Forum Discussion

wborst's avatar
wborst
Explorer
Jan 30, 2015

Cable driven slideouts mechanism

I am considering the purchase of a Montana High Country with the cable drive slideouts. I would like some feedback from owners who have experience with these systems. Are they as reliable as the salesman says? This is the only thing about this brand that gives me pause.

Thanks for any feedback you have to offer.

Bill Borst
  • My system is on a Prowler with a 15ft living room slide, which is sometimes overloaded with "stuff". I bought the Prowler 10yrs ago used and had to take out slack in the cable on the first trip. After that it has never given me any problems. It is slow and steady and works with out complaint if the front to back level is pretty close. Side to side level does not seem critical but it likes to be level on the rollers front to back.

    So my advice is the system works but you may need to tune it up. On mine that was a simple procedure involving a socket wrench, two cable clamps, and some gloves to handle pulling the slack past the clamps. It is a very simple system to work on if you needed to.
  • I had them on a previous rig (Big Country). They were used with the lighter bedroom slide. Never had an issue and I liked how they worked...faster & quieter than the other hydraulic driven slides in the coach.

    Not sure if I was buying new I would get them again...no particular reason other than what I have read here. I would be more concerned with Schwintek systems personally.
  • Thanks for the input, Paul. That is exactly what I was afraid might happen. I have heard of this before but the salesman I spoke with indicated this was a problem that's been successfully addressed.

    Let's see what other have to say.
  • wborst wrote:
    I am considering the purchase of a Montana High Country with the cable drive slideouts. I would like some feedback from owners who have experience with these systems. Are they as reliable as the salesman says? This is the only thing about this brand that gives me pause.

    Thanks for any feedback you have to offer.

    Bill Borst


    I had them on my 2011 Cougar High Country and had lot's of problems with them. First a bad motor on the main slide. Trailer was still in warranty so took it to the dealer. The same motor was no longer made! What? The trailer is less than 1 yo and the motor is already unavailable! Okay, no worries, we'll (the dealer) fabricate some new brackets and install a different electric motor. They did that and the slide was never the same.

    No one, the same dealer or 2 other repair facilities, could ever get it properly aligned. The cable was cutting through the metal brackets in the trailer wall. I spent over $2,000 of my own money with continued attempts to align it and it was never right again. One of the main reason I got a new trailer.

    I was never comfortable that they would not fail me on a trip somewhere.

    I have a buddy with a Montana High Country and he is starting to have the same issues.

    Now I guarantee there will be a huge number of owners who have cable slides that are going to pipe up and tell us how wonderful their cable slides are and that's okay. I will never have them again myself.