Slide out trouble - winch it in?

JourneyWinn · 08-21-2016, 07:28 PM

Some manufacturers like Winebago sometimes even provide a winch that hooks over the step well to pull in an errant slide. A check of the owners manual revealed that the extra seatbelts under the sofa that had no buckles on them were for pulling the slide in using the boat winch.

Has anyone ever done this???

ByeTheWay · 08-21-2016, 08:55 PM

That is easy to believe from Winebago, as much trouble as they are having with their slides.

TJFogelberg · 08-22-2016, 11:07 AM

You're kidding, right?

Indy54 · 08-22-2016, 11:58 AM

On my old 1998 Chieftain, I had a hydraulic hose burst while driving on I-80 through Nevada. The 16' room slide began moving out as I'm going 60mph.. Holy xxxxx! The coach came with a ratchet that mounted into the floor heat vent and connected to a seatbelt bolt. Just cranked it back in.. Very exciting day..

Atom Ant · 08-22-2016, 12:11 PM

Must be on a gasser? My step well is no where near the slides.

Cool concept though.

Brockx · 08-22-2016, 12:19 PM

I have wondered about the feasibility of winching in a slide. Enough that I have a couple of ratchet straps in the tool bay.

Mr_D · 08-22-2016, 12:34 PM

Our rig has 4 HWH hydraulic slides, the rear two and galley can be winched in. The main slide has two allthread rods that have to be inserted and turned to pull it in. Not something I'd look forward to doing since it seems to be a manual thing with an open end wrench.

Hikerdogs · 08-22-2016, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atom Ant

Must be on a gasser? My step well is no where near the slides.

Cool concept though.

On the gas models the winch hooks over the top step. On the diesel models you have to remove a register grate across from the couch and hook the winch to the floor board.

Atom Ant · 08-22-2016, 03:27 PM

Ah cool - I need to look in the manual to see if I have something like that.

JourneyWinn · 08-22-2016, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atom Ant

Must be on a gasser? My step well is no where near the slides.

Cool concept though.

Actually the winch plate goes into the floor vent - yikes!!

JourneyWinn · 08-22-2016, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

On the gas models the winch hooks over the top step. On the diesel models you have to remove a register grate across from the couch and hook the winch to the floor board.

Tried doing the winch thing when the mobile RV guy showed up
Pretty scary and didn't work

JourneyWinn · 08-22-2016, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJFogelberg

You're kidding, right?

Nope! The winch plate actually fits into the floor vent OMG

JourneyWinn · 08-22-2016, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indy54

On my old 1998 Chieftain, I had a hydraulic hose burst while driving on I-80 through Nevada. The 16' room slide began moving out as I'm going 60mph.. Holy xxxxx! The coach came with a ratchet that mounted into the floor heat vent and connected to a seatbelt bolt. Just cranked it back in.. Very exciting day..

I'm sure it was! My big slide won't retract at all and its big and heavy

4x4van · 08-25-2016, 09:48 PM

My 2004 Sunrise M30W has 2 slides; although the owners manual claims that a winch is used to bring in the slides, there is actually no place in mine to attach the winch (either end) and the winch is non-existent. According to HWH literature, the front slide can be brought in using a 7/8" wrench on two threaded rods from outside (doesn't look like fun!) after opening the hydraulic valves. The rear bedroom slide is different; the HWH literature makes no mention of it. I've been told that it can be brought in by opening the hydraulic valves and then "pushing" it in (by a couple of big guys!)!! Not something I want to try!!!!

Davel · 08-25-2016, 11:42 PM

Our main slide broke the triangular glide on the front and would not retract. I tried using the threaded rods but the pull was too hard and stripped out the front plastic nut the the rod turned in. Of course you have to open the valves on the HWH solenoids first. Luckily there were several guys at our WIT rally that helped get it back in. I then bought a ratchet strap at Harbor Freight that has 900 lbs capacity that I will use to assist the threaded rods if I ever need to manually retract the slide again.

Good luck,
Dave

Switchflicke · 08-26-2016, 09:27 AM

Mine has a winch like device similar to what you would use to load a boat onto a trailer. It's stored in the 'waterpump' compartment. There's also a steel bar clipped onto the wall in the same area. No idea what the bar is for. Any takers?

4x4van · 08-26-2016, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchflicke

Mine has a winch like device similar to what you would use to load a boat onto a trailer. It's stored in the 'waterpump' compartment. There's also a steel bar clipped onto the wall in the same area. No idea what the bar is for. Any takers?

I believe the bar is for the lug wrench. Mine has a 2 piece lug wrench there; the socket end is about 12" long with a hole in the end, the bar (about 2' long) goes into that hole.

Hikerdogs · 08-26-2016, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4x4van

I believe the bar is for the lug wrench. Mine has a 2 piece lug wrench there; the socket end is about 12" long with a hole in the end, the bar (about 2' long) goes into that hole.

The wrench you are speaking of is not intended to remove the lug nuts that hold the wheel to the hub. It's to be used to remove 2 of the "lug nut covers". Each wheel has 2 chrome plated lug nut covers that hold either the wheel cover (if you have steel wheels) or the center cap in place (in the case of aluminum wheels). These covers are 180* from each other and can be identified by a detent pressed into the side of each. These nuts have to be removed to remove the wheel cover or center cap to gain access to the lug nuts that secure the wheel to the hub.

Winnebago to my knowledge as never provided an actual lug nut wrench or jack for the purpose of changing a tire.

4x4van · 08-26-2016, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

The wrench you are speaking of is not intended to remove the lug nuts that hold the wheel to the hub. It's to be used to remove 2 of the "lug nut covers". Each wheel has 2 chrome plated lug nut covers that hold either the wheel cover (if you have steel wheels) or the center cap in place (in the case of aluminum wheels). These covers are 180* from each other and can be identified by a detent pressed into the side of each. These nuts have to be removed to remove the wheel cover or center cap to gain access to the lug nuts that secure the wheel to the hub.

Winnebago to my knowledge as never provided an actual lug nut wrench or jack for the purpose of changing a tire.

No, I have a lightweight "T"-handle wrench for the lug covers. But I also have a large, heavy duty, 2-piece lug wrench for the actual wheel lugs, and both pieces are mounted in clips inside the compartment at the water pump/heater. A 2' breaker bar would be significant overkill for the cosmetic lug covers!

My owner's manual also makes reference to using the lug wrench to change a flat tire. It DOES state that a jack is not provided, but makes no similar claim about the lug wrench.

Switchflicke · 08-27-2016, 07:42 AM

Thanks for the replies, but I just cannot get my head around the idea that you could loosen the wheel nuts with a 2' breaker bar. If I recall correctly, the torque on them is like 500 or 600 foot pounds. I'd go along with the notion that the bar is to remove the 'pal nuts' that hold the wheel cover on and to get at the 'pal nuts' you need to use the flimsy little plier thingie to grip the 'pal nut' covers. Sounds like a performance to get it ready for the roadside guy to change a flat.