Locking pin for slides

[Bill1170]

I am going to have to replace a locking pin on my rear slide, it does not unlock every time. At prevost it cost about $750. Are there any other sources?
Bill

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Why does it need replacement? It is a big heavy piece of steel and it is hard to imagine that it could be broken or even worn.

If you can get it in your hand I'll bet a machine shop could make one for a lot less using the existing one as a model.

[rfoster]

While we are on slides, has anyone come up with the proper way to trick the slide into going inside far enough to expose the bladder seal?

[Bill1170]

Jon:
I cant understand how the pin can be bad. I stopped at prevost in Nashville and that was their advice. Getting to the pin is the hard part,behind a cabinet. Before I replace the pin I will try to work it and lubricate it and see if it will work ok, It just hangs sometime and when I raise the tag it then will release.

Roger, The slide can be manually move in far enough but it is quite a complicated job and so I would talk to Prevost first becaus if the pin goes in at the wrong time it will break the glass.
Bill

[Jon Wehrenberg]

So Bill, Prevost has determined you have a bad pin without seeing it? With the slide out can you see any evidence in the receiver that the pin is deformed, damaged or otherwise exhibiting signs it needs replacement?

If one pin hangs, and you can release it by lifting the tag, then I would say the flex in the chassis is relieving pressure holding the pin in place. Assuming that is what is happening wouldn't it make sense to adjust the position of the pin to relieve that pressure? But what do I know? I don't have any slides.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Unsolicited, I think Jon's initial assessment is the more logical, otherwise one would have to assume the pin is not designed properly. to point where it bends/deforms, or the mechanism that moves and holds the pin is insufficiently robust. I would think that unlikely, and that an adjustment would be better tried first, more easily and less costly to begin.

[tdelorme]

The Good Lord loves rivets and the Devil invented slides. End of story.

Why does Prevost keep repairing Gary's slide out under warranty and they want big bucks to fix Bill's??

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Can't explain why some are repaired gratis while others appear to be free, however....

At one time (and I presume this policy remains today) Prevost guaranteed their repairs for one year. Obviously some repairs are actually maintenance such as seal replacement, but others such as relates to pins for example are repairs.

If someone has had something repaired and it broke at the 11th month it get repaired under warranty and I presume that repair restarts the clock. If someone can get their bus or its systems to fail every 11th month it seems an intitial investment with Prevost for the repairs is all that is needed for lifetime repairs. Good luck with that.

[tdelorme]

Can't explain why some are repaired gratis while others appear to be free, however....

At one time (and I presume this policy remains today) Prevost guaranteed their repairs for one year. Obviously some repairs are actually maintenance such as seal replacement, but others such as relates to pins for example are repairs.

If someone has had something repaired and it broke at the 11th month it get repaired under warranty and I presume that repair restarts the clock. If someone can get their bus or its systems to fail every 11th month it seems an intitial investment with Prevost for the repairs is all that is needed for lifetime repairs. Good luck with that.

Well there you go, Jon has finally realized that a Prevost is an investment. He used to rant on about a bus was not an investment but I always knew he was wrong. I think he missed school the day "Buy High, Sell Low" was covered, which is when we talked about bus trading. Loc must have gotten him up to speed in OKC.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

You are really starting to piss me off Mel.

I said the purchase of repairs could be an investment, not the purchase of a bus. I further qualified that by saying you needed to get things to break on an 11 month schedule.

Haven't you pulled the wire on the damn clutch yet? If you would quit trying to break my chops you would have time to do that investigative work. I was going to go easy on you about the comment about Jan washing the bus, but not any more. I will educate her when I see her next.

[Bill1170]

Jon and others:
The pin is made so that it first slides in the socket and then 2 dogs,I call them, extend out of the pin and apparently this locks the pin in place. I can barely see the pin work behind the cabinet but maybe I can adjust the pin when I get to it rather than replace it.

[jack14r]

I have sprayed the pin pockets religiously with graphite spray and that will lubricate the pins.Take a piece of thin cardboard and cut a hole 1/4 inch larger than the pin pocket and then use it to keep the graphite off of the paint and the graphite will lubricate the pin and the pocket.

[Bill1170]

Thanks Jack, I have been using the wrong lubricant and I have just cleaned the sockets and used the graphite spray , maybe after some use it will solve my problem.

