Slide Lock/Transit bar

[EMD_Driver]

Last night I finally got the wallboard removed, from around the 299SR's slide frame. Along the top, is three pieces of 3/8" OSB glued together and 2x6's on either side.

I was looking around the www.pplmotorhomes.com site this morning and found their "Slide lock" The positioning of these, are along where Sunline used the 2x6 framing and would seem to me, to be a much better place for them.



I will get pictures of the framing around the slide, but it does not look like it would be very strong. However, putting the slide lock along the 2x6 does look like a better position for them. Also, these type of bars have rubber feet on them. I used to have the cargo bar version for my pickup and they worked great. They would not need to be pulled into place, so there would be little, if any damage to the wallboard.

Gary

[Ron & Alice]

Gary - again, please forgive a newbie. WHY do you/we need a slide lock? Hmmm? We have a 264SR.

Alice

[JohnB]

Gary

Will be interested in what is behind the wall board. I have tried to install mine like that pic in the PPL photo on the sides and they fall out "all" the time. Until I moved to the top would they ever stay in. There is no mention in my manual on where the right place is suppose to be. Just that my 2004 states they must be used.

John

[EMD_Driver]

Alice: The slide lock, or transit bars are used to help keep the slide secured in the "In" position while traveling down the road. There are only four bolts, that hold the entire slide and they are located on the bottom wall, beneath and behind the siding. Without them, the entire slide would pivot on those four bolts while going down the road.

I noticed that all four of the bolts on the T-299SR we are working on, were loose. I also noticed the lack of transit bars/slide locks in the unit. I don't know if that's how those bolts came loose, but that is where I would put my money. That camper had a lot of miles on it.

John: Along the top of the wall, above the slide, are three pieces of 3/8" OSB and they are glued together. Both sides of the wall have regular 2x6 studs that run vertical. It's interesting to see how everything works together, to strengthen the opening. I will take pictures, before it is disassembled. From looking at it though, I would highly recommend using the slide locks on the sides, instead of the transit bars on the top of the slide!

[Ron & Alice]

When our slide slides in & out, it raises & lowers a little bit over a slight lip and seems to lock into place. Does yours do that? Do they all do that, or does yours just slide out on an even plane?

[JohnB]

Hi Alice

What year is your camper?

In 2005, Sunline redid "something" that they declare no longer needed transit bars. My 2004 states to use them and I do. I have been trying for a while to sort out the difference between 2004 and 2005 to see if I can find any sense why my 04 needs them and 05's and foward are declared to not???

And yes, the slide does lift up off the floor when it comes in. That is by design to not drag the carpet. The slide rails are installed at an angle under the camper to do this. Sunline gave us that benift. Not all camper brands do that. Some brands drag the carpet all the way in and out by level travel in and out and as such folks have had carpet issues.

Hope this helps

John

[EMD_Driver]

Alice,
Ours drops down, into place, when we extend it. Without the transit bars, only the motor would hold the slide in place and only at the bottom. The transit bars are there, to hold the top in place also.

Gary

[sunnyseagull]

Hi Ron and Alice sunline stopped useing the bars in 2005 I have a 2005 264 sr and when we bought it that was one of the first questions I ask and Larue from sunline explained to me that they no longer needed but didnt tell me why . Dan

[MACK C-85]

With our '07 T276SR we were told by the dealer that they were not only not needed, but were not to be used. No explanation given, just that the slide mechanism was redesigned and the use of the slide locks would mess it up.

[Ron & Alice]

Holy crap! No wonder I am so confused. One dealer says it is no longer needed, one says not to use them, another says definitely yes.

Ours is a 2004, and to be honest, I haven't read the 3" manual yet - I figured it would be good reading in the Sunshine State. How naive am I, right?

[EMD_Driver]

Originally Posted by Ron & Alice

Holy crap! No wonder I am so confused. One dealer says it is no longer needed, one says not to use them, another says definitely yes.

Ours is a 2004, and to be honest, I haven't read the 3" manual yet - I figured it would be good reading in the Sunshine State. How naive am I, right?

From what JohnB has said, ONLY Sunline slide rooms made from 2005-2007 did not need the transit bars. Anything 2004 and older did need them.

As far as the "3 inch manual" goes... Most of it is just literature, that belongs to the different components in the Sunline. Very little of it, is actually from Sunline.

Gary

[JohnB]

Hi Alice.

A 2004, gee they are like mine then.

Here, I'll save you some digging in your manual.







And see this post where I started talking about this on mine a while back. It's actually part way down this forum.

http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/ph...pic.php?t=1455

This summer I called Lippert who makes out slide mechanism and asked them about Transit bars if they knew why one would use them. I expalined the Sunline 2004/2005 story and that there Denver plant made the frames for Sunline.

The official word was "The TT manufacture decides if transits bars are needed. The actual slide motor system will not extend under travel. They have never had one unscrew open on them.”

So from the Lippert end of things, they have no requirement, but Sunline did, at least in 2004 and prior. I myself can understand the need, but I have been trying to put the construction details together on the 2005 and what is so different on them. If anything.

I cannot figure out how they would be harm full as the one dealer that told Mack, no way…

So that is all we know at this point.

Hope this helps and can you even find your transit bars? Pics of the Sunline version are in the link I showed you above, at least for 2003 and 2004. I saw Kitty’s and Gary’s and they are the same as mine. It would not be suprising to find transit bars MIA.

Hope this helps

John

[Ron & Alice]

Wow, BIG thanks John. If these transit bars were/are so important, you would think they would supply them with the tt's, now wouldn't you?

As with most of our thinking, we will do without for a year, and judge after we have used the Sunline for a season.

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by Ron & Alice

Wow, BIG thanks John. If these transit bars were/are so important, you would think they would supply them with the tt's, now wouldn't you?

As with most of our thinking, we will do without for a year, and judge after we have used the Sunline for a season.

So you have a 2004 without the transit bars? They should have come with it from the factory, you shouldn't have to go out to buy them. They look like 3' long closet bars, about an inch or so in diameter.

Jon