Slide in or Slide out... That is the question

[Romack]

Hey you lot, hope the summer is shaping up well for you all.
I have my 5'er parked up at a spot for 3 months (because you lot helped me get the power going!) and will be frequenting every weekend. When I leave for the week does one recommend the slides are pulled in or just left out?
A few years ago I did the same at a different location that was dusty as hell so closed them each week but this time its in more of a small town tidy RV park with lots of trees.

Wot say you? (thanks in advance)

[laknox]

Romack wrote:
Dang it Lyle! You make good sense. Now I'll have to sweep the slide out off every week but fading fabric is a problem in these things!

Even though you're well north, sun at altitude is just as, if not more, damaging, than down here in the desert, though you don't have the heat added to make things even worse. If you're at a family CG, find a teenager to scramble up there for $5. 🙂

Lyle

[Romack]

Dang it Lyle! You make good sense. Now I'll have to sweep the slide out off every week but fading fabric is a problem in these things!

[CANAMKID]

slide in when away slideout when there:B

[93Cobra2771]

Slide in. Less opportunities for leaks, debris, damage, etc while you are gone. Plus, the folks at the CG who do the mowing and such will appreciate it, and be less likely to accidentally hit the slide while navigating around it.

[laknox]

Romack wrote:
Hey you lot, hope the summer is shaping up well for you all.
I have my 5'er parked up at a spot for 3 months (because you lot helped me get the power going!) and will be frequenting every weekend. When I leave for the week does one recommend the slides are pulled in or just left out?
A few years ago I did the same at a different location that was dusty as hell so closed them each week but this time its in more of a small town tidy RV park with lots of trees.

Wot say you? (thanks in advance)

Personally, I'd put the slides in when not in use. Why expose any more of your FW to the elements than you have to? It takes me about 3-5 minutes to climb up on my FW and sweep off the top of my one 14' slide, then climb down again. Wouldn't take that much longer to do more. If you have windows in your slide(s), they just let in more light to fade fabric, vinyl and wood so, again, why not minimize this?

Lyle

[Romack]

Thanks all, some good informations here!
Refresh on checking for debris.. thanks AUwing2, sorry you discovered you are lazy in this ordeal 🙂
Baby powder I think will work for me but I'll have a good look t the seals too. They are brand new but pays to just check I guess!

Thanks again!

[Old-Biscuit]

old guy wrote:
you use a old sock and fold it in half and put some baby powder on it and rub it in then rub it on the seals. reapply more baby powder as needed and rub it in before you apply to seals. then you take the other sock and wipe off the excess baby powder on the seals. you should be good for another year.

X2

Easy peasy

Seals are as soft as a baby's butt :B

And they have been exposed to the elements majority of time since Nov. 2006

[old_guy]

you use a old sock and fold it in half and put some baby powder on it and rub it in then rub it on the seals. reapply more baby powder as needed and rub it in before you apply to seals. then you take the other sock and wipe off the excess baby powder on the seals. you should be good for another year.

[N-Trouble]

So how do you apply the baby powder? Imagine there is quite a mess to clean afterwards

[Lar_s]

I agree with the baby powder... recommended by many dealers. They do make a slide out seal lube though, comes out foam, and you just spread it over the seal.

[N-Trouble]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

AUwing2 wrote:
As I drive by dealers I see slides open year round. Ours is on a seasonal site and open from April till November except for the times we trailer on vacation. I like the slid s to be debri free when I pull them in and if I did that every weekend, I'd be closing it with wet slides. I think I just admitted to being lazy.

X2

Ours were OPEN for 7 yrs except for few hours on travel days when we FTd.

Slide out should properly seal when extended and retracted.

I personally think ours seal better extended.

Slides In/Out..really up to what you want.
Just treat seals twice a year with a good rub down using baby powder and all's good

Baby powder? Really? Would think a good silicone spray would be best to keep them from drying out

[DutchmenSport]

If you're seasonal and not moving your camper, I don't think it really matters if they are open or closed. We've visited a few private campgrounds this year and 98% of the campsites were seasonal (more than 1 campground too)....

We noticed that almost everyone at these campsites left their slides out. BUT, walking the hill above the one campground where we could look down on their roofs, sheesh! What a mess! Dirty, black, leaves, sticks, some looked like that were as old as dirt and some even had small vegetation growing on them (and the main roof too). But I suppose the owners didn't really care since there was no real need to pull the slides in.

In the end, it's your call. Whatever you feel comfortable with. If you travel often, you'll want the slides as clean as possible so when you retract, the dirt and debris won't tear your roof or the rubber seals. But if not moving ... it really does not matter.

[azjeffh]

Have slide toppers? If so, I might keep them in to save wear & tear on those.

[Old-Biscuit]

AUwing2 wrote:
As I drive by dealers I see slides open year round. Ours is on a seasonal site and open from April till November except for the times we trailer on vacation. I like the slid s to be debri free when I pull them in and if I did that every weekend, I'd be closing it with wet slides. I think I just admitted to being lazy.

X2

Ours were OPEN for 7 yrs except for few hours on travel days when we FTd.

Slide out should properly seal when extended and retracted.

I personally think ours seal better extended.

Slides In/Out..really up to what you want.
Just treat seals twice a year with a good rub down using baby powder and all's good