Has this ever happened to you? You’re ready to leave your campsite. Checkout time is upon you. Everything is packed up. It’s time to push the button that retracts your slideout. But, Oh, no! Nothing happens when you do! The slide out is stuck in its “out” position.
You check everything to figure out what could be wrong. You try a few things, but no luck! You once read that when this sort of thing happens you can retract the slide manually, but you can’t remember how to do it. Or you’ve got a bad back and you know getting down under the slide and messing around with it could be very bad news for your spine.
So what do you do? The park has been packed every day since you arrived, so you know the camper who has reserved the spot you’re currently in will be along soon.
This is not good, right?
Has this ever happened to you, or something similar where your slide (or slides) was stuck and you couldn’t continue your trip on schedule? If so, after responding to the poll, please leave a comment and tell us your story.
Thankfully we have never been inconvenienced in this way. However, we were at a small (~12 sites) campground a couple of miles from Seward in late-June, early-July 2019 when a motorhome arrived with its bedroom slide extended and held in place by ratchet straps. As I recall a mobile tech remedied the problem and the straps were removed before we departed. We never learned the backstory though.
It was the only real issue we had on our Tiffin DP. The second year owned it, the pin that aligned with the spindle assembly would shear off and only one end of the slide would retract or extend. I ended up carrying a box of #5 hardened steel bolts for the remaining 6 weeks of our trip and would have to realign the slide, the spindle and insert the bolt every 3rd or 4th retraction when it would fail.
The good news is that once Tiffin figured out the issue, they flew to town for a training with the techs, fixed it no charge, and it never failed again, not a single time, for the next 14 years we owned that Phaeton.
Ah yes, Tiffin of earlier times.
slide outs no, jacks yes.
Once, in the 22 years we’ve owned our MH. Bedroom slide, but it did not affect travel. Husband said it sounded like a broken gear. Called Newmar and ordered new motor. Called mobile tech. He came out to make sure. Showed husband how to extend it manually. Motor came next day. Install took an hour. All good. We have a North/South bed so would have been inconvenient, but not a trip killer. Front slide does not need to be extended and we never do if not parked for more than a couple of days. Like others, would never buy a MH that was not usable without slides out.
Twice. Once when the TV jumped off the wall bracket and wedged between the slide out when we opened it. Dealer had to realign it. Once the switch failed and we had to manually bring it in with the stabilizer tool. Traveled from Central Cali to Yuma. Had it repaired there and even though we bought insurance when we purchased the trailer, the repair shop wanted more than the insurance paid.
I was 3 weeks into a 6 week trip from So. Cal. through Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, So. Dakota, Montana and back when my slide quit working. I tried 2 different mobile techs in 2 different places and hoped after each one it was fixed, but what it ended up needing was a new motor. But I cut my trip short 2 weeks and came home.
3rd trip in our brand new forest river 22′ with one slide out . Turns out the motor for it is in the trim above the recliners. Factory was no help whatsoever. Young guy sent out by Triple A was able to think outside the Box and get it to work. A wire had simply gotten lose. Dealer had to replace lots of interior trim. No issues since
Our slides closed, and then very slowly began to creep open!!! We were 2k miles from home!!!
Home Depot has the answer!
Measure the distance inside the rv when closed slides are tight, get four 2×4 pieces cut, install inside the frame inside the rv – and voila, no more creep.
My view, everyone should have these anyway. You never know when. And frankly, I trust the 2×4’s more than the slide locks (now repaired). We continue to install them for the 2-3 minutes it takes and the 4-6 hours of solace they provide.
I voted “NO” as I would never own an RV with slide outs. Having a problem with them can ruin a trip, or worse yet, a whole season waiting for parts.
I voted No, because I’ve never had a problem with slides, but that’s because I would never own a RV with slides.
Slides – no. Jacks – yes.
yes but got a little neighborly help and manually pushed it in, worked ok rest of trip. Had Jayco dealer adjust and repair under warranty when we got back home
Yes —– with cable driven slides —– sure wish I did not have them….ðŸ˜
I’ve had slide-out problems with both my 5th wheel & my new triple slide truck camper, but the problems did not prevent me from travelling.
Issues with both kitchen slides on my 2021 Grand Design 390RKR. Initially GD blamed Lippert and Lippert pointed their fingers back.
Ultimately it was a matter of structural integrity in the rear kitchen frame.
GD was fantastic when it came to repairs but the path to getting there was torturous at best. There was a LOT of time and money spent (never recovered) before they said bring it to Elkhart.
Knock on wood…24 years owning units with slides and no issues. I would never buy a unit with a Schwintek system.
One criteria we have when buying is if the RV is not usable with all slides in it is off the list.
If you have slides make it a point to understand the manual retraction process before you might have an issue. Sometimes it requires certain tools you need to have on hand just in case. In my current unit a torque wrench able to handle >140 lb/ft and 1 1/2″ open end is required!
Understand any needed maintenance procedures and be sure they are performed.
Not answering so as to not jinx myself. :<)
i answered NO but we had an “almost”. the main slide came in cockeyed on our last day of the trip. we were able to drive home with it that way. we were delayed by a day when our front jacks would not come up.
Our Adventurer slide in truck camper which we had for a few years, with trips to the east coast with no problems started acting up on a trip to the west coast and would creep out during travel. We were on our 3rd day of travel when it was getting worse as the days went by. After searching info about the rack& gear drive system we decided to continue our travel. I purchased some 1×3 pine and trimmed to fit as internal braking pieces. It worked well enough to travel from Ontario across to British Columbia, all of Vancouver island and back across in Canada to eastern Ontario to contact Lippert Industries to find out that early models of their slide out mechanisms came with a simple friction brake system. I purchased a new drive assy. that comes with an electric brake on the end of their drive motor housing. Problem solved! I also installed a set of limit switches for slide travel.
Yes. Slide hydraulic pump motor would not run to retract the front slide. A mobile guy came out & together we managed to repair the internal ground in the motor. After we got back home weeks later, I ordered a new motor as a backup. When it started acting up again, beating on it while dw pushed the retract button got us home where I could easily install the new motor.