OldSlowHans
CinC of Everything Else
Our 2011 Big Country (4 slideouts) has a hydraulic system to deploy/retract the slides.
There are no individual controls per slide, just a single control to activate the pump. So, for example, when you deploy the slides there is pressure applied to all slide rams, and the slides deploy in order depending on their weight (least resistance moves first, and so on). This means that the three street-side slides (bedroom, kitchen, entertainment center in that order) deploy first, and then finally the large curb-side slide. When retracting, they retract in the same order as they deployed.
There are times when we would like to open just one side, usually the curb-side.
Looking at the layout of the hydraulics, I see that the plumbing is "split" near the pump, probably to facilitate the routing of the tubing down each side of the unit. If that is true, it would seem that I could install gate manual gate valves on each of those two lines and gain some control of which slides move when the pump runs.
Two questions:
1) Does anyone know if my assumption is true - that the system is split in a leftside/rightside fashion?
2) Regarding the installation of gate valves - can I use brass PEX fittings, or do the hydraulic lines require something more rubust than water lines?
There are no individual controls per slide, just a single control to activate the pump. So, for example, when you deploy the slides there is pressure applied to all slide rams, and the slides deploy in order depending on their weight (least resistance moves first, and so on). This means that the three street-side slides (bedroom, kitchen, entertainment center in that order) deploy first, and then finally the large curb-side slide. When retracting, they retract in the same order as they deployed.
There are times when we would like to open just one side, usually the curb-side.
Looking at the layout of the hydraulics, I see that the plumbing is "split" near the pump, probably to facilitate the routing of the tubing down each side of the unit. If that is true, it would seem that I could install gate manual gate valves on each of those two lines and gain some control of which slides move when the pump runs.
Two questions:
1) Does anyone know if my assumption is true - that the system is split in a leftside/rightside fashion?
2) Regarding the installation of gate valves - can I use brass PEX fittings, or do the hydraulic lines require something more rubust than water lines?
