So I went to an RV Show on Saturday . . .
and RV shows can really distract your mind from more important taskers - and cost you a lot of money in the long run! It also leads to a long post! Background: Currently PUP camper. Love camping...
Forum Discussion
Heavy slides are not the problem. Inadequate strength in the slide mechanism is. Look at the beams supporting the slide. I've seen some that were so weak that you had to manually put props under the outside edge when extended.
Slides come in two flavors: hydraulic and electric. Both work; both fail, but not very often. Price of the coach is a good indication of the relative chance of failure. The big 5th wheels with 5 slides and the big motor homes with 4 slides or two full wall slides would not survive if slide failures were greater than rare. Of course these are also higher priced RV's.
Slides do add weight, and can reduce the structural integrity of the RV. More important on a MH than a trailer as you are riding in it. Some manufacturers do better than others on structural considerations. Generally the cockpit of a Class C or B+ is stronger than Class A's. Again, not a universal condition as some Class A manufacturers do it right and buld in "roll cage" design and strength. RV Consumer group at rv.org rates these, and other factors - mostly from manufacturer provided specs. Not perfect, but I found them well worth the price as another factor to consider when making an 80-100k purchase.
Slides come in two flavors: hydraulic and electric. Both work; both fail, but not very often. Price of the coach is a good indication of the relative chance of failure. The big 5th wheels with 5 slides and the big motor homes with 4 slides or two full wall slides would not survive if slide failures were greater than rare. Of course these are also higher priced RV's.
Slides do add weight, and can reduce the structural integrity of the RV. More important on a MH than a trailer as you are riding in it. Some manufacturers do better than others on structural considerations. Generally the cockpit of a Class C or B+ is stronger than Class A's. Again, not a universal condition as some Class A manufacturers do it right and buld in "roll cage" design and strength. RV Consumer group at rv.org rates these, and other factors - mostly from manufacturer provided specs. Not perfect, but I found them well worth the price as another factor to consider when making an 80-100k purchase.
