To slide or not to slide…

There is no doubt that when we walked into our first RV that had slide outs we were overwhelmed about how spacious it seemed, and from that point on we would not even consider buying an RV without at least one. The consensus on the web is that if we only have one slide it must be a bedroom slide since the bedrooms in RV’s are the

most cramped. So what will it be fur us? One slide, two, three, four or none?

Slides operate using two types of systems, hydraulic and mechanical. Hydraulic slides use a motor-driven hydraulic pump to push or pull the slide in or out. Mechanical slides use things such as screws or rack and pinion to move the slides. The key here is they both involve moving parts.

So what can go wrong with slides? Both types can have electrical problems. Hydraulic slides can also fail when the hydraulic fluid is low, or if it is leaking. Hydraulic valves can also fail causing the slide not to work properly. Mechanical slides may also have problems and fail due to broken shear pins or gear or clutch problems.

If we get a rig with slide outs we need to make sure it has a way to manually operate the slide if, and when, problems arise. If not then we just won’t buy the rig. If a slide fails it is said we should always check first for a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker. For hydraulic systems this may involve physically pushing on the slide to get it in or out… now that sounds like fun… Not! Mechanical slides use some type of hand crank however before we manually operate a slide we will be sure to consult the owners manual.

Pros of having a slide out from the net:

• It is all about space – slides = more space, more slides = more space
• Furniture can be moved around (if not fixed to the floor)
• Better for resale value based upon the current trends.

Cons of having slide outs:

• Increased weight of slides will reduce fuel economy
• When retracted there is limited usable space
• Space constraints in some sites may make it impossible to open the slide
• Water leaks will eventually occur if you have a slide.
• More parts moving mean more maintenance required
• Usually result in reduced "basement" storage space

Lastly if we do get slides we need to check each campsite before we take one to make sure that nothing like a tree or post will block the slide from going out. To slide or not to slide that is the question…

The Exterior of the RV…. basements

It is all about your CCC or Cargo Carrying Capacity.  The consensus  on the web is to allow for no less than 3000 lbs of CCC. So if we have adequate CCC then we need to focus on storage.  Do we want slides or no slides. 
The pros of having slides:

• convenience – easy to get to our stuff
• time saver – easy to get to stuff in the back of the storage compartment

The cons of having slide:

• reduces storage – they take up considerable space
• they are heavy – reduces you effective CCC
  
  
  

Also the quality of construction on the storage doors should be very carefully inspected for any damage and excessive wear. Check all exterior storage compartments for proper operation of doors and any signs of leakage. Also, we must consider whether or not we will need a heated basement and whether or not since we will at some point in time be stuck in less than favorable temperatures although we will do everything we can to avoid this). Is a pass through storage compartment really necessary? This will depend upon a couple of things – 1) what will be bringing that would require it and 2) what can be stored on our toad (i.e. via a roof rack or in the back of the toad). 

My gut feel is that we won’t need a pass through storage compartment and I am not sure we will really need the slides due to their reduced storage and increased weight.  Not to mention they are expensive to have installed if they aren’t already on the rig.  Besides I am fairly handy and can always add them myself at a later date as can be found in these links:
http://www.modmyrv.com/2009/01/03/rv-sliding-storage-cargo-tray
http://home.off-road.com/~cruiserhead/drawer/tlcbox.html

So the only critical thing we need in our storage compartments is one large enough to accommodate two rather bulky folding chairs.  As long as one compartment can handle that I believe we will be in good shape with storage…