2018 Solitude slideouts sticking and jamming -- won't retract

**andrewssteve** · 09-08-2018, 09:07 AM

We're having extension/retraction issues with both hydraulically driven living-area slideouts. During extension, they rock and roll side to side (not fore and aft). That's not causing any apparent malfunction, but it looks and feels disturbing.

The definite issue is that on slide-in (retract), we've experienced jammed slides -- sometimes the kitchen side, sometimes the curb side. And when I say jammed, I mean the hydraulic pump fails to retract the slide. (Note: there's plenty of hydraulic fluid, and we're not having the 50 amp/ 80 amp breaker issue.)

What we usually see before the jam is the retracting slide will be in a tilt: the lower portion of the slide has retracted more than the upper portion, and the slide will jam near the upper slideout opening.

A couple of times I got the jammed slide to retract by standing outside and pushing it while Renee operated the switch. Other times, changing the amount of stabilizer jack grounding seemed to ease the way. I'm very worried we're going to get into a configuration where nothing works.

One thing we have been doing is leveling with the stabilizer jacks before extending and retracting, but that hasn't made much difference.

I'm on the road now, but I emailed my service rep where I bought the trailer. He had no ideas except check hydraulic fluid and lubricate the runners. I'll recheck both, but my thought is that the slideout framing structure is not attached securely or something has moved in the 5 months we've owned the unit. In my view, the slideouts should not rock and roll as they retract and extend.

Looking for feedback.

**huntr70** · 09-09-2018, 04:55 AM

Have you conditioned the slide seals? Sounds like they could be sticking.

How about slide toppers, do you have them? The slides do have to tilt to work properly and if the toppers are too tight, they can pinch in the cut out.

**andrewssteve** · 09-09-2018, 08:49 AM

@humtr70 Hi Steve. Condition the slide seals? How do you do that? Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the owner's manual.

I wouldn't think a 2018 unit in mid-west and western air would need conditioning.

**huntr70** · 09-09-2018, 01:10 PM

There is a spray on foam that conditions the seals and keeps them lubed.

It could be out of adjustment also, with one side tighter than the other.

Lots of "could be's".

**LCBoyer** · 09-09-2018, 01:25 PM

Check your breaker on pump circuit. They are notorious for tripping

**andrewssteve** · 09-09-2018, 01:48 PM

We almost didn't make it out of camp this morning. Slides retracted an inch in, then stopped. Messed with the switch fir about 10 minutes, and the slides finally retracted. Bummer.

I really don't think its the the pump breaker: There was no indication the pump was under heavy load. And this morning's issue was not binding. The slides just wouldn't move.

The whole time, the slides have extended with no issues other than rocking and rolling. With Steve's comments from @huntr70, I have a new theory to test: Bad retract switch in the panel. It's one of those ext/ret rocker switches, and the retract side may be bad. Any suggestions about troubleshooting and by-passing the switch?

**boyscout** · 09-09-2018, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by andrewssteve

We almost didn't make it out of camp this morning. Slides retracted an inch in, then stopped. Messed with the switch fir about 10 minutes, and the slides finally retracted. Bummer.

I really don't think its the the pump breaker: There was no indication the pump was under heavy load. And this morning's issue was not binding. The slides just wouldn't move.

The whole time, the slides have extended with no issues other than rocking and rolling. With Steve's comments from @huntr70, I have a new theory to test: Bad retract switch in the panel. It's one of those ext/ret rocker switches, and the retract side may be bad. Any suggestions about troubleshooting and by-passing the switch?

If that's the case, this is the switch that someone else here has recommended:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PNIJM2...v_ov_lig_dp_it

**andrewssteve** · 09-09-2018, 02:17 PM

Thanks Mark. Wonder if Amazon now delivers to the top of Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado. That's where we'll be tomorrow -- if we get the slides in.

They extended with no issues when we pulled into a park in Pagosa Springs this afternoon. Fingers crossed.

**Aridon** · 09-09-2018, 02:27 PM

wrong post

**huntr70** · 09-10-2018, 10:44 AM

I think you could "bypass" the switch by taking the switch out of the panel and touching the ends together on the wires. Not sure which one does what, but you could, in theory, get around the bad switch.