Journey rear slide cylinder R & R?..Update

smlranger · 07-26-2007, 05:13 PM

It's looking like my worsening rear slide creep problem may be a defective ram for the rear slide. Still waiting on additional diagnostic instructions from HWH but they are suggesting that is the problem.

Looks like access to the ram assembly is via the electrical bay on my 36G. Anyone done this or seen it done?

HWH is 960 miles from me, we do have a newly formed Coach Care here (not sure they are schooled on HWH systems yet), so I may just do this myself.

If I take this one on, I will get some pics for future reference.

smlranger · 07-26-2007, 05:13 PM

It's looking like my worsening rear slide creep problem may be a defective ram for the rear slide. Still waiting on additional diagnostic instructions from HWH but they are suggesting that is the problem.

Looks like access to the ram assembly is via the electrical bay on my 36G. Anyone done this or seen it done?

HWH is 960 miles from me, we do have a newly formed Coach Care here (not sure they are schooled on HWH systems yet), so I may just do this myself.

If I take this one on, I will get some pics for future reference.

Oh-one · 07-26-2007, 05:39 PM

I assume this is the closet slide you are talking about. I have had similar problems with HWH ram, hoses and valves. HWH replaced the defective items. They had problems with the rams leaking on to the carpet when the slide was in and leaking on to the A/C dash radiator so bad that the entire radiator was soaked with hydro fluid. My dealer did the work, and said it was a common problem for 03 units. Yours may be the same model HWH components.

AFChap · 07-26-2007, 08:49 PM

Our bedroom slide occasionally creeps in a bit. Everything I have seen indicates the cause should be the extend solenoid. It is supposed to be easy to replace, but I haven't taken the time to find out exactly where it is located. What indicators point to a defective ram?

Mine is a bed slide with the mechanism above the floor, so the ram should be easier to replace than an under the floor model. I have had problems with the cap end mounting bolts on the ram, but managed to fix them myself after a dealer made a half-hearted attempt and failed.

ichn2go · 07-27-2007, 03:15 AM

Gary, don't want to hijack your thread, but its related.
I am having a problem with my bedroom slide making a loud thump on the left inside corner just at the end of the travel.
Dealer said it was the outside flange hitting the side of the coach, yet I can feel the vibration in my feet when standing by the retract switch inside.

Anyone experience anything like this???

smlranger · 07-27-2007, 04:51 AM

Paul:

Already replaced both the extend and retract solenoids for the rear slide. Problem got better for a few days then progressively got worse. HWH says it is not the solenoids since I have replaced them (they had me do a diagnostic procedure to check the solenoids). Check valve in manifold is ruled out since I am not having a problem with the front slide.

Jim:

My rear slide makes a definite thump just as it fully closes. I looked all around the outside and under and I see no evidence of anything dragging or hitting so figured it was normal.

AFChap · 07-27-2007, 08:50 PM

On the "thump" on closing, do ya'll have under the floor slide models (mechanism under floor level)? Although I don't hear a thump in either of our slides, I suspect the thump comes when the slide flanges stop the slide and the increased tension on the ram jerks slack out of the mechanism. Since the slide is designed to contact the top first, then the bottom, the mechanism can move slightly up or down when it hits the end of travel. I know when working on my bedroom slide (above floor mechanism), I can see and hear a little such movement in the ram mechanism when the slide reaches its stop limit.

All that said, based on my experience with stripped cap end mounting bolts (inner end of the ram), I recommend you check for any loose bolts in the mechanism just to be sure. On mine, you can seen the two cap end mounting bolts through a slot on each side of the innjer end of the ram housing when the slide is fully extended.

ichn2go · 07-28-2007, 03:14 AM

Paul, for a novice and one who just barely knows which end of a pipe wrench to use. Define, above floor and below floor mechanisms. How would I determine which I have?

