need a third (or fourth) rack to ensure system reliability. All TMC RV's that I have seen, starting with the 2014.5 models have the 3 rack systems on slides over about 12' in length.

The Schwintek design is preferable to older systems for the cost - sure. But also for the weight savings of a measurable amount, and the space gained in the bins under the slide, with no equipment under the slide floor (except the fixed rollers against the exterior wall).

To easily ID if a RV slide has the Scwintek system on a slide - look for a rack at the top and bottom of the front and rear wall on the slide. For any longer or heavier slides, there should be 2 racks visible at the top of the wall...or buyer beware:



Safe travels

[lestortue]

Yes, the slide operated as it was supposed to do before the shim kit was installed at the factory. After the repair was done the noise was abated somewhat, but it still continued during travel. Not sure the shimming was responsible or the reduction in noise or the use of the "in-out, in-out, in-out-in" procedure.

[ChrisKW]

Originally Posted by cholmes

Our 2014 Adventurer has been in use since June of 2013. We went the first 6 months without a slide problem but have had numerous problems ever since. The Schwintek gears on the big slide just are not large enough to move the full slide. Under engineered would be my bet. The dealers and the factory are buried with repairs. I would guess there must be a lawyer out there who could use some part time work putting together a class action suit to get this problem resolved.

We concur, and suggested the same several months ago in this post. If you are under warranty cost may not be an issue, but the down time for repair and loss of slide use, especially when we were full timing, is a huge issue in of itself. When the warranty has expired, then it becomes an issue significantly impacting the pocket book and resale value if a slide is non-operational. And, that would not have been for the issue of equipment age, use or neglect, but rather a under-engineered choice by the coach and slide manufacturers. I don't know about others, but I cringe every time it is time to deploy our slides, currently on its third set of Lippert/Schwintek kits.


Chris & Deb - North Venice, FL - 2014 Itasca Ellipse 42QD - Toad: 2014 Jeep Rubicon

[ChrisKW]

Originally Posted by lestortue

Our 2014 Winnebago Journey 40U has about the same story as yours (post#60) The first six months the front passenger slide worked as it was supposed to, except it made loud scrubbing/creaking noises during travel. We took the coach to Forest City in July and had them work on it during the GNR. They "shimmed" the rails because the slide was not square. This worked for about 200 miles then the noise ....

Interesting that the Forest City techs claimed the slide was not square, as a repair facility we used in Florida verified that it was actually the Winnebago mfr opening in the coach body that was not square and that the slide was square. My point being, I believe Winnebago knows full well the potential issues this is going to cause the owners and them for continued repairs if not legal liability at some point and wants to point fingers elsewhere. Further, we have found multiple issues with the quality of craftsmanship in our Itasca, and I believe their lack of true Quality Control on the plant assembly line is causing many of our issues. Missing fastener screws, incorrectly routed cabling and water supply lines, missing support hardware, poorly assembled trim molding, sawdust plugging water lines, snap/crackle noises, leaking suspension air bags, loose electrical fittings to GPS, inoperative windshield water pump right of the lot, intermittent exhaust brake, engine firmware needed to fix false alerts, intermittent dash gauges, twice failed solar panel control module, three slide kits to date, and I am only 12 months and 7,000 miles. Should have bought an Allegro Bus.


Chris & Deb - North Venice, FL - 2014 Itasca Ellipse 42QD - Toad: 2014 Jeep Rubicon

[streamcamper]

Originally Posted by lestortue

Yes, the slide operated as it was supposed to do before the shim kit was installed at the factory. After the repair was done the noise was abated somewhat, but it still continued during travel. Not sure the shimming was responsible or the reduction in noise or the use of the "in-out, in-out, in-out-in" procedure.

I have found that lubricating the slide does address the in transit noise issue.

What is the "in-out, in-out, in-out-in" procedure?

