Slide Outs
There are some amazing inventions that made a huge impact on the RV industry and one of those is the slide out. The ability to have the livable space in a RV nearly double in some cases takes living on the road, full-timing, or weekend getaways to the next level. There are a few types of slide out systems that all have their positives and negatives, but they all do the same thing. Send a room out and bring it back in. Well hopefully that’s what yours is doing!
Slide out systems come in a few different forms: electric or hydraulic, through frame, in wall, and above floor. All these systems run on 12-volt electricity so if a slide is not going in or out, your batteries would be the first place to check and make sure there is a charge. If there isn’t a charge or the batteries are going bad, when the load of the slide out is put on it nothing will happen. Learn more about 12-volt electricity on our electrical page. There are emergency procedures to get the slides in if you are in a bind and need to get moving but depending on the system, you could damage some components. Unless you are confident or have someone trained helping you, give a professional a call to get you moving.
Weather, mold, & lack of cleaning. This happened after being stored for a year without upkeep.
Mold build up and flap seal getting rigid. It is not flipping when extending. The ball seal top right is splitting as well.
A wear item that needs to be watched over are the seals of a slide out and there are a bunch of them! Inside seals, outside seals, ball seals, flap seals, bearded seals, elephant seals, and…well maybe not those last two but there are a lot and for good reason, we want to keep the outside out and the edges are the most vulnerable for the outside getting in. Regular maintenance and cleaning should be done on all seals to ensure you are on top of wear and condition. These checkups should happen twice a year, spring and fall, to make sure everything looks good. When cleaning DO NOT USE petroleum-based cleaners! If you do, you will have a gooey rubber mess. This is no fun and the entire seal will have to be replaced, not usually something that can be found at your local hardware store.
We hope that this gives you a little more information about slide outs and helps know what to look for when you are walking around your rig or the next time you pull in for your next adventure! If you would like to know more or have someone to tell your Sasquatch encounter to, reach out to us...we know he’s real too.