Travel Supreme 5er slide issue

[TreyandSusan]

I guess the question is how to determine if the slide out controller needs to be replaced.

This travel supreme slide (long 14 footer) has two clevis pins on the rod from the motor to the sprocket that drives the slide tube under the slide.

The easy one (5/16") to get to is in the same compartment as the slide motor. We have had to replace this clevis pin twice over the 4 years.

Today the other clevis pin (1/4") broke - ugh. As Mark Bruss will attest this is not in an easy location to access.

I was finally able to replace it only to have it break as the slide got to its full extension. It seemed as though the controller may not have been stopping it properly.

This controller was replaced when we purchased the trailer from ppl motorhomes in Houston so it is 4 years old.

I can see that it is not difficult to adjust (Pot) but I guess I want to know from the wise and experienced do these get out of adjustment or do they just fail, which is more likely?

Power gets to the motor and drive direction also reverses. I am just wondering if something in the electronics is not stopping the slide when it is supposed to. I can change the pot and see but I thought I would check first before trial and error and breaking another clevis pin. Can I do a simple test with my meter to determine if the stopping part of the controller is working.

There is very little room to replace that pin and once I get the next one in those blasted holes I do not want it to break off again.

[rdickinson]

It sounds like the potentiometer on the slideout controller has failed. Your motor keeps turning until the pin breaks or the keyway inside the motor shears. This happened to mine.

 

I replaced a slideout controller recently for the front bedroom . My rig is an '01- 40' TS 5th wheel. On the controller to the left of the wires there is a small brown square with a small silver slot screw. This is called a potentiometer. The controller may be beige, the new ones are black. It may have 3 to 16 amps printed on it. On the left side of the box above the potentiometer will be an arrow going clockwise around in a circle. Turn to the left and that minimises pressure, to the right increases pressure.

 

What happens is the potentiometer measures increase in power when slideout comes in contact with the side of the trailer then shuts off the motor before it shears the pin or keyway on the motor shaft.

 

I have the contact info for the firm in Illinois who supplies them, Somewhere around 130 to 160$. If you are not good at electrical, take a pic of the unit before disconnecting.

 

Re installation, try to have your slideout partially out then after installation of the new controller turn on the power switch then activate the controller. If you have it in or out all the way and have the power set to high, you could shear another pin. Turn the potentiometer screw down to minimum. With the power turned down it may not move the slideout. Turn the screw clockwise to up the power a bit..say an 1/8 turn. Hit the switch again. Eventually the slideout will move in or out. I have just enough power to bring it in an/or out, make contact with the side of the trailer then shuts itself off.

You will notice a slight pucker factor while doing this.

 

RE why they break, I was told it is the circuit board.

 

If I have muddied the waters I can ask if it is OK to give you Ians phone # here in Victoria. He is a whiz bang in all things electrical. He could easily explain to MB what the drill is. It is a half hour job.

 

Let me know if you need contact info for slideout controller firm, it will take a little digging.

 

Roger

[TreyandSusan]

Thanks Roger I have that information - Intellitec

[Wrknrvr]

To test to see if the controller is working, place an amp meter on positive wire to them motor.

Then have someone move the slide to the stop position and watch the meter. It should go to about 19 amps or so then the controller should cut out the power to the motor.

I had one years ago that went bad and did what happened to you. It was pulling three times what it was suppose to at the end of the stroke and never cut the power until the switch was released.

Did the slide motor cut out before at the end of the stroke or did it have power till you left off the switch.

Try another slide and see it cuts out as it should or not.

 

 

Safe Travels, Vern

[TreyandSusan]

Was finally able to find a 1/4" x 1 1/2 " clevis pin. Not sure why a smaller clevis pin is used in the most awful place to get to and the easy location calls for a larger clevis pin, but what do I know.

Controller works fine. I made note of where the potentiometer was set and then turned it all the way to the minimum setting. The slide would not move - this is a good thing. Increased the adjustment about 10 degrees until I found the spot where the slide would fully set at each end. The final setting was a little bit less than where it had been set.

 

So, a good way to test is to go all the way to the minimum adjustment, as Roger suspected when he said "it may not move the slide out". The slide did not move and I was able to gradually increase the adjustment until just right.

 

Thanks Roger and Vern for the help and hopefully, I will never have to replace that buried clevis pin again, BUT if I do, I now know the tricks and where I can make a new access hole to simplify the process.

And I am sorry if you are reading this thread because the internal clevis pin on your Travel Supreme Slide has sheared.

[Wrknrvr]

Thanks for letting us know how you solved your problem.

 

 

 

Safe Travels, Vern