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

lanerd
Explorer II
Aug 21, 2017
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
suprz
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
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

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

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