[lestortue]

Originally Posted by ChrisKW

Interesting that the Forest City techs claimed the slide was not square, as a repair facility we used in Florida verified that it was actually the Winnebago mfr opening in the coach body that was not square and that the slide was square. My point being, I believe Winnebago knows full well the potential issues this is going to cause the owners and them for continued repairs if not legal liability at some point and wants to point fingers elsewhere. Further, we have found multiple issues with the quality of craftsmanship in our Itasca, and I believe their lack of true Quality Control on the plant assembly line is causing many of our issues. Missing fastener screws, incorrectly routed cabling and water supply lines, missing support hardware, poorly assembled trim molding, sawdust plugging water lines, snap/crackle noises, leaking suspension air bags, loose electrical fittings to GPS, inoperative windshield water pump right of the lot, intermittent exhaust brake, engine firmware needed to fix false alerts, intermittent dash gauges, twice failed solar panel control module, three slide kits to date, and I am only 12 months and 7,000 miles. Should have bought an Allegro Bus.


Chris & Deb - North Venice, FL - 2014 Itasca Ellipse 42QD - Toad: 2014 Jeep Rubicon

Am not sure I correctly understood the tech, here is what the Work Order says under the "Labor Description": Pass S/O noisy behind Pass, Seat-Room Too Far Forward, Floor Not Square, Remove Trim, Mechanism Front, Shim Floor, Lube Bushings and Gears, Reassemble, Test Drive, OK. I can't say I understand what they did.

Agree with the poor workmanship and lack of Quality Control on the plant assembly line. The Hot and Cold water supply lines to the Washer were reversed. First dealer I took it to said I was mistaken and the lines were correct. I had to reverse them my self so that Hot was Hot and Cold was Cold. I have had the slide noises (snap/crackle and pop noises, leaking suspension air bags, intermittent exhaust brake, engine firmware displaying false alerts, electrical "freeze-ups" requiring coach power to be cut off and on to reset. I am about to get our first slide kit and fear that it is the tip of the iceburg. I am only 6 1/2 months and 9,000 miles.
P.S.: when Forest City installed the shim kit they stripped out most of the screws holding the front bottom rail on. Cost us another 6 hours at the factory on our last day there getting this fixed. Quality Control? What's that?

[lestortue]

Yes, the lube fix is effective for up to a couple hours of travel, but in my experience, is only a band aid, not a fix. The "in-out" procedure: First, you bring the slide all the way in, then back it out a few inches, then repeat this for three times and on the last time hold the "in" switch down until no more sound is heard. This too seemed to have a temporary effect on the noise, but, like the lube fix, it was temporary.

[streamcamper]

The procedure sounds like the re-timing procedure when the front and rear slides are out of sync with each other. In this case, perhaps they think one of the sides is not closing tight enough and re-timing would help. I agree that drawing the slide tighter against the wall shouldn't address the noise, however I haven't been able to figure out what the noise is.

[cochise1949]

Just got my 2014 back from shop after 9 plus weeks. Large Schwintek slide had to be rebuilt with new rails and motors. Had been installed out of square and using it ruined the mechanism (according to tech). Also the large Power Gear slide under the residential fridge had always made a loud pop at the end of outward travel. Some screws had come loose or had never been properly tightened. All quiet now. Also need the HDMI 4x4 Matrix replaced. They claimed it started working while in the shop and they replaced an internal fuse. Couldn't check it until getting home and running up the dish but it still doesn't work. Am close to just buying a new or used one on eBay or Amazon and reinstalling myself. I guess they could have installed it wrong. No lights at all when taken to shop. Now the power switch lights but none of the other lights work. Also no TV. Ran a HDMI cable direct to lounge TV. Works well that way.

