how possible is this?
I was just talking to a fellow camper who witnessed a fifth wheel entering a freeway on a really tight turn entrance ramp and one of the slide outs opened up during the turn. He said that it didn't co...
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Nothing has ever gone wrong with a slide to me or anyone I know with the exception of one I know who left something loose inside their 5er and the item literally fell up against the switch and ran the slider out while driving down the road.
In my mechanically inclined view, unwanted opening, or a failure allowing it to open during travel, all just depends on the type of slide mechanism.
Hydraulic slides could easily be "locked" on their own, without any extra step from the user, if the system has a pilot operated check valve that ensures the cylinder can't move without system pressure. It's a simple part that can be added separately or built in to the cylinder itself. This is very common practice for mobile hydraulic equipment which having it drift / move on it's own would be detrimental.....I wonder if the RV MFR's have thought of this or not?......
The slides on my TT are cable driven. One snapped cable and the slide could moved on it's own, but I check over everything at least once a season - so far no frayed cables or loose hardware.....
I would think the slides with screw jack drive could not "slip" and unwanted movement would have to be a major failure situation.
The slides I have seen with a motor and pinion actuating a long rack type gear do also seem like a loose / stripped pinion would allow it move easily, too.
In my mechanically inclined view, unwanted opening, or a failure allowing it to open during travel, all just depends on the type of slide mechanism.
Hydraulic slides could easily be "locked" on their own, without any extra step from the user, if the system has a pilot operated check valve that ensures the cylinder can't move without system pressure. It's a simple part that can be added separately or built in to the cylinder itself. This is very common practice for mobile hydraulic equipment which having it drift / move on it's own would be detrimental.....I wonder if the RV MFR's have thought of this or not?......
The slides on my TT are cable driven. One snapped cable and the slide could moved on it's own, but I check over everything at least once a season - so far no frayed cables or loose hardware.....
I would think the slides with screw jack drive could not "slip" and unwanted movement would have to be a major failure situation.
The slides I have seen with a motor and pinion actuating a long rack type gear do also seem like a loose / stripped pinion would allow it move easily, too.
