HWH Slide Access

[Bob Bulot]

Has anyone replaced the chain in the HWH mechanism on the.rear of the passenger slide with this floor plan?

[Mike Shumack]

I have replaced the two chains (one on each X-slide mechanism) and the right side hydraulic cylinder on my '05 PT (front curbside slide). This is an HWH X-Slide mechanism.
Is there a specific question you have?

My floor plan looks similar to yours. In the photos, I have already removed the short counter/cabinet that sits under and next to the pantry.

[Bob Bulot]

Yes, Mike.  If you have this slide floor plan, how did you gain access to the slide mechanism on the rear side behind the microwave?

[Bob Bulot]

Thanks Mike.  Sorry for asking the question after you answered it.  Slow internet here took a while to download your answer.   Doesn’t look like a project for the faint of heart.

[Mike Shumack]

The X-Slide mechanism sits off to the side of the full counter. You remove the small cabinet and the wood trim that runs from the back of that small cabinet up to the ceiling.

On my coach there are wood plugs in the trim that pop out and screws behind them. Once the cabinet and trim are removed, there is a tall sheet metal cover plate (white color in the photo) and the actual mechanism is the black color item.

Here's a video on the job (from YouTube). Fun Fact: all the complaints about the difficulty of this job are true.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Yj2SZigME

[Bill Lampkin]

We had our X-slide repaired at Elite RV in Harrisburg Or a few years ago. We had the rig in for other repairs and the tech noticed the slide wasn't working correctly. I didn't even know it was broken. No complaints from Elite on doing the repair. The video makes the job look miserable.

[Mike Shumack]

I'd say on a difficulty level, I would give this job an eight.

The "kitchen side" X-frame mechanism is hardest to get to as you are working between the kitchen counter and the pantry which is like 16 inches wide and you have all the plumbing and electrical stuff in the way (the other X-frame mechanism on the front of the room (Sofa end) is much easier).

The biggest issue I had was that the new chains did not fit without grinding the end link. Similar to what was done in the video. It is a lot of frustration to work in a tight place and then discover after hours of trial and error fitting the the new parts don't match the old parts. If I had expected the chain would not fit, I would have compared it more closely, prepared it while on the work bench, and saved a lot of frustration.

But this is a job one can do - there are no special tools needed.

[Bob Bulot]

Thanks to all for your response.  The chain on the front mechanism (behind the passenger seat) has two broken wheels, so I thought maybe I’d replace both chains at the same time. Think I’ll think again. 

[Mike Shumack]

It's doable if you have some mechanical skills. And it helps to have someone to ask questions to that has done the job before.

If you are capable of doing an engine oil/filter service, or replacing brake pads - that kind of work, then you can do this job.
It's physically challenging but not really technically difficult.

I would estimate this to be a 4 - 5 hour job for an experienced tech. probably 8 hours (both chains) for someone that has never done this before.

[Lee Welbanks]

Bob, With you 06 coach some of your trim may be held in place with velcro, in my 06 PT most all of the trim boards are held in place with industrial velcro.
I looked high and low for how some of the trim was held on, then discovered that velcro and no screws was the answer.

[Bob Bulot]

As I mentioned, my immediate problem is replacement of the plastic wheels on the front chain of the slide. The place on the chain without the wheels is catching on the guide causing a loud clunk which I am afraid it’s going to eventually break the chain. The good news appears to be that my chain is held together by pins held in place by C clips. The above YouTube showed a chain assembled with pins secured with copper rivets.

[Mike Shumack]

The new chain is not designed to come apart. Those rivets would have to be drilled out (and then what do you use in place of the rivet you removed?). Now the end links (the part I grinded) does use pins with c-clips as that link is supposed to come apart. I think the guy in the video was dong the job or the first time. Although he seems to indicate that his new chain was not the same length and he had to add a link - I didn't have that problem. I just had a clearance issue with the link not fitting onto the cylinder.

The other complication was that the new chain has "a lot of curve to it" (you can see that in the photo where I have the new chain laying on the old chain). I assume the old chain I pulled out was flat due to stretching. But it would have much easier if the new chain laid flat too.

The problem with the curvature is that you need the chain the go straight up from the hyd cylinder, staying against the back of the X-side channel so it can go behind a welded tab/block where the chain then folds over and starts heading back down where the end link is bolted to the X-slide arm.

But with the large curve of the chain, once the chain is connected to the cylinder it doesn't get anywhere close to going behind that flange. The trick is to extend the cylinder - but that means you also have to disconnect the other side X-frame  (the left side that your not working on) so the slide room doesn't try to move when you extend the right cylinder (as both cylinders move in and out together).

I should have taken more/better photos while doing the job.

[Bill Lampkin]

Mike, How tough would it be to adjust the 'out limit' on the front (behind pass seat) of the slide? Measuring the extended depth of the slide, the rear is just under 16" and the front measures 15 5/8". Is the threaded bolt on the bottom of the hyd cyl the way to adjust the 'out' travel limit?

[Mike Shumack]

The front X-slide mechanism is not hard to get to. But it's not the hex at the bottom of the adjuster you turn - its the two nuts in the middle that you adjust (see picture).

You need a thin wrench though because the threaded bolt/nuts are in a channel so you only get 1/8 or 1/16 of a turn before wrench body hits the channel. I used an open end wrench with one side angled like 30 degrees and the other end angled at 15 degrees (from memory). I don't think a standard combination wrench works (but I cant recall now for sure). I think it is a 3/4" wrench size.