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 plan to do a lot of boon docking. Moving ever few days or so. It seams that it is very difficult to find many units without slides so I am wondering do the units after 2004 or so have better slide mechanisms? Are they dependable enough to slide in and out on a continual basis? I would appreciate hearing of your experiences and concerns. Thanks.

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

My '07 5vr has 3 slides....FTd for 7 yrs moving weekly ---slides in/out every week. They are now 10 yrs oldBedroom slide is electric motor chain driven. TempurPedic Queen bed on platform and under bed storage FULL of some heavy items.It has been flawlessLiving room slides (2 opposing slides) are hydraulic piston drivenOne is 6' and 3' has hide a bed sofa in itOther is 12' and 2.5' deep has dinette, entertainment center/desk and kitchen pantryThey 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 leaksI would not hesitate to purchase RV with slides...provided they weren't 'Schwintek' design. That is a problem prone piece of junk IMHO

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 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

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. :ROur 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. :pIn 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. ;)

Slide reliability - Are they reliable? | Good Sam Community

36 Replies

Kenneth_Neal
Explorer
Nov 07, 2016
I've had a lot of experience with Schwintek slides. Stay away. They are grossly under engineered and are only suitable for small light weight slides. I've had to replace 5 motors.
ktmrfs
Explorer III
Nov 07, 2016
Based on all the people I know that have trailers with slides IMHO they are reliable enouogh that it shouldn't be very high on the decision list. Decide on the trailer you like best, slides or not and then buy it.

IMHO a FAR FAR FAR higher decision point is with the slides IN can I get to the bathroom, fridge, cooktop, microwave, dinette, bedroom etc. water pump switch, lights, sink when I stop at a rest stop or if I want to be ready to go ASAP in the morning.

with many trailer the answer is NO to all or some of these and if they are important to you, look carefully. There are reasons why trailers on lots and show have slides extended.

This was high priority in our case and the answer to all the above is YES.
trailrider
Explorer
Nov 06, 2016
joebedford wrote:
So basically you have no experience with them but are calling them junk anyway. At least we have a calibration now.
I have experience with one that wasn't mine. That was enough for me when it almost fell out on someone. But you sound like you know it all so I must have imagined it. Go troll elsewhere.
joebedford
Nomad II
Nov 05, 2016
So basically you have no experience with them but are calling them junk anyway. At least we have a calibration now.
trailrider
Explorer
Nov 04, 2016
joebedford wrote:
trailrider wrote:
I Agree, Junk. Engineered to be light and that's all they accomplished with that design. The only thing holding it in the side of the rv is the little screws holding the frame to the rv wall. Scary!
I guess you didn't look after yours or they were installed incorrectly by a cheap manufacturer.

Say what? I have never had one and never will. If they are installed correctly/incorrectly doesn't change the design. That is all that holds it in the rv, the frame screwed to the wall.
Dalo
Explorer III
Nov 04, 2016
I have a 13 yr old trailer with a small slide (6 ft x 15"). Never had a problem yet. I think small is the key word. That said, I do think they leak cool air in winter and warm in summer. Also, any slide when in that blocks access to the bathroom or fridge is no good. We like to stop on the road and have a sandwich or use the potty. DALE
joebedford
Nomad II
Nov 03, 2016
trailrider wrote:
I Agree, Junk. Engineered to be light and that's all they accomplished with that design. The only thing holding it in the side of the rv is the little screws holding the frame to the rv wall. Scary!
I guess you didn't look after yours or they were installed incorrectly by a cheap manufacturer.
trailrider
Explorer
Nov 03, 2016
Old-Biscuit wrote:
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 Agree, Junk. Engineered to be light and that's all they accomplished with that design. The only thing holding it in the side of the rv is the little screws holding the frame to the rv wall. Scary!
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Nov 03, 2016
my chieftain came with a winch to pull the slides in in an emergency. just take the pressure off the hydraulics and winch away. nearly everything to make a RV enjoyable adds complexity. if you don't want it, use a tent.
bumpy
Chum_lee
Explorer
Nov 03, 2016
I love well designed slides, but they do add another level of complexity to any RV. Only you can decide if they will work for you. That said, twice now I've seen expensive RV's stuck with their slide(s) extended and they wouldn't retract until repaired with shipped in parts and technicians. One was boondocking, the other overnighting in a roadside rest stop. The big clincher, you can't legally/safely move your vehicle on public roadways in the U.S. with the slides extended.

So with that in mind, you decide.

Chum lee