Are slides really that bad?

[Ozzie D Odyssey]

I'm in the market to trade my 2015 Forester for a Jayco 24B. Wife and I love the layout and overall size of the rig.


But..after reading thread after thread after thread about all the problems with the Swintech slide system I'm starting to second guess my decision. Originally I didn't want a slide as I had heard in the past that there were issues, but after reading here it sounds like it's a matter of when it's going to break not if it's going to break.


Or, is it just a matter of the squeaky wheel getting the grease and the number of no problem systems outnumber the problems but human nature is to not post good reviews, only bad.


In particular what do you 24B owners say? It seems that using the auto levelers is a definite requirement to avoid problems.

 

[craigav]

Just thoughts to share.

Most Class C's I have seen have slides but you can get to everything without opening them. My setup is certainly older than many, but I don't open the slide except when I plan to be at the same location for multiple days or more. Sometimes I take it in anyway for high winds and heavy rains as well as for days with excessive heat as keeping the slide in makes a huge difference in staying cool. My advice would be to search for reports from others regarding the slides specific to each different year and model as not all the slide mechanisms are the same.

Auto-Levelers requirement? Not sure that I would agree as not having them means you are not going to have problems with them. I had thought about adding them to mine years back but realized the first season that being a little off level was never a concern and leveling when I was more than a little off level was not really all that hard to do, perhaps 5~10 minutes of effort (with practice and after a few levelings). ~CA

 

[Jacjayco]

There are lots of threads here that discuss this issue at length. Lots of experience and lots of advice.
Much of the answer depends on the type of rv trips you make. If you typically stay a day or 2, maybe a slide isn't right for you? If you usually stay longer at any given time, a slide might be helpful.
I've had rv's without a slide and with them. For me, the benefits of the added space outweighs the possibility of a mechanical failure.
Good luck with your search and please keep us posted!

 

[CAG-JAY]

Without slides it is like living in a narrow tube. That is about the best explanation I can give for having them.

 

[Grumpy]

Or, is it just a matter of the squeaky wheel getting the grease and the number of no problem systems outnumber the problems but human nature is to not post good reviews, only bad.

"Bingo"......you will find this on most Forums. Also the dealer is a large part of the equation.

 

[JFlightRisk]

Anything mechanical, cars, trucks, lawn mowers, snow blowers, or slides have the potential to need attention at some point in its life. With some care and maintenance, they can be mostly trouble free. But we all know the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and folks that have an issue will post questions (or rants) on forums. It's human nature.

If we ever change to a Class A to tour the country, it'll have slides, and we'll just deal with the things that might pop up as they come along. We're not afraid to have to have them on board and will enjoy the added living space they provide.

 

[Ozzie D Odyssey]

There are lots of threads here that discuss this issue at length. Lots of experience and lots of advice.
Much of the answer depends on the type of rv trips you make. If you typically stay a day or 2, maybe a slide isn't right for you? If you usually stay longer at any given time, a slide might be helpful.
I've had rv's without a slide and with them. For me, the benefits of the added space outweighs the possibility of a mechanical failure.
Good luck with your search and please keep us posted!

We used to spend a day or two in one spot then move on, more of a touring type of trip. Now that we tow a Jeep Wrangler behind us we're staying put for a week, two weeks or three weeks at a time and using the Jeep for day trips, running to the store, etc. I know that the non slide rigs are tight. After a week or so my wife and I could use a guy with an orange vest and a stop sign to direct traffic inside the rig. That's why we like the 26B so much with the slide.

 

[Ozzie D Odyssey]

I just watched a couple videos that made me feel a lot better about the slideout system. I do all my own mechanical work on my vehicles....provided I don't need the manufacturer's computer program to fix something. Watching these two videos and understanding how the system works takes away the mystery and fear regarding a slideout. Yes, it can still break down but now I understand it, how it works, how to troubleshoot the problem and how to fix it. A spare motor and a couple other spare parts and I'll be good to go. Plus a roll of duct tape. Here's links to the videos, this guy really explains everything well. After watching these two videos I subscribed to his channel so I can reference them as needed on the road.



https://youtu.be/cxEYSstvICI?si=RtLMbBsi4aMxRzv2



https://youtu.be/lQPIrVaSOlk?si=pHGblyVB5UCy4ZWs

 

[Pfflyer]

Most of the issues with the Swintech slides, that I have seen, are with the "full wall" slides or very heavy slides.

