Are slideout lock bars important?

I have a 2005 Holiday Rambler Endeavor with electrically driven slide motors. My manual states to use the slide locks if I have a problem with the electric motors, just like “RonaldNC manual”. I haven't used my slide locks or experienced any issues with slides creeping out in my 9 years and 47k miles of travel.

Fitz

dougrainer wrote:
If supplied by the OEM, then they are required to be used.
1. Some are used to help keep the room from vibrating in transit(making squeaking noises)
2. Some are used to keep the room from slightly extending in transit
3. Some are used to pull the TOP of the slide in tight for a weather tight seal(Newmar in particular), but other brands as well. Doug

Good point on number 3.

I hadn't thought about leaks.

The slide is only controlled by the gear or hydraulics at the bottom. When closed the mechanism is the only thing holding it there and then only by the slide floor. Bumpy roads, etc put a lot of stress the whole assembly, the locking poles are there to keep the top of the slide in tight so it doesn't want to lean out and stress the mechanism at the bottom.

As was noted so you can put red tape on the poles like aircraft safety flags, or put a note by the slide switch. If you look on an aircraft they have a bright orange ribbon that gets snapped diagonally across the window in the door. They do this when the emergency slide is engaged, so somebody on ramp service won't open the door from the outside any deploy the inflatable slide.

I bought my MH used and it did not come with one. Experienced some slide creep. Once going around a right turn (my only slide is on left side), the darn thing came out almost 2 inches. Have one now!

wa8yxm wrote:
Your Fear is you will forget to remove it (Been there, Done that, No major damage, Have had to replace the odd shear pin)

My Fear is that the slide will extend when I make a right turn (Why I insert lock bar)

When Parked, as I am now, I store the lock bar inside the steering wheel (It stands up on the floor) makes it very hard to forget cause it is in the way of driving,, I also have a "STOP" sign for the antenna (Used to be called an Antenna Saver, I think they are back to making them now). It clips on either the wheel, or the ignition key.

Slide rooms cannot just roll out in a turn or such. A malfunctioning room may extend a few inches, but that is about the full extend they will go. IF YOU CANNOT PUSH IT OUT FROM THE INSIDE, THEN IT WILL NOT ROLL OUT OR EXTEND TOO MUCH WHILE TRAVELING TO CAUSE A HAZARD. Doug

bsinmich wrote:
My MH has a little women that reminds me to check slide locks and chairs for clearance with a 5 sec. delay. I would like to meet her some time.

Yes, but the problem is--like a nagging woman, Newmar owners tune her out and do not release the manual locks and then have bent lock arms and a slide out of alignment. Doug

Your Fear is you will forget to remove it (Been there, Done that, No major damage, Have had to replace the odd shear pin)

My Fear is that the slide will extend when I make a right turn (Why I insert lock bar)

When Parked, as I am now, I store the lock bar inside the steering wheel (It stands up on the floor) makes it very hard to forget cause it is in the way of driving,, I also have a "STOP" sign for the antenna (Used to be called an Antenna Saver, I think they are back to making them now). It clips on either the wheel, or the ignition key.

I had several problems with one of my slides (hydraulic) where one of the gears in the room mechanism kept breaking teeth and the slide wouldn't work. After several 'fixes' by local dealers, I went back to the factory and they had a manufacturers rep come and fix it. It had been fine but while traveling with my family my son and his wife were seated at the dinette and said they saw the slides flexing in and out at the top as we traveled. I started using the slide locks after that because I didn't want to put more stress on the slide mechanism and possibly have it fail again. JMHO.

I think it depends on the coach and type of slide motors. Some have built in locks, some don't. If it makes you feel better and you have them, why not? If you don't have them and the slide has never wandered out then I doubt you need it.

Never bothered with ours and they haven't ever shown signs of coming open.

But, I wouldn't worry too much about damage if you forget to remove them. There should be a limit switch or breaker that will stop the slide out motor if it meets too much resistance.

I know because we had the breaker going bad and if you gently pushed, the slide would go in and out but otherwise the strain was too much and the breaker would trip. With a new breaker, it can still trip but takes a more force (but I don't think it would be enough to damage anything)