2017 Reflection 337 kitchen slide roller issue?

[Jay Mix]

Hey everyone, I just got done skimming some previous threads about slide issues on 303’s and am wondering if this sounds familiar. I noticed yesterday that my kitchen floor has some minor damage from the slide going in and out. After looking at the slide travel I realized that my white roller under the stove doesn’t roll freely like the other 3 do. Does this sound familiar to the rest of you? How has it been resolved?

[Cate&Rob]

Jay Mix

This is not an uncommon problem on 303s and 337's. The kitchen slide is very heavy and at it's center, puts a lot of pressure on the the interior floor at about mid-travel as it moves in or out. There are reports of some owners having the slide floor replaced with thicker/stronger material . . . but, this would be a complex and expensive remedy.

I use LCI "Slide Out Slickers" https://store.lci1.com/slide-out-slicker-134993.html under both slides when bringing them in. The two for the center rollers of the kitchen slide (where you are seeing the damage) have to be cut shorter to fit between the slide and the island. If you use these LCI products, the nubs on the underside designed to grab carpet, have to be cut off to prevent pressing these into the vinyl flooring. Others have used various protective strips of plastic or metal.

Some owners have commented that it is "too much trouble" to have to place these protective strips each time before pulling in the slides . . . but, amongst all the pre-travel things to be done, we find this to be a minor addition to the list and the floors remain well protected.

Rob

[Jay Mix]

Hey Rob, thanks for the reply. So are these Slickers something that you just put on the floor and leave down, or do you take them up and down as you set up camp and then prepare to travel? In this situation where it appears the roller is failing, does the roller still do damage to them as well over time or are they strong enough that they can withstand that? As much as I would love to run this thing back to Indiana to have it “fixed right”, I don’t know when I would be able to coming into winter months.

[Second Chance]

Hey Rob, thanks for the reply. So are these Slickers something that you just put on the floor and leave down, or do you take them up and down as you set up camp and then prepare to travel? In this situation where it appears the roller is failing, does the roller still do damage to them as well over time or are they strong enough that they can withstand that? As much as I would love to run this thing back to Indiana to have it “fixed right”, I don’t know when I would be able to coming into winter months.

We use the Slide Out Slickers in our rig on the big curb side slide. You put them down before you bring the slide in and pick them up after you put the slide back out. They are a very tough material - and slick as the name implies - so the rollers shouldn't hang up on them. I think they should meet your needs.

(Another) Rob

[Cate&Rob]

Jay Mix

Typically the travelling roller (the one in your picture with the soft white covering) only touches down on the interior floor as the slide passes its "balance point" about half way in. When the slide is all the way in or out, this roller should lift from the floor as the inner or outer flange surrounding the entire slide box comes up tight to the wall. If this roller is not clear of the floor and rotating freely when the slide is all the way out, there is something else going on here. Compare it to the other similar rollers. If you look further back under the slide, you will see the black colored hard plastic rollers that carry most of the weight of the slide as it moves.

The slide slicker strips are placed on the floor only when the slide is about to be pulled in and are removed and stored elsewhere once the slide is extended. They don't stick to the floor, they just sit there. With a 2017 model, you will be well beyond warranty coverage, so consider the cost carefully before planning a slide floor replacement at the factory service center or elsewhere. The slide slicker strips solve the problem for a very minimal cost.

Rob

[Jay Mix]

Rob(s), thanks for the input! As for the contact with the floor, from what I can see during travel it does touch mid travel and then lifts off the floor when all the way out but unfortunately with the island in the way I can’t tell what is going on when all the way in. When all the way out you can stick your fingers under the edge of the slide and with 3 of the rollers you can freely spin them, but with this one under the stove it is fairly difficult to get to move, almost the bearings have seized in it or are trying to.

I may order a couple sets of these things but need to get something in place quickly due to a trip coming up this weekend. Any idea how thick they are? I am thinking about grabbing a sheet of plexiglass and cutting some makeshift ones for the time being just to get thru the next trip or 2 till they could get here.

[Second Chance]

Rob(s), thanks for the input! As for the contact with the floor, from what I can see during travel it does touch mid travel and then lifts off the floor when all the way out but unfortunately with the island in the way I can’t tell what is going on when all the way in. When all the way out you can stick your fingers under the edge of the slide and with 3 of the rollers you can freely spin them, but with this one under the stove it is fairly difficult to get to move, almost the bearings have seized in it or are trying to.

I may order a couple sets of these things but need to get something in place quickly due to a trip coming up this weekend. Any idea how thick they are? I am thinking about grabbing a sheet of plexiglass and cutting some makeshift ones for the time being just to get thru the next trip or 2 till they could get here.

They are 1/8" thick - but more flexible and less brittle than Lexan.

Rob

[Beachcamper]

I had a major issue with my slide on a 2018 303 which started as damage from roller gouging floor. This was in the center roller my slide had 3 rollers from factory. I tried to mitigate further damage by using lexan sheet under roller until I could figure out what the problem was. About 6 months after that, I noticed my slide floor was bowing and there was some squeak in flooring at front of refrigerator.

Long story short, my rig went the GD factory where they removed the main floor and found aluminum supports under floor were not welded correctly. The wood floor was crowned, the slide out was removed and new one inch thick flooring was installed. A total of 5 rollers, more outriggers (on both slides BTW) were added to kitchen slide. New main flooring and vinyl. It’s stronger than before now but a major disappointment.

keep your eye on the slide out floor to make a sure it is not bowing.

[Jay Mix]

Thanks Vivian, you have given me other things to consider. I have had a “squeaking” in my main floor in this very area for a couple years now and every time I have mentioned it to the dealer or GD directly I have been blown off by being told “well, it happens after they have been dragged down the road a few times”. You have given me more to think about. I need to cal out to Indiana anyway, I may need to take this a little higher up though, but at this point a quick fix is still in the cards

[Jay Mix]

Rob, thanks! This stuff I am considering is 1/8 so that should work short term hopefully. Actually thinking about cutting up a sheet of 1/8 inch fiberboard that I use for backer board for the short term. Hopefully it holds up till I have a clearer path forward

[Dentil]

Rob, thanks! This stuff I am considering is 1/8 so that should work short term hopefully. Actually thinking about cutting up a sheet of 1/8 inch fiberboard that I use for backer board for the short term. Hopefully it holds up till I have a clearer path forward

I have been using a sewing cutting mat 24" x 36" that I cut into 4 strips. They are very thin but very flexible. I lay one in front of each of the four rollers on the kitchen slide. My 2019 337 originally had the nylon slide bars on the kitchen slide which ended up tearing our floor. Our dealer installed 4 rollers on the slide and I have been using the cutting mat strips on the floor to help protect any more damage from the new rollers. I tried the LCI slickers but my clearance was too tight to roll onto the slickers. These cutting mats are the perfect thickness for my set up.

[Jay Mix]

Ok everyone, next question, has anyone replaced these rollers? If so, were you able to do it without taking the slide out and if so how did you gain more clearance to access it?

[Jay Mix]

So I have seen lots of posts about pre-18 slides being 3/4 wood, mine is 1 inch. Found that kinda curious

[Beachcamper]

So I have seen lots of posts about pre-18 slides being 3/4 wood, mine is 1 inch. Found that kinda curious

What year is your 303? I think that the 2018 units got the new bigger appliances and they did not design the slide box with the heavier floor to withstand the weight gain. They used same box design as in the previous model. You are lucky you got a one inch floor.

[Jay Mix]

I have a 2017 337