My wife and I are considering buying our first RV. There are two of us and we want either a short Class A (under 35 ft) or a large Class C - with a large bathroom and comfort being the priority.My Questions: SLIDERSI see some people warning about sliders. Either they leak or they will leak they say. I had not given Sliders any thought to now - and most of the RVs I've seen have one or more sliders.Are there any Slider "types" or "construction" that is better than the other? Leakage would be my biggest concern.Also, anything to look for when inspecting a Used RV with a Slider (other than the obvious signs of leaks on the inside ceiling)?Should I avoid buying an RV with a Slider? If yes, that would probably have me only consider buying a Class A (as a Class C without a slider would be too tight I think). Opinions wanted!Thanks

Well, nowadays not many coaches dont come with a slideout. There are many configurations of slideout seals from different manufacturers. I really think that you have to do your research, and make your own choices. Of course most folks will say the better the coach, the better the quality. Go out and look at different makes and models of rv's and the slide mechanisms and seals. You may find one that just clicks with you. Now for a independent opinion all my own, i will NEVER own a rv with Schwintek slide mechanism. PERIOD. Two small electric motors that MUST be run synchronized or the slide can "rack" and get stuck. The motors are too small for the size / weight of many slides. The track mechanism is prone to galling / stripping...etc...etc... I saw the new powergear slide mechanism on a winnebago class c recently ( powergear was bought by Lippert Components inc same company that brought you schwintek) and it is not impressive either. Looks like they are trying to re-engineer the schwintek system. Luckily i have the older powergear slideechanism

We've had three different rv's with slide outs and none have leaked (water, air, or anything else). Yes there are different types of slide outs that include hydraulic, electric, and I've even seen a manual crank out. And, as mentioned above, I don't think there are many rv's that do NOT come with a slide out so I'm pretty sure you're gonna have one whether you want one or not. I'd say odds are about 50/50 that at some time or another, you will have a problem with one...nature of the beast.Ron

We would not go back to an RV without a slider. Our single 6' electric slider is perfect for the 2 of us. In our previous rig, maneuvering in and around the kitchen/dining/living areas was difficult for 2 or more people. Not any more. Ours does not leak nor caused us any problems over the years. Made by Lippert.

I went camping last week and while at the campground I decided to do a simple survey. Unknown to my fellow campers, I struck up a conversation with them one-on-one, mostly inquiring about their specific camper. This is an easy approach. "I'm thinking of buying a new camper. I noticed yours, it kind of caught my eye. What do you like about it, what do you not like about it?".... They will ramble with passion! Then came the bomb shell? "Your camper has slides. Have you ever had problems with them?" Once again, a myriad of responses. Mostly they fell into 2 categories. Seems pretty much everyone had no problem with slides working. About half said they had problems with leaks. When investigating further, they admitted they were not diligent in cleaning the roof of the slide. Tree sticks, leaves, nuts, bark fell on top of the slide roof, then the owner retracted the slides. In time, or for what ever reason, the derbies would catch under the rubber seals causing them to tear and eventually leak when it rained. Everone who said they meticulously cleaned off the slides before retracting each time, never had a problem with leaks.I talked to about 10 different campers. Here again, this is not a scientific survey, it was something I just did for fun. Bottom line... today's RV are pretty well built. Any problems with slides will probably be because of user failure, not manufacturer failure. If the slides work at the dealer PDI session, they will continue to be OK for a long time, provided the owner does reasonable care and maintenance, like cleaning the roof of derbies and keeping the tracks greased, oiled, or whatever.

Slides were a problem in the early days of them - maybe 15~20 years ago.Now, not so much. I would never even consider an RV without them.

Are all "Slide Outs" created equally? What to look for

4x4van
Explorer III
Aug 23, 2017
John S. wrote:
Notice the entertainer coaches are not slide units. Much stronger for the miles and ability to put things anywhere.
Yeah, but the "entertainer" coaches are used for traveling, not camping/living. After squeezing past each other in our first 2 non-slide RVs, I will never again own one without.
4x4van
Explorer III
Aug 23, 2017
Personally, I have seen many more issues with Schwintek slides posted on RV forums than any other system, even the new "improved" Schwintek. From what I see and read, the HWH hydraulic system seems to be less problematic, but your mileage may vary. My HWH system had an intermittent problem when I bought the RV (used) last year; turned out to be a simple bit of corrosion on a fuse; so the electric portion, not the hydraulic. 12 years old, so I guess I can understand. No issues since.

