HWH/Rouge Slide Out.

[0533]

Here is one that you can sink your teeth in.

My 99 Marathon has a single slide that was made by a company in I believe Oregon that produced slides for Marathon back in the early days of the slides.

The slide is 13'6" by 3', it is huge and really makes for an outstanding room when extended. It has three skylights, the TV, cabinets the couch and three side tables move with this unit.

The slide is Hydraulically operated, has an air seal and two solenoid operated latches at the top. The mechanical parts could move the shuttle out for launch and back.

Here is how it works. There is a door above the drivers seat, an HWH panel with a key (On/Off) and a rocker switch to extend or retract the slideout. One can only operate the slide when the coach is turned off. To operate, turn the key on, and extend the room until it stops. To retract reverse the cycle.You are not supposedly able to start the coach if the room is improperly sealed/retracted.

Here is the problem. When you retract the unit and if you do not do it just so, it appears to be closed and sealed. You can start the coach and take off. After about two hours maybe longer you will first hear some air leaks, and if you stop and get out you will notice that the bottom has kicked out about an inch or an inch and half.

The only way to get it right is to bring the room in while looking out of the side window watching the rooms movement. When it is all the way in you have to allow the top to come out like you have gone to far, then switch the unit to off making sure that you hear the latches lock into place, this seems to pull the room in at the top.

I am starting to think that there might be an alignment issue with the unit. Either the stops at the bottom or top are not properly lined up. Once it is right it never bumps out at all.

At the Marathon factory I had the entire unit rebuilt, all hydraulic lines everything cleaned up and it looks like new, no leaks of any kind.

What I cannot understand is why there were no lights, Red/Green that would tell me that the coach was good for travel, other than the fact that the coach will start and run when it should not.

Does this make any sense, have any of you experienced this type of situation. I love the room and it makes all the difference in the living space, but this is an annoying aspect, but only on occasion.

Also what is an air seal??? Is just the rubber trim piece that holds the air out or is there a air activated seal. I supossedly have a hydraulic unit with an air seal???

Thanks,

Bruce

[dale farley]

Bruce, The air seal actually fills with air after the slide has extended. The seal deflates before the room retracts. This is so the room does not slide/drag against the seal all the time when it is opening or closing. I had slides on a very expensive 5th wheel, but the seals only lasted a while because the room would tear them while dragging on them. Your system is supposed to be a much improved version as far as the seals are concerned.

[0533]

Bruce, The air seal actually fills with air after the slide has extended. The seal deflates before the room retracts. This is so the room does not slide/drag against the seal all the time when it is opening or closing. I had slides on a very expensive 5th wheel, but the seals only lasted a while because the room would tear them while dragging on them. Your system is supposed to be a much improved version as far as the seals are concerned.

Hello Dale,

Good start. This answers one part. So in other words its only purpose is to keep the room airtight while it is in use? I had thought that it might also play a role in the retracted side of the equation. Guess not. I did notice that after you extend the slide and if you forget to turn of the key the air compressor continues to run. Wonder if this is the seal continuing to try and fill with air. Wonder if these seals could leak air as well. I had it checked, but who knows.

[tdelorme]

Well I'm not sure that all slide seals actually fill with air. Country Coach seals don't. If you have a seal come loose, you will have an air leak even when the slide is in. The seal needs to be lubricated to prevent it from hanging up and breaking loose, causing a leak. I used white graphite on my CC, but you need to see what HWH recommends as a seal lub.
I could actually start and drive my coach with the slide out which I found real strange. It was handy a few times to move a few feet without bringing the slide in.

Loc uses a wide load banner while driving the DS Millennium down the Interstate with both slides out.

[rfoster]

I thought the banner was for the Wonder Dog.

[garyde]

Hi Bruce. On my Coach the Seal is composed of a Blade & the Tube. Air is filled when closed as well as when open. It automatically deflates when sliding in or out. I have replaced my bedroom seal twice because of a tear or a defect. You can usually hear the leak and the air compressor constantly running is a tip off.