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Topic: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area. (Read 884 times) previous topic - next topic

Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Prior owner was honest about this, alerting me to the noise he could not resolve............... I thought it was a minor issue.  Paid good $ 2 times to have this issue addressed at 2 different places. Still a problem both times days after.... the bushings on upper slide pins were replaced.  Is there or 'has there been' an issue of broken attachments or welds in the area of...the slide male or female parts to this assembly?

The "sound" to me... appears to be metal on metal; and it is LOUD and agrivating.  Anything soft would have worn itself down by now.  Instead. it is just the same thousands of miles down the road and I cannot believe, my coach is the only one.
Coach Build # 5862/40'/2001/U320/Motorcader 17136

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #1 –
When do you hear this?  Slide in? Slide out? While driving? Year of coach? 
Tom & Bill

2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #2 –
M.R.
Mr guess would be to hike on over to FOT or MOT and have it solved, It would be hard for me to beleive either place could nor resolve the issue.
I also have a 01 320 with the one slide, I had it to HWH a few weeks ago for a MRI and they pronounced it fit to go, never had an issue, but since I was passing their front door in Iowa, thought a good time to have all (both) HWH systems check out and $198.00 later, I am out the door and nothng to repair except a small air leak on the leveling system.

ANyway, I would not be lookng for a RV fix anything you got type shop, FOT would be my very first choice.  Would not like being hundreds miles away and have the room fall out on road or get damaged in anyway.
Good luck
Dave M

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #3 –
Ron, I had this when driving. (I had the slide "in"!) Very loud on certain road surfaces, quiet on others.  It needed some bushing replaced, nylon I think.  MOT did, am sure FOT would too.  Not a big deal as I recall the expense.  mike
Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #4 –
Well, to the point. When first purchased, Day 2 actually,  I drove the coach from Washington State to Oregon Motorcoach Center in Eugene, Oregon..., a Service Center for Foretravels as I understood it.
Left it with them for 7 weeks with a short 5 item or so list of items to be checked or fixed.  "NOT" a general rv place................

Left there again upon pick up..............and had to return a week later for unresolved issues.

Left again to head East...........the Slide 'racket' was probably #1 on my list but within day one.......the noise again appeared on slow, soft secondary but uneven roads often driven on and any uneven spots on major roads.  This was after they replaced the slide bolt bushings with a cut off piece of rubber air conditioning hose they appeared proud of...... I had asked them to consult with FOT stressing proper bushings and I believe they did.

Decided NOT to return again, I drove with several problems (most), onwards towards FOT with a scheduled appointment to resolve my few issues.  FOT has 2x had the coach in their shop and 2x have not resolved this issue.  Yes, I believe they are the best of the best.  Do not get me wrong.  I have found the gents to be incredibly knowledgable.  Did they overlook something?  Not go far enough in the inspection/decision process or QC analysis?  I cannot answer, but after leaving for the 3rd time,  I turned around when reaching Florida and drove the coach back to them.  it is now in their campground and I'm sure now or later, they or us will figure this out. I blame no one; I think however that this slide issue and hwh issue is deep and a serious packet of info needs to be put together as in the Ft shop upon my return and on this list..............the problem is here and now.

I post this, as I believe this forum is about information.  What I 'read' here...informs me. but a little light bulb-lit somewhere for us all,  spreads light quite far in the darkness we all sometimes share.

I'm in the dark often ;)

ron
Coach Build # 5862/40'/2001/U320/Motorcader 17136

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #5 –
Ron,

My upper slide room noise (living room slide on the driver's side) was right behind the driver. It was caused by a loose pin locking bracket bolts which caused a squeak with road movement that drove me crazy because it change with temperature. Getting to the two bolts that held the bracket required removing the rear, vertical panel from the forward upper slide cupboard. This finally solved my problem. I too had replaced the pin bushings in the bracket which were not the problem.

