Jayco / Schwintek design flaw

[Packerbacker_TX]

We're on the road for our summer vacation and stopped to setup for the night. Unhitched, leveled and discover the kitchen slide out decides not to work. One of the motors is moving, the other isn't. Next morning I find the controller boards in the belly, hidden behind the battery disconnect switch among a rats nest of wires. I count the number of red flashes and match it to the info on the board - "Wire short between controller and motor". I then locate slide out motor for the kitchen, follow the wire down and on the outside of our rig at the base of the slide out is a frayed wire. Seems Jayco thought it'd be a good idea to run the wire from the bottom of the side out - over the axle/wheel and into the frame. It was held in place by a zip tie attached to a staple.

I guess I found the short! The wire had popped loose and the tire rubbed it just about in half. I was able to clean it up and reattach the wires to get it to work. I've since put a wire shroud over it and zip tied it to the frame. Is this just lazy work or bad engineering? I'm just glad I didn't have to spend hundreds of dollars by calling some on site RV repair guy.

[AKRUEBBE]

Is your kitchen slide Schwintek or Slim Rack? All of the wiring is a nightmare.

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Packerbacker_TX

Is this just lazy work or bad engineering?

Both, git-r-done and out the door is all they care about. Wiring is the worst thing I have found on our Seneca, probably have used over 200 zip ties properly securing wires away from damage, especially under the chassis. I was quite alarmed when I found a junction for the solar wiring under the bed where they forgot to crimp caps on the ends and they were inches away from foil covered heat duct!

[Packerbacker_TX]

Kitchen slide is Schwintek. Oddly, the dining side uses a different type sliding mechanism. I'm not sure which style is better or how to compare them yet. I know with Schwintek, they motors have to be "sync'd" up or they'll get out of alignment and jam up. What ever happened to simple design and Made In America?

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by Packerbacker_TX

Kitchen slide is Schwintek. Oddly, the dining side uses a different type sliding mechanism. I'm not sure which style is better or how to compare them yet. I know with Schwintek, they motors have to be "sync'd" up or they'll get out of alignment and jam up. What ever happened to simple design and Made In America?

The slide mechanism on the dining room is very reliable. There are many high end manufacturers that use that type of slide for the kitchen slide and they don't have near the problems.

[Big1]

Yeah, when I was trying to fix the setup for the cable/Sat and open that up and man it looked just like that, crazy I wonder are the other 5'er is the same.

[Joan617]

Yeah that’s why I call that compartment behind the aft basement bulkhead “the Pit of Despair”. Once upon a time I worked on aircraft and it was always nice to see properly fitted wiring harnesses neatly bundled, properly supported and easily traceable. Even recreational boats and yachts I’ve seen have proper wiring harnesses.

Angus

[Atlee]

The "designers" of these RV's, and I use the term "designers" very loosely, don't give a rat's behind where anything is located. They just throw stuff here, there, and every where. These so called "designers" should be 1) forced to do simple maintenance and repair work on their "designs", and 2) be forced to live in their "designs" for about 6 months straight.

If that happened, I bet device placement would be much better thought out, and logically placed.

[TxLoser]

Packer.. thanks for posting this. I’ll add it to my mental library for when I have issues in the future. I’m pretty sure I will.

[Phil2008]

Noticed on our 27.5 RLTS the water connection for kitchen tap is literally right above the inverter. And we all know what happens when water and electricity mix.

[DonaandDon]

Wait till you look behind the radio/DVD player..

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by DonaandDon

Wait till you look behind the radio/DVD player..

I'm afraid to........are the wires marked

[Cannon]

Belly of my 377

[AKRUEBBE]

I can see why dealer service departments don't particularly care about warranty work.

[TxLoser]

I’ve come to the conclusion with my kitchen slide, I have to use shore or gen to move it. Today I picked up my unit from serviced and operated the slide with just batts. Second time I’ve done it, and it moves so slow. I don’t doubt that it could get sideways on just battery. Then problems start from there. This is with 2 12V batts.

[RipinSC]

I never operate my slides until I am plugged into shore power. First thing I do when I pull into a camp site is plug in and then unhook, auto level and then open all slides. Reverse when leaving.

[AKRUEBBE]

I think a class action law suit is in order for the slim rack slide. Has such a suit ever been brought against Jayco?

[TxLoser]

Good luck. I’m on a Duramax forum and the big deal there is the failing fuel pump causing 10K in damage. No luck so far.

I just hope my fuel pump gets me to my campsite. Then I’ll cross my fingers my slide works.

[ceasare]

If you think that wiring is a mess try pulling out the control panel. LOL

[Mnielsenkc]

These units, even the high end ones are built to such low precision standards that plumbing and wiring comes on rolls instead of on standard bundles lengths. The water pump, or heater or any other unit is simply slapped down where there is room then the plumbing or wiring is cut to length. Slap a few zip ties on and shove it down the line. This is what you get with " pay by the unit" instead of hourly pay. Slap, shove down the line repeat.