Slide issue on TT

I've been wondering when this day would happen.

We have Slide issues.

Our TT has a large (14' ??) living/dining  room slide that has been acting up on this trip. We have had trouble both opening and closing, but finally got it open/closed. The last time we had trouble closing it, it stalled about halfway. I went outside and pushed while my wife held the switch, and after hearing a "clunk", it closed.

I really wish I knew how this thing worked. It's a pulley system slide. There is nothing visible underneath the slide at all. Inside, on top, there are 4 pieces of hardware. Each piece is connected to one chain and two cables. Each hardware piece is a different color and a very brief doc explains what each piece controls.

Here's one thing that doesn't look good. One piece of cable is not connected. There is a fitting on the end of the cable that is threaded and used to screw the cable into the chain hardware, and it looks like it broke. The chain hardware piece is red and the doc says this for the red piece:

LEFT FRONT  controls tension for the left side seal when room is out
Top cable screw adjusts the room bottom
Bottom cable screw adjust the room top

The broken cable piece is labeled BTM for bottom. Funny thing is, I don't know if that means:
1) it is the bottom cable
Or
2) it adjusts the bottom

It's the bottom cable, so we'll assume #1.  ;-)

Another funny thing is that the loose/broken cable seems way too long, like well over a foot too long. If the fitting at the end of the cable was not broken and I put it back in, there would be way too much slack in the cable.

There is a serious kink in the cable about a foot from the end. Not sure what that means.

So, we plan on being home in about a week, and I hope the slide holds out so I can have it fixed at home. I don't see anything I can do right now without the proper hardware, but am open to suggestions.

Can anything drastically bad happen? I'm hoping the remaining cable holds out until  I get home. Also, I really don't want the slide ending up on the highway.

The doc says the slide is a BAL Accu slide and I'm looking for doc now.

I'll try to attach pics in another post.

Thanks,
Dan

Here are some pics

It looks to me like the threaded portion has broken off, likely when the cable caught on something breaking off the thread portion (the weakest point!) and kinking the wire. That cable must have some place to go when slack, i.e. roll up or be pulled back to maintain some tension by a spring arrangement which may become apparent under further inspection!! Fingers crossed!!!

Quite a bit of stuff available online... HTH

Google "BAL Accu slide" (no quotes) and there are several manuals in PDF format from Norco that will download automagically* to your PC
*(while using W10 and Firefox here)

You are not alone with your problems:

http://www.outbackers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=43890

I have a manual that shows how to adjust that mechanism I'm sure it will help you. I tried to attach it here but the file is way too big and the forum won't allow me to do it. Send me a PM with your Email address and I'll try to attach it and send it back to you.

Rene T said:

I have a manual that shows how to adjust that mechanism I'm sure it will help you. I tried to attach it here but the file is way too big and the forum won't allow me to do it. Send me a PM with your Email address and I'll try to attach it and send it back to you.

Click to expand...

Hi Rene could you send that manual to me also if you can.
thanks

butchiiii said:

Hi Rene could you send that manual to me also if you can.
thanks

Click to expand...

Check your Email Butch. Hopefully it went through. m

Rene T said:

Check your Email Butch. Hopefully it went through. m

Click to expand...

Thanks Rene  )

Thanks folks. I'm glad no one said the slide will fall out. ;-)

Looks like we'll make it home ok, and I'll get it fixed there. I need the hardware to fix it.

Thanks,
Dan

We were on a trip this Spring when the slide did not close properly the last two times we needed to roll it in.  I called our RV tech when we got home,  When we opened the slide one of the cables was severely frayed.  It had stretched enough that the slide wasn't closing properly.  He ordered two cable kits (I wanted to keep an extra on hand) which took about a week to get.  The fix wasn't bad and took about an hour to complete.  The kit includes everything to replace the cable, however without a portion of the old cable to pull the new one through the pulleys, it would be a lot harder to complete.  Unless you're really ambitious, I'd suggest you find a tech to do the work.  It's not an easy fix if the cable is completely broken. 

I now know to inspect the cables when the slide is out.  If I see any fraying, I'll try not to run it in and out and replace it before it has a chance to break. 

Update: We made it home OK and the slide was working fine the rest of the trip. And it didn't fall out on the highway.  ;D

I brought it in to an RV repair place highly recommended by a friend of my wife. I was looking for a repair shop that did *not* sell RV's, and this place fit the bill. They only do service.  This is the first time I've asked someone to perform service on our unit - we'll see how it goes.

Thanks,
Dan