Schwintek Gear Pack Rebuild for RV Slide-Outs
Coast to Coast RV Repair provides mobile gear pack rebuild service on-site at your campground or driveway across Florida - certified technicians, same-week scheduling.
Coast to Coast RV Repair provides mobile gear pack rebuild service on-site at your campground or driveway across Florida - certified technicians, same-week scheduling.
Certified technicians. $299 service call. Same-week scheduling. Call (866) 887-1199.
Slide Gear Pack Construction and Failure Modes
The slide-out gear pack is a reduction gearbox mounted between the drive motor and the rack pinion. Most gear packs use a three-stage spur gear arrangement that reduces motor speed by 18:1 to 26:1 while multiplying torque. Gear materials vary significantly by manufacturer and price point. Dexter and Lippert OEM gear packs use nylon-over-steel composite gears that sacrifice the outer nylon tooth face under overload rather than allowing the metal output shaft to bend. The most common overload scenario is operating a slide while the coach is unlevel by more than 2 inches corner-to-corner, which creates a lateral binding force at the slide opening frame that can spike torque demand to 2 to 3 times the rated gear pack capacity.
Gear Pack Rebuild vs Full Motor Assembly Replacement
A common upsell at RV dealerships is to replace the entire motor-and-gear-pack assembly when only the gear pack has failed. The motor in these assemblies rarely fails simultaneously with the gear pack unless the stripped gears caused prolonged no-load motor operation above rated RPM. The diagnostic test: disconnect the gear pack from the motor shaft and run the motor under no load. A current draw of 4 to 8 A confirms a healthy motor; anything above 12 A confirms motor failure. If the motor is healthy, a rebuild kit for the gear pack costs $45 to $85 in parts versus $285 to $420 for a complete motor-and-gear-pack assembly.
Preventing Future Gear Pack Failures - Leveling and Load Protocol
The majority of gear pack failures on Florida campground calls are operator-induced overloads. Two practices account for more than 80 percent of the cases we handle. First, operating slide rooms while the coach is not level. Lippert's specification for Schwintek systems states that the coach must be leveled to within 1 inch corner-to-corner before slide operation. Second, operating slides against blocked travel.
Also see: Slide-Out Repair Services
This page covers gear pack rebuild specifically. For the full range of slide-out repair services we offer, visit our Slide-Out Repair service overview.
Case Study: Dexter 5500 series gear pack (Part #9-2320) - the idler gear cluster (three 24-tooth nylon spur gears on a 6 mm carrier pin) had stripped completely after the slide was operated with a hydraulic leveler lifted one corner of the coach 4 inches, binding the slide room against the opening frame under a lateral load exceeding the gear pack's 85 ft-lb torque rating
RV: 2019 Forest River Georgetown 31B1 • Location: Collier-Seminole State Park • City: Naples, FL
Symptom: The main living-area slide motor ran at full speed with normal current draw but the slide did not move at all; when the motor was running, plastic grinding sounds came from inside the gear pack housing, and small white plastic shavings were visible on the floor below the motor bracket
Diagnosis: Motor no-load current draw: 4.2 A (healthy range 4 to 6 A), confirming motor not the cause; gear pack input shaft rotated freely with no resistance at output shaft, confirmed stripped idler cluster; output shaft showed 0 ft-lb of drive torque on a 1/2-inch drive torque wrench - complete gear failure
- Confirm motor health: Motor drew 4.2 A with gear pack disconnected from motor shaft - within healthy 4 to 6 A range, confirmed motor is serviceable
- Remove gear pack: Extracted four M6 socket head screws holding Dexter 9-2320 gear pack to motor face; slid gear pack off keyed motor shaft
- Open gear pack housing: Unscrewed six M4 housing screws; documented three-stage gear arrangement: input spur gear, idler cluster, output ring and pinion
- Extract stripped idler gear: Carrier pin was intact; all three idler gear teeth were stripped to the root across full tooth width
- Install Dexter 9-2320-IK idler cluster rebuild kit: Pressed three new 24-tooth nylon-over-steel composite gears onto 6 mm carrier pin; verified gear mesh clearance of 0.15 mm between idler and input gear using feeler gauge
- Reassemble gear pack: Applied thin film of Mobilgrease XHP 222 to all gear faces; seated new housing O-ring; torqued housing screws to 8 in-lb in cross pattern
- Reinstall gear pack and cycle slide: Slide extended and retracted fully on all 5 cycles; no shavings found on floor after 5 cycles
Outcome: Slide operates at full rated torque; motor current draw settled to 5.1 A at full load, within spec.
