Are slides safe to use in the closed position?

[A390GT]

We are looking for a double bunk travel trailer with a dinette and sofa in the slide.
We would like to be able to use it closed while stopped. We have two boys that will be jumping on everything and people have posted that slides can be damaged in the stowed position.
Are slide outs not capable of being used while in ? Or is it just a certain type of slide mechanism that has a problem..

Thanks,
John

[brholt]

For Northwood check out this video at the 4:00 minute mark.

Extending the slide out while sitting in it

[Doug33]

Huntindog wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Does anyone use the side view mirror in the folded in position? No, because that's not how it was designed to be used!
Same goes for slides!

We have a winner!

No matter what anyone says about their slides being able to be used when retracted..... It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that slides are MANY times stronger when in the extended position.

While I agree, I'm also thinking that the slide would experience quite a bit of vibration while you are towing it on the road. As far as I know, that doesn't cause any issues or put too much stress on it.

[Huntindog]

dodge guy wrote:
Does anyone use the side view mirror in the folded in position? No, because that's not how it was designed to be used!
Same goes for slides!

We have a winner!

No matter what anyone says about their slides being able to be used when retracted..... It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that slides are MANY times stronger when in the extended position.

[dodge_guy]

Does anyone use the side view mirror in the folded in position? No, because that's not how it was designed to be used!
Same goes for slides!

[Earl_E]

Our AF was fine to walk on. See the above posters comments. We are not supposed to walk on the slide in our Keystone when in. You can tell it is very floppy and unsupported when it. So the answer: check with your brand. It varies.

[colliehauler]

As others have said the slides do not have support when in the closed position and can be damaged.

[Fireman2]

Just traded our 2006 Rockwood 2603 for a 2015 Nash 24M. My biggest beef with the Rockwood was the fact that the dinette was useless when in. If you were to sit in it the screws holding the seats in would pull from walls

[SprinklerMan]

A390GT wrote:
Sorry to stir things up. My boys are real good at breaking things, and No question is too stupid....plus my wife made me ask....
I'm still confused.... I can see shimming it up while it is closed, But Why would ithe floor not be as strong in the fully closed position as it it is in the fully open position?

I have 2 boys who loved to jump up and down . One was jumping on the queen bed and rapped his head on the cabinet . That basically cured the jumping in the camper

[BossCamper]

A390GT wrote:
Sorry to stir things up. My boys are real good at breaking things, and No question is too stupid....plus my wife made me ask....
I'm still confused.... I can see shimming it up while it is closed, But Why would ithe floor not be as strong in the fully closed position as it it is in the fully open position?

Maybe what your missing is that when the slide comes in (at least on mine, and I suspect most) During the last 6" to 8" the inner edge of the slide floor actually raises until it stops all the way in. It raises about 1" to 1 1/2" leaving a gap under the edge of the floor. This, in my opinion, is for two reasons.
1. it is a function of the outer rim and gasket on the slide pressing in tight to the side of the trailer to prevent water leaks while closed.
2. it keeps the inner edge of the slide from tearing and gouging the trailer floor it is sliding over.
Try watching yours next time you run it in and see what I mean. So if yours does this, then obviously there is now no support under that edge of the floor, as there is when it is all the way out and has dropped down onto the outer edge of your trailer.

Does that help?

[AmericalVette]

I prefer to err on the side of caution and stay off the slide when retracted. Overkill...? Perhaps, but at the push of a switch, the slide goes out, and the slide comes in. Just my .02

[goducks10]

downtheroad wrote:
Just got off the phone with Northwood factory. (Arctic Fox).

They say using their slides when they are retracted is not a problem. He did recommend to be extra safe to step past the raised lip and not directly on it...but also said that this is not absolutely necessary.

Must be why the cost more and are heavier than normal. You do get what you pay for 🙂

[downtheroad]

Just got off the phone with Northwood factory. (Arctic Fox).

They say using their slides when they are retracted is not a problem. He did recommend to be extra safe to step past the raised lip and not directly on it...but also said that this is not absolutely necessary.

[Dirtpig]

I have owned an arctic fox truck camper for 6yrs before my new Nash trailer. We used the slide (sat at dinette) many many times with it in. Never thinking anything of it and never having a problem. With our new Nash trailer we have done the same and used the slide with it in a few times. I emailed northwood after reading this conversation and asked them if it was OK to do this. They told me it was perfectly fine to use there slides in either the in or out position. So I guess it's going to depend on the mfg and what they recommend. If the told me not to, I would cease using the slide while in.

[outdoork9lady]

Very new and very inexperienced. Bought my first RV trailer and used it for the first time last weekend. It has a bed slider. I have read and am reading here not to use the slider in the in position. Since my slider is manual and for one person like me it's tough to slide out and in, I made my bed with it in....bad move?

Margaret

[icanon]

It got me thinking. How much wieght can we put in the storage compartment under the dinette seats? Is there a limit when the slide out are retracted no problems will arise? I can understand walking along the outer edge things can break the end but if stepping in towards the center of the slideout out it shouldn't be any problems. Am I right to assume this?