Damaged Floor / Slide Guide Torn Off ( '19 315RLTS )

[howson]

Due to TS Marco I pulled in the slides on my 315RLTS yesterday. To my surprise a "present" was left behind when I went to pull the slides back out. A part of the plastic guide attached to the bottom of the dinette slide caught on something and tore off. There's also minor damage to the floor due to the raw plywood scraping across it. It was fun removing the glue goo deposited on the floor, too. (The floor was meticulously cleaned and inspected prior to slide movement both times--there was nothing foreign on the floor.)

The spot shown in the pictures below is the aft side of the dinette slide. The guide I'll reference is crudely drawn on the floorplan below.







The picture below, looking at the slide from the side (looking forward) is trying to convey how the piece torn off was previously on the slide. The piece originally was part of an assembly that runs from the inside edge of the plywood to the outside edge of the slide on both edges. The purpose appears to be a "slide guide". These guides are screwed on the exterior side and glued to the plywood all the way to the interior.



I'm holding the piece back where it came from below.



I ordered Lippert Slide Out Slickers and will use them in the future.


I really don't know what the slide guide caught on. I inspected under and around the slide with it in and out and could not find anything definitive or even suspicious. I can only speculate the incredibly hot weather recently caused the guide to adhere to the exterior and when the slide was brought in instead of sliding on the guide it ripped. But that's conjecture. Even if true, I don't know how to avoid it.

If anyone has any ideas, opinions, or similar experiences that could explain why this happened I'd like to read it.

I'll follow up when I try the slickers.

Howard

[Second Chance]

It could have been an adhesive failure, Howard. We had the entire "ski" on the front edge of the dinette slide come loose. It wormed its way inside about 5" and was pushing up on the corner of the vinyl flooring on the slide (that's how I noticed it). Puling the slide in a few inches and taking some weight off that end, I used two different adhesives to glue the ski back in place. So far, so good. We were also getting a few skid marks on the floor from slide travel - ordered and modified some Slide Out Slickers and now use them to prevent that issue.

Rob

[gbkims]

I wondered if that part of the plastic ski sits on or near the edge of the hard plastic (HDPE?) the slide glides on.
But it looks like your break isn't that close to where the HDPE sits at the edge of the floor and inward a few inches.

[Lonestar]

I have seen the Lippert Slide Out Slickers mentioned several times. How do they install? Are they always left in place or removed after the slide is extended? They apparently were designed to protect carpet, but the pictures I see posted indicate they are being used with vinyl flooring.

[howson]

I have seen the Lippert Slide Out Slickers mentioned several times. How do they install? Are they always left in place or removed after the slide is extended? They apparently were designed to protect carpet, but the pictures I see posted indicate they are being used with vinyl flooring.

A demo of the Slide Slickers in use (in my 315RLTS):

[Second Chance]

I have seen the Lippert Slide Out Slickers mentioned several times. How do they install? Are they always left in place or removed after the slide is extended? They apparently were designed to protect carpet, but the pictures I see posted indicate they are being used with vinyl flooring.

No installation required. They are just laid down on the floor prior to bringing the slide in. There is a lip on one end for use with a specific type of slide. I just scored the lip with a utility knife and broke it off cleanly for use with my vinyl flooring and flush slide.

Rob

[Lonestar]

Thanks, the video explains all. I haven't had any issues with my slide but this looks like good insurance. It would only take one time for a malfunction to mar the vinyl.

The cost is certainly cheap enough, but wouldn't something like a piece of counter top laminate or anything thin work just as well?

[howson]

Thanks, the video explains all. I haven't had any issues with my slide but this looks like good insurance. It would only take one time for a malfunction to mar the vinyl.

The cost is certainly cheap enough, but wouldn't something like a piece of counter top laminate or anything thin work just as well?

Absolutely. There's several threads on the forum along those lines. I took the easy path and purchased a pre-made solution.