How Many Worry When Watching Slide-Outs??

I too sweat it out every time, especially with the big living room slide. It's the deepest and widest and heaviest, and it groans and creaks and wiggles.

The worst part is when I just start to bring it in. It has to lift a bit before coming in, and that's always a slow grinding part. Once in a while it just stops during its run in - I think there's some sort of overload or heat switch - but I cannot bring it in in one push of the switch.

Paid real close attention when we first got our 5rv with 3 slides.

6 months later it was just part of the routine....we were FT and opened/closed them weekly.

7 yrs of FT and only had 3 problems.
1) cracked a box speaker case when it got between slide and wall when opening after a real bumpy trip
2) foam seal on frame where slide met up when closed lost it 'sticky' and feel down allowing lots of dust/dirt inside when traveling. New adhesive fixed it
3) master drive gear broke 2 teeth and would not close on travel day. 2 day shipping and a three sided window in underbelly cover---replaced in 2 hrs.

I think we have out our slides thru the paces......opening/closing weekly/bi-monthly for 7 yrs.


2oldman.......
There is an 'auto' resetting DC CB (small box with 2 studs on it) on slide out power wire usually close to battery.
Lots of current thru those-------locate and replace. Slide should open/close with just one push/hold of switch

I don't give it a moments thought. It's worked hundreds of times so why waste time worrying about the one time it might not work? Seems like a waste of time and worry.

I think it's a good idea to be concerned, at least a little. Maybe "safe" is the word I'm looking for instead of concerned. Just last week we opened the slide, as we have done hundreds of times over the ten years we've had the unit, and sure enough we had forgotten to move a small stool. Fortunately, DW noticed it before any damage was done.

I never worry. I have a manual override if needed. It's not a life threatening situation.

I use too, until I survived a 7.2 earthquake in it one Easter morning in El Centro, CA a few years back. It seemed to have lasted a long time, with rolling and jumping all over the place. I was sure the jacks were bent and the slides would no longer retract. All was perfect when it was over. Slides came in and out ok, jacks retracted as usual. That was one scary quake. I quit being anxious about it after that. A few fifth wheels didn't do as well that day with their jack stands. Never had a slide or jack issue to date.

I try not to use the slides when not necessary. When loading/unloading, it would be nice to run the large slide out a bit, but I don't, since there is room without doing so.

It probably doesn't matter, but I try to avoid putting slide out part way, and then back in. I listen for sound changes while holding the button. With so many RV operating parts that seem just adequate to get the job done, you almost expect failure at some point. I got mine in 2012, and no slide problems yet.

Jerry

Anmacc2 wrote:
I don't give it a moments thought.

I do. Our current travel trailer is the first we've ever owned with a slide and although it's just a shallow sofa slide every time I hit the slide switch I wonder to myself "Is this finally the time the darned thing won't work?" :E. Over the years I've personally spoken to enough other slide owners to know that slide failure does happen, regardless that many forum pundits will insist that such failure is just not that common. No, it's not life threatening but it sure can be a real PITA, especially if you're sitting in a campground 1000 miles from home with inoperable slides ... and yes, I've personally seen it happen to others. To date, with 3 seasons under our belt with our current slide rig I've had no issues but that certainly doesn't remove the concern ... I wouldn't say I "worry" about it but I sure am "aware" that it's a possibility. Yes, I do appreciate that having a slide does open up interior space but if we were still doing as much long distance traveling these days as we used to do a few years ago I would again have been much more inclined to buy a non-slide model and avoid any potential slide issues entirely, just as we did for years with our previous non slide KZ Spree 240BH-LX. All this is why, when we (i.e. my wife) decided on a slide model, I insisted that it at least be a design in which the entire interior of the trailer would be accessible even with the slide retracted into the travel position. ;)

goducks10 wrote:
I never worry. I have a manual override if needed. It's not a life threatening situation.

X2

I think this spring when I get the TT out of storage I'll practice a manual simulation so that way I won't look like a fool 'if' it does happen.

SoundGuy wrote:

Anmacc2 wrote:
I don't give it a moments thought.

I do. Our current travel trailer is the first we've ever owned with a slide and although it's just a shallow sofa slide every time I hit the slide switch I wonder to myself "Is this finally the time the darned thing won't work?" :E. Over the years I've personally spoken to enough other slide owners to know that slide failure does happen. ;)

Sir please understand that it is not my intention to change you or anyone else to my way of thinking. We are different, think differently, and have different personalities and behaviors. Neither is right nor wrong. Neither is better nor worse. I'm not judging or criticizing you. I am an optimist. I am not a worrier. I don't give concern to anything that doesn't demand my immediate concern. A slide that is working does not get my concern. If and when it stops working it will get my undivided attention until it is fixed and then I will again give my newly repaired slide no attention. Every person I know has lost someone dear to them. I don't wake up each morning and ask myself is this the day my DW will die. I don't ask myself is this the day my car won't start. Is this the day my A/C will give out...... I just don't think that way. In my life everything is perfectly fine until the moment that it isn't. I deal with it. Forget about it. And move on. ;)