Slide reliability - Are they reliable?
Years back I had 1995 5th wheel it had problems with the slide rollers and seals, etc. due to this I have been reluctant to get anything with slides. However I now find myself wanting another RV and...
Forum Discussion
There is no single answer to your question. There are several different types of slide mechanisms all with pluses and minuses.
My last RV had rack and pinion and other than having to crank it by hand for the first 3", it worked fine for 7 years.
My current RV has Schwintek slides that a lot of people like to call out. Mine have worked perfectly for 5 years until this year a wire broke to the motor. To make a long story short, it was a big deal to repair that wire. Later Schwintek installations would have been quite easy to repair.
Some of the cable units some manufacturers switched to to replace Schwintek are worse IMHO.
I believe a lot of problems people have with slides are the direct result of poor installation, not necessarily the slide itself. But then, most RV problems are the result of shoddy installation / construction.
My last RV had rack and pinion and other than having to crank it by hand for the first 3", it worked fine for 7 years.
My current RV has Schwintek slides that a lot of people like to call out. Mine have worked perfectly for 5 years until this year a wire broke to the motor. To make a long story short, it was a big deal to repair that wire. Later Schwintek installations would have been quite easy to repair.
Some of the cable units some manufacturers switched to to replace Schwintek are worse IMHO.
I believe a lot of problems people have with slides are the direct result of poor installation, not necessarily the slide itself. But then, most RV problems are the result of shoddy installation / construction.
