03-02-2019, 06:30 PM
Found the problem!
Last Tuesday, Richard "enthusiastically" offered to come over and help with our issue on the slide.....what a Guy! He did confirm the slide is locking up hard in the front area. He brought his WiFi bore-scope camera over....if you don't have one I highly recommend getting one! We spent the afternoon rooting around with it and pretty much figured out how things are laid out as far as the slide mechanisms are concerned. However we didn't find anything that jumped out at us.
Well, I ordered a camera that evening and two days later I am spending three or four hours each night on the camera looking for an issue.
Well this evening, found the issue;
The #1 slide, front skid plate (I will call #1 skid plate) has a row of rivets that is closest to the coach when the slide is extended. That row of rivets have sheared or pulled loose. When the skid plate resting on the white plastic bearing plates, in the extended position, there appears to be no issues. The inboard part of the skid plate may be bonded but doesn't appear to have any rivets holding the skid plate tail up to the slide tube structure. When the slide moves inboard the #1 skid plate inboard tail separates further from the slide tube drooping down far enough that the tail contacts the coach keel beam close to the center-line of the coach, i.e. 4" from stowed position. Took a picture of the #2 skid plate ....compare that to the #1 skid plate.
My immediate plan is to use some "high tensile" strength aircraft rivets to replace the ones I can get to (instead of the pop rivet). I kinda doubt that will bring that skid plate tail back close to the slide tube but it is worth a try. Sans that fixing it, the slide may have to come out to re-attach the skid plate tail to the slide tube. I may be able to drill the rivets out and lift the slide a wee bit to slide the skid plate out from under the tube to preload a calculated bend in the tail piece that will keep it in contact with the slide tube.
Hands down,everyone needs a WiFi camera in their tool arsenal. I have enthusiastically recommended it to my aviation buddies. That $38 dollar piece of kit save the day! Thanks Richard!
Will update with the repair in a few days.
Steve
Last Tuesday, Richard "enthusiastically" offered to come over and help with our issue on the slide.....what a Guy! He did confirm the slide is locking up hard in the front area. He brought his WiFi bore-scope camera over....if you don't have one I highly recommend getting one! We spent the afternoon rooting around with it and pretty much figured out how things are laid out as far as the slide mechanisms are concerned. However we didn't find anything that jumped out at us.
Well, I ordered a camera that evening and two days later I am spending three or four hours each night on the camera looking for an issue.
Well this evening, found the issue;
The #1 slide, front skid plate (I will call #1 skid plate) has a row of rivets that is closest to the coach when the slide is extended. That row of rivets have sheared or pulled loose. When the skid plate resting on the white plastic bearing plates, in the extended position, there appears to be no issues. The inboard part of the skid plate may be bonded but doesn't appear to have any rivets holding the skid plate tail up to the slide tube structure. When the slide moves inboard the #1 skid plate inboard tail separates further from the slide tube drooping down far enough that the tail contacts the coach keel beam close to the center-line of the coach, i.e. 4" from stowed position. Took a picture of the #2 skid plate ....compare that to the #1 skid plate.
My immediate plan is to use some "high tensile" strength aircraft rivets to replace the ones I can get to (instead of the pop rivet). I kinda doubt that will bring that skid plate tail back close to the slide tube but it is worth a try. Sans that fixing it, the slide may have to come out to re-attach the skid plate tail to the slide tube. I may be able to drill the rivets out and lift the slide a wee bit to slide the skid plate out from under the tube to preload a calculated bend in the tail piece that will keep it in contact with the slide tube.
Hands down,everyone needs a WiFi camera in their tool arsenal. I have enthusiastically recommended it to my aviation buddies. That $38 dollar piece of kit save the day! Thanks Richard!
Will update with the repair in a few days.
Steve
Steve & Doris Denton
45' Newell #525, Bath & Half
2014 Honda CRV Toad
Summerfield, FL
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