[ChrisKW]

Since our most recent replacement of slide rails and motor kit in April, our second replacement, and with only a dozen deployments of the large passenger slide, I noted in our last three three days of travel a new issue. At rest stops and final destination each day and with as little as one to as much as five hours of freeway driving over three separate days, the slide had crept out about 1/2 to 1-inch on the aft end while the forward end was still fully seated. This occurred despite full extensions of the slide each night and full retractions each morning, all of which were without anomalies. With the trip completed we took the coach to our CW dealer's service department. They checked everything and told me "the aft motor brake failed allowing the slide to creep out while traveling, and the drive motors needed to be replaced." The bad news was the coach being 14 months since purchased and when CW called Winnebago their obvious and expected answer was, "They (Winnebago) could not cover parts or labor since the coach is outside the 1-year warranty." Normally that could result in a huge cost to us, but fortunately we have an extended service plan through CW, and slide repairs are covered.

In any case, I called a Winnebago Service Advisor directly to get firsthand advice on the issue and what solution(s) are necessary from the perspective of the coach manufacturer. Winnebago disagreed with the service tech's findings, stating "if the slide works normally in all other respects then all that is required is 'Travel Rods' of which are standard on all Tours and Ellipses starting with the 2015 models." Apparently these rods are installed by the operator/owner when the slide is fully retracted and before driving, a two minute install according to the advisor, and necessary given the weight of the slide (which includes the galley) which places stress on the rails, gears and motors. Apparently, under such circumstances the high torque motors are not expected to retain the slide in a fully seated position during travel. Not sure if the travel rods are a bandaid on an otherwise bad motor or engineering mistake, but we'll see.

So, Winnebago called the CW service department directly to consult with the technician working on my coach to ensure everyone fully understood the results of the CW assessment on the issue. Winnebago called me back within two hours and stated that the CW service tech was firmly convinced the motors required replacement despite the opinion of Winnebago. The Winnebago service advisor further suggested I decline CW's repair actions, I have, and I pick up the coach this weekend. Meanwhile, Winnebago offered to send me two travel rods at no cost, an offer of goodwill, and they should arrive within a week. So, we will try these and see how things go.

Thought this information might be useful to some with the same issue on Winnebago/Itasca coaches. Happy New Year, and may you all have safe and fun travels throughout 2015.


Chris & Deb - North Venice, FL - 2014 Itasca Ellipse 42QD - Toad: 2014 Jeep Rubicon

[ed rzepka]

It appears from the signatures that this affects mostly diesel pushers. Is that correct? Are there any gassers having this problem?

[MutinyGuy]

Originally Posted by ChrisKW

Since our most recent replacement of slide rails and motor kit in April, our second replacement, and with only a dozen deployments of the large passenger slide, I noted in our last three three days of travel a new issue. At rest stops and final destination each day and with as little as one to as much as five hours of freeway driving over three separate days, the slide had crept out about 1/2 to 1-inch on the aft end while the forward end was still fully seated. This occurred despite full extensions of the slide each night and full retractions each morning, all of which were without anomalies. With the trip completed we took the coach to our CW dealer's service department. They checked everything and told me "the aft motor brake failed allowing the slide to creep out while traveling, and the drive motors needed to be replaced." The bad news was the coach being 14 months since purchased and when CW called Winnebago their obvious and expected answer was, "They (Winnebago) could not cover parts or labor since the coach is outside the 1-year warranty." Normally that could result in a huge cost to us, but fortunately we have an extended service plan through CW, and slide repairs are covered.

In any case, I called a Winnebago Service Advisor directly to get firsthand advice on the issue and what solution(s) are necessary from the perspective of the coach manufacturer. Winnebago disagreed with the service tech's findings, stating "if the slide works normally in all other respects then all that is required is 'Travel Rods' of which are standard on all Tours and Ellipses starting with the 2015 models." Apparently these rods are installed by the operator/owner when the slide is fully retracted and before driving, a two minute install according to the advisor, and necessary given the weight of the slide (which includes the galley) which places stress on the rails, gears and motors. Apparently, under such circumstances the high torque motors are not expected to retain the slide in a fully seated position during travel. Not sure if the travel rods are a bandaid on an otherwise bad motor or engineering mistake, but we'll see.