Good luck with you noise, wherever it may be.
Jim Frerichs
2002 U320 42'

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #6 –
I had that problem too. I went to HWH and they put a 6K PSI rated gauge in and looked for leaks.  ALso, they said that they had to bleed it. When a solenoid was replaced some air got in the system and that was the issue as it would work to the top pin and cause it to back out. It took me a year to chase it down.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #7 –
Quote from: John S –
I had that problem too. I went to HWH and they put a 6K PSI rated gauge in and looked for leaks.  ALso, they said that they had to bleed it.

John, for clarity - you mean leaks/bleeding, and a solenoid in the hydraulic lines that control slide movement, correct?  Just don't want to confuse anyone since usually when talking HWH on the forum we're talking about the air portions (leveling or slide bladders).

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #8 –
Michelle,
The slide is operated by hydraulic and only the seal is by air, any air in the hydraulic system will cause problems with weakness and erratic operation. 
Not to be confused with the leveling system, a total & stand alone different system.
Dave M

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #9 –
Jim and John both, good points, fitting might be loose or pin might be rising!  There was a 2000 in the shop when I left, with forward pin atop slide, down about 1/16th and cocked, making noise. owner thought bolts loose.  Interesting though that air in system might have pin backing out. Tough to diagnose these things by small out of the way rv places for sure.  FOT will be my service center of choice as it seems has become the norm for others.
Coach Build # 5862/40'/2001/U320/Motorcader 17136

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #10 –
my front slide had all kinds of noises and squeaks when I bought the coach.  Took it to MOT and they replaced some sort of sleeves and away the noise went.  I would only have MOT or FOT work on the slide.  Maybe HWH.  Certainly not any old rv repair place.  DAN
Dan & Shirley Stansel
2002 U295 4020 AGDS Build#6054
Towing Buick Enclave & M &  G Braking
Emerald Bay, Lake Palestine, Texas
MC# 16650

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #11 –
Quote from: MemoryRoads –
Jim and John both, good points, fitting might be loose or pin might be rising!

Interesting though that air in system might have pin backing out.

Wonder if it would be due to compressibility of air (much greater) than that of hydraulic fluid?  Perhaps a pocket of air might create an area of lower pressure, allowing something to move that shouldn't?

Kind of like getting air in your car's brake lines.

-M
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #12 –
I don't have the literature here as my coach is back at the factory, but if I'm getting this right, the locking pins are operated by air, so bleeding the system up there should, solve a problem (at least eventually when air can migrate north) and should be considered if the system has been broken for any repair or exchange of a part. yes?
Are there any check valves in this system? that have internal o rings that might have cracked over a decade and leaking air internally? would this matter in this particular issue or important maybe in others?  "O" rings are cheap. Any thoughts on going thru this system on some time schedule, like an oil change and just 'do it'?
Coach Build # 5862/40'/2001/U320/Motorcader 17136

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #13 –
Quote from: MemoryRoads –
I don't have the literature here as my coach is back at the factory

Ron,

Take a look at the manual I referenced in this post LR Slide - 2000 U320 and see if it might be relevant for your coach as well.  It's for a coach with room locks, so I'm hoping it's relatively representative.  Reading briefly through the room retract section and looking at the diagrams, it appears the locks are hydraulic (esp. since it mentions 3000 psi pressurization) rather than air operated.

(the PDF is also in the Files section of the forum).

Michelle
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320
 

Re: Nasty noises/grumbling...from upper slide area.

Reply #14 –
Thanks Michele, I really do appreciate the courtesy you have afforded and the time spent in doing what you do.  As is sometimes the case, I am kind of overwhelmed with some issues in life(yup aren't we all at times) and find it difficult to follow the forum daily.  However, I will certainly go over your input of the PDF file.  thank!
Hopefully, FOT will be on top of this issue for me and others as they are known to do and while 'we' try to figure it all out, they already have many times.  I tip my hat to them!

However, it is certainly wise for all of us to learn all that we can on all issues pertaining to these ...sort of...complicated coaches ...that we love. ron
Coach Build # 5862/40'/2001/U320/Motorcader 17136