303 RLS Theater Seating Not Secured

[jlspence99]

Wife and I just completed a two week camping trip down from Alabama to Florida and then to the Nashville, TN area. During the latter trip, we went across some rough road to bridge transitions and discovered upon arriving at Seven Points campground outside the Nashville area that the theater seating had bounced out of the slide and into the main area. It did the same thing on our return home yesterday. Both times the arm of the chair caught the bottom attach of the window "curtain" beside it bending it back (see photo).



Like in a post I found from Howson, upon turning the seats over, I found a couple of screws but clearly they were never screwed into the floor of the slide. My assumption was that they were not used because they would penetrate too far and tear up the floor as the slide moved in and out. My question - has anyone found a way to secure the seats onto the floor of the slide without putting your floor at risk? Would appreciate any suggestions.

[Goober]

Hi Jeff, Your theatre seats in your 337RLS did the same thing. I just reinstall the screws in a different location along the seat track and added more screws the same length. Yours did not come but with one screw in each seat. Know way that was going to hold. Have not had them come loose anymore.

[jlspence99]

So no worry about the ends of the screws scratching up the floor as the slide goes in and out? The screws I found in the floor were about 1 1/2 in long. How long were the screws you used?

[Cate&Rob]

So no worry about the ends of the screws scratching up the floor as the slide goes in and out? The screws I found in the floor were about 1 1/2 in long. How long were the screws you used?

Hi Jeff,

You are correct to worry about the screws coming through the slide floor and catching the inside flooring when the slide comes in. The slide floor is about 3/4" thick. 1 1/2" screws would definitely be too long, but what the factory guys do if they don't have the right length screw, they drive a "too long" screw in on an angle. Definitely not the right thing to do and probably why the original screws came loose. I would try a 3/4" coarse thread (#10 sheet metal) screw and make sure that it gets a firm bite straight into the floor. Then, go underneath the slide and examine very carefully to make sure that these screws did not come all the way through.

Rob

[jlspence99]

Finally got some time to go look closer at my theater seats, the slide and the underlying plywood. I took with me the following #10 coarse thread sheet metal screws and compatible washers:

12 - 3/4"
12 - 1"
12 - 1 1/4"

What I found that I didn't notice before is 1) that neither the front or back metal rails that tie to two seats together have holes in them. One could certainly drill holes but I didn't bring my cordless drill with me. However, each chair has two side rails that plenty of holes in them to use;



2) that the seats rest on the four corners such that the rails are off the floor about 3/8" to 1/2";



and 3) the plywood under the seats is tapered. What one sees at the front is only about 1/4" but that the actual thickness of the underlying plywood is actually like Rob said, more like 3/4" or better and GD actually tapers the board to make a ramp so to speak.



In the end, I installed the 1 1/4" screws with washers on each of the four corners of each chair for total of 8 screws. The 1 1/4" screws went into the plywood about 1/2" so had plenty of thread engagement. The screws GD used were a joke. If your seats haven't come loose yet, it's just a matter of time.

[Billyray58]

I left the screws out after installing the new recliners from LCI to replace the recliners. Just finished the 1510 mile trip from Dallas to upstate new York with no movement at all. Leaving camper at our seasonal site till October. Much easier now to clean behind without screws.

[WhittleBurner]

Back in late 2013 when we ordered our Reflection we opted for rocking recliners (I don't think they offer that now) in place of the little theater seat in the slide. They were never fastened down most likely so they can be taken away from the wall to rock. In all that time I can only recall 2 times they walked out a little bit when we forgot to snug them up to the wall b4 depature.

[Second Chance]

There had never been any attempt to secure the theater seats in our 2016 (spring 2015 build) 337. A couple of inches of movement on really rough roads is all we've ever experienced. As @Billyray58 said, it's much easier to clean behind/under the seats without them screwed down.

Rob

[FR8TFLYER]

Where you able to get under there with a drill to start the holes? Mine need to have screws installed as well but there isn’t much room to work.

Finally got some time to go look closer at my theater seats, the slide and the underlying plywood. I took with me the following #10 coarse thread sheet metal screws and compatible washers:

12 - 3/4"
12 - 1"
12 - 1 1/4"

What I found that I didn't notice before is 1) that neither the front or back metal rails that tie to two seats together have holes in them. One could certainly drill holes but I didn't bring my cordless drill with me. However, each chair has two side rails that plenty of holes in them to use;



2) that the seats rest on the four corners such that the rails are off the floor about 3/8" to 1/2";



and 3) the plywood under the seats is tapered. What one sees at the front is only about 1/4" but that the actual thickness of the underlying plywood is actually like Rob said, more like 3/4" or better and GD actually tapers the board to make a ramp so to speak.



In the end, I installed the 1 1/4" screws with washers on each of the four corners of each chair for total of 8 screws. The 1 1/4" screws went into the plywood about 1/2" so had plenty of thread engagement. The screws GD used were a joke. If your seats haven't come loose yet, it's just a matter of time.

[jlspence99]

Where you able to get under there with a drill to start the holes? Mine need to have screws installed as well but there isn’t much room to work.

No. There are plenty of holes already in the frame though. I put more screws in than I probably needed. One in each corner would probably be fine.


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