The great slide vs no slide debate

bobndot wrote:
I don't think anyone has talked about the safety of a slide. How safe are they ? I'm just asking , I have no idea how safe they are, especially in a motorhome where they are inside the vehicle with us.

I ask this question because I spent much of my retired time in my friends rv shop as a second pair of hands. I had the pleasure of seeing lots of rv brands of all types with lots of recurring issues. I saw a lot of rv's come in to be repaired due to minor repairable accidents.
As a result , I have seen slides fall to the ground when deployed. I have seen loose hardware where they bind and can't be hand cranked and must be pushed back in , its not easy if its a large slide . After seeing this , I just can't help to think about how safe are they during a high enough impact accident ? :h

Fact: In the event of an mv accident the first impact is the vehicle striking a solid fixed object, like a tree. The second impact is where the trouble lies...., The driver sliding across a seat slamming through a windshield or an object flying around inside the vehicle striking his/her head. It's the 'second impact' that does us harm .

I would love to have extra living space in any rv . After seeing so many rv's apart, the idea of cutting a large hole or maybe two, three or four large holes in an rv wall does not personally sit well with me. There is not too much structural support.


When towing a trailer or hauling a truck camper all our gear including a slide out is separated from us but in a motorhome, all that stuff is inside with us. This is why construction vans have a cage behind the seats, to help protect the occupants from flying objects as a result of a second impact.

During an accident , what happens if the slide out doesn't stay within its relatively thin frame ? I would think it's gonna fly somewhere (hopefully not inside the motorhome) either in one piece or several !

Has anyone seen the rv consumers grp site covering many topics ? I recently came upon it but have no idea if its bad or good, just thought i'd share it with you.
https://rv.org/blogs/news/short-wheelbases-and-accidents-go-hand-in-hand