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2021 Reflection 311BHS - Kitchen Slide Rubbing Floor

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  • 2021 Reflection 311BHS - Kitchen Slide Rubbing Floor

    See video here:
    https://imgur.com/a/jXNwIYB

    The kitchen slide in our 2021 Reflection 311BHS is making contact with the floor for a few seconds when running it in and out. For most of the time going in and out it's fine, but for a short period it tips slightly inward and makes contact. It did this during delivery and ripped the flooring. The dealer fixed the floor (which looks great, amazingly enough), took off the corner trim piece which had a sharp edge and sanded it down and adjusted the slide and it was fine. Fast-forward 1 week and it's doing it again. I have it in for service now and the repair tech spent some time adjusting it but said he can't get it to not hit the floor. It's slightly better now, but still making contact just briefly. He said he can adjust it so it doesn't hit the floor, but then doesn't seal properly at the top when closed and he's afraid it will leak.

    This is a Lippert, Through-Frame Slide (Electric) and our unit has rollers installed on the outside edge of the RV floor (beneath the slide) that the slide goes over. There are no rollers on the slide itself.

    Anyone in here have any suggestions? Service tech's initial thought is that the slide needs rollers installed on the front edge so it will roll over the floor at that point instead of just wood hitting the floor. Grand Design has asked that they loosen all of the adjustment bolts and run the slide in and out to re-seat it, and then try adjusting it from that new baseline. Not confident that's going to help, but I'll know more tomorrow. Hoping someone here may have some ideas.
    Shawn
    2021 Reflection 311BHS
    2019 Ford F350 Limited SRW

  • #2
    Personally, I think the tech doesn't clearly understand how the system works. it is out of alignment and should not touch the floor at any point in the process. From your description, it almost sound like when the center of gravity transfers to the inside of frame, the slide will tip down (i.e. from the unsupported weight) and touch the floor.

    My guess is there is something loose in the drive system allowing the slide to tip as it moves in/out. I would check all of the mounting bolts on the drive system to make sure there isn't anything loose. Based on the tech's explanation, it sounds like he wants to over compensate in one direction to get the slide to remain off the floor but this is resulting in it being tipped out at the top when closed. That should be a tell tale indicator to the tech that he is compensating for an alignment issue or from a loose drive system by tipping the top of the unit outward to prevent it from dragging.

    The only other issue I see that it could be and would hope it isn't, is that the wall is not perpendicular to the floor. This would be nearly impossible to fix without a return to the factory. But this is highly unlikely unless the unit was subjected to some major shock in transit to the dealer.
    Jeff and Debbie
    2021 Imagine 2250RK
    2015 Ram 2500 6.7 CTD Crew Cab Short Bed Factory Air-Ride Auto Level
    USMC Veteran

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    • #3
      Have you considered https://www.amazon.com/Lippert-13499...2594272&sr=8-1 for helping. I remember reading someone else was having a similar issue maybe Howard or Rob.howsonCate&Rob
      Joseph
      Tow
      Vehicle: 2024 GMC K3500 Denali Ultimate Diesel
      Coach: 303RLS Delivered March 5, 2021
      South of Houston Texas

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      • #4
        shawncberg
        Welcome to our owners technical forum.

        What you are describing is not an uncommon situation and has been discussed in several threads on this forum. If you use the search tool in the upper right corner on "slide slickers" you will find many of these discussions. Slide slickers are the LCI product linked in post 3 and many of us, on this forum, use these. Others use sheets of aluminum, lexan or similar to accomplish the same thing.

        The normal motion of the slide as it moves in/out is exactly as shown in your video. As the slide box reaches its balance point on the row of fixed rollers it tips in/out. This causes the inner edge of the slide to come close to or touch the floor at about the mid point of the travel. At the end of the travel (inward) the slide box flanges come up against the wall and lift the slide clear of the floor. Over the years, Grand Design has variously used travelling rollers, travelling slide plates or a raised inner edge of the slide box to keep it clear of the flooring. I would tend to agree with the service tech who said that travelling rollers would be the best solution, but these would be very difficult to retrofit without removing the slide. Our earlier build Reflection has these rollers and they still press into the vinyl flooring at mid travel without the slide slicker strips.

        I would also agree with the caution that adjusting the slide to always clear the floor but potential not fit tightly to the wall (either in or out) would not be a good thing. If you have a slide topper (which we have) this can make the situation a little worse since the topper tension pulls the top of the slide box in which increases the tip down towards the floor as the slide crosses the balance point.

        Rob
        Cate & Rob
        (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
        2015 Reflection 303RLS
        2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
        Bayham, Ontario, Canada

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        • #5
          Thanks everyone!

          @Cate&Rob I searched and came across a handful of other posts you have responded to with the same situation. We did have our dealer install slide toppers, and when they saw it happen at first they suspected that tension might be enough to be making it dip more than normal. I did already order the slide slickers in preparation to have to learn to live with this, but was really hoping they'd be able to get it fixed. Grand Design doesn't admit this is a larger issue, and is continuing to tell me & the tech that this is just an adjustment and that it shouldn't be doing what it's doing, but then I come across quite a few people who have the same issue - some who have been able to fix it with adjustment, but others who have just learned to live with it.

          I'm mostly concerned because it's hitting the floor now and there is nothing in the fridge or pantry & I'm afraid when it's loaded it could be worse. The weight may also help counter-balance it and not make it worse, but I'm not going to know that until I load it up for our first trip next week. Was trying to get ahead of that, but at least I'll have the slide slickers now and can use them to protect the flooring just in case.
          Shawn
          2021 Reflection 311BHS
          2019 Ford F350 Limited SRW

          Comment


          • #6
            We have a 2019 Reflection. Slide problem is that it tears the flooring. Found that under the fridge, they put a hard plastic for it to ride on and only put half way across the bottom of fridge. The floor has sagged and the raw end is tearing the flooring.. Also the flooring has been discontinued and there is none to be found. Arguing with GD A’s to faulty build. Waiting for decision!!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by shawncberg View Post
              Thanks everyone!

              @Cate&Rob I searched and came across a handful of other posts you have responded to with the same situation. We did have our dealer install slide toppers, and when they saw it happen at first they suspected that tension might be enough to be making it dip more than normal. I did already order the slide slickers in preparation to have to learn to live with this, but was really hoping they'd be able to get it fixed. Grand Design doesn't admit this is a larger issue, and is continuing to tell me & the tech that this is just an adjustment and that it shouldn't be doing what it's doing, but then I come across quite a few people who have the same issue - some who have been able to fix it with adjustment, but others who have just learned to live with it.

              I'm mostly concerned because it's hitting the floor now and there is nothing in the fridge or pantry & I'm afraid when it's loaded it could be worse. The weight may also help counter-balance it and not make it worse, but I'm not going to know that until I load it up for our first trip next week. Was trying to get ahead of that, but at least I'll have the slide slickers now and can use them to protect the flooring just in case.
              I have the same issue on my 2018 297RSTS. We also have an slideout topper. I tried to do the adjustment per the Lippert installation manual. I also made sure that this didn't change the sealing either in or out. It made virtually no difference in the slideout touching the floor. I will just keep using my homemade slideout slickers which I made out of 0.08" plexiglass, some Ecoliner and permatex plastic welder. I love doing projects and it saved me some money and they work great.

              another Rob
              Rob & Barb
              2022 RAM 3500 Big Horn, 6.7 Cummins HO/Aisin
              2022 Solitude 378MBS

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