slide-out banging/thumbing sound

[rootusrootus]

This is a Transcend 261BH, couple weeks old, only been out camping once so far. Brought the slide in today to check out something, and it made a disconcerting banging sound that could be felt thumping through the floor. Only happens during the last bit of travel in the last few inches before full extension, and again right as it starts coming in.

Any ideas? The motors for the slide are inside the frame, I assume? I'm guessing something slipping, but I'm not an expert.

For your viewing/listening pleasure:
https://youtu.be/7v81q5O_iTw
https://youtu.be/W3cRJfwKkfw
https://youtu.be/c6TO2RP7ujo

I e-mailed the service dept at the local Blue Dog shop but I don't have an appointment yet. I'm assuming this is not a DIY fix in any case. And even if it were, it would have to be pretty easy ... the thing is brand new, I don't expect to do any major adjustments myself just yet .

 

[Heavysledz]

From what I could see/hear, my guess would be the teeth on the rails towards the end of the rail (inside) are either damaged or have debris in them causing it to not run smoothly when the drive gear reaches them...I would try to get under there and do a close up inspection if possible.

 

[Canyonlight]

Your gear packs need cleaning and lubricating. Your video looks as though the front gear pack is quite dirty from road debris I trust. Ours did the same thing last year and after I did this process no more banging beneath the floor. Lippert Components (LCI) has a bulletin on how to do this.

I actually dropped the Coroplast thinking we had slide motor loose bolts, bad gears, or something else banging under the floor. And, found nothing wrong and all clean and fine. I had posted all this in the other GDRV forum.

Here is the link to the slide out support section, Technical Information tab, then Corrective Action For Squeaking Gear Packs (they should say banging too....lol !)
https://support.lci1.com/through-frame-selections-support-2-x-2-electric-slide-system

And hear it what to use as recommended by GDRV and LCI.


Dan

 

[NB Canada]

Is that rust or road grime?


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[rootusrootus]

Your gear packs need cleaning and lubricating. Your video looks as though the front gear pack is quite dirty from road debris I trust. Ours did the same thing last year and after I did this process no more banging beneath the floor. Lippert Components (LCI) has a bulletin on how to do this.

I actually dropped the Coroplast thinking we had slide motor loose bolts, bad gears, or something else banging under the floor. And, found nothing wrong and all clean and fine. I had posted all this in the other GDRV forum.

Here is the link to the slide out support section, Technical Information tab, then Corrective Action For Squeaking Gear Packs (they should say banging too....lol !)
https://support.lci1.com/through-frame-selections-support-2-x-2-electric-slide-system

And hear it what to use as recommended by GDRV and LCI.

Thanks!! I'm going to go out this afternoon and do some cleaning at least, and then see about getting that lubricant. I had a detailed discussion about lubricating slides with the tech doing our walk-through, and he was adamant that the gears are meant to be dry. (On an unrelated note, he used to do piece work at an RV factory, so he had interesting stories, mostly that sound just like you'd expect.). But I did notice that the whole thing seemed kinda wet and gross, and that it seems like it'll be constantly subjected to road grime. The trailer has only been on the 4 hour road trip home, so I wonder how often it will need cleaning. I don't know if it was towed out all the way from Indiana or delivered on a truck, though.

Edit: OHH, okay, lubricate the gear packs. The tech was talking about the rack & pinion. Thank you again for that link to the tech docs.

Is that rust or road grime?

I don't know, I will check that this afternoon. I assume dirt, because the trailer is brand new, but that's no guarantee.

 

[Grant B.]

I have the same trailer, 2021 261BH, bought at the end of last year. Our slide makes the exact same sounds as yours, and has since we picked it up from the dealer lot. Both the salesman and the service department told us that it's completely normal with this style of slide. My last trailer was a 2012 Passport with a cable style slide. Since this is a different technology, I can't compare the two so I took the dealer at their word. So far we've had it on five or six short trips. The noise hasn't changed at all, better or worse, and the slide operates just fine, so I've left it alone.

 

[rootusrootus]

I've only got experience with one previous TT, our Jayco X13. I *think* it had essentially the same mechanism for the slide. Never did anything like this, always smooth in & out.

The last time I ran the slide in and out on this Transcend, it didn't shake. I hadn't really done much except take a brush to the rack gear and wipe some dirt off the rails. Could have helped, could be unrelated. But the mechanism itself is so brain-dead simple that I can't imagine a lot going wrong. I did notice that there *appears* to be some scuffing on the rail at about the point it starts doing the shimmy thing. Could be unrelated. Could be a figment of my addled mind.

When I have some free time I'm going to clean it better and lube the gear packs just to be sure. I'm in the last few weeks of my master's program and it's sucking down almost all my free time, but soon I will be done with that crap!

 

[Canyonlight]

I've only got experience with one previous TT, our Jayco X13. I *think* it had essentially the same mechanism for the slide. Never did anything like this, always smooth in & out.

The last time I ran the slide in and out on this Transcend, it didn't shake. I hadn't really done much except take a brush to the rack gear and wipe some dirt off the rails. Could have helped, could be unrelated. But the mechanism itself is so brain-dead simple that I can't imagine a lot going wrong. I did notice that there *appears* to be some scuffing on the rail at about the point it starts doing the shimmy thing. Could be unrelated. Could be a figment of my addled mind.

When I have some free time I'm going to clean it better and lube the gear packs just to be sure. I'm in the last few weeks of my master's program and it's sucking down almost all my free time, but soon I will be done with that crap!

Yes, as shared, do a good cleaning and lube the gear pack. After lubing and running both our through frame slides in and out several times, they operate w/o any noise and so smoothly......better than new. It seems the motors are not straining either and running w/o any drag. Makes sense.

This is just another maintenance item especially for those trailers pulled down dirty/wet roads, exposed to dust events, where slides have been extended/retracted many times, etc.

Dan

 

[rootusrootus]

This is just another maintenance item especially for those trailers pulled down dirty/wet roads, exposed to dust events, where slides have been extended/retracted many times, etc.

Yeah this will just be a little learning experience for me. My last trailer didn't have the slide mechanism exposed to much in the way of dirt. The gear packs on this trailer are literally in the wheel wells above the tires, they're going to get really gross every time we tow in the rain. I'm surprised there is not even so much as a deflector to try and limit the direct attack from road grime.