 

[Camper_bob]

I just watched a couple videos that made me feel a lot better about the slideout system. I do all my own mechanical work on my vehicles....provided I don't need the manufacturer's computer program to fix something. Watching these two videos and understanding how the system works takes away the mystery and fear regarding a slideout. Yes, it can still break down but now I understand it, how it works, how to troubleshoot the problem and how to fix it. A spare motor and a couple other spare parts and I'll be good to go. Plus a roll of duct tape. Here's links to the videos, this guy really explains everything well. After watching these two videos I subscribed to his channel so I can reference them as needed on the road.



https://youtu.be/cxEYSstvICI?si=RtLMbBsi4aMxRzv2



https://youtu.be/lQPIrVaSOlk?si=pHGblyVB5UCy4ZWs

I believe you hit the nail on the head right here. Slides aren't inherently bad or defective (my dad would disagree with me here). I think most people just don't know how to use certain systems correctly. Schwintek for example, requires a slightly different procedure, and periodic maintenance is critical. Don't run the slide correctly and maintain it? You'll definitely have problems.

But the other side of the coin is that manufacturers are also guilty of not using them correctly. Several manufacturers put underrated slide systems in heavy slides. Even with the best maintenance, and proper procedures, you're going to have problems with a Schwintek single track slide mechanism in a full-room, kitchen slide (heavy). It's not the right tool for that job.

As far as auto-level is concerned, it is certainly nice, when it works. But I could live without it if I had to. Primarily because we didn't have any kind of mechanical leveling for our trailer, and I'm personally very sensitive to level, even though the equipment is not as sensitive. That being said, if I didn't have auto-leveling on my motor home, I would CERTAINLY install scissor jacks or something for stabilization. My sleep schedule is very different from the rest of the family, so having a stable rig is important for that if for nothing else.

Making sure our rig is functional at a basic level with slides in was and always has been a critical feature in an RV for us. On our long, multi-day OTR journeys, we need to be able to just pull over and take care of business (eat/cook, shower, etc) and get some sleep, then just hop back in the cockpit and get going (after coffee of course). I don't want to be running slides out in order to do any of that. The only thing we don't have access to with the slides in is our closet, and we still have access, it's just a pain. But that's because we have a thicker mattress with a thick topper. When we're parked, especially for more than a day, it's SUPER nice to have the extra space so we're not tripping over each other as we go about our daily chores and activities.

 

[Ronald M A]

Awesome videos, thx for sharing.

 

[drmike961]

I just watched a couple videos that made me feel a lot better about the slideout system. I do all my own mechanical work on my vehicles....provided I don't need the manufacturer's computer program to fix something. Watching these two videos and understanding how the system works takes away the mystery and fear regarding a slideout. Yes, it can still break down but now I understand it, how it works, how to troubleshoot the problem and how to fix it. A spare motor and a couple other spare parts and I'll be good to go. Plus a roll of duct tape. Here's links to the videos, this guy really explains everything well. After watching these two videos I subscribed to his channel so I can reference them as needed on the road.



https://youtu.be/cxEYSstvICI?si=RtLMbBsi4aMxRzv2



https://youtu.be/lQPIrVaSOlk?si=pHGblyVB5UCy4ZWs

You cannot fix 24B slide problems. They are undersized and cause catastrophic problems regardless of caring for them properly. Once they jump teeth the slide has to be removed from the coach and fixed/reset, consider yourself warned. Hopefully the vroom replacement is a viable option.

 

[4wdclassc]

Hello, I own a new Redhawk 22J with the slide in you cannot open the bathroom door and there are a lot of other little things that really want to make me remove the slide completely. My slide does have two tracks, and it is called the bedroom slide, and I haven’t had any problems with it yet, but I just don’t want it. If anyone is interested in the whole unit I’ll give it away.

 

[Handieman1965]

If it was me, I would just knock the pins out of the door before my trip. That way you can still use the bathroom while under way. Set the door up on the cab bunk area.

 

[Taftcoach]

I'm in the no slide camp. We take a seven to eight week trip each summer and I'd be crushed if we had to cancel because of a system failure. We can work around a plumbing or electrical problem but a slide is usually a trip killer. I've known a couple people who lost the use for months getting a slide fixed.

I'll go longer instead of wider with my next trailer. But it's easy when it's two former backpacking enthusiasts.

 

[4wdclassc]

Any takers on the redhawk slide?

 

[Grumpy]

Any takers on the redhawk slide?

What would anybody do with it? They couldn't add it to a non-slide rig.

 

[4wdclassc]

Fix an existing system or yeah it could be retrofitted from scratch

 

[Crabman]

I believe the most reliable system on large slides are the conventional under the floor rack and pinion gear slides. They also have a manual override that can be used with a 3/4 socket in an emergency.

 

[4wdclassc]

IMHO. all junk