2011 RT 210P Aux Battery box/Slide drawer

[Seniorflyer]

Having my share of fun and games trying to get the drawer open and fear sliders are frozen due to corrosion. I can't even get the drawer to budge a few inches to get look inside. I am fearful of pulling too hard on the outside door and breaking something, especially now that RT is no more and parts may be unavailable.

Anyone have a similar issue and have any methods to get the drawer open? Once open I have new industrial sliders to put on and I will be changing over to AGM batteries.

Hopefully the battery box is still in good shape. Maybe I ought to start scrounging available supplies for one of those before too long just in case.

Thanks for any help!

[JohnnyFry]

I had the same problem on my 2008 210P. Sliders sounded like they were full of sand and lots of bearing balls were falling out. I pulled the drawer out before it fell out. The box was useable but corroded. I gave it a good dose of epoxy paint and put a plastic bottom in yhe box. I found heavy duty 200# sliders for about $80/pair. I would have liked to have found Stainless steel but was unavle to locate any. Dimensions are critical: 12 inch depth with full extension, 0.50 inch thickness. Idealy you should use stainless pop rivets but I ended up using mostly SS bolts, lockwashers and nuts. The drawer/sliders is enclosed in a plastic box secured at the bottom with bolts which go through struts underneath. You need to take the entire box out and removing the front. It is secured to the drawer with pop rivets which can be replaced with a combination of #12 sheet metal screws and pop rivets. Not a huge job but you will be out of commission for a few days at least. Even with new sliders pulling the drawer is rough. Best to get AGMs so you don’t have to open it and it won’t corrode further.

[Seniorflyer]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFry

I had the same problem on my 2008 210P. Sliders sounded like they were full of sand and lots of bearing balls were falling out. I pulled the drawer out before it fell out. The box was useable but corroded. I gave it a good dose of epoxy paint and put a plastic bottom in yhe box. I found heavy duty 200# sliders for about $80/pair. I would have liked to have found Stainless steel but was unavle to locate any. Dimensions are critical: 12 inch depth with full extension, 0.50 inch thickness. Idealy you should use stainless pop rivets but I ended up using mostly SS bolts, lockwashers and nuts. The drawer/sliders is enclosed in a plastic box secured at the bottom with bolts which go through struts underneath. You need to take the entire box out and removing the front. It is secured to the drawer with pop rivets which can be replaced with a combination of #12 sheet metal screws and pop rivets. Not a huge job but you will be out of commission for a few days at least. Even with new sliders pulling the drawer is rough. Best to get AGMs so you don’t have to open it and it won’t corrode further.

Can you send me pics of the entire drawer and subsections ? I need to see what it all looks like. You say you dropped the entire thing before trying to open the drawer? I can see the strut bolts are rusted and brittle. More fun!

[JohnnyFry]

I am sorry that I do not have any photos of the progress. I did, however, take 2 photos which, I hope, can give you a better idea.

The drawer module pulls straight out when the bolts and screws are removed. I has the sliders mounted to the sides. The front must be removed in order to access the mounting bolts without being a contortionist. Allan key on top and socket underneath. Photos are from another drawer for illustration.

I hope this is helpful.

John
Drawer.jpg

front.jpg

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFry

I am sorry that I do not have any photos of the progress. I did, however, take 2 photos which, I hope, can give you a better idea.

The drawer module pulls straight out when the bolts and screws are removed. I has the sliders mounted to the sides. The front must be removed in order to access the mounting bolts without being a contortionist. Allan key on top and socket underneath. Photos are from another drawer for illustration.

I hope this is helpful.

John

Great job John. My Airstream Avenue battery tray is getting hard to pull. Think I'll go out an oil the rollers first thing in the morning.
.

[Seniorflyer]

I see a couple pop rivets that fasten the battery box to the wheel well. How does one remove a pop rivet? Drill throough the center to break it up?

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Seniorflyer

I see a couple pop rivets that fasten the battery box to the wheel well. How does one remove a pop rivet? Drill throough the center to break it up?

Yes, exactly. I've had success using a drill bit one size bigger than the rivet hole. That way you completely remove the head so it will push out (just don't drill in so far that you enlarge the original hole).

An aluminum rivet will drill out relatively easy unless it begins to spin in the hole (which thankfully doesn't happen often), but a stainless steel rivet will be relatively difficult due to it's hardness.
.

[hardybob]

We repaired ours the same way. I looked a long time for stainless steel sliders but they are all 3/4 inch thick instead of 1/2 inch. If used, they would require the box be rebuilt 1/2 inch narrower.

[post87]

JB Blaster all over the corroded sliders.. again every hour until it slides open....about 3 hours on mine and it all came loose. Had not been opened in 2 years, so now I open it at least twice a year just to check for terminal corrosion prevention.

[Deano]

When you get the drawer open, check the 1" screen vents. All of mine were rusted completely shut preventing any ventilation.
I replaced them with plastic louver vents, and added several more than RT had.

[ManWonder]

Had the same issue on my 2004 Roadtrek 190P... Used lots of penetrating oil and with time got the battery to slide out... Question: do you really need it to slide? I was thinking when or if the slide failed completely I would just remove it and find another way to secure the battery.

[Seniorflyer]

Originally Posted by Seniorflyer

Can you send me pics of the entire drawer and subsections ? I need to see what it all looks like. You say you dropped the entire thing before trying to open the drawer? I can see the strut bolts are rusted and brittle. More fun!

Johnny, I have it all disassembled with AGM batteries enroute via UPS. When you put it back together did you leave the door off until the drawer and box reattached to frame and then reattach the door or have the door on before bolting it down? Thanks in advance!

[JohnnyFry]

I replaced the insert and secured it to the frame using the through bolts and the self tapping screws to get proper alignment. The sliders I used could be taken apart so that the drawer could be slid in at the end. I attached the door, slid the drawer in to check alignment with the trim, removed the drawer, tightened the drawer front before final assembly. Be certain to check operation of the side latches and operation of the T handle before loading the batteries.