How durable/reliable are slideouts?

[bigfatguy]

As I look around at various RV's to eventually figure out what I'd like to buy, one of the designs I really like has a rear-facing slideout. With it in, the bed is a sofa, and if you slide it out the sofa becomes a bed, but if it were to break the sofa would be stuck as a sofa, and I'd have nowhere comfy to sleep.

How reliable are slide-outs? If they do fail, is it possible to manually drag the slide-out out?

I know I'm being paranoid... it's the price of being an engineer...

[wintersun]

I gave durability and reliability on the amount of time that the manufacturer will warranty the product. If the slideout is only covered for one year that says it all and an extended warranty would be good to consider.

If I was purchasing an RV with one or more slideouts I would not buy the first model year where it was offered. I would want to look at an RV that had been on the market with the slideouts for 3 or more years and then google search on that RV AND "problems" and "slide" and see what poppped up.

If 100 units are sold and there is a 80% defect or failure rate there will still be 20 people who will state that they never had a problem and don't understand what all the fuss is about. You need a relevant sampling to get useful information and a forum such as this is not the place to get it.

[ncrowley]

We have three slides and there is a way to manually get them in. That being said, we have had issues with the slides related to the controllers. The controllers will only allow so much current before they cut off. We have a deep slide in the living room that drops down at the end so the base is level with the floor. We had to increase the amperage rating of the fuse otherwise it would keep popping, We also had the controller board die. We have also had where it would not come in. If we put power on the motor, it would move fine. The slide and seals are well maintained. It has been a worry for us even though it is working fine now. On the other side, the slides make for very spacious living.

[D___M]

Bumpyroad wrote:

pnichols wrote:

D & M wrote:
You are among a small group of people that have a specialized need, and that's fair enough.

Hmmmmm???

Over on the Class C forum there is a lot of conversation about short Class C (26 feet and less) motorhomes and the growing demand for them. Many, many of the owners do not have or want slides in them. They like the short length, the width that doesn't grow when you park in intimate older style County/State/Federal campgrounds with narrow/overgrown campsites, the full usability for quick lunch/rest/bathroom stops w/o having to extend a slide, and the improved fuel mileage due to the lighter slideless weights.

One of highest quality Class C motorhomes you can buy is made by an old well-known and well-respected company - Lazy Daze - and the company will not build a Class C motorhome with a slide. I can guess the reasons why.

There is indeed a large slideless RV community out there and I expect that they are buying/selling countless new and used slideless motorhomes within that like-minded RV community.

I think D&M meant people who would like to tear their RV up on trails, etc. subject them to trauma, not just use them "normally".
bumpy

Exactly. I am sure there is a group that likes to do this. But the vast majority just like to go to a campground and enjoy their vacation. But to each his own. That is what makes this country great.

[pnichols]

bigfatguy wrote:
Thanks, all, for an entertaining answer to my question.

My wife and I are determined to find out just how small of an RV we can travel in without killing each other, our next trip will be in a rented Roadtrek class B.

Durability is, indeed one of my concerns with regards to a slide-out... not just in the stuck-out-and-can't-drive-away sense, but we do like the idea of an RV that can handle some rough roads and has 4x4 drive, even if we don't take it into what would normally be called "off-road"...

I had not thought of the weight penalty for a slide, I didn't realize it was as much as 500lbs per slide! (what can I say, I'm an electrical engineer... mechanical stuff scares me)

Thanks, again.

I'm glad you stuck with us through all of this!

I'm an EE too, but learned at lot of mechanical stuff from my dad. He taught me that what we see with our eyes may not be the whole story and to basically look beyond the obvious to make sure that KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is being applied to the maximum extent possible. My graduate studies taught me about the inter-relationships between the components of any system and the statistical implications of how reliability is negatively affected by each added layer of complexity to any system.

Regarding getting along in a small RV with or without slides. The DW and myself bought kindof a small RV - a 24 foot Class C - but it is what I call a "full width" RV. The industry calls it a "widebody" RV. Ours is about 101 inches wide (the same as most Class A motorhomes), so it not having a slide is not as noticeable as the narrower Class C and Class B units. For awhile my BIL had a Mercedes/Sprinter based Interstate model (made by Airstream) Class B+ that was a generous length, at 24 feet, but was real confining inside because of it's narrow width. That rig really needed a slide or more base coach width.

There's a lot to keep in mind when shopping for just the right RV. Good luck in your shopping attempt to "buy it right .. the first time". 🙂

[bigfatguy]

Thanks, all, for an entertaining answer to my question.

My wife and I are determined to find out just how small of an RV we can travel in without killing each other, our next trip will be in a rented Roadtrek class B.

Durability is, indeed one of my concerns with regards to a slide-out... not just in the stuck-out-and-can't-drive-away sense, but we do like the idea of an RV that can handle some rough roads and has 4x4 drive, even if we don't take it into what would normally be called "off-road"...

I had not thought of the weight penalty for a slide, I didn't realize it was as much as 500lbs per slide! (what can I say, I'm an electrical engineer... mechanical stuff scares me)

Thanks, again.

[valhalla360]

pnichols wrote:

D & M wrote:
You are among a small group of people that have a specialized need, and that's fair enough.

Hmmmmm???

Over on the Class C forum there is a lot of conversation about short Class C (26 feet and less) motorhomes and the growing demand for them. Many, many of the owners do not have or want slides in them. They like the short length, the width that doesn't grow when you park in intimate older style County/State/Federal campgrounds with narrow/overgrown campsites, the full usability for quick lunch/rest/bathroom stops w/o having to extend a slide, and the improved fuel mileage due to the lighter slideless weights.

