HELP, I've damaged our new Elkridge!!!

[peerue]

We've only had our Elkridge for a few weeks and I broke it!!
I went to put the slides out (4 slides--Ultimate 37) with the button inside the camper door and the outdoor kitchen slide started to come out and the hydraulic rod pushed into the bottom panel but the slide didn't go out so it put a big dent in it!! Did I do something wrong? Normally, I hold that button in until all 4 slides are out--should I stop and start it? I'm going to cry

 

[danemayer]

Hi peerue,

Sorry you had this happen. I don't think it could have been anything you did with the button. Have you looked inside and outside to see if anything was preventing the slide from moving? Sometimes things can fall down while traveling and get inbetween the slideout and the wall, preventing it from moving. And of course, if there's an obstacle outside, that would also stop it.

It's also possible that something came loose or is out of position causing the ram to miss its target and hit the skin instead. Take a look under the slide and also look at one that's working to see how the parts are aligned. Perhaps you'll spot the problem and with a little luck can get things back into position and locked down.

If there's a dent, I'm sure your dealer can fix or replace the dented area.

Let us know what you find.

 

[Bob&Patty]

I agree with Dan. You need to look inside and make sure nothing was stopping the slide. A hydraulic ram has lots of power and will keep pushing and can damage things. Hope your issue can be repaired.

 

[JWalker]

There is one big issue I have with a 37 Ultimate. The whole back wall in the bunkroom is nothing but cabinet doors, floor-to-ceiling. When you close both opposing slides in, there is no way to check and see if those cabinet doors have come open while in transit. The entrance doors into the bunkroom open inward. You cannot get into that room and check anything out. My biggest fear is one of the cabinet doors is hanging open and gets caught when the slide is moving out. I would have thought it would break the door before it would break anything on the hydraulic ram. Maybe this is your issue, maybe not. These let me know what you make out.

 

[pegmikef]

There is one big issue I have with a 37 Ultimate. The whole back wall in the bunkroom is nothing but cabinet doors, floor-to-ceiling. When you close both opposing slides in, there is no way to check and see if those cabinet doors have come open while in transit. The entrance doors into the bunkroom open inward. You cannot get into that room and check anything out. My biggest fear is one of the cabinet doors is hanging open and gets caught when the slide is moving out. I would have thought it would break the door before it would break anything on the hydraulic ram. Maybe this is your issue, maybe not. These let me know what you make out.

That very thing happened to us only with the pantry doors and kitchen slide. Fortunately we caught it before much damage (bent a hinge) was done. I fabricated some hooks where we hook the knobs of the side by side door together so neither can open . . . but this will only work if the doors open in opposite directions.

 

[Nabo]

In our present Key Largo which has the cabinet wall/doors next to the slide, we use Velcro strips (the narrow ones used to bundle cables wires) to keep them from opening during travel. We also use a small springloaded curtain rod down thru the inside the drawer handles to keep them from opening up. I keep a small checklist beside the refrig to things to do before closing up the coach and once upon arriving.

 

[porthole]

Our Cyclone, brand new, literally minutes after a 700+ mile ride home from the dealer. 2:00 in the morning and Deb wants to see the fancy new trailer.

Putting the slides out the living room did not stop when it was supposed to!
Good thing I wasn't too tired and realized what was happening.
Put the slide back in and went to bed.

2 days later I found that the jam nuts on the hydraulic ram were loose and with the 700 mile ride home the one nut vibrated and rotated to almost the end, essentially making the ram 8-10 inches longer then it needed to be.

Result - the now extra long ram was trying to deposit my living room slide onto the driveway.

From the sound of your issue, I think one of the first things I would check would be those two jam nuts on the hydraulic piston.

 

[JeromyS]

My 37 Ultimate has done this and it's a result of the bathroom door catching the inside lip of the slide. The inside won't show much when this happens but the bottom outside skirt will have a dent. The slide brace will also be bent a bit. Nothing major if you caught it soon enough. It sucks for sure. I wish they had designed that better. I am much happier with the 38RSRT floor plan as it appear to fix this.

 

[JWalker]

My 37 Ultimate has done this and it's a result of the bathroom door catching the inside lip of the slide. The inside won't show much when this happens but the bottom outside skirt will have a dent. The slide brace will also be bent a bit. Nothing major if you caught it soon enough. It sucks for sure. I wish they had designed that better. I am much happier with the 38RSRT floor plan as it appear to fix this.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be adding the bathroom door on my check list, before I open the slides.

 

[wdk450]

There is one big issue I have with a 37 Ultimate. The whole back wall in the bunkroom is nothing but cabinet doors, floor-to-ceiling. When you close both opposing slides in, there is no way to check and see if those cabinet doors have come open while in transit. The entrance doors into the bunkroom open inward. You cannot get into that room and check anything out. My biggest fear is one of the cabinet doors is hanging open and gets caught when the slide is moving out. I would have thought it would break the door before it would break anything on the hydraulic ram. Maybe this is your issue, maybe not. These let me know what you make out.

Besides using mini-bungee cords across some of the double door cabinet knobs, I have incorporated the mod listed in my previous thread in my trailer, which may be of interest to you:
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/42373-Cabinet-Knob-Travel-Closures-Modification

 

[porthole]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be adding the bathroom door on my check list, before I open the slides.

Nothing beats a checklist and being diligent about using it.
I still use my smart phone app check list with a couple of profiles.
I use it every time.

Profiles include a "leave home", "leave camp" "Dover" etc

Jaime, what about some sort of mechanical lock that you must apply before closing up?
Our doors all have straps that get snapped across the opening before traveling, and checking them is on each of my check lists.

 

[katkens-DW]

You are so right about the check list Duane. I had one taped on the door where my switches are. We have tore up to many hinges and slides over the years our poor trailer has really been good we are the one that tear it up. Good thing Kenny can fix just about anything I tear up. I now open up just little bit and go look at every thing just to make sure things have stayed shut even with the straps.