New Tamper
Advanced Member
Schwintek Slide Issues
Oh boy, another Schwintek slide issue! Just wanted to share my latest upgrade on my 2017 Imagine 2950RL. Because my trailer was built in 6/16 they were still using Schwintek slides on both opposing slides. About a year later they went to the rack and pinion for the 13 foot slide because the Schwintek system has trouble with such a big heavy slide. I did have some trouble the first year, but after several warranty service fixes, they have worked pretty good, until last year! I started noticing the large slide jumping or surging a little just before it was closed all the way. After some investigation I discovered some of the wood on the slide bottom was chipped out in several places, again I guess from the weght of the slide on the rollers. Mine has 5 rollers on the bottom of both slides, so that should be enough to allow it to roll in and out. I started my research into how to address this and I found nothing from Grand Design, but I found several blogs on Forest River sites talking about the exact same problem, all the way back to 2012. Forest River at one time was even sending people out 1/8 steel plates for the rollers to roll on, on the bottom of the slides. So I go measure, and have a local sheet metal shop cut me 10 pieces of 1/8" steel plates, 8" wide, drill, counter sink and paint all the plates. But the more I thought about it I was not comfortable raising the slide up that high to install the plates. The blogs I read said they had about a 1/4 of play on the gears for the slide, but I still was not comfortable doing it. So I set those aside ( more about that later) and I decided to go with 16 gauge (.060") stainless steel plates. Same length and width. Drilled and counter sunk again, but no paint ( over 150 holes!). Today I finally had time to take a couple of concrete blocks, 12 ton bottle jack, and some 2x4's, and jacked and screwed these plates on. I put a screw every 4" and I used ss wood screws 3/4" long ( slide bottoms are 3/4"). Turned out very well and now both slides just glide in and out.
Now for the un-used 1/8" metal plates. I have 10 of them and they should be the right size for a narrow kitchen slide and a deep livingroom slide. I'm in the Atlanta area and if you want to message me about helping me off set the cost of my SS plates, please message me. I will attach a picture of these plates.
Next project, RV Airflow manifold for the Dometic main A/C, and if anyone can tell me how to duct my front non-ducted A/C into the racetrack ducting let me know. I would love to be able to alternate the A/C's sometimes, we never use the front A/C.
Oh boy, another Schwintek slide issue! Just wanted to share my latest upgrade on my 2017 Imagine 2950RL. Because my trailer was built in 6/16 they were still using Schwintek slides on both opposing slides. About a year later they went to the rack and pinion for the 13 foot slide because the Schwintek system has trouble with such a big heavy slide. I did have some trouble the first year, but after several warranty service fixes, they have worked pretty good, until last year! I started noticing the large slide jumping or surging a little just before it was closed all the way. After some investigation I discovered some of the wood on the slide bottom was chipped out in several places, again I guess from the weght of the slide on the rollers. Mine has 5 rollers on the bottom of both slides, so that should be enough to allow it to roll in and out. I started my research into how to address this and I found nothing from Grand Design, but I found several blogs on Forest River sites talking about the exact same problem, all the way back to 2012. Forest River at one time was even sending people out 1/8 steel plates for the rollers to roll on, on the bottom of the slides. So I go measure, and have a local sheet metal shop cut me 10 pieces of 1/8" steel plates, 8" wide, drill, counter sink and paint all the plates. But the more I thought about it I was not comfortable raising the slide up that high to install the plates. The blogs I read said they had about a 1/4 of play on the gears for the slide, but I still was not comfortable doing it. So I set those aside ( more about that later) and I decided to go with 16 gauge (.060") stainless steel plates. Same length and width. Drilled and counter sunk again, but no paint ( over 150 holes!). Today I finally had time to take a couple of concrete blocks, 12 ton bottle jack, and some 2x4's, and jacked and screwed these plates on. I put a screw every 4" and I used ss wood screws 3/4" long ( slide bottoms are 3/4"). Turned out very well and now both slides just glide in and out.
Now for the un-used 1/8" metal plates. I have 10 of them and they should be the right size for a narrow kitchen slide and a deep livingroom slide. I'm in the Atlanta area and if you want to message me about helping me off set the cost of my SS plates, please message me. I will attach a picture of these plates.
Next project, RV Airflow manifold for the Dometic main A/C, and if anyone can tell me how to duct my front non-ducted A/C into the racetrack ducting let me know. I would love to be able to alternate the A/C's sometimes, we never use the front A/C.
