Slide Problem

[traveler-5TH]

I have a 2005 TK3 and the slides and jacks have worked trouble free since I bought it new. 12 years. No leaks. The RV is only used about 6 weeks a year.

But in the past year the door slide has begun, only very occasionally, to push out slowly. Comes in fine. That is, smoothly and strongly. When moving in slow, I can usually open the kitchen slide a few inches, then go back to the door slide and that slide moves much faster.

So, why the occasional (sometimes stopping) slow operating (going out) door slide? If normal speed to open door slide is, say, 45 seconds, slow would be 2 or 3 minutes.

 

[wingnut60]

Had the same model for 10 years, never had that happen. Sounds like something in the valving not right. You have checked to be sure the fluid level is correct, and no leaks in the pump area?
Joe

 

[Porkchop-THOR]

Lippert recommends changing the fluid every 3 yrs to eliminate water. Type A transmission fluid. Might try that.

Bill

 

[oldbird]

What is the procedure for changing the fluid?

 

[Porkchop-THOR]

Use a suction device of your choice to extract as much fluid as possible from the reservoir. Then add clean fluid to within 1/2" of the top. Then cycle everything several times to get new fluid to most places. Messy job but does not take long.

Bill

 

[Cummins12V98]

Use a suction device of your choice to extract as much fluid as possible from the reservoir. Then add clean fluid to within 1/2" of the top. Then cycle everything several times to get new fluid to most places. Messy job but does not take long.

Bill

I would add have all slides in and landing gear up when doing this. Bill I know you know this but others may not.

 

[oldbird]

My oil is probably nine years old, I'll have to do this. I might even do it a couple times to get most of the old oil out. Thanks

 

[wingnut60]

That's about the only way to change it out--getting all slides in ought to have the fluid level at the highest--suction out as much as possible--add new fluid--cycle all slides several times to distribute the new oil. Repeat once ought to get the % of new to around 50+%

 

[Porkchop-THOR]

I called Lippert several years ago and told the engineer that I had a riding mower with a very similar system for motivation and turning the blades. I said that I can run it for hours in the heat and never have to change the oil. How come I have to change it in a system that gets used rarely and never gets hot? He said that is why. Trans fluid will attract moisture and these systems never get hot enough to burn it off. My mower does.
Makes sense.

Bill

 

[dapperdan-THOR]

On a similar note, over the years I've owned 4 Goldwings, Honda recommends changing brake, clutch and fork fluids at intervals. All "sealed" systems but still needing replacement! Changing slide/hydraulic fluid sounds plausible to me.

Dan

 

[oldbird]

You guys are convincing! Is there a 'best' trans fluid A? Synthetic or conventional?

 

[wingnut60]

You may get differing opinions on what to use, but any automatic trans fluid should work--synthetic would seem overkill to me, since there won't be any temp problems. But it won't hurt, either.
Some have found it beneficial to add 'fork oil' from the motorcycle world as a 'stiction' reducer--supposed to help??

 

[Cummins12V98]

I used AMZ/OIL Universal ATF 100% Synthetic. Can't say it works any better but so far no front landing gear issues.

 

[Porthole-ESC]

Trans fluid will attract moisture and these systems never get hot enough to burn it off.

"Hydroscopic" trans oil issues were mostly back in the mid 70's with GM's Dexron ATF. And it was the additives causing the problem, not the actual ATF.

On a similar note, over the years I've owned 4 Goldwings, Honda recommends changing brake, clutch and fork fluids at intervals. All "sealed" systems but still needing replacement! Changing slide/hydraulic fluid sounds plausible to me.

Although brake systems are mostly sealed, DOT 3-4 brake fluid is very hydroscopic. Just removing the covers to check levels can start to contaminate the fluid. That is the reason manufacturers always recommend the use of a new sealed bottle of brake fluid when flushing or adding fluid.

 

[wingnut60]

Being a little picky here, but I believe the term for a substance's adsorption/attraction of water is Hygroscopic.

And over a period of time, some moisture in the air-filled portion of the fluid reservoir may condense and allow water to contact the oil. In the ten years I owned my '05, this never became a problem--never a concern with the hydraulic fluid, just the gear packs wearing out. I think I remember adding about a pint of
ATF over that time frame.
But I did have a ram give out while at Paul Cross's place and I am sure he had to replace fluid at that time.

 

[Porthole-ESC]

Being a little picky here, but I believe the term for a substance's adsorption/attraction of water is Hygroscopic

AH yup and forum software apparently doesn't allow edits after a period of time.
Hygro - Hydro - iPhone picks up both spellings as correct.

 

[wingnut60]

Seems a little odd that it isn't hydro-xxxx, most everything else to do with water uses hydro-xxxx.
I got corrected long time ago is only reason I know.

Joe

 

[Rockyhud]

Glad I came across this post as I'm quite sure the original owner of our 5th wheel didn't know about this and never changed the fluid, not to mention that I'm quite sure the reservoir doesn't have the requisite amount of fluid in it now. BTW, is there a specific auto-tranny fluid to use? By that I'm referring to brand (GM, Mopar, Ford, etc.) because they each seem to have "special" ingredients best suited for their respective trannies.

Not to hijack this thread, but our hydraulic system also has some leakage occurring (droplets collecting at the lower-most outside curve of some lines, red fluid visible around some connections and between the bottom of the reservoir and plywood panel it all sets on as well as in the plywood itself). There's even some in the drip pan below. I've not found any definitive info about how to go about tightening the threaded connectors. There are several connection leaks, from the ones that connect the pump to what I refer to as a manifold or perhaps a spool valve to where the various hydraulic lines connect. Would it be a correct presumption that I should start tightening these, starting with the connections farthest from the pump and gradually work my way toward the pump? Does this make sense or is there a better method to follow? Any precautions I should be aware of?

I want to do the work myself so I know more about the RV and its systems. I also want to do the work so I know how well it's been done so I don't have to find out the hard way that someone else over-tightened connections and stripped the threads, making a bigger problem, now or later.

 

[oldbird]

I found mine dripping so I checked the connections for tightness. All were tight. I believe the drips are from the crimps, I'm not worrying about mine unless they get worse.

 

[dapperdan-THOR]

We had a little bit of that "seepage" thing going on before our visit to Lippert for the front jack replacement too. It wasn't real bad but the techs at Lippert said my fittings were a bit loose hence the leakage. I was VERY leery to tighten those fittings for fear of snapping them off! I had called Lippert a year or so ago to ask about the leaking and was told to be VERY careful if I tried tightening them.

Good luck with your attempt.

Since our replacement job I haven't had any leaks of any kind.

Dan