Huntindog wrote:
FYI
For those that are advocating being able to use the TT with the slides in.....
You are NOT supposed to use the slides when they are retracted.
the slides are mostly unsupported and at their weakest then. Most all manufacturers warn against doing this.
I am unaware of ANY that say it's OK.
SoundGuy wrote:
FYI
Declaring this doesn't make it so. :R
I just went through all 48 pages of my "Coachmen Travel Trailer / Fifth Wheel Owner's Manual" and nowhere does it make any mention of any kind saying the slide(s) can't be used when retracted. My own 2014 Coachmen Freedom Express has now been through 5 camping seasons and I use it with the slide retracted much more often than I do with it deployed, especially here at the house where I'm in it pretty well every day. I've had no issues with this slide to date and because this is our first slide trailer I question whether the day will come when it won't behave as it should but I have no reason to believe it would have anything to do with using the slide in the retracted position. If anything, any failure would be the result of misalignment or excessive wear caused by repeated use. Coachmen doesn't caution against using the slide in the retracted position and without documented proof to the contrary nor should you without a link to documentation that indicates otherwise.
Huntindog wrote:
Does it state anywhere in that 40 page manual that it is OK to use the slides when retracted?
If so, then YOU should provide a link... Just stating it doesn't make it so.
Manufacturers are often silent on things that they prefer to be quiet on. They like to be as they know that people may want to use their product in a way that is detrimental... They will then deny a warranty claim when damage occurs.
Only if they specifically state it is OK, will they stand behind it 100%.
Lifted trucks are a great example of this unspoken policy.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a slide when retracted is just floating above the floor unsupported..... HAS to be weaker than when it is deployed and fully supported.
As I stated before, some maunfacturers DO warn against this. And some are silent. I am unaware of ANY that state it is OK.
Your argument is ridiculous, just as is your silly blue text. :R If any manufacturer believed that using any of their slides while in the retracted position was detrimental they would say so clearly.
Nowhere in my aforementioned Coachmen TT / 5th Wheel onwer's manual which would cover
all Coachmen products in these categories does it say anything at all about not using the slide in the retracted position. I have a zippered 3-ring binder in which I keep all my trailer related documentation, adding to it as I may add something (such as an inverter) to my trailer. I have
everything related to this trailer, including also a 40 page Lippert Components "Towable RV Components Manual". Pages 1 thru 12 deal specifically with 4 different types of Lippert slideout mechanisms and describes in detail just how the systems work, what maintenance may be required, and how to deal with any issues that may arise but
nowhere does it warn against using the slide(s) when in a retracted position. The closest it comes is to say the unit should be level before the system is operated, that it must not be operated with the unit in motion (DOH!), and it should (obviously) be clear of any obstructions when in operation. If "some manufacturers warn against" using a slide in the retracted position as you claim then point us to documentation that supports this claim, otherwise you're just blowing wind. :R
