# Rear Slide Issue



## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

I am new to the forum and welcome any ideas that any of you may have. I purchased my Outback 210 RS new last year (it's a 2009)and immediately fell in love with it. It's our first trailer and it tows beautifully, seems to be well constructed and all of the systems work. We have used it 4 times, and this last time we took it on a trip to Letchworth State Park in NY ( well worth the trip, by the way!)and when I was extending the rear slide, I noticed that one of the brackets that attaches the slide-out supports to the rear camper wall was cracked almost all of the way through. Luckily there were 5 cinder blocks just laying there at our campsite and we were able to prop up the one side for the duration of our trip and not worry about the slide falling. We are pretty responsible people and have not abused the camper- in fact, just the opposite- and my wife and I are quite concerned about the rear slide integrity. We are planning on doing a road trip with our 3 kids and wanted to spend 6 months to a year on the road and we thought we had found the perfect TT for this...but now my wife and myself are quite concerned. I found out, after going to a Keystone distributor that the brackets are nothing more than awning brackets and they do not appear to be secured to anything substantial in the rear camper wall. My dilemma is: should I consult Keystone about this issue (I know the warranty is up, but this seems to be something that borders on a factory recall/repair (this is only our 4th time using it!!!), should I attempt to make after-market alterations to the camper so that I can continue to feel comfortable camping with it, or should I sell it and move onto another trailer entirely? We really love this Outback and this issue is really causing my wife and I some serious distress. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks in advance!


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## al b (Aug 13, 2007)

philzup said:


> I am new to the forum and welcome any ideas that any of you may have. I purchased my Outback 210 RS new last year (it's a 2009)and immediately fell in love with it. It's our first trailer and it tows beautifully, seems to be well constructed and all of the systems work. We have used it 4 times, and this last time we took it on a trip to Letchworth State Park in NY ( well worth the trip, by the way!)and when I was extending the rear slide, I noticed that one of the brackets that attaches the slide-out supports to the rear camper wall was cracked almost all of the way through. Luckily there were 5 cinder blocks just laying there at our campsite and we were able to prop up the one side for the duration of our trip and not worry about the slide falling. We are pretty responsible people and have not abused the camper- in fact, just the opposite- and my wife and I are quite concerned about the rear slide integrity. We are planning on doing a road trip with our 3 kids and wanted to spend 6 months to a year on the road and we thought we had found the perfect TT for this...but now my wife and myself are quite concerned. I found out, after going to a Keystone distributor that the brackets are nothing more than awning brackets and they do not appear to be secured to anything substantial in the rear camper wall. My dilemma is: should I consult Keystone about this issue (I know the warranty is up, but this seems to be something that borders on a factory recall/repair (this is only our 4th time using it!!!), should I attempt to make after-market alterations to the camper so that I can continue to feel comfortable camping with it, or should I sell it and move onto another trailer entirely? We really love this Outback and this issue is really causing my wife and I some serious distress. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks in advance!


are you talking about the slide supports in the ceiling of the inside of trailer or the removable slides on the outside of the trailer?


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## OutbackBrat (Oct 13, 2009)

Its the rear slider support bracket he is talking about. I wouldnt bother with Keystone. Hit any rv store and buy 2 of those brackets. Around $10.00 each. Keep one as a spare. They are easy out and easy in. Happened to me as well. Not a hard fix at all.

THink of it as maintenance!


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## jstew03 (Feb 11, 2007)

I noticed one of mine was cracked when we were doing our walk-through, at zero uses (well technically 1 I guess, since they had the slide out for the walk-through). I said "should that look like that" and the guy was like "no no no, we'll get that fixed right away". Of course it was still under warranty, but I doubt they'd do a recall for that. As noted, most likely falls under "maintenence".


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## HodagRVer (Oct 12, 2009)

I've had both mine replaced on the 210RS we got in November. They were covered under warranty. I think it would be a good idea to pick up a spare or two.


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## Jack Hollister (Oct 16, 2008)

Ours was cracked from the start as well, but I didn't notice it until we got home from the dealer.....600 + or - miles away. Just went and bought a new one myself and replaced it. I inspect them every time we take out the camper. I do wish the bed support system was a little better engineered.


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## ftwildernessguy (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't think this is an engineering problem with Keystone, but rather a quality control issue with the manufacturer of the brackets themselves. I always inspect the brackets after every trip and make sure the bolts are tight, too.


