Questions for 2018 HT series owners

Cirrob · 06-24-2018, 06:24 AM

So I am considering upgrading my TT to a fifthwheel and have been eyeing this model series. It has great living space, layout, tank size, and over all length that is kind of ideal for my preference for boondocking in national forest and fire service roads.

So yesterday my wife and I went to look at one in person at Richardson's Rv here in the inland empire in california. It's a nice looking unit but I noticed a few design flaws on the mid bunk, and their HT fivers in general (after looking to see if the other floor plans in the same series suffered from it as well after we noticed it).

The issues all are slide related.

1) the rear living and mid bunk models both seem to use a shwintech slide on one of the large slides in the living area. This slide houses a couch a fridge and a stove. That's a lot of weight (with two adults) for that slide mechanism. Have any of you noticed issues related to that?

2) the one mid bunk we looked at, the actual mid bunk slide (rack and pinion) did not open fully and had large gaps at the top and top of the sides. As a result, it wiggled a lot when the kids climbed in. Keep in mind, it gave the audible "clicking" to let us know it was extended completely.

3) biggest issue: both slides in the living area of the two rearliving and mid bunk fivers that we looked at suffered from this. The molding around the slides on the interior were smashes up against the interior walls, as if the slide pulled them outwards too much, had damage to the luan moldings. Specifically in the top corners and the most sever seemed to be in the top right corner of each slide in the living area of the afore mentioned fivers. It appears to be that the torque was set to high; or the moldings are too far back and ( being luan on the sides of the moldings) are being smashes into the interior wall until the real slide structure hits and provides enough resistance to stop the motor. As I said, this resulted in damage to the wall (nothing sever, but it did rip the wallpaper), and splitting the luan side molding of the slide, or pinching it enough that it popped off the staples and began peeling off at the corners.

Can any of you HT owners confirm if you have this or if it was just a fluke of that manufacturing cycle.

2nOZ · 06-24-2018, 07:32 AM

We have the 2018 28.5 RSTS and have not experienced any of the issues you describe. We have the stove, refrigerator and entertainment center on the Schwintek slide. It is loaded with all of the pots and pans including cast iron and the refrigerator has been loaded with enough food for 2 weeks. The living room slide has the dinette, theatre seating. We have had no issues with any of the slides and none the marks you indicate. Extremely happy with our unit so far. It may be possible that those slides are not adjusted as well as they could be. Our molding sits flush all the way across. Sorry I can’t comment on the mid bunk. Just observations from our experience with ours.

Cirrob · 06-24-2018, 07:57 AM

Thank you for the response. I am hoping it is just a specific error with this "run" of fivers we looked at. Granted it was all from one location and probably all from one batch off the factory floor.

I wish I had the forsight to take some pictures so I could post. The damage was pretty significant on the slides that were affected. The salesman, in typical poor sales ability that plagues salesmen for the past several decades, tried to say it was designed to do that so it would be flush. I pointed out the splintering of wood, and gouging of intrior wall where this design "feature" seemed to be having an adverse impact on the interior wall and molding, but he insisted on it all while asking me what he could do to make me drive away with a fifth wheel "tonight." All this after I had told him twice I simply wanted to see the model in person, did not have a large enough truck, and that my wife and I plan on making our purchase in 10 months after we have finished putting the money asside to purhase outright, not wanting to finance a dime (same thing we did with our travel trailer).

Poor salsemenship aside, I am interested in hearing from other owners. I am worried that Thor industries has had a hand in poorer quality with Jayco, so I am considering other options as well. Grand Designs look appealing and I am doing some looking at their floorplans and features as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2nOZ

We have the 2018 28.5 RSTS and have not experienced any of the issues you describe. We have the stove, refrigerator and entertainment center on the Schwintek slide. It is loaded with all of the pots and pans including cast iron and the refrigerator has been loaded with enough food for 2 weeks. The living room slide has the dinette, theatre seating. We have had no issues with any of the slides and none the marks you indicate. Extremely happy with our unit so far. It may be possible that those slides are not adjusted as well as they could be. Our molding sits flush all the way across. Sorry I can’t comment on the mid bunk. Just observations from our experience with ours.

