The crooked slide out means these are out of alignment and have one of the bent ends. These do not have a regular or uniform shape that is necessary for their smooth opening and closing.
Why is My RV Slide Out Crooked? Your RV slide out can be crooked because of misaligned gears, poor lubrication, accumulation of dust, bad side seals, faulty motor, poor leveling of ground, and low power supply. Moreover, you can face the problem due to leaky hydraulic fluid and expansion of aluminum and bent steel bars.
The crooked slide outs leave the space, and you do not close them completely. The space between them allows the water to enter the inner side and deteriorate metal and wooden accessories.
| Causes | Solutions |
| Misaligned gears | Replace the broken parts in the gearbox |
| Poor lubrication | Lubricate the railing mechanism |
| Accumulation of dust | Washing with warm water |
| Issue with side seals | Reattach the rubber seals |
| Faulty motor | Replace damaged motors and ensure the power supply |
| Poor leveling of the ground surface | Use stabilizers on the hard ground surface |
| Leaking of hydraulic fluid | Patch the leaked fluid lines |
| Expansion of aluminum slide outs | Seal the aluminum frame to prevent thermal expansion |
| Bent steel bars | Replace steel bars |
Misaligned gears
The gears are present in electric slide outs for their retraction. However, the misaligned and broken components cannot supply the power for their opening.
The power gears break down over time due to excessive use while opening and closing. In addition, the issue with the alignment of these gears occurs due to broken shear pins.
Moreover, the bad fuse and relays also interrupt their functioning. You can resolve the problem by replacing the motor gears with new ones.
The repairing cost of these gears depends on the RV’s model and the gears’ brand. Purchase high quality that lasts for longer.
Remove the broken or misaligned gears from the gearbox and add new ones.
Poor lubrication
You can see the crooked appearance of the slide outs due to the poor alignment of its components. The alignment gets disturbed when their parts are not lubricated properly.
It hinders smooth movement, and these can come out of the track. You cannot seal every end properly when these are out of track.
You need proper lubrication to align the moving parts and keep them on track. The tracks also become rusty due to poor lubrication and causing the problem.
Moreover, the issue comes from using the wrong or low-quality lubricant. I always properly lubricate the side rails and tracking system for smooth movement.
The runners cannot come out of rails when these are adequately lubricated and allow proper closing.
Accumulation of dust
The blocking of the railing mechanism causes poor alignment and crooking of RV slide outs.
Sometimes the dust and dirt from the outside environment get stuck on the moving tracks and disturb their smooth movement.
You cannot close the slides properly due to the accumulation of dust particles. Moreover, small foreign particles can also block this track and cause issues.
The corrosion comes on these moving tracks, and the runner cannot move on them smoothly.
Clean the tracking area with warm water to remove dust and break the other foreign particles causing blockages.
Issue with side seals
The side seals are present around the slide outs to inhibit water and bugs entry. The rubber seals are helpful in sealing the corners and top of the slides properly.
Sometimes the damaged rubber seals cause an issue in their smooth movement. The slide outs can crook when a broken seal causes an interruption in their proper binding.
These seals start to come off due to the loss of their adhesive material and age. It can cause hindrance in their binding, and you cannot close them properly.
It is better to replace the rubber seal on the slide out.
Faulty motor
The motors are in the electricity-driven slide outs to supply power for their retraction. Sometimes the motors and their components become faulty, and you can face issues.
The slides cannot close properly, and you can see the gap between them, which can make the interior dusty.
Moreover, you can also face delays in their functioning because of broken or worn-out motor parts. The gap occurs due to improper retraction and insufficient power supply from the motors.
You can see the crooked end due to less power supply from the electric motors. You can fix the issue by replacing the burnt-out motors with new ones.
Check the batteries and ensure sufficient power supply to the motors.
Poor leveling of ground surface
The RV slide outs cannot close properly and are crooked from one side when you open them on a poorly leveled ground surface.
Sometimes people retract the landing gears or stabilizers, but these do not maintain the stability of the rigs.
The issue in maintaining stability comes when you put the landing gears or stabilizers on soft ground surfaces or lawns.
These can move inside the mud and disturb the structure of the frame. Moreover, poor leveling also causes an issue in fluid movement through lines.
These cannot create pressure when a sufficient amount of fluid is not reaching fluid lines because of poor leveling.
You should park the RV on a hard ground surface. The stabilizing jacks can easily maintain the structure and weight when these are present on hard and firm surfaces.
Leaking of hydraulic fluid
Some of the slide outs are hydraulic fluid driven instead of electric supply. You need the electric fluid to create pressure for their forward and backward motion.
The insufficient pressure of the hydraulic fluid causes their improper closing, and you can see the crooked ends and space between them.
The insufficient pressure problem comes due to leakage in fluid lines. The fluid leaks through these damaged or worn-out lines and is insufficient to provide the pressure for their opening.
You can fix it by patching the cracked and broken hoses with the same material. You can also seal the worn-out fluid lines for smooth retraction of slides.
Expansion of aluminum slide outs
Most of the slide-outs are made of metal material because these are lightweight in structure compared to the wooden or fiberglass type.
The exterior frame is made of aluminum, which has less tensile strength than heavy-weight steel. These cannot withstand damage because of their less durable material.
These can expand or contract according to temperature fluctuations. Thermal expansion is common in aluminum metal when these are heated.
These can expand when you park them outside and in direct heat of the sun. Moreover, contraction is also common during winters and freezing weather.
Seal the slide outs to prevent direct exposure to heat. Park them in suitable locations that do not have direct exposure to the sun.
Bent steel bars
The steel bars are present in the slide outs to prevent the roof and sidewalls from flexing.
In addition, these steel bars provide enough support to their structure and help to maintain their proper alignment.
Sometimes the steel bars can get damaged, and these cannot maintain their proper structure. These can get crooked, and you face issues in their proper closing.
The water enters inside from the bent end and damages the wooden furniture and other fixtures present in them.
The bending of steel bars occurs due to their aging procedure. In addition, rust can also come on these bars, and eventually, these can break.
You can prevent rust on steel bars by painting them after a month and maintaining their original structure.
Moreover, you can also replace the bent or broken bars with a new one.
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