One of highest quality Class C motorhomes you can buy is made by an old well-known and well-respected company - Lazy Daze - and the company will not build a Class C motorhome with a slide. I can guess the reasons why.

There is indeed a large slideless RV community out there and I expect that they are buying/selling countless new and used slideless motorhomes within that like-minded RV community.

When you get really small, there are non-slide units around. I doubt you could realistically call it "large".

Of course, having a slide does not preclude using the RV with the slide in. We have a big slide with the dinet and couch that goes out 42". With it in we lose access to a pantry cupboard. Otherwise, we are fine to use it with the slide in with good access to kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. If that is a concern, you just have to check out the model with the slides in to see how it will function.

[Bumpyroad]

pnichols wrote:

D & M wrote:
You are among a small group of people that have a specialized need, and that's fair enough.

Hmmmmm???

Over on the Class C forum there is a lot of conversation about short Class C (26 feet and less) motorhomes and the growing demand for them. Many, many of the owners do not have or want slides in them. They like the short length, the width that doesn't grow when you park in intimate older style County/State/Federal campgrounds with narrow/overgrown campsites, the full usability for quick lunch/rest/bathroom stops w/o having to extend a slide, and the improved fuel mileage due to the lighter slideless weights.

One of highest quality Class C motorhomes you can buy is made by an old well-known and well-respected company - Lazy Daze - and the company will not build a Class C motorhome with a slide. I can guess the reasons why.

There is indeed a large slideless RV community out there and I expect that they are buying/selling countless new and used slideless motorhomes within that like-minded RV community.

I think D&M meant people who would like to tear their RV up on trails, etc. subject them to trauma, not just use them "normally".
bumpy

[pnichols]

D & M wrote:
You are among a small group of people that have a specialized need, and that's fair enough.

Hmmmmm???

Over on the Class C forum there is a lot of conversation about short Class C (26 feet and less) motorhomes and the growing demand for them. Many, many of the owners do not have or want slides in them. They like the short length, the width that doesn't grow when you park in intimate older style County/State/Federal campgrounds with narrow/overgrown campsites, the full usability for quick lunch/rest/bathroom stops w/o having to extend a slide, and the improved fuel mileage due to the lighter slideless weights.

One of highest quality Class C motorhomes you can buy is made by an old well-known and well-respected company - Lazy Daze - and the company will not build a Class C motorhome with a slide. I can guess the reasons why.

There is indeed a large slideless RV community out there and I expect that they are buying/selling countless new and used slideless motorhomes within that like-minded RV community.

[Bumpyroad]

colliehauler wrote:
I have owned 3 RV's with slides 2 I've had problems with leaks/failure to move. With that said I would only buy a trailer with a slide to use in a campground.

Side note; one was very poor design. The pump was low on oil and the slide would not come out. The only way to add oil was to have the slide out. Had to unbolt the rams and move the slide to get to where you add oil. Then reconnect the rams. The one with the leak was bought used and lack of maintenance was the problem.

sounds to me that maintenance was the problem with both of your issues. not the fact that you had slides.
bumpy

[colliehauler]

I have owned 3 RV's with slides 2 I've had problems with leaks/failure to move. With that said I would only buy a trailer with a slide to use in a campground.

Side note; one was very poor design. The pump was low on oil and the slide would not come out. The only way to add oil was to have the slide out. Had to unbolt the rams and move the slide to get to where you add oil. Then reconnect the rams. The one with the leak was bought used and lack of maintenance was the problem.

[valhalla360]

Go down to any RV dealer and wander around.

You will be hard pressed to find a unit over 25' without slides unless it was a special order. They are that valuable in terms of creating more space inside. A non-slide unit will take a big hit in terms of resale value for the same reason.

Any mechanical system needs maintenance but unless you abuse it, reliability shouldn't be a major concern.

If you camp regularly in -30f, you might be able to make a case but for normal use, it's not an issue. We've been down to -5f, in ours (unseasonably cold snap when it should have been in the 50's). The furnace kept up though we did go thru propane quickly.

[D___M]

pnichols wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
his widow found out how hard it was to get a decent price of a slideoutless motorhome

It probably depends on who you try to sell it to.

We take our RV on tilted bumpy rutted desert roads which could potentially tear a heavy slide section and/or it's mechanism apart - plus in addition maybe allowing the main walls to flex too much from the sheer forces a slide removes protection for. We load up on rocks out there, too, so don't care for the extra weight of a slide. 😉

We'll have to sell our rig someday to a person with travel habits who wants and understands this kind of slideless sturdiness in an RV.

Slideouts add to the value or else there wouldn't be any rigs being built with them. It's what the people want. You are among a small group of people that have a specialized need, and that's fair enough. However the vast majority of RVs are driven or towed over paved roads and end up in campgrounds.

[camperpaul]

Bamaman1 wrote:

-- snip --
And I had no idea anyone would be camping at -35 degrees. C or F? That's months my young rear end would be in Florida.
-- snip --

-35°F = -31°C.
Winter is my respite from my pollen allergies.

[Bamaman11]

I had no idea so many had such strong opinions--pro and con.

And I had no idea anyone would be camping at -35 degrees. C or F? That's months my young rear end would be in Florida.

If you go onto UTube, there are videos that show how slider mechanisms work, and they're not that complicated if you're carrying the right tools. Every owner of a RV with sliders needs to know how to deal with them if there are problems.