Slide-out jack stabilizers. Good or bad?

brubri wrote:
I'm wondering about the use of slide-out stabilizers. Will they bend the slide-out supports over time?

If you have the older '60s/'70s trailer with a tip out or pull out as we called them back then you will need the stabilizers to hold them in position.

There is a market for them as some folks have a older trailer that requires them.

Our newer slide outs use a gear or hyd drive that keeps the slide out lip tight against the gasket around the hole in the wall.

Some trailer mfg warn not to use them for obvious reasons that have been mentioned.

I've had a Skyline and a Fleetwood and a Thor made 5th wheel trailers and all three owners manual says there not recommended nor are they needed.

The slideout stabilizers are still marketed.....for a reason.

fpresto wrote:

Miles Away wrote:
The instances where they MAY have caused damage is almost too small to quantify. Most naysayers point to the loss or air in your tires. Most tire failures occur on the road, not while parked, and what are the chances of both tires going flat at the same time while parked?

I have to respectfully disagree with you for several reasons. First the reason cases of damage being too small to quantify is because very few people use them in part because, like my Cedar Creek Owners manual says specifically "do not use slide out supports or the warranty is voided". They must have put that in for a reason. Second to have any effect the supports would have to be cranked up tight leaving no room for any settling. Third the tires do not have to go flat. You pull in after traveling any appreciable distance and the tires are hot and while you set up they then both cool down and the pressure drops as it drops you get more settling and as small as it is it could be enough to bend the rails. Fourth and most important if you do get damage you may not be able to retract your slide and also the repair could involve removing the slide and changing the rails. The cost could easily be in the thousands of dollars. The risk in my opinion for very little if any gain is not worth it. That, of course, is just my opinion and you are welcome to yours.

The model I speak of has the raised slide above the floor not the level with carpet flap. The rails are actually loose so they can tip down as it comes in. I believe that is the reason that some wood floor installations are scratched because of the leading edge tipping down as it drops off the rollers that are just inboard of the rv wall. As the top outside edge contacts the top of the rv the bottom is sucked in for a tight fit. So in order for the "box" to do this the rail has to be loose enough yet keep gear contact. As someone mentioned above, when the slide is out the top inner side is bearing the horizontal "pull". You could probably actually lift the outer edge of the slide a little and it would just take up some of this slop. 2 or 3 inches would not be good. My top edge actually looks as if it is tweaked at a slight angle which one could see happening if there were 700 pounds in the dinette area plus any cargo in the cabinets and couch area. The end panel to top edge gaps are still pretty uniform but right now, at times, depending on anticipated load I error on the side of putting the supports in. Not always, just sometimes. Like other things, it just depends.

Miles Away wrote:
The instances where they MAY have caused damage is almost too small to quantify. Most naysayers point to the loss or air in your tires. Most tire failures occur on the road, not while parked, and what are the chances of both tires going flat at the same time while parked?

I have to respectfully disagree with you for several reasons. First the reason cases of damage being too small to quantify is because very few people use them in part because, like my Cedar Creek Owners manual says specifically "do not use slide out supports or the warranty is voided". They must have put that in for a reason. Second to have any effect the supports would have to be cranked up tight leaving no room for any settling. Third the tires do not have to go flat. You pull in after traveling any appreciable distance and the tires are hot and while you set up they then both cool down and the pressure drops as it drops you get more settling and as small as it is it could be enough to bend the rails. Fourth and most important if you do get damage you may not be able to retract your slide and also the repair could involve removing the slide and changing the rails. The cost could easily be in the thousands of dollars. The risk in my opinion for very little if any gain is not worth it. That, of course, is just my opinion and you are welcome to yours.

janstey58 wrote:
Ditto to mileshuff, has anyone bent a slideout??

X3!

Just one more piece of unneeded equipment to lug around!

Why bother?

Ditto to mileshuff, has anyone bent a slideout??

What exact problem are people trying to solve when using slide supports? Is there some known issue that supports solve?

mileshuff wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
I don't know that I would go that far since stabilizers like JT Strongarms work very well and they mostly don't come factory installed.

JT's are for stabilizing the trailer from movement while walking inside the trailer. I've never had a slide out that wobbles uncomfortably that needs further stabilizing. If it is not sturdy enough to handle people sitting at the table then I'd opt for a different RV made better!

Slide stabilizers can easily add unwanted stresses to the slide since the trailer can settle, bounce etc and the slide would not be able to move with it. Especially true if a tire decides to leak. I've only seen stabilizers used on rather old trailers on rare occasions.

The poster I was replying to was suggesting that manufacturers would install a product if that product actually worked. I was giving an example of a product that worked but was rarely offered as OEM. I know the difference between slideout stabilizers and JT Strongarms.

We use them on our super slide when staying longer than just over night. Don't let all the scary stories frighten you away. The instances where they MAY have caused damage is almost too small to quantify. Most naysayers point to the loss or air in your tires. Most tire failures occur on the road, not while parked, and what are the chances of both tires going flat at the same time while parked? So if using them makes you feel all warm & fuzzy, and if the small amount of labor involved in setting them up is no issue, then go for it. Keep in mind that they are just for extra support, do not crank them up like a jack.

I've had 5th wheels with slideouts since 1996. I've never used a slideout support and frankly never felt like I had the need for one. I most assuredly wouldn't use them on my current rig with its automatic leveling system!!

Rusty