Bedroom slide (schwintek) will not retract

[vaheyventures]

Hello,

Posting here in case anyone else has had a similar experience and wants to share their wisdom.

We just got a 2021 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS on 3/24/21. After dealer orientation, got it home, leveled it, connected it to shore power, then prepared for our first “shakedown” trip, as recommended by all. We were packed and going through our departure checklist. Slides 1 and 2 retracted fine. Then we experienced that slide 3, the bedroom slide (schwintek), would not retract. When we pushed the slide button to retract the bedroom slide, the slide moved only a couple of inches and then stopped. We extended the slide using the electric switch and it did extend back the couple of inches it has just traveled inward. Repeated attempts to retract the slide gave the same results. We went to the LCI control panel in the pass-through storage bay and operated the slide from there. Each time we tried retracting the slide (several attempts), a fault condition was noted on the monitor. We checked the motor controller box for diagnostic information and saw that the *controller was sensing a short somewhere between the controller and motor 1* (1 green LED flash followed by 8 red flashes).

We followed the instructions, reset the motor controller and conducted the override technique (within 60 seconds using the inside switch). This did not change the slide’s behavior; it was still unable to retract. We also swapped cables between motor 1 and motor 2. Did not change the slide's behavior.

We couldn't move/tow the trailer and worked with GD to get authorization for a mobile RV repair. Mobile RV repair discovered that all the weight of the slide was resting on the forward slide track and the aft wheel could be spun freely indicating no weight was resting on the aft slide. Repair technician wants to check a couple of other things.

It's likely that we'll have to disconnect the motors and push the slide in manually (yikes!) so we can tow it to the dealer.

If anyone has any wisdom or tips to share, please do! Thanks!

Update 4/10: We were able to get the slide to retract fully, by using the slide controls a few inches at a time going first out, then inside. Eventually it was all the way in. We'll take to the dealer on Monday.

Terry

2021 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS
2021 Ram 3500 Duallie, 4x4, long bed

 

[Wicked ace]

I think what was found on your slide is more severe but I'll share this. On my last trip out in February At my first stop I found my slide wouldn't retract. It went in about a foot and then the rear side would get ahead of the front then stop. I had help with the camp host pushing the slide while I ran the motors and go it closed. The next morning at the next campground same thing. This time I tried a manual reset of the controller and ran the slide in and out about 6 inches (the width of the imprinted floorboards in the linoleum)to sync the motors. Each time it sounded like the motors were straining and it was just barely making it. It ran in and I was on my way. I was in place for a month but had the same problem three more times on the way home. I found a reset wasn't necessary and just running the slide in and out 6 times before closing would get things going and allow it to close but still straining. When I got home I got a ladder out and the can of Power Lube and liberally sprayed the motor openings, guides and rollers. It went in smoothly first try and seemed to improve more the next couple operations. Since then I have opened and closed the slide about a half dozen times at it seems to be operating fine. I think the cause was dirt and grime building up on the track guide channels and roller groove, especially on the front which is more exposed to road conditions.
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Industrial-Performance-Lubricant-weight/dp/B000P1E7ZS

 

[vaheyventures]

I think what was found on your slide is more severe but I'll share this. On my last trip out in February At my first stop I found my slide wouldn't retract. It went in about a foot and then the rear side would get ahead of the front then stop. I had help with the camp host pushing the slide while I ran the motors and go it closed. The next morning at the next campground same thing. This time I tried a manual reset of the controller and ran the slide in and out about 6 inches (the width of the imprinted floorboards in the linoleum)to sync the motors. Each time it sounded like the motors were straining and it was just barely making it. It ran in and I was on my way. I was in place for a month but had the same problem three more times on the way home. I found a reset wasn't necessary and just running the slide in and out 6 times before closing would get things going and allow it to close but still straining. When I got home I got a ladder out and the can of Power Lube and liberally sprayed the motor openings, guides and rollers. It went in smoothly first try and seemed to improve more the next couple operations. Since then I have opened and closed the slide about a half dozen times at it seems to be operating fine. I think the cause was dirt and grime building up on the track guide channels and roller groove, especially on the front which is more exposed to road conditions.
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Industrial-Performance-Lubricant-weight/dp/B000P1E7ZS

Thank you for your great advice! We'll try this out, fingers crossed! Maybe if we have someone pushing the slide while running the motors that will get us going. Thanks!

 

[vaheyventures]

After inching the bed slide all the way in, Dealer found the shorted wire, fixed it

Thank you for your great advice! We'll try this out, fingers crossed! Maybe if we have someone pushing the slide while running the motors that will get us going. Thanks!

We were able to inch-in the slide by using the control panel inside the pass-through compartment and moving it a couple of inches at a time. We went to the slide controls and pressed the - sign button (to retract the slide), then stopped pressing the - sign button after it moved in a couple of inches. The goal was to get the slide to retract a little bit, and stop pressing the button before the slide stopped retracting automatically, which put the motor into an error state, which caused us to have to reset it with power off/on.

Once we got the slide fully retracted, we were able to drive it to the dealer. We had been talking to the dealer for a week about it while we were trying to get the slide retracted. We found the tip of retracting slowly on a YouTube video about how to troubleshoot and repair slides (Troubleshooting a Lippert In-Wall (Schwintech) RV Slide Out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxEYSstvICI). Too bad the dealer didn't know about this tip. It took us 5 days of talking to multiple Grand Design dealers' service departments, grand design tech support, a grand design mobile repair guy (who looked at it on site), and us watching lots of videos to find this tip to get the bedroom slide retracted manually with a wire that was shorting out.

Once we got the RV to the dealer, they were able to work on it, found a burned, crushed wire causing the error code ("short between motor and controller") and replaced the wiring. We were able to bring our RV home several days later. We've used the RV a few times and have moved the slide in and out probably 10 times testing it and using it. Of course it was covered under warranty, we discovered the problem only 10 days after we bought it. We think it's fixed!

I hope this helps someone else with a slide wiring problem!