Let's talk about slide problems

[AZMike]

It seems to me that there are many more issues with Schwintek slides as opposed to through the frame slides. It may just be a perception on my part, but I am glad that I have a through the frame slide. Please post your thoughts. And, you guys with hydraulic slides, well that's another beast.

[Dick Noble]

We have both types and the only one we have had problems with is the Schwintek. It needed lub.

[Txfivver]

Three Schwintek and two hydraulic slides and no problems with any of them in the 2 1/2 years I've owned it.

[Canyonlight]

It seems to me that there are many more issues with Schwintek slides as opposed to through the frame slides. It may just be a perception on my part, but I am glad that I have a through the frame slide. Please post your thoughts. And, you guys with hydraulic slides, well that's another beast.

Mike - your observation is correct. Over the years, we have learned a few things about the Schwintek challenges.

One of the key items is folks not fully deploying and retracting the slide where the slide eventually begins to become our of alignment. Along with this is not holding the power switch for another few seconds after full extension and full retraction important to keeping the motors in sync. Neither of these issues are applicable to the in floor electric slides.

We have also learned that the wires to the motors on the Schwintek have become pinched or broken due the routing of the wire binding up with slide movement thus breaking or having intermittent power. Dallas @D2Reid experienced this in the last few months. So did Jim @midwest Campers who no longer is on this forum. There have been a few others as well.

Low battery voltage is also a problem point. Schwintek slides require strong battery voltage to function properly or function at all. In floor slides will work although be it at a slower movement rate

Lubrication of the proper points (the coupler in the bearing block and the gib) is required at times depending use. This process seems to be in question with current design of Scwhintek slides as recently posted on another forum. Hmm ?

Lastly, keeping the tracks mounted on the slide box clean is important to system wear, functionality, and longer term reliability.

Yes, there are other issues but these seem to be the main challenge areas.

We have no problems with our Schwintek BR slide going on our 8th season. I did lube it last year as referenced using CRC Power Lube with PTFE as recommended by GDRV techs. and LCI.


Dan

[AZMike]

I have read about wiring issues with the Schwintek slides, along with the difficulties of changing the motors (depending on whether you have sufficient room with an adjacent wall). You bring up a good point about the low battery voltage, as the frame slide is not sensitive to it due to the fact that there are no electronics involved. It's just a battery, switch, and motor. The winning feature of a frame slide for me is that I can just manually crank it in or out if there is a failure or low voltage. It seems like the most common failure is that the pin that couples the motor to the shaft is subject to shearing. Also, Lippert cheaped out with the gear packs by using nylon bushings that wear out prematurely, just like the leaf spring bushings. Would it really have cost that much more to build with brass bushings? I guess it's about Lippert and Morryde making money on upgrades. I just got my trailer back after doing a few upgrades - CRE3000, heavy duty shackles with wet bolts, X-Factor, and had my spring hangers reinforced (boxed in).