Slide Out Manual Retract

[rexynh]

Manual retract? Hi, just bought a used 2022 grand design imagine xls....if the need to retract the slide out by hand....how do I do it....anyone with experience, your advice is welcomed...thank you

[TucsonJim]

Welcome! I need just a little more info to be able to help you. Imagine's have two different types of slide systems. If you'll share your model number, we can determine the type of slide and provide instructions.

Jim

[rexynh]

Hi Jim ...it is a 22RBE...no issues yet...just looking ahead.

[Country Campers]

I believe that is a Schwintec slide out mechanism, there is not a manual retract for those. These are a pain to retract if there is a failure. Usually if one motor fails you can push on it while using the other motor to help. There is lots to read here about this.

Brian

[TucsonJim]

Before it ever gets stuck, there are some operating instructions that will help it from becoming out of time, and possibly damaged.

1. Never run your slide part way out or part way in. Always go all the way out or all the way in without reversing direction.
2. Once you push the button to extend or retract your slide, keep pushing it until about 5 seconds have passed after it has reached the end of travel. This will keep the motors syncronized.

Before you go camping, I'd suggest you research videos on "Schwintek slide operation" in order to become familiar with all the nuances.

You can get one back in, but it's tough to do. Here's a video on how to attempt it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzjxK56dxcs

Jim

[rexynh]

Of course I have the non manual one, lol. Thanks for the replies...I keep tracks clean, not lubed....time will tell...heading cross country in May for 3 months, hope it stays working

[Don Coy]

Schwintec slides can be a pain. We had to manually retract one right after we purchased our Reflection. I had studied up on the Schwintek slide (the unit I traded in for my Reflection had a Schwintek slide as well), so I sort of knew my options. One thing you really want to know is the location of your Schwintek controller. You will probably need to access the controller to manually retract the slide. In my case, I disconnected the motor control wires from the controller, got some friends, pushed the slide in, and reconnected the wires. You can also force the controller into a manual mode by depressing a button on the controller a number of times. That sometimes works. The least attractive option is to remove the screws that hold the motors in place, lift up the motors, and push the slide in. The first two options will use the motors to lock the slide once the slide has been retracted, Locking the slide in with using the last option can be problematic as the trim out the outside of the slide will sometimes block access to the motors once retracted meaning your slide isn't locked in position.

In my case, I've used two of the three methods described (the first and the last). Both worked.

If you check the Lippert web site, you can find Schwintek specific documentation that will guide you through the manual retraction options.

If you're really interested, the Lippert Technical Institute has an online course on the Schwintek slide mechanisms. I took the course (it was free) and feel like I can deal with most things the slide throws at me.

[ThejourneywithBernie]

Hi,
we have a 2021 Imagine 2250 RBK. The Schwintec slide out gets stuck on one side then both motors quit. The controller blinks green twice (motor 2 failure) and the red blinks 8 times (wiring failure). We had it in an RV shop for over 3 weeks in Salt Lake City and they said they fixed it but after one trip, it’s failed again. We spent over $1,000 getting it fixed the first time, what is going on? Bad shop or is our Slider system a lemon?
thanks in advance!

[Cate&Rob]

ThejourneywithBernie
Welcome to our owners technical forum. When you have a chance, please read our welcome information which will help you navigate the forum. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/main-fo...welcome-letter

Don Coy does a pretty good job of describing the alternatives in post 7. Bottom line is that there is no easy manual override for a Schwintek slide. One other thing that you can try is "bumping" the slide electrically. Press the control switch in one direction and then immediately go to the other direction. This will bypass the circuits that synchronize the motors, but they will still stall when the slide jams. If this seems to be working, you can unplug one of the motors and electrically bump the other until the slide is realigned. Then plug in this motor and reset the controller. Of course . . . if it is truly a wiring problem, none of this will work.

Many of us (myself included) have had Schwintek slide problems. Not that this helps your situation . . . but, you are not alone in this. Search this forum on "Schwintek" for many related discussions.

Rob

[ThejourneywithBernie]

Yep, I read all the previous posts and tried to use the manual override and then tried ended up unplugging the motors and pushing it in manually. The question is, why was the dealership unable to fix the first time? Are these hard to fix, or is ours simply not going to stay fixed? Do I contact Lippert directly? Thanks in advance again!

[howson]

Yep, I read all the previous posts and tried to use the manual override and then tried ended up unplugging the motors and pushing it in manually. The question is, why was the dealership unable to fix the first time? Are these hard to fix, or is ours simply not going to stay fixed? Do I contact Lippert directly? Thanks in advance again!

"Hard to fix" is a relative term. Installed correctly (Schwinteks are highly dependent on an exact, specific installation) AND on a slide with a modest weight and not too unbalanced (exact specs are not available to my knowledge) AND under the Lippert-specified length...they work OK IF they are kept clean and lubricated. Can you tell the Schwintek isn't my favorite slide mechanism?

Lippert calls their system an In-Wall Slide-out. There is a lot of technical documentation at https://support.lci1.com/in-wall-slide-out

In addition, Lippert has online technical training through their Technical Institute Portal. Sign up here: https://lippert.learnupon.com/users/...t=%2Fdashboard Once signed up, take the Schwintek In-Wall Slide-Out course (snip of the course below) and you'll be as knowledgeable (if not more) than dealership techs.



Why read all the documents and take the online course? So you can be armed with the information to know if the slide is installed and working correctly.

Finally, watch this recent MyRVWorks video about lubricating a Schwintek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-oIlOP_-P0 I also recommend watching his other Schwintek-related videos.

Howard

[Cate&Rob]

The question is, why was the dealership unable to fix the first time!

This question is impossible to answer without knowing what the dealer “fixed”. It would appear that it was not the actual problem. You can certainly contact LCI, but they will likely direct you to the info that howson Howard has linked above. Understanding how the slide is supposed to be installed (measurements) and wired will give you the background to either fix the problem yourself or have an informed discussion with the dealer service department who thinks they “fixed” it.

Rob

[jassue]

@ThejourneywithBernie I have a 2021 2250RK experiencing the xact same issue. It will move 3-6" and fault out with 8 flashes on the Schwintec control board. (cable short going to the motor). Now this cant be the case, because I can keep moving it in/out 3-6". I also checked the cable for cuts and it looks good. I have been moving it in/out manually with the motors disconnected from the controller. (sucks) Yesterday, I pugged the motor cables back in and it started working again. I am currently plugged into a 20 amp service vs a 30 amp, but that shouldn't make a difference. Have you found out any more info on what the problem is?