[garyde]

Here's all I know about slides;
a. Graphite is what I use on my Pins and I have had no problems to date
b. Air seals don't last. I keep complaining, and Prevost keeps replacing them free of charge. I think I'm at the end of this free ride.

c. In order to slide the slide in to reveal the air seals; it is a 5 step process at least:
1. Open slide, remove top portion of slide cap edge
(This will require re-sealing with slow drying marine silicone)
2. Close slide w/o top slide cap
3. Turn off slide controls (port side Bay #3)
4. Release Pins, deflate seal manually at controls (see manual)
5. Find motor for slide, manually ratchet gear so that slide slowly
moves inward into the coach , approx 3-4 inches in.

Now the seal is exposed. If you want to replace the seal however, I would have Prevost do this as it is very time consuming, and if it is done incorrectly, you will have more problems than you started with.

Everything I have just explained is by watching, not doing so beware.

[Bill1170]

Gary, has prevost replaced your slide seals free of charge , I just paid to have mine replaced, both front and back. We have the same year coach, maybe your trouble started early on.

[Alek&Lucia]

Bill,

What is the cost to replace the slide seals and how long to they last ?

Alek

[Bill1170]

The rear seal ,parts and labor, was about $3600 and the front about $4300.
My seals were on 03 model. This was done in Nashville at Prevost.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

It just hangs sometime and when I raise the tag it then will release. Bill


Bill, you said if you raise the tag, your pins will release?

In my bus, when I operate the slide, the raising of the tag or at least the release of pressure on the tag always happens first, then the other operational features begin to drive the slide out.

Maybe in the newer models the process is different?

Gary S.

[garyde]

Yes, I purchased the Coach in Aug. 06. The bedroom slide seal broke about 6 months later. Liberty said they had already replaced that seal prior to me buying the Coach, so Prevost replaced it , I did pay some labor. Then within a year or so, the same seal broke again, Prevost replaced that one no charge. Last, the living room slide broke in Aug of 08. So, Prevost replaced that one no charge.
The History of the seals as I was told at Prevost;

The seals have been purchased from one Vendor who had seam problems. Then they had material problems, too thin and uneven thickness.
Now, I believe they may have a new vendor and better quality.

[Bill1170]

Gary your coach apparently had seal problems from the start and Prevost did the right thing to replace them. Hope that solves your problem.
My seals were about 6 years old and that is about all that can be expected from what I hear.

[JIM KELLER]

Roger, Are you reading these " Seal Posts. "

[Jon Wehrenberg]

That was cruel. First the seal discussion starts and big numbers are tossed around as though the costs are pocket change, and then as if Roger isn't getting worked up by that, Rick starts talking about skin delamination.

All that has to happen now is for his dash to go black.

[rfoster]

Mr. Keller: Yep, I am reading the post, as matter of fact I ask what the procedure was for running in the slide room to expose the seal.

Jon: Yep - i read about the Elmers glue turning loose and thought to myself - I wouldn't mind putting rivets in and then adding rhinestones to them for pazazz

And as some of you witnessed in OKC the tire patch that I recovered from my outer dual. I could reuse it on the leaking bladder in my slide room. All I have to do is get it exposed so I can stick it.

My dash works GREAT!---

Anybody got a potatoe gun?

[Loc]

Bill,

When I purchased my bus the prior owner had used lithium grease on the slide pins and it was coating the sockets. I cleaned the sockets several times and then applied only graphite as recommended by Prevost. I had a pin that wanted to stick and that seemed to resolve the issue. Additionally, you may want to check the operation of your tag axle during the extension and retraction of the slides. There is a norgren air value with electric solenoid in the engine bay (typcially above the battery bank on the forward wall) that should unload the tag axle when you start to extend or retract your slides. You can hear a loud rush of air from the tag when you first push the slide extension switch. If your tag is not unloading it can put pressure on the pins. It is easy to check the tag unloading operation. Just fire it up and have someone hit the slide switch while you stand next to the tag axle. You will hear the air release and see the tag axle unload weight (it will not lift off the ground, just unload the tag). I am sure you know, but always open the driver's and door windows or the door prior to extending or retracting the slides. The pressure difference created by extending and retracting the slides without an open window or door can damage the seals. Prevost can adjust the pins, but I am not convinced that they always get it right.

Loc

[Bill1170]

Loc, thanks for the info, that is the first I have heard about the tag unloading valve. I will check this and see if I can tell if it is working.
One can surely learn on this forum.
Bill