KennethM · 07-28-2007, 03:47 AM

Gary,
Your posts are most informative and many of us that do repairs ourselves have lots of experience that could be shared with this community. I was wondering as a moderator if you could start a separate subcategory that all of us who do our own repairs could begin to update? Diagnostic procedures, pictures and repairs or work arounds to get you back on the road especially during off hours for vendors.

smlranger · 07-28-2007, 06:33 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by KennethM:
Gary,
Your posts are most informative and many of us that do repairs ourselves have lots of experience that could be shared with this community. I was wondering as a moderator if you could start a separate subcategory that all of us who do our own repairs could begin to update? Diagnostic procedures, pictures and repairs or work arounds to get you back on the road especially during off hours for vendors. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kenneth:

That is something we discussed at our moderator's meeting in Branson recently. I will confer with the forum administrators to see if/how we can do that.

AFChap · 07-28-2007, 04:32 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Define, above floor and below floor mechanisms. How would I determine which I have? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Jim

In the case of my bedroom slide, the mechanism is above the floor ...actually about knee level ...and can be seen by raising the bed up. On mine, the "mechanism" is a square aluminum tube that houses the hydraulic ram that moves the slide out and in (we do not officially have storage space under our bed, heat pump air return flows through there). From the outside, all you see is a sealed box sliding out. My lounge/galley slide is an under floor mechanism, and the rams/etc can be seen under the slide from outside when the slide is extended. If the accessible area inside the slide (for furniture/storage/etc) goes all the way to the floor or very close to it, my guess would be that your's is an under the floor mechanism. On an above floor model, there has to be space above the floor taken up by a ram or rams, depending on whether it is single ram (like my bedroom slide) or double ram (like my longer lounge/galley slide).

smlranger · 07-29-2007, 03:44 AM

My rear slide mechanism is clearly below the floor. Bryan Funke at Winnebago sent me excellent info. with photos, etc. showing the location of the ram mechanism. The ram assembly is mounted in the floor superstructure just below the front of the bed. There are two rams for the wardrobe slide in the 36G....the main ram assembly and a second, helper cylinder near the back of the slide.

I am still not sure until I talk again with HWH if I should attempt to R & R the ram myself. The main ram supports the weight of the slide and the info from Winne speaks of using jacks to support the slide when repairs are made. Also, there are specific alignment procedures.

AFChap · 07-29-2007, 03:54 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">am still not sure until I talk again with HWH if I should attempt to R & R the ram myself. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I faced the possible replacement of my ram when I had the problem with the two cap end bolts. I am pretty bold about trying to do things myself, but was a bit leery of doing the ram replacement myself. But I had no dealers in the area where I was that I had much confidence in due to previous bad experiences with their incompetence. My inclination was either to do it myself, or to alter our travel plans to go by HWH Hq in Moscow IA to have them do it. It would be much more "comforting" doing it yourself if you had a place you could do it under cover just in case you had a problem that stretched the completion time out!

smlranger · 08-07-2007, 01:29 PM

Update: Have been talking back and forth with HWH. I mentioned I had one more unused remanufactured solenoid but they were sure there was no way I could have gotten two bad solenoids (remember, I had already replaced the extend solenoid twice). This past Saturday, I replaced the extend solenoid again and the slide is not creeping out! I drove the coach for a few miles to shake things up, etc, and it stayed in. Today, Tuesday, it is still tight. I have now extended the slide and will leave it that way for a couple of days, retract again and see if it stays in.

Maybe, just maybe, I've avoided a trip to the shop.

SargeW · 08-07-2007, 01:57 PM

I had a slide creep problem on both of my slides that required the replacement of both the extend and retract solenoids. Shortly afterwards my rear closet slide had a major failure, leaking fluid everywhere. The ram was replaced under warranty. After the dealer replaced an "O" ring that they crushed installing one of the solenoids, I have had no problems since. HWH did tell me that the failed ram was a "rare" occurrence. I hope he was right.