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## Sparrow & Joe (Jun 2, 2009)

I am sorry to see you are having issues with the rear slide. When our 2009 210RS recently had issues with the inside slide/supports that attach to the ceiling we decided to trade it in for a Passport 2590, also by Keystone. I agree that Keystone needs to rethink the engineering on this. We were fortunate that we had the problem (1) day before the warranty expired! We just decided that it wasn't worth the risk of having a recurrence and the accompaning inconvenience of dealing with it. We had had some issue with the rear brackets loosening and minor seperation from the ceiling last summer, these were repaired under warrenty and we inspected it frequently. Good luck, I hope your's gives you many years of reliable service. I really did like the Outback until this issue became a deal breaker.


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## Jim B (Mar 26, 2010)

We purchased a 210Rs in March. I'll check my brackets tonight when I get home.

Does anyone have a clue as to why these brackets would be cracking ? It sounds like it must be the pressure from supporting the extended bed. If that's true, then I am worried that the rear slide is poorly engineered, between issues with the inside rails ( I did purchase a roller support to place inside the trailer when in tow) and now the outside bracket failures.

As a side note, I did call Keystone directly to ask if they had any issues with the 210RS slide and I was told absolutely not... My wife and I love this trailer... I just hope I didn't buy a lemon...


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## Fanatical1 (Jan 9, 2006)

I think this is the part your looking for. DOMETIC AWNING LOWER WALL BRACKET 3108221007B
You can search for it on the web.

I recall some people here on Outbackers chose to replace their screws with bolts and bolted through rear slide and put nuts on the other side. If it were me , I would replace the bracket and make sure the screws were good and tight.


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## Up State NY Camper (Apr 7, 2010)

Hay I noticed you were at Letchworth. Are you from up-state NY?


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## ED_RN (Jun 25, 2006)

We have not had a problem with ours since we bought it in 2006. Seems like it is an issue that is just recently coming up on newer trailers. Maybe this was a defective batch of brackets.


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## marker (Aug 14, 2009)

No issues on my 2006 23KRS, but I check the brackets often and also check the screws for tightness as well.

As a new owner, check the archives as some of us put an "inside" support under the slide when retracted to help support the slide inside the trailer. To me, this is where my concern was and now I feel much better. I think I have some pictures of the supports in my pictures link in my signature.

Gary


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

OutbackBrat said:


> Its the rear slider support bracket he is talking about. I wouldnt bother with Keystone. Hit any rv store and buy 2 of those brackets. Around $10.00 each. Keep one as a spare. They are easy out and easy in. Happened to me as well. Not a hard fix at all.
> 
> THink of it as maintenance!


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

I purchased two from a local dealer in the area, as I would like to replace them both. My more immediate concern is what do the brackets on the rear trailer wall attach to internally? They don't seem to anchor to anything substantial. After you swapped yours out, you didn't have any further issues? And, believe me, I'd love to think of this as maintenance as I love this trailer.


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

ftwildernessguy said:


> I don't think this is an engineering problem with Keystone, but rather a quality control issue with the manufacturer of the brackets themselves. I always inspect the brackets after every trip and make sure the bolts are tight, too.


But don't you think that it is an engineering issue when Keystone is using awning brackets to support a rear slide that is much heavier than an awning and is support at least two people?


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

Up State NY Camper said:


> Hay I noticed you were at Letchworth. Are you from up-state NY?


Yes, we are from upstate NY...and Letchworth was definitely worth the trip. Wish we could have stayed longer...


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

Jim B said:


> We purchased a 210Rs in March. I'll check my brackets tonight when I get home.
> 
> Does anyone have a clue as to why these brackets would be cracking ? It sounds like it must be the pressure from supporting the extended bed. If that's true, then I am worried that the rear slide is poorly engineered, between issues with the inside rails ( I did purchase a roller support to place inside the trailer when in tow) and now the outside bracket failures.
> 
> As a side note, I did call Keystone directly to ask if they had any issues with the 210RS slide and I was told absolutely not... My wife and I love this trailer... I just hope I didn't buy a lemon...


First, I think that the brackets are powder coated aluminum- not very strong. Second, when I was trying to order the replacement brackets Keystone seemed to be a bit ashamed (and reluctant to admit) that the brackets were just awning brackets (hmmm?) and as far as Keystone saying that there isn't any issue with the slides on the 210RS...why is the slide on the 2011 totally re-engineered??? I don't know, like you guys I hope I didn't get a lemon either. Also, what kind of roller support did you get? I'd like to do the same as I have heard issues regarding the need for support when in tow. By the way, I checked the screws on the inside ceiling tracks and a majority of them were loose...