So, Winnebago called the CW service department directly to consult with the technician working on my coach to ensure everyone fully understood the results of the CW assessment on the issue. Winnebago called me back within two hours and stated that the CW service tech was firmly convinced the motors required replacement despite the opinion of Winnebago. The Winnebago service advisor further suggested I decline CW's repair actions, I have, and I pick up the coach this weekend. Meanwhile, Winnebago offered to send me two travel rods at no cost, an offer of goodwill, and they should arrive within a week. So, we will try these and see how things go.

Thought this information might be useful to some with the same issue on Winnebago/Itasca coaches. Happy New Year, and may you all have safe and fun travels throughout 2015.


Chris & Deb - North Venice, FL - 2014 Itasca Ellipse 42QD - Toad: 2014 Jeep Rubicon

I had slide creep in my 2015 Adventurer drivers side slide. After WGO replaced the mechanisms I still had creep and was give 2 slide locks...I am on a trip to AZ from WA state and so far the locks have worked very well...no issues with the slide at all....my slide is 24' long. The slide locks take about 30 sec to install and less to remove.

Jim

[spanuts]

i also had the creep problem after having the motors replaced with the 500 to 1 ratio and kept in contact with wbgo they sent the slide locks out with no coast .they solved the problem and took al the creep out and all the noise.just finished 1500 mile trip and am very happy problem solved.

[CBTraveler]

This Winnebago fiasco reminds me of an ongoing soap opera, except this involves our money. Winnebago knows darn well that they have screwed up on the decision to use the Lippert crap. As much as I hate most class action lawsuits, sometimes they are necessary to get a company like Winnebago to take financial responsibility for their engineering mistake. Our 2013 Itasca 34B has been ok so far after two CW attempts and two Winnebago factory attempts to make it work reliability. However, we are about to start a 4000 mile trip over the next 3 months and I'm going to be highly nervous about our large slide. I'm going to cut two 2X4 boards to length as a substitute for the "rods" just in case.
Last time I checked Winnebago's corporate structure I could find lots of VP's but I could not find a Quality Control VP.

WBGO's President should disguise himself and sit in the factory service center for a few days.

[jrobnett]

Undercover boss

[two-niner]

Would someone post a photo of the "travel rods". Can't quite grasp where they attach.

Chris & Deb, we parked beside you at WIT 2013 after you came back from Alaska. You traded a 2013 for a 2014? Boating in Lemon Bay must be wonderful!!

Kerry

[lestortue]

Originally Posted by two-niner

Would someone post a photo of the "travel rods". Can't quite grasp where they attach.

Chris & Deb, we parked beside you at WIT 2013 after you came back from Alaska. You traded a 2013 for a 2014? Boating in Lemon Bay must be wonderful!!

Kerry

I ditto that! Someone who has these things please post a picture so we can see what they look like. I just had my passenger front slide mechanism replaced and the slide moved back 3/8" and Winnebago recommended I buy a set of "Slide Jacks", which they can supply, but only if I pay for them. Somebody is getting different information. The only thing I know for sure is that I would NEVER buy another Winnebago, or recommend anyone else buy one, after this experience.

[lestortue]

Originally Posted by CBTraveler

This Winnebago fiasco reminds me of an ongoing soap opera, except this involves our money. Winnebago knows darn well that they have screwed up on the decision to use the Lippert crap. As much as I hate most class action lawsuits, sometimes they are necessary to get a company like Winnebago to take financial responsibility for their engineering mistake. Our 2013 Itasca 34B has been ok so far after two CW attempts and two Winnebago factory attempts to make it work reliability. However, we are about to start a 4000 mile trip over the next 3 months and I'm going to be highly nervous about our large slide. I'm going to cut two 2X4 boards to length as a substitute for the "rods" just in case.
Last time I checked Winnebago's corporate structure I could find lots of VP's but I could not find a Quality Control VP.

WBGO's President should disguise himself and sit in the factory service center for a few days.

I second that motion! I just had my first major overhaul of this worthless piece of crap on my passenger front slide, new motors, rails, rollers-the works!.....but for how long? Got almost 9,000 miles and 8 months before it finally destroyed itself. Scared to put the thing out now-it may not go back in!