Slide reliability - Are they reliable?

Maybe a better question would be which slides are the most reliable. Mine are electric with cables and are 20 years old and have always worked flawlessly. Every other system in the MH I have repaired or had problems with.

Slides are reliable until they aren't. :W Should be self evident but reality is that those who've never had slide issues will always say yes, slides are reliable, but those who have had issues will always warn against them. :R

Our current trailer is the first we've ever owned with a slide and although it's worked just fine to date each and every time I deploy or retract it I wonder - "Is this the time the darned thing won't work, for whatever reason?" I hope I never find out ... but I do wonder. :p

In your case there is one SURE solution - buy a trailer with no slide(s). ;)

As an aside, my greater concern is whether the slide(s) interferes in any way with interior access without being deployed, 'cause if it does it's immediately OFF my shopping list. ;)

my 1999 winnebago chieftain had two slides, had it 14 years with no issues.
early slides were a disaster in many cases. long slides sagged in the middle, then they put a fake wall divider in the middle to prevent that. I remember looking at various used ones that showed leakage, etc.
bumpy

our HTT has a 15 foot slideout.
we've had some fuses blow a few times but now it works great.

wouldn't have any RV without a slideout.

My '07 5vr has 3 slides....FTd for 7 yrs moving weekly ---slides in/out every week. They are now 10 yrs old

Bedroom slide is electric motor chain driven. TempurPedic Queen bed on platform and under bed storage FULL of some heavy items.
It has been flawless

Living room slides (2 opposing slides) are hydraulic piston driven
One is 6' and 3' has hide a bed sofa in it
Other is 12' and 2.5' deep has dinette, entertainment center/desk and kitchen pantry
They have been pretty good......had to replace a drive gear on long slide due to broken tooth----fatigue crack heavily rusted.

Other than that......operate, seal, no sag/no leaks

I would not hesitate to purchase RV with slides...provided they weren't 'Schwintek' design. That is a problem prone piece of junk IMHO

I had a 98 with a hydraulic slide and the slide was one of the few things that didn't cause problems in the two years that I owned it. I had another 98 with a rack and pinion slide for 10 years and I eventually had to Grease the idler roller's that were chattering. My current RV is a 2008 with a rack and Pinion flat floor slide and it has been flawless . The only time I've ever had water leaks with my slides is if I didn't have them tightly opened or closed. Craig