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

Fanatical1 said:


> I think this is the part your looking for. DOMETIC AWNING LOWER WALL BRACKET 3108221007B
> You can search for it on the web.
> 
> I recall some people here on Outbackers chose to replace their screws with bolts and bolted through rear slide and put nuts on the other side. If it were me , I would replace the bracket and make sure the screws were good and tight.


I like the idea of replacing screws with bolts, but do you recall how they put the nuts on the other side? It seems like the "other side" inside the camper where I cannot see it or access it...


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## Sparrow & Joe (Jun 2, 2009)

I think they were ok on the inside support until they went to the King size bunk. It appears they thought that what would hold the Queen size would be enough for the wider, possibly heavier bunk end. I am glad they have redesigned it for 2011. Our 2009 was the first year, I believe for the King size rear slide. Maybe the older units can be refitted with the newer designed supports?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

philzup said:


> First, I think that the brackets are powder coated aluminum- not very strong. Second, when I was trying to order the replacement brackets Keystone seemed to be a bit ashamed (and reluctant to admit) that the brackets were just awning brackets (hmmm?) and as far as Keystone saying that there isn't any issue with the slides on the 210RS...why is the slide on the 2011 totally re-engineered??? I don't know, like you guys I hope I didn't get a lemon either.


Powder coated aluminum is actually very strong. Think airplanes and what they are made of.

Re-purposing a product is smart engineering. There is already a source and they are readily available. The slide had the same design for almost 8 years, I would be more worried about the first year of the 2011 design then the proven design they had for 8 years.


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## ftwildernessguy (Oct 12, 2009)

Now I'm not positive about this, but I don't think the transition between the queen slide and the king slide involved increasing the width at all, but rather involved about a 10 inch extension lengthwise, which actually extends to the interior of the trailer when it is open. In the past, some have actually made this modification to their existing queen slides. I also don't think Keystone recommends more than 2 people occupy the king bed at any one time.


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## Jim B (Mar 26, 2010)

philzup said:


> We purchased a 210Rs in March. I'll check my brackets tonight when I get home.
> 
> Does anyone have a clue as to why these brackets would be cracking ? It sounds like it must be the pressure from supporting the extended bed. If that's true, then I am worried that the rear slide is poorly engineered, between issues with the inside rails ( I did purchase a roller support to place inside the trailer when in tow) and now the outside bracket failures.
> 
> As a side note, I did call Keystone directly to ask if they had any issues with the 210RS slide and I was told absolutely not... My wife and I love this trailer... I just hope I didn't buy a lemon...


First, I think that the brackets are powder coated aluminum- not very strong. Second, when I was trying to order the replacement brackets Keystone seemed to be a bit ashamed (and reluctant to admit) that the brackets were just awning brackets (hmmm?) and as far as Keystone saying that there isn't any issue with the slides on the 210RS...why is the slide on the 2011 totally re-engineered??? I don't know, like you guys I hope I didn't get a lemon either. Also, *what kind of roller support did you get?* I'd like to do the same as I have heard issues regarding the need for support when in tow. By the way, I checked the screws on the inside ceiling tracks and a majority of them were loose...
[/quote]

I picked up a woodworking roller support from home depot for $25. I think i'll put a 2X4 across the end of the bed on the bottom and set the support extension up on the floor between the sofa and dinette. This should give it some stability (and keep the ceiling screws from pulling out) while bouncing down the road at 60mph... at least that's the plan...


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

philzup said:


> Hay I noticed you were at Letchworth. Are you from up-state NY?


Yes, we are from upstate NY...and Letchworth was definitely worth the trip. Wish we could have stayed longer...
[/quote]

Hi Philzup,

Welcome to Outbackers!! We are practically neighbors!! I live just north of Schenectady in Saratoga County.

I replaced my awning clamps last year and they were secured with lag bolts, no nuts. I would assume the bunk brackets would be the same.

DAN


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## Sparrow & Joe (Jun 2, 2009)

ftwildernessguy said:


> Now I'm not positive about this, but I don't think the transition between the queen slide and the king slide involved increasing the width at all, but rather involved about a 10 inch extension lengthwise, which actually extends to the interior of the trailer when it is open. In the past, some have actually made this modification to their existing queen slides. I also don't think Keystone recommends more than 2 people occupy the king bed at any one time.


I think you are right, I just assumed it was wider. The 2009 was our first Outback but we always slept head out rather than side to side on our queen bunk in the pop up. But the longer length would increase the strain on the inside supports quite a lot as it flexes on the highway. We could have come up with some interior support but have decided to go with a new SOB - Passport for more width in the living area as well.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> First, I think that the brackets are powder coated aluminum- not very strong. Second, when I was trying to order the replacement brackets Keystone seemed to be a bit ashamed (and reluctant to admit) that the brackets were just awning brackets (hmmm?) and as far as Keystone saying that there isn't any issue with the slides on the 210RS...why is the slide on the 2011 totally re-engineered??? I don't know, like you guys I hope I didn't get a lemon either.