REWahoo · 06-24-2018, 09:38 AM

Not sure how relevant this is but hope it helps.

I have a 2017 Eagle HT 27.5 RLTS and it has the Schwintek mechanism on the bedroom wardrobe slide only, not the other two larger slides. I've seen no problems like you describe on any of our three slides.

Ianr1 · 06-25-2018, 05:45 PM

We took delivery of a 2018 30.5MLOK in May and have not had any issues with either slide.

chuck5395 · 06-25-2018, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2nOZ

We have the 2018 28.5 RSTS and have not experienced any of the issues you describe. We have the stove, refrigerator and entertainment center on the Schwintek slide. It is loaded with all of the pots and pans including cast iron and the refrigerator has been loaded with enough food for 2 weeks. The living room slide has the dinette, theatre seating. We have had no issues with any of the slides and none the marks you indicate. Extremely happy with our unit so far. It may be possible that those slides are not adjusted as well as they could be. Our molding sits flush all the way across. Sorry I can’t comment on the mid bunk. Just observations from our experience with ours.

We have the exact same unit as 2nOZ and our experience is pretty much exactly as described.
-Chuck

vcbice · 06-25-2018, 09:09 PM

We only have the two slides, the Swintek being the bedroom closet drawers. The living room is the 'standard' bottom rails that give a level floor when extended. We have only had one minor issue with the living room slide. When retracting in cold weather it 'sticks' a bit. A tug at the top of the slide gets it going properly. Doesn't happen in warm weather.

We have not had any damage to the slides or the trailer walls around the slides. Contrary to the owners manual I do put stabilizers under the living room slide when we are parked for a while.

I think you were looking at trailers I would not buy.

RSGentry · 07-03-2018, 01:20 PM

We have the same and experienced the same also.

DNelson · 07-03-2018, 01:58 PM

Any free advice given is worth double price paid

the one thing I can make perfectly every time, without fail, is a mess!

We have a 2018 HT RSTS. We had the same problem as you with one side of the luan trim on the kitchen slide (has stove, cabinets, refrig & TV) hitting the wall before the slide stops do. The very thin trim actually bent from the force and the the nails holding it in place pulled through. The cause was the top of the wall where the slide rests against has a bulge.

I removed the trim and reshaped it around the bulge then glued and nailed it back in place. No, I shouldn't have had to do that but it was better than letting it sit at a dealer for weeks.

All three sides do open fully and close well though and fit snugly against the walls.

Jim Smyth · 07-03-2018, 02:36 PM

I have a 2017 28.5 RSTS and have some minor trim issues with the stove/frig/TV slide and being loose with nails protruding and needing to be tapped back in. But it goes in and out just fine. The other side though where the 2 recliners and dinette live also goes in and out fine. However that side seems to tilt up and down during the cycling at visible angles. It seats fine in the full open and closed positions but does tilt while moving. Is this tilting normal for others or do I have some impending issues going on? I bought this used and have only had it 4 months so far.

DNelson · 07-03-2018, 03:53 PM

Jim Smyth, my slide with the furniture and table does the same up and down movement as yours. Either it is normal or both of ours have an issue.

Jim Smyth · 07-03-2018, 04:01 PM

Thank You

I was really hoping it was normal with all the slide horror stories I am reading in here.

2nOZ · 07-03-2018, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smyth

Thank You

I was really hoping it was normal with all the slide horror stories I am reading in here.

It looks pretty odd when extending or retracting but that is normal operation for that slide.

vcbice · 07-06-2018, 10:48 PM

Yep, it has to tilt to retract and extend. The slide is one of those made to have the slide floor level with the main floor when extended. To do that it has to push out and then drop down, hence the tilting as it does so.

PS the bedroom slide in ours (closet) does not tilt as there is no floor connection. It just slides straight in and out.

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