Slide out support

Aftermarket sells LOTS of stuff......some good, some OK and SOME JUST TO GET YOUR MONIES

Folks buy/use them due to 'marketing' hype....period.

Slideouts are 'self-supporting' when extended.

IF slideout 'supports' were needed don't you think RV MFG would supply them, require them, recommend them during the 'warranty' period to prevent issues that they would have to fix/repair ???


NO...slideouts do NOT need or require supports.
Using them CAN cause damage to slideouts due to the UPWARD pressure that slideouts are not designed for.

Use them at YOUR own risk.


The following is a statement directly from an RV MFGs owners manual
Additional support jacks are not needed under the slideout.
Damage can occur to your slideout room from improper use of aftermarket support jacks.

Winnebago doesn’t recommend them. So, I don’t use them.

maybe in the VERY early days of slideouts, supports were needed. Ancient history.
When you put them out after leveling the unit, things happen. The earth moves under the jacks, the suspenion does a sag..anything to change the distance between the ground and the slideout.
Only an inch or two "compression" can damage the slideout. My OPINION...FWIW, forget supports. Verify with your owners' manual or even the mfr or dealer.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Aftermarket sells LOTS of stuff......some good, some OK and SOME JUST TO GET YOUR MONIES

Folks buy/use them due to 'marketing' hype....period.

Slideouts are 'self-supporting' when extended.

IF slideout 'supports' were needed don't you think RV MFG would supply them, require them, recommend them during the 'warranty' period to prevent issues that they would have to fix/repair ???


NO...slideouts do NOT need or require supports.
Using them CAN cause damage to slideouts due to the UPWARD pressure that slideouts are not designed for.
X2

Use them at YOUR own risk.


The following is a statement directly from an RV MFGs owners manual
Additional support jacks are not needed under the slideout.
Damage can occur to your slideout room from improper use of aftermarket support jacks.

X2

companies make things because people will buy just about anything.Such as "rv toilet paper"

rickhise wrote:
Noticed most of the units parked around us had support braces
On there slide outs

Can u give me a few FYI 's on why some do an some
Don't. Common sense tells me the more the support
the better.

Maybe your common sense but certainly not mine :R ... probably the best way to torque your slide mechanism out of alignment. Slide supports are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. :(

Mandalay Parr wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Aftermarket sells LOTS of stuff......some good, some OK and SOME JUST TO GET YOUR MONIES

Folks buy/use them due to 'marketing' hype....period.

Slideouts are 'self-supporting' when extended.

IF slideout 'supports' were needed don't you think RV MFG would supply them, require them, recommend them during the 'warranty' period to prevent issues that they would have to fix/repair ???


NO...slideouts do NOT need or require supports.
Using them CAN cause damage to slideouts due to the UPWARD pressure that slideouts are not designed for.
X2

Use them at YOUR own risk.


The following is a statement directly from an RV MFGs owners manual
Additional support jacks are not needed under the slideout.
Damage can occur to your slideout room from improper use of aftermarket support jacks.

X2

X3

SoundGuy wrote:

rickhise wrote:
Noticed most of the units parked around us had support braces
On there slide outs

Can u give me a few FYI 's on why some do an some
Don't. Common sense tells me the more the support
the better.

Maybe your common sense but certainly not mine :R ... probably the best way to torque your slide mechanism out of alignment. Slide supports are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. :(

It's embarrassing to post a dumb question looks
Like that was

We did use slide out supports on our class c. The reason was for better overall stability so we didn't feel the movement so much. We were careful about not lifting the slide out.
Not a dumb question,

I've been on these forums for quite a number of years now. This topic comes up two or three times a year it seems, mostly new folks to RVing, wanting the best for their set up. Always a good question.

The consensus on these forums has always been, "no" for all the reasons stated above. The biggest reason for no support under the slides is because of possible alignment problems, if the tires lost air, the ground softened under the main trailer supports and the trailer sunk in the ground, even very slightly, or any number of reasons the trailer could move, or settle (even a high wind would rock it.

With the supports under the slides, they will not move with the camper movement, causing stress on the slide mechanisms, and resulting in potential damage and bending.

Your camper slides are designed to be self-supporting from the camper body.

Now, you can support the entire camper, or block it, or do whatever, as long as it's on the main frames of the main body.