My slide mechanism seems to look different from the photos I've seen on how to do this. I'll attach some photos here.
I have not been able to get my slide to retract yet. It retracts approx 1/2" on the forward side, and is flush on rear of coach side. The only stop I found was on the end of the hydraulic actuator. I adjusted it out a couple inches, but the slide appears to be hitting something else, or another stop I cannot find. I circled the adjustment on the actuator in one of the photos. You can also see where I removed the stop switch for slide coming in. When bringing it in, it feels like a hard stop (hitting something).
Anyone had experience with this, or have a setup like mine?
Mine is different it has a box tube frame with what looks to be the hydraulic cylinder going dead center of the frame, my switches are located at the end where the linear actuator is bolted.
1999 45' with tag axle, #504 "Magnolia"
Gravette, Arkansas
It appears somewhere between my coach, #485 and Jack's coach, #504, the mechanisms changed. I believe mine is an HWH SpaceMaker Single Cylinder mechanism. (Although knowing this doesn't seem to tell me anything relative to the current problem of not being to over-retract my slide).
An easy way to tell appears which one you have is that, unlike others on this thread, the under side of my slide when extended has no visible part of the mechanism. It is all skin.
DOES ANYONE KNOW SOMEONE with coach #503 or OLDER? (I have reached out to "pairodice" to see if he has any knowledge about this). There must be a few '98 or older coaches that have had this rear slide seal changed. I'm hoping someone has knowledge about over-retracting the slide with this mechanism.... and hopefully the answer is not removing the slide.
Its a magical mystery bus Alan. In my coach all the Delrin bearings for the slides are screwed down, I would have to remove the slide completely in order to replace them, guess it was trial and error back in the beginning.
1999 45' with tag axle, #504 "Magnolia"
Gravette, Arkansas
I have good news for anyone with a bedroom slide mechanism like mine. It will over-retract for replacement of the over priced bicycle tube (slide seal). And it is simple to do. It just took me a while to figure out what was stopping the slide from retracting more.
1) You need to follow instructions earlier in this thread for most everything. There are just an extra couple steps for retracting the slide.
2) Other coaches seem to have a couple access panels under the bed. For mine there is an entire piece of plywood that comes out and opens it all up. Remove the screws that are holding this plywood in place and remove it.
3) You will see the hydraulic actuator in the center. I would recommend running the slide in and out a couple times at this point so you can see how it all works.
4) Now, be sure to follow the step about removing the slide stop switch in prior instructions. The mounting is different from the photos on the other coaches, but the switch is the same.
5) There is a long nut 2"-3" long, on the end of the hydraulic actuator. See photo, I have it circled in yellow. This appears to function as a stop for the actuator when it is retracted. You will need to adjust this so that the piston can pull in more (over-retracting the slide). There is a lock nut you will need to loosen in order to turn the long nut. COUNT YOUR TURNS and write this down. It will help you put it back in the same location.
6) This next step took me a while to figure out. Look at the photo with the red circles. At the top of the red circle, do you see the plywood? When retracting, there is a metal flange that the plywood hits to stop it from retracting. This flange is also inside the red circle on the photo if you look closely... it's just a little harder to see because of the shadow.
7) Metal flange is attached to a piece of metal a couple of feet long. It is screwed to the floor with some screws. The yellow dots on the photo attempt to show approximate location of the screws. Remove these (approx 4-6 screws).
8) Now the slide will over-retract. No need to remove the flange. The plywood will just push it back first time the slide comes in. When finished with job, slide flange back into place and put screws in the same holes you removed them from.
**A bonus for anyone with this mechanism is that repair of the hydraulic actuator/cylinder appears to be much more straight forward than on the coaches with the other type of mechanism where the cylinder is enclosed inside a metal box.
Use this opportunity to install the pump-down pump others have installed (I think it was Tom that invented this and shared with everyone.) It is a seal saver.
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