6400 and Problems with the Big Slide

[cd6400]

Anyone interested in a 2011 6400 Super Nova??? Who out there has had problems with their big slide out? I've only owned my 2011 for one year now and can assure you that the slide out has been operated no more that 40 cycles and I've already had two major failures in the mechanism....one was a cable break and now the chain snaps in two... the cable break occurred the weekend I brought it home and chain break happened as we prepped for our first trip this season. The dealer installed the new cable and Ok'd the rigging on the rest of the system.....so I can only assume the design is the problem.....argh....

[Georunner]

I think I got very lucky with my Nova. Its just the wife and I, and 2 dogs, so we purchased the 34' version. We have been extremely satisfied with it. We have had issues, the only big one was a blown fuse in the middle of Wyoming, but other than that, our problems have been the routine ones that come with driving a house on wheels. It seems to me that the concept for this RV was sound, for the 34' modle, and problems with increase exponentially with length. Shocks on the 34'r make it ride like a 3/4 ton pickup, don't need air ride (couldn't afford it anyway) the front slide is small enough to not be overloading the slide out mechanism, which is gears not cables and chains etc. I just think the longest model went outside the engineering envelope.

[Brian]

So what do you do when the slide is out and something breaks?? Is there a way to get them back in?? Call a dealer??

[schmittm]

I have had to bring my slide in twice from the board going out. I would suggest that you carry two short 6-9" pipe wrenches, a punch or climb under your coach and find out what the biggest allen wrench that will fit in the hole on the motor shaft (about 1/4in). The two slide motors have a shaft that comes out and you have to be able to get a pipe wrench or I used a metal punch that fit in the whole and then put socket with a long handle on it for leverage in order to turn the motor manually. This is a pain and will take some time, you have to release the motor break, (make it easier on yourself and raise the side with the slide up in the air to help tilt slide in), then you can only go a couple of turns before you have to lock the motor, then go to the other motor and do the same thing there. If you have two strong people it would go faster. The motor in front is easy to get to, the one that is at the back of the slide is real fun, you have to climb under coach and then reach up and in to from rails by rear tires.

If you go on line to Powergear website you can print manuals for slides and jacks for our coaches. Good to have with you, http://www.powergearus.com/navi/technical-documents

Good luck and I hope you don't have to partake of this ritual.

[Brian]

Thanks for the info, I printed it off and hope I never need it.