Bottom line is that slideouts are just another "system" on an RV that can and may give an owner problems, no different than any of the other "systems" on board. And just like any other system, care and maintenance can go a long way in reducing (not eliminating) the chances of a breakdown/failure.
John_S_
Explorer II
Aug 23, 2017
I had slides for the las ten years. Yes I had issues with them both retracting and extending but I always got them out or in. Now this new coach I specifically searched for one without slides. Why is there is more storage, better floor planning and that extra space in the middle was not as valuable to me as the simplicity and storage and weight savings. If I were to order a new bus I would go with a nonslide unit. Notice the entertainer coaches are not slide units. Much stronger for the miles and ability to put things anywhere.
CountryB
Explorer
Aug 23, 2017
Very interesting info. Thanks for all the replies.

I guess I should not worry about Slide types or mechanisms as long as I buy a "relatively new" MH from a reputable manufacture.
doxiemom11
Explorer II
Aug 23, 2017
We have a 17 yr old coach with Power Gear slides. No problems in 8 yrs since we purchased it. We did find that we must be level or the slides will leak. If level everything is dry.
tatest
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2017
Not all slideouts are equal. There is much variety in the construction of slideout rooms and in the mechanisms that move them. There is also a lot of variation in how they are sealed, open and closed, and how well they get wiped when retracted.

Slideout walls might be the same construction as the rest of the motorhome, or they might be of lighter construction. The box that moves may be totally sealed, or it may be open at the bottom. It might drop to be level with the floor, or it may stay above the floor. It might ride on rollers and be supported when traveling to be usable when in, or it might float above the floor and supposed to be empty when not extended.

Mechanisms might be hydraulic or mechanical. Mechanical mechanisms have included cable-pull, rack and pinion, and screwjacks. Hydraulic mechanisms might be separate each slideout or might act on all slideouts at once; a friend has a RV with five slideouts on a single hydraulic system, and in order to use her kitchen she needs to extend all five slides, as the kitchen is the last to move. The mechanism that moves the slide might support it, or it might not.

You are not likely to find many 30-35 foot type A motorhomes without slideouts, less then 10 years old. You might have to go back 15-20 years to avoid slideouts in type A. You will find Cs up to about 30 feet without slides, because these are made for the rental market where features that complicate the RV experience (slideouts, awnings, sometimes generators) are avoided by rental companies.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 22, 2017
Are all equal.. NO they are not
Some are Cable Cars (Accu-slide) Look for, when extended, two cables on the "FRONT' and "REAR" (Directions refer to when going down the road) of the slide

Some are Rack and Pinion systems (Power gear) Look for TOOTHED rails under the slideout

Some are hydraulic

Swintek uses a metal strip with a serpentine (Wavy) line or slot on the front and back of the slide out.

What to look for.. Not sure.. What I have observed.

Power gear and Accuslide (What I have) use the same basic type of controller. this unit senses current to the motor and when it increases it shuts the thing off.. I've had issues with needing multiply attempts to get the Accu-Slides in and out.. Works though. Power gear I've not had that problem but the controller just failed.. I'm working on it.

The Accu slides.. if the cable breaks and the broken end pulls in it is a WITCH to run the new cable. but doable. (I did) easier if you get it before the broken end vaishes

Finally if you need to "OVERRIDE" the slide manually (IE: Control failure)

Accu-slide.. Drill with a flexible hex tool (Drill;/Screwdrive) extension

Power gear.. Ideally a 3/4 inch rachet wrinch but .. Well It's a job.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2017
I have had no issues with our slideout. I would not own one without them. Like anything else, if you maintain it, it will work well. there are 2 main types, flush floor slideout and a raised floor design. Flush floor has the motor (or hydraulics) under the main floor. raised floor (where you step up into the dinette or couch has the motor above the main floor but under the slide floor. some of these types are cable operated which I would stay away from. these can have cable and/or adjustment issues!
Atlee
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2017
The Power Gear shallow slide on my Skyline Koala 21CS broke just before a couple were to look at it. It was for sale at the time.

I looked for and found a floor plan (Jayco 23RB) that suited my wife and I that doesn't have a slide. I know slides are much better now, and that most folks would not buy a RV that didn't have at least one slide or 3, but I went in the opposite direction.

My new trailer is 3 feet longer than my old one, but seems like it has double the room inside.

ScottG wrote:
wing_zealot wrote:
donn0128 wrote:
While we were in our camp host spot there were two different RVs with slide failures. First one was a Swank (sic) system. Took about 6 people 8 hours to get it closed. Second one was a one month old Landmark. Took a mobile tech about two hours to fix that one. Personslly we have never had a problem with my hydraulic slides. I have read some horror stories about inadequate motors on electric slide systems.
You must be some bad juju. I've been camping for over 20 years, thousands of nights and I have never seen a slide failure of any type.

Come to think of it, we've been RVing for 27 years and have never heard or seen a slide failure in any CG either.
azrving
Explorer
Aug 22, 2017
While looking at used rigs there seem to be a lot of hydraulic leaks. Some are not major but who wants oil spots on a driveway. I haven't owned a cable system but a friend hates his. My sons old rig had cable system was a pita.