ATF: North Trail - Slide out maintenance

Hi Folks,

I just bought a 2012 North Trail 26RLSS and I would like to lubricate its worm-gear type slide out mechanism, and while I can grease the tracks with the slide out extended, I cannot find access to the drive mechanism, etc., which squeals as though it is very dry. I've looked through the own's manual provided and the forum questions, but without luck. Can you tell me how to get to the worm gear drive mechanism and what lubricant is recommended for it?

Many thanks for your consideration.

Earl Fowler

Mine squealed badly also when I first brought it home. But lubing the rails silenced mine. You did lube both rails, right? I lubed all faces of the rail, not just the load-bearing bottom face.

I've never seen the drive unit, but I assume it's in line with the worm gear. To get to it you would need to peel back some of the Coroplast. I think I would try lubing and exercising one more time before I wrestled with the Coroplast. It's probably not a big deal, but I would no doubt find a way to make it difficult.

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your help. I inquired at the factory with the same question you addressed, but haven't heard from them. I had slathered grease on the top of the cog-rails, but not so much on the other surfaces. I'll go back and do that, and maybe it will do the trick for me, as it did for you. Many thanx, indeed.
Earl Fowler

If you hear anything back from the factory, Earl, could you post what you learn. My rails are pretty quiet after lubing them last year, but the drive mechanism makes a whirring sound. It doesn't sound out of the ordinary, so I'm not inclined to tackle the Coroplast and dig into it any further.

BTW, my slide has actually gotten stuck in the "In" position a couple of times. I had to break it free using the manual override, which on mine is a nut on a rod sticking through the frame's I-beam behind the rear door steps. Turning the nut CCW moves the slide out.