Time on-site: 1 hour 40 minutes • Total cost: $385 • Dealer alternative: $780 - $1,100 for full motor-and-gear-pack assembly replacement at a Forest River dealer
“I didn't realize running the slide with a jack up would strip the gears. The tech explained exactly what happened and fixed it right there at the campsite.”
Slide Gear Pack Rebuild Kits vs Full Assembly Replacement
| Gear Pack | OEM Assembly Part # | Rebuild Kit Part # | Rebuild Kit Cost | Full Assembly Cost | Rebuild Time | Full Replacement Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter 5500 Series | 9-2320 | 9-2320-IK | $48 | $295 | 60-90 min | 90-120 min |
| Lippert Schwintek 18:1 | 376862 | INN-GBOX-KIT | $55 | $145 (motor+gear integrated) | N/A (integrated) | 60-90 min |
| Lippert Schwintek 26:1 | 376863 | INN-GBOX-KIT-26 | $62 | $162 (motor+gear integrated) | N/A (integrated) | 60-90 min |
| HWH Room in a Box Gear Pack | RP11890 | RP11890-GK | $78 | $420 | 75-105 min | 120-150 min |
| Power Gear 26:1 Gear Pack | 140-1200 | 140-1200-SK | $65 | $310 | 60-90 min | 90-120 min |
Signs You Need Gear Pack Rebuild
- ✓Always run the motor no-load current test before deciding to rebuild the gear pack - a healthy motor (4 to 8 A no load) means only the gear pack needs work
- ✓Inspect the housing O-ring when the gear pack is open - a cracked or flattened O-ring allowed moisture in and will cause rapid re-failure if not replaced
- ✓Check the carrier pin diameter with a micrometer - a pin that is out of round by more than 0.05 mm will cause premature wear on new idler gears
- ✓Grease rebuilt gear faces with Mobilgrease XHP 222 or a lithium complex grease - never use petroleum jelly, white lithium spray, or silicone grease on nylon gear teeth
- ✓Verify coach is level to within 1 inch corner-to-corner before test-cycling the slide after rebuild
- ✓Educate the RV owner that slides must never be operated while any leveling jack is raising a single corner
Gear Pack Rebuild - Pricing
Typical price range: $585-$985
All calls start with a $299 service-call fee that covers the technician's trip to your location and the first hour of diagnosis. That $299 applies toward any repair you authorize - it is not an additional charge on top of the repair. Pricing shown is a national average range; your exact quote is provided in writing on-site before any work begins.
Gear Pack Rebuild - Common Questions
Straight answers from our gear pack rebuild service call log.
My motor runs but the slide doesn't move - is it always the gear pack?
Usually, yes. Run the no-load current test first: disconnect the gear pack from the motor shaft and measure current draw while the motor runs. If it draws 4 to 8 A with no load, the motor is healthy and the gear pack has stripped.
Can you rebuild the gear pack at my campsite or do I have to go to a shop?
We rebuild gear packs on-site at your campsite. We carry rebuild kits for Dexter 9-2320, Lippert 376890, and Schwintek INN-GBOX-KIT on every service truck.
What caused my gear pack to strip? Will it happen again?
The most common causes are operating the slide while the coach is unlevel by more than 2 inches corner-to-corner, or operating against a blocked slide.
I see plastic shavings under my slide motor - how urgent is this?
Stop operating the slide immediately. Shavings mean gear teeth are actively stripping. Every additional cycle increases the damage.
How do I know if my Schwintek gear pack can be rebuilt separately from the motor?
The Schwintek system integrates the motor and gear pack into one sealed unit - it cannot be field-rebuilt by splitting the motor from the gear pack like a Dexter or HWH unit.
More Slide-Out Repair Services
Other specialized repairs under slide-out repair - all done at your location, no tow required.
Where We Provide Gear Pack Rebuild in Florida
Coast to Coast RV Repair runs gear pack rebuild jobs across these cities. Click your closest one for local-specific info, response times, and campground coverage.