Powder coated aluminum is actually very strong. Think airplanes and what they are made of.

Re-purposing a product is smart engineering. There is already a source and they are readily available. The slide had the same design for almost 8 years, I would be more worried about the first year of the 2011 design then the proven design they had for 8 years.
[/quote]

Saying aluminum is very strong is like saying wood is very strong. Are you talking about balsa, pine, fir, maple, oak or ironwood? Just like strength in different grain directions in wood, aluminum has different properties depending if it is sheet, plate, a forging or a casting. There are other forms but these are the common ones. I would guess that the awning/slide out brackets are castings which are on the low end of the strength scale from a grain structure and quality standpoint.

Depending on the alloy, 2000 series, 6000 series or 7000 series, the actual strength of the materials can be all over the spectrum. 6000 series is usually sheet goods like trim or bent parts. My locking mailbox is made from 6061 aluminum. It's weaker than 2000 or 7000 series and forms fairly easily. 2000 series is the most common. It has medium strength and good fatigue qualities. I think that you will find that most of the rv parts you find will probably be 2000 series because of it's lower cost than 7000 series but that is just a guess. 7000 series is stronger but more brittle. Most of your high strength airplane parts are going to be 7000 series.


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## RVdogs (May 5, 2010)

After following this thread I decided to check out the rear slide on my 250RS. Lo and behold, the slide was not connected to the inside ceiling track mount on the "kitchen side". AT ALL! 









I have no idea when/how it occurred, but it's possible it was delivered that way. There is a silver colored retention clip that holds the guide in the track. Maybe the retention clip wasn't fastened and the guide popped out while towing. It took a little help from my DW and DD to lift the slide and reattach it.

The bracket for the track that was bearing the weight is elongated by about 1/2", but it's not pulled away from the ceiling. I can't tell if it was damaged or if that's just how it looks when it's loaded. After attaching the "kitchen side", that bracket looks just like the "couch side" bracket. I'm going to take a picture and post here and maybe some of you can compare with yours.


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## philzup (Jun 16, 2010)

TwoElkhounds said:


> Hay I noticed you were at Letchworth. Are you from up-state NY?


Yes, we are from upstate NY...and Letchworth was definitely worth the trip. Wish we could have stayed longer...
[/quote]

Hi Philzup,

Welcome to Outbackers!! We are practically neighbors!! I live just north of Schenectady in Saratoga County.

I replaced my awning clamps last year and they were secured with lag bolts, no nuts. I would assume the bunk brackets would be the same.

DAN
[/quote]

Hey Dan~

We actually live in Glenville, so we're even closer. I just replaced both brackets today, siliconed the @#$%&* out of them and used the next size up in screws. They seem to be solid- but I'll know for sure after I test it by using the slide tomorrow- I'll keep you posted.


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## OutbackBrat (Oct 13, 2009)

philzup said:


> I purchased two from a local dealer in the area, as I would like to replace them both. My more immediate concern is what do the brackets on the rear trailer wall attach to internally? They don't seem to anchor to anything substantial. After you swapped yours out, you didn't have any further issues? And, believe me, I'd love to think of this as maintenance as I love this trailer.


I believe they just screw into the wood/aluminum/ insulation that the trailer is made out of. Just make sure you do not over tighten them!

Ours broke because we put the rear slide out while the trailer was across our driveway instead of up and down the driveway. I think the slant of the driveway from right to left put to much pressure on the one bracket and caused it to break.

I should follow my own advice and go buy a spare!


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## RVdogs (May 5, 2010)

OutbackBrat said:


> I believe they just screw into the wood/aluminum/ insulation that the trailer is made out of. Just make sure you do not over tighten them!
> 
> Ours broke because we put the rear slide out while the trailer was across our driveway instead of up and down the driveway. I think the slant of the driveway from right to left put to much pressure on the one bracket and caused it to break.
> 
> I should follow my own advice and go buy a spare!











This is what my brackets look like when the rear slide is in, even with a support under the bed to reduce the load on the tracks. Not looking good...


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## Ish (Jun 15, 2010)

RVdogs said:


> View attachment 891
> 
> 
> This is what my brackets look like when the rear slide is in, even with a support under the bed to reduce the load on the tracks. Not looking good...


That's what mine looks like too. I have an appointment with the dealer next week to have it looked at.


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