| RV industry salespeople will tell you motor home; | | | | would be enough to be concerned about but no such |
| fifth wheel and travel trailer "slide outs" are the | | | | luck. The physics alone of moving a thousand to two |
| greatest invention in recent history for the RV | | | | thousand pound room can be daunting |
| industry. They may be right as slide outs provide a | | | | - One thing to look for is the vertical stance of the |
| transformation on the inside of a RV. | | | | slide as it moves in and out. All slides move over |
| I have four slides on my fifth wheel and I love them | | | | have the some type of roller assembly at the outer |
| but anytime there are positive attributes negative | | | | wall but the slide should maintain its stability (with little |
| ones also go along with it. I must admit the first | | | | tipping in or out) as it moves in and out. Poor stability |
| multi-room slide out I saw which covered twenty to | | | | can damage the floor and can affect the slides ability |
| twenty-five fee on a large motor home sent a shiver | | | | to seal. |
| up my spine. What a nightmare! | | | | Slide Out Seals |
| The nature of the systems themselves invites a host | | | | Imagine you are sitting in your $400,000 motor home |
| of electrical, mechanical and logistic challenges. I get | | | | one afternoon, look up, and spot a bright ray of |
| many questions on slides, so here are some basics. | | | | sunshine shooting across your motor home. You |
| Slide out Mechanical Drive Systems - Electric or | | | | immediately search for the source of this ray of light |
| Hydraulic | | | | and almost shallow your tongue. You jump up and |
| Electric Motor Driven | | | | make a b-line for the upper corner of the opposing |
| - Gear driven electric motor drives a gear system. | | | | slide, peer into the corner and are almost blinded by a |
| - Used more on smaller and lighter slides. | | | | bright ray of sun shooting in between the corner slide |
| - Work adequately when not overloaded (from | | | | seals. It may sound funny but I assure you it was |
| engineering standpoint and yes not all are engineered | | | | not to the owner as he described it to me. Sealing |
| correctly.) | | | | slide outs is a major challenge - especially in the |
| Weaknesses of Electric Slide Outs | | | | extended position. Chances are good if you spray |
| - Motor/gear box can go bad. | | | | wash your motor home, fifth wheel or travel trailer |
| - Can shear drive pen in main gear drive mechanism. | | | | with the slide out... you will, get water inside. |
| - Motor can become overloaded ( excessive amp | | | | Achieving a watertight seal around the entire slide |
| draw) from drag in the slide causing "broken" or | | | | may be one of the most challenging aspects in |
| "relay" to trip. | | | | sealing today's slides. |
| Hydraulic | | | | On new and used RVs, prospective buyers should |
| - Used primarily on larger and heavier slides. | | | | carefully inspect top and side seals. You need to |
| - Can use one motor/pump assembly to power more | | | | understand how the seal is supposed to work, how it |
| than one slide. | | | | is working and the prospect of how long it will |
| - Mechanically more complex than their electrical | | | | continue to work years of use. If you are left |
| counter parts. | | | | shaking, your head you probably, do not want to buy |
| Weaknesses of Hydraulic Systems | | | | this RV. |
| - Possible failure of pump, valve or hydraulic line. | | | | In reality, the areas around your slide can be the |
| - Hydraulic lines are particularly susceptible to wear, | | | | most open area of your motor home, fifth wheel or |
| friction, heat etc. Can develop leaks or breaks in the | | | | travel trailer. Water, light, varmints, insects, etc can |
| lines themselves. | | | | get if not properly sealed. Every RV owner who has |
| Design Challenges of RV Slide Outs | | | | slides should be aware of these issues, which I have |
| - One would hope the drive systems themselves | | | | just addressed. |