Troubleshooting Your Schwintek Slide-Out

Having multiple slides on an RV can maximize the living space, but it can be a nightmare when they break. The Schwintek slide has gained popularity among RV manufacturers.

However, while it is a very reliable and consistent slide-out system, it’s not perfect. If your RV has this slide-out system, you may need to do some troubleshooting eventually.

Today, we’ll walk you through a few things you can try to troubleshoot your Schwintek slide. Let’s get started.

What Is a Schwintek Slide System?

The Schwintek slide system is a product of Lippert Components Inc. The system uses a set of worm-like gears and mothers on both sides of the slideout to assist with extending and retracting the slides. 

This innovative system helps avoid complex cabling systems that can pose various issues and easily fail.

The Schwintek slide system, when working correctly, is incredibly efficient when extending and retracting both large and small slides on towable and drivable RVs. 

Who Makes Schwintek Slide?

The Schwintek slide is a product of Lippert Component Inc. They’re one of the largest names in the RV industry and make various products.

 If you own an RV, it likely has at least one, if not more, products from Lippert.

You’ll find everything from entryway stairs to leveling systems. Lippert owns major RV-related brands like Furrion, Curt, and Solera. 

Tips for Troubleshooting Your Schwintek Slide-Out

Schwintek slide-out systems are like any other mechanism on an RV; they’re far from perfect. At some point, you’ll likely need to troubleshoot your system.

This can help you avoid a costly visit from a mobile technician or having your RV sitting in a service center’s parking lot for weeks.

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

Check for Loose Electrical Connections

One of the easiest fixes is a loose electrical connection. These are common because RVs can take a lot of abuse from traveling up and down the highways.

Vibrations in the rig can cause these connections to come loose over time. This can cause the slide to lose power to one or two motors. 

You’ll have trouble getting your slide in and out without two working motors.

Check for Burned-Out Motor

Like any electrical motor, the motor on a Schwintek slide system can burn out. While this is rare, it can happen. If you can’t get power to the slide and you’ve checked the connections, this is likely the issue. 

Because motors can burn out unexpectedly, this can happen with or without notice. Your motor may work fine to extend the slides at the start of your trip and then die when you go to retract them. 

Check all of your fuses and start looking into manually retracting your slide if possible.

Resync Slide Motors 

Because the two motors on the Schwintek system sit on opposite sides, they can get out of alignment.

To resync them, you’ll need to extend the slide several inches and fully retract it while holding the button for several seconds once it closes. 

You’ll need to repeat this a handful of times before the slide motors resync. This can help with binding and twisting in the slide-out.

Find Slide-Out Controller

The slide-out controller will give you a wealth of knowledge. If you have issues, this small display panel could provide the error codes to help identify the problem. 

If you’ve contacted your manufacturer or Lippert seeking help with your system, they will likely need an error code. 

Additionally, the controller will use a series of blinking lights to help you or a technician troubleshoot the issue with your Schwintek slide.

Manually Override When Necessary

If you can’t identify the issue, one of the last things you can try is to override the motor manually. Look for a little gray button on the slide-out controller. 

Then press the button with a tiny screwdriver six times and hold it on the seventh until the red and green lights start blinking. You can return to the control panel and attempt to extend or retract your slide. 

Hopefully, this will do the job, and you can open or close your slide. If not, you’ll need to contact a professional.

Call Mobile Technician or Service Center When Necessary

Finally, some troubleshooting may be beyond your skills. In those instances, call in a professional to look at the issue. 

You can call a mobile technician to come to your campsite or take your rig to a nearby service center. If you can’t get the slide to retract, you need to have a mobile technician come.

Many RVers prefer a mobile technician because they typically can get the repair done faster and sometimes cost less. If your RV is still under warranty, you’ll want to work with the warranty provider when choosing your best option. 

You don’t want to select a professional not supported by your warranty provider.

How to Maintain Schwintek Slides

One of the keys to avoiding any issues with your Schwintek slides is to maintain them.

You can do several things to keep your Schwintek slides in good working order. Let’s look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPgTWH1EL2E

Avoid Partially Extending and Retracting Slides

You should never partially extend or retract your slides. This can knock the electric motors out of sync and lead to misalignment. 

Always hold the button for a second or two extra when extending your slides. This helps to ensure the motors stay aligned and that you never experience any issues.

Do Not Lubricate Gear Racks, Only Rollers and Rails

One great thing about the Schwintek slides is that they don’t require any sort of lubrication on the gear racks. Keep the rollers and rails underneath the slide box lubricated, but the side of the slides doesn’t need lubricant. 

If you want to spray them with anything, a bit of compressed air can help eliminate any dirt and debris in the mechanics.

Use Soapy Water When Cleaning

Cleaning the slide mechanisms is incredibly easy. Grab a bucket of warm soapy water and a rag. Wipe down the slides thoroughly and give them a good scrub.

This can help eliminate stubborn dirt and debris clinging to your Schwintek slide. For best results, wash your slide-out after spraying it with compressed air. 

Then, let the mechanisms air dry before retracting them.

Keep in Mind: Keep your RV tidy with these RV Cleaning Products Every Experienced RVer Owns!

Clean Seals Regularly

The seals around your slideout help prevent water and other debris from getting inside your RV. However, these rubber strips can begin to wear with age and use. 

You should condition and clean these seals regularly to help ensure they stay in good condition. If not, these could rip or tear and leave your RV vulnerable to water damage.

Additionally, they can get stuck in the slide components and cause issues with extending and retracting your slide.

Check Roof Before Closing

If you don’t have slide-out toppers, you should always check the top of your slides before closing them. Sticks, pine cones, and other debris can cause serious issues and throw them out of alignment. 

You don’t want to close your slide with anything sitting on top of it. This may take an extra minute or two when packing up your campsite, but it’s worth the hassle of checking the roof.

Keep in Mind: Before you use your RV Rubber Roof Coating, here’s what you need to know

Get Your Schwintek Slide Working Again 

With any luck, you can troubleshoot your Schwintek slide and get it running again. If not, start doing some research and asking around in online groups. 

RV problems are rather common, and you’re likely not the first to experience an issue. Be as specific as possible when describing the problem, and note any noises or flashing lights. 

Don’t be afraid to call a professional to look at your system. They’ll help get you and your RV back on the road and enjoying your adventures.

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API