Fifth Wheel with Full Wall Slideout

Slideouts in RVs are better than sliced bread, or so we've heard. We're still limping along with a no-slidem and wish we had the extra space. Our pocketbook probably won't allow it, but here's a new wrinkle: A fifth-wheel with a slideout the runs from the living room up and into the bedroom. Read that a 37' fifth wheel with a 30' slideout.

Sound crazy? These are hard times for RV builders, and being the first guy on the block with a new innovation appears to be the thing for manufacturers this year. The builder, Carriage Inc., has rolled out their new Carri-Light with this interesting approach. You won't find it to be a low-ender, however, along with the new slide comes Corrian countertops and leather furniture. For about $90K plus, you can be the first kid on your block to have one.

Photo: RV Business

5th Wheel RVers, Don’t Get Caught With Your Slides Out!

My 2004 Hitchhiker 5er had three slide-out rooms. Twice my largest slide-out sheared a pin and was stuck in the out position. The first time it was repaired under warranty but the second time I had to do it myself – warranty or not because I was out in the middle of the Sonora Desert. I highly recommend that if your slide out is the rack and pinion type, that you find out what size the shear pin you have and keep a couple of them in you tool box. In my case the shear pin was a small grade 8 bolt. On my Hitchhiker, each slide-out has only one motor. The motor drives the one leg of the slide-out gear and also turns an extension arm that turns the parallel slide-out gear. The shear pin keeps the extension arm turning in unison with the main motor gear. When the pin shears off (and it will eventually) one side of the room comes out while the other side does not, leaving the room in a cockeyed position. To remedy this, detach a portion of the plastic under-cover opposite where the slide motor is located. Remove any pieces of the old pin and replace it with a new one. Make sure the room is completely closed when you do this so as to align the gear teeth properly so they will move the room in and out uniformly. You may need to use a cargo strap to pull the slide back in once it is extended. Helping to keep your prepared for the inevitable – Jim Twamley

Slide Out Supports: Love 'em or Leave 'em?

There can be no doubt that slide-out rooms in fifth wheels are the difference between night and day. That little bit of extra floor space can make up for a whole-lot of "too much togetherness." Now the question: Should you use aftermarket slide out support stands?

Variously called "slide out stabilizers," or "slide out supports," these little jack stands are designed to slip under a slide out frame and crank up to give added support. One major retailer says they, "Protect your slide-out extension tubes from bending, causing difficult slide-out operation." Sounds pretty serious--a bent frame could be bad news when it's time to weigh anchor and hit the road. But hang on a minute--if they're so critical, why don't RV manufacturers provide them with new rigs, or at least make them a piece of optional equipment?

Not everyone with a slide out "buys into" the stabilizer story. One RV technician says his understanding is that if an RV under warranty comes in with a damaged slide that could be attributed to a stabilizer, all bets are off for getting warranty service. It begs the question: If your slide out needs stabilization to prevent damage, why aren't there scores of unhappy campers limping across the country on their way to service bays, slide out rooms flapping in the breeze?

Some of those who fore swear slide out stabilizers point to a potential problem: What if your rig were to "settle" while the stabilizers did not: They suggest the pressures placed on the slide out frame could be enough to damage it, leaving the RVer in a world of hurt.

On the other hand, friends of ours just don't feel comfortable "hanging out in space," without the additional support under their slide out. Of course, we also have a friend who won't venture up into the "gooseneck" portion of her fifth wheel until her husband installs a king pin stabilizer. Says she knows it's crazy, but she just imagines the whole works tipping down on the king pin when she shifts her weight forward. Does impose an interesting mental picture . . .

OK, we'll turn it over to you. Have you had experience with a slide out frame bending--with or without a stabilizer?