Short slide with, and without wedges

[Suite Sweets]

Gentlemen: Our 2014 Cincinnati has upper level slide rooms on both sides. They extend about 14". On the street side (the lower picture), are rubber wedges (viewed on the right side of the picture, just below the topper), I assume to guide the slide room into the closed position, and to keep the slide room from moving around while in transit.
On the curb side (the upper picture), the slide room has no wedges. Anybody have ideas of why, one side has them and the other does not ? Anybody with two, upper level slide rooms have the identical situation ? or have wedges on both sides ?

927

928

[OCB]

I have a smaller wedge on all my slides expect the DS vanity side but not idea of the why and why not
Clay 2016 MS 38PS3/Dallas

[MTK46]

AS only my vanity has the cables it has no wedge on it.

[Suite Sweets]

All, thank your for your responses. I'm going to try to take the question to DRV. That ought to be an exercise in futility. But, we'll give it a try. For sure, if there is value to the wedges, I'd like to get 2 more for the slide room missing them.

[wingnut60]

Wedges on all four slides--'15 RSSA.
If you would, please, if you get in touch with someone at DRV about the wedges, could you get the official part name and number?
Thanks,
Joe

[Suite Sweets]

Will do. I'm likely to want to order a pair for those missing.

[wingnut60]

They are simple to install...just a couple of screws on each into the slide framing. Might want to drill a smaller pilot hole for each one.
Have you checked to see if maybe there were some wedges there and the screws were twisted off and lost the wedges? Of 8 wedges/2 screws each--3 of the screws were twisted off from too much install torque/cheap screws.

[Suite Sweets]

After non-success with Technical Support, I wrote Greg: "Sorry for your wait Eric. The wedges are put on as alignment blocks to center the slide box in the opening when closing, also to help cut down or eliminate side to side movement of box while traveling. As long as the room is closing good and sealing, I would not see a great concern to add them at this time. Hope this helps! "

Wingnut, I asked for the part number, but that question was not answered. I've followed up and will let you know the results. As well, on checking the other slides, there are no sheared off bolts, or empty bolt holes.

Based on Greg's response, one has to ask the question: Is the only time the wedges are factory installed, is when the slide is not closing good, is not sealing, OR when it is projected there to be too much side-to-side movement of the box, when moving ? But I did not ask those questions. I don't want to be a trouble maker.

[Suite Sweets]

As soon as I posted the above, and back to email, was this follow up response from Greg

"0214419 Teflon Wedge-.5x1.5x1.5 Black" I think for what the cost of these wedges has to be, I'll get enough for all the slides. The box, moving around while traveling, seems to me to be a good thing to eliminate.

[Cummins12V98]

Personally I would add the blocks!

[wingnut60]

Yes, I believe the blocks keep the slides steady while traveling.
And thanks for the parts info.
Joe

[MTK46]

Joe so do you remember seeing them on your 05? I'm just wondering if this could be a thing after DRV was sold? They aren't on my 2011 as previous stated.

[wingnut60]

I had some sort of wedge on the long slides, best I can remember. Could be wrong, but seem to remember they were wearing pretty badly. They weren't small like the current one--they were torn up by the time I traded it in.

[Suite Sweets]

which tells me they were needed

[porthole]

Rolling Retreats has a video of Slade making those wedges to work better then the factory wedge.

[MTK46]

which tells me they were needed

So do you think that once the slides are installed whey check the gap. If out of spec they then add the wedge? That may answer why the're on some slides & not on others. Just my wild guess. ;)

[Cummins12V98]

Rolling Retreats has a video of Slade making those wedges to work better then the factory wedge.

Can you post a link?

[porthole]

I’ll look for it later.

[porthole]

Can you post a link?

Are you on facebook?
Particularly the "DRV owners group"

[Cummins12V98]

Are you on facebook?
Particularly the "DRV owners group"


No I have not gotten into that!

No biggie

[Suite Sweets]

Gentlemen: Had the Suite to Rolling Retreats (what a pleasure to deal with). Slade (owner, with wife Alicia) spotted that the one slide room with Wedges had the wrong size wedges. He correct the size, added the wedges to the other 3 slide rooms. Had them in stock, and like Cummins, not a doubt in his mind as to their value.
It's nice to deal with a retailer that puts his heart into a product - sells only the best, gets to know the product well enough to contribute to the transaction. I found the charges reasonable.

[MTK46]

Could you post a picture of where these wedges are. I'm new to DRV but not 5th wheels with slides. Had a Teton for 14 years with slides & never had a problem with them.

[Suite Sweets]

MTK The very first post, in which I raised the question of their usage, had photo's. Or, if needed, I could post 4 pair of my brand spanking new wedges.

[MTK46]

Sorry forgot about those pictures. Neither of my upper slides are cable operated. Could that be the difference?

[Suite Sweets]

As I understand it, that would not be the difference. The purpose of the wedges is to keep the top of the slide 'box' from moving all around inside it's opening. Thinking of the slides - those provide stability at the bottom of the box. As the RV makes it's way down the road, jerked this way and that, by the bumps and undulations in the roadway, the top of the box has only the opening to contain it. The wedges snug it up.
But check with the expert. Several people on this subject have made mention of Slade at Rolling Retreats as being an approachable expert. His email is posted on their website. And let us know what he has to say about using them with your particular slide.

[wingnut60]

Suites,
Correction on my slides--vanity does not have the wedges. And the other slides have different size wedges...which makes me wonder about a single part number. Also, on my '05, there was a corresponding 'striker plate' on the slide opening wall for the wedge to seat against. Haven't looked for those on this unit.
Joe

[Suite Sweets]

Wingnut - When Slade (Rolling Retreats) looked at my one wedge pair, and said they were the wrong size, I wondered about that single part number, as well. He seemed to have long lengths of wedges, and cut them to size for the respective slide. I don't have any striker plates. Had there been those, I would have known the wedges were omitted.

[MTK46]

Correction here too. My vanity slide is cable operated & has no wedges. All my other slides DO :oops: have wedges. Like wingnut they are of different sizes.
I would guess because the vanity slide only comes out about a foot and is so small DRV didn't fell a need for them.

[Suite Sweets]

MTK DRV probably felt it didn't need them because of the cost savings to them, involved in not providing. DRV as owned by THOR is working on less than 6% net profit. Anyplace they can save will motivate them. We've got $100K +/- into these rigs and of course, saving $25 on a pair of wedges seems ridiculous to us.

[MTK46]

But when mine was manufactured it was still drv Thor hadn't bought it yet

[Cummins12V98]

Just wanted to make your post a bit more clear for those that don't know.

"Had the Suite to Rolling Retreats (what a pleasure to deal with). Slade (owner, with wife Alicia)"

Slade and Alicia are the "owners", he takes care of the actual work on the RV's and she is the one who deals with the Customers and makes the orders.