Lippert thru frame knocking noise

[Loki]

I have a 2020 337RLS. When I extend or close the dinning room slide I hear a rapid tap or knock, I would say about 6 taps per second. It is coming from the motor side(kitchen side) and before I take it back to the dealer I was wondering if anyone has this issue. I have read some threads on here where people have loose motor mount bolts. When I look at the motor side as the slide is moving, I notice that the bolt used to manually operate the slide is turning pretty fast and I was wondering if that is knocking against the frame and making that noise. The gear teeth look fine. Thanks for any input!

[Cate&Rob]

Loki

What you are describing (the regular tapping noise) sounds like it might be the clutch on the motor. Typically this only happens when the slide reaches its maximum travel (either in or out). If your slide is binding during its travel, this might be causing the clutch to slip and make the "end of travel" noise. Do you get a different noise when the slide reaches its full in or out position?

Rob

[Loki]

Yes, I should have been clear about that. It is not nearly as loud as the noise that occurs when the slide is at it's limits. This is more of a dull tap.

[Cate&Rob]

Loki

Since it is not the clutch and the slide is moving normally, you could be right that this is a loose motor mount. I would try applying side pressure to the manual override bolt while it is turning, to see if this has an affect on the noise.

Rob

[Loki]

Thanks, I'll go give that a try.

[TucsonJim]

I know this sounds simplistic, but I was having a similar noise on mine. I lubricated the track, and the noise went away.

Jim

[Loki]

So, I pushed up on the manual override bolt with some pliers while it was spinning. The noise stopped. When I went to the other slide out, that bolt had the same amount of play in it but it doesn't make the noise. Before I remove the undercover to take a look, I think I'll call Grand Design or maybe Lippert tomorrow and see if they have an answer. If not, I'll remove the undercover to see if anything is loose or if I can see what the bolt may be hitting.

[Loki]

I didn't get a chance to call GD yesterday. This morning I unscrewed the undercover just enough to see the motor. I watched it when slide was operating and didn't notice any play in the motor. I couldn't fit my hand in but everything looked tight and when I moved the override bolt around the motor was not loose. Here is a link to a video I took yesterday and you can hear the noise pretty good. https://youtu.be/hSvcCSDBgkM

[Loki]

So, I sent the video to Grand Design. They said it looked like the noise was being made when the override bolt was hitting the frame. They said to put some grease where the bolt contacts the frame. I packed grease between the bolt and the rubber grommet and the noise went away, slide was as smooth as glass! You would think that the rubber grommet was designed to deaden the noise on the frame but it wasn't working. Anyway, this fix worked. I'll probably have to reapply grease every now and then, but at least I'll know what causes the noise! Great customer service!

[Country Campers]

So, I sent the video to Grand Design. They said it looked like the noise was being made when the override bolt was hitting the frame. They said to put some grease where the bolt contacts the frame. I packed grease between the bolt and the rubber grommet and the noise went away, slide was as smooth as glass! You would think that the rubber grommet was designed to deaden the noise on the frame but it wasn't working. Anyway, this fix worked. I'll probably have to reapply grease every now and then, but at least I'll know what causes the noise! Great customer service!

Glad you got this resolved.

Would you be able to post a pic of the over ride bolt and grease area?

Brian

[Loki]

Here is a picture. If you look at the video I posted above, you will hear the sound. I think that since the shaft that the bolt is welded to is 12 to 18 inches long before it reaches the motor, when it spins it probably gets out of balance causing the wobble in the shaft and the noise when it hits the frame.

[Country Campers]

Mike

Well I went back and watched the video , must have missed that while camping. If the shaft continues this I am confident that at some time , after many cycles , the frame rubbing against the shaft will cut the end of the shaft off. It looks like there is already a groove starting in the shaft. Not sure the best way to fix this some kind of support added to that end of the shaft to keep it from wobbling would be a great start. I will be checking mine to see how it operates and if it doing a similar thing. Thanks for the heads up , all owners may want to check there own units for this condition.

Brian

[Loki]

Thanks Brian. I will be checking it often. I believe the scratching you see on the bolt was caused when I put the pliers against it while it was spinning. Yes, I would think they could make some sort of sleeve to support this better. However, that would probably involve regular maintenance with grease and they probably wanted to avoid that. At least they know about the problem now and will maybe come up with a better solution.