Full Wall Slide Failure

[NWIP]

Well I was finally a victim of the dreaded FWS failure. We were getting ready to leave Camp Newmar on 10/12 and when retracting the FWS it raised up fine but as soon as it started to go in the was a very loud bang, like a gun shot. I was outside and the wife was pushing the retract button. I asked her to extend the slide and we tried to retract again and noticed that once it started in the upper front of the slide wasn’t moving but the bottom was. Aft end of slide worked fine but this was of course racking the slide forward.

Since the slide couldn’t be retracted I wasn’t going anywhere. First thing Monday morning advised Newmar Service I wasn’t stuck in Camp Newmar with broken slide and I was advised to fill out a drop-in request and it would be submitted for review with an answer by Thursday. Later that day around 1p a service supervisor came out and I explained what had happened, we tried bringing slide in and he saw first hand issue. I gave my theory that I believed the cog that joins the chains together (see photo) had failed and he agreed that was probably correct but he would have to talk with technician to confirm.

On Thursday our regular team lead and a tech came out with voltmeter to see if they could fix my issue . I explained what happened and my discussion with the service center supervisor on Monday and they hadn’t been informed anyone had been out. They confirmed my diagnosis that the “six shooter” as they called it had failed and they would need to obtain the parts needed, which could have been done on Monday had they known. Later Thursday afternoon I got a quote to sign, parts were ordered and would arrive Friday afternoon. Of course a whole new batch of coaches come in on Sunday for Monday appointments and finding techs to fix would be sometime after Monday.

Good news arrived Monday afternoon that they would be out Tuesday 10/21 at 8a to get the slide in far enough to take the coach into service bay. Tuesday at 6:30a they came to coach and asked how fast we could be ready and we said 7a. It took them less than an hour and off to service we went. They actually replaced the forward rack assembly, things went smoothly and job was done by noon.
Things moved slowly in the beginning and fast once work started. I was glad this actually happened at Newmar and we of to the next adventure tmo.

 

[Neal]

Glad to hear you were in the right place at the "right" time. That's where my FWS controller failed, thankfully. Lucky us.

I assume and it seems like tiles survived?

 

[SteveMA]

Thanks for the write up and images. Glad you were there when it happened...

 

[NWIP]

Glad to hear you were in the right place at the "right" time. That's where my FWS controller failed, thankfully. Lucky us.

I assume and it seems like tiles survived?

No tile damage. It was interesting operation them getting the slide in to take to service bay. They had jacks under front end of slide and would run in an inch or two at a time, then manually from inside pull the upper part in. They repeated this until it was only out 4-5 inches, then drove it into service.

 

[Neemer]

Wow. Super glad that occurred where and when it did.

Mine failed when I was enroute to the service center. I’m sensing a trend.

 

[J&JD]

My FWS gives a pretty loud pop just as it is closing up. Otherwise it is pretty smooth going out and in. Any thoughts on the pop as it closes the last inch or so?