I beg for a favor!

[Chinewalker]

Slides are slides, mechanical boxes that slide out. They need to have rubber gaskets to keep the rain and the wind out, a canvas topper to keep the bird poop and the leaves with the bugs off of the top, cause you're going to slide it in again...

Some are hydraulic, some electric, some scratch the floor as they move or squash the sleep number bed remote on the way back in, they all can break down.

Some won't go if the motorhome is not level and some won't go if you don't have the key and the parking brake in just the right position...

Most importantly, though, is you can't have one of the classiest classics going down the road..

[studesrus]

Originally Posted by Danielsand

I am pretty "hard headed" (according to DW). When we shopped for our DP, I insisted I don't want ANY slides. She loves our coach, don't get me wrong, but she is "clandestinely" mentioning how "nice it would be to have a slide" (or two, or three, or four!!!).

So I would like to ask for a favor,........could you post your NEGATIVE (and negative only!) experiences with slides.........like "slide won't come out" (no problem for ME!), "slide won't come in" (BIG problem if one is trying to get on the road from "middle of nowhere"), "slide is leaking" (closed or open), "my cat got crushed by the slide", "slide fell out (extended itself) on it's own going down the road".......stuff like that?

I'd like to "rub her snout" into this post.

Thanks.

:I just attended a RV show in Penticton BC about 12 days ago, they had one whole section on Winnebago and as usual mostly Trailers, and Class C's but they had on unit there that is 30.3" in length, sleeps 8 with table down, maybe 7 might be better but if children around 8. Comes with Slide, this unit has only a few out there on the open market right now as this was a Demo 2017 model. It is called Winnebago Vista 29VE with one slide that runs from behind the drivers seat to within 10" of the back corner, when slide is in one can still access every item from the front to the back without any problems though u will have to crawl across or over someone in slide is in other than that I think for us this unit is the one we would like to own someday, only 1 SLIDE to worry about. Lots of Basement storage and tons of up top storage, 2 TV's, Has almost all of the stuff u would want in any MH of today's ratings. Price was $135,995.00 Canadian but would come down if our dollar goes back up, (Hell would have to freeze over again for that to Happen). Seems we Canucks have always lived in a world with only a few pennies in it.
I would hope some of you others get to see this new model Class A MH.
Studesrus.

[raineman]

DW is right about you being hard headed... you seem to have prejudiced yourself against all slides based on a few things "you heard about" instead of facts. You can miss out on some great things in life by broad brushing things based on little to no facts. Instead of "rubbing her face in it", why not go out and look at some coaches and get the facts with your wife? It shouldn't be a competition to prove who is right. Poor lady

[aauummm]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Well here is a huge issue with slides.....when my Full Wall Slide is out and the opposing kitchen slide is out, the Surround Sound seems to sound better on the 50" TV in the Full Wall Slide, than the 40" TV above the dash. It's become quite an issue! Tell your wife that it's really ruined RVing for us.

Now that is a real deal breaker and a huge negative for slides! I feel your pain!

[G Schulz]

Originally Posted by 777 Driver

Well...there was that time in Missoula, MT.



I had arranged for a "quick stop" at a service place to have a couple of slideout toppers replaced. It was all carefully orchestrated so I'd be in at 8 and out by noon...or so. Turned out to be "or so."



About 10 minutes before closing time, the service writer I was working with came over to let me know that the job was done. It would expedite the process if I'd "settle up" while it was being brought out to the parking lot. No problem, happy to oblige. So, once the paperwork was done, I went out to the parking lot. Since I didn't plan to be back through Missoula any time soon, I wanted to get out the ladder, extend the slides and make sure it was all good, before I left. Slides out; up the ladder; all looks good; bedroom slide (electro-mechanical) back in; front slide (hydro-mechanical) STUCK OUT!!!!



Yup, your worst nightmare. I went back inside to see if there was anyone still there who might know "the trick" to get things working again. It turned out that one of the techs, quite familiar with slideout issues, was still there. He came out and soon diagnosed the problem as a failed motor on the hydraulic pump. The BEST solution was to replace the motor.



I say best, because there is an alternate method of using an electric drill to drive the hydraulic pump to retract the slideout. Now, you need to appreciate that the same pump is necessary for two slideouts AND the leveling jacks. Yes, I could have used that alternate method to retract the slideout and then departed. HOWEVER, it would have left me unable to easily extend/retract two slideouts and operate the leveling jacks.



It was on a Monday evening when this adventure started. So, we camped in the parking lot that night. It was mid-day Tuesday before a complete diagnosis was completed and the necessary replacement part was identified. The necessary part wasn't in stock locally; available from an east coast supplier; already past close of business on the east coast. So, it wasn't until Wednesday that the part was ordered. Next day delivery to Montana put it in place late on Thursday. Unfortunately workload didn't permit installation until the following MONDAY morning.



So, it was early afternoon on Monday before we were on our way again.



Yes, it took us a week.



Still, before you "rub your wife's nose in it", you need to know that we still love the additional room that our four slideouts afford us. We spend almost 6 months a year living in our motorhome and I can't imagine living without the additional space the slideouts afford.



Take care,

Stu



P.S. The replacement motor had a retail price of about $700. I've subsequently acquired a spare for $100 that I carry with me. Just in case.



P.P.S. Missoula, MT isn't a bad place to be stuck. Several nearby interesting places to see; an overnight trip to Glacier National park. We made some lemonade from the lemons.

I hope that you had the seal replaced in the pump also. The pump seal is the reason the motor failed. The hydraulic fluid leaks through the seal and into the electric motor and shorts it out. I noticed the leak and replaced the seal before it shorted out the motor. Lippert must be using poor seals in the pump. I bought my seal locally for about $10.00. The entire reservoir assembly has to be removed to replace the seal. The same pump runs the levelers as well so there are a lot of hydraulic lines and electrical connection to unhook. I did it over a couple of days. We have the same year of coach made by Monaco so I'm pretty sure you have the same system as I have. It's been three years now and no leak in sight. Love the extra space.


2009 Safari Cheetah 40'
350 HP Cat
2014 Ford Focus
Air Force One

[skypilot_1]

Slides saved my marriage....!

[Danielsand]

Thank you all for (mostly) no help at all!

You can see what I drive from my avatar. She has no slides, and is fully accessible at all times. Wide body, full queen walkaround bed (no crawling). I like "classics" (from classical music, to classic rock, and everything else considered to be "classic"). I also like classy ladies (but I digress).

Classic motorhomes have no slides. To ME,.......classics start in the early 80s (depending on make/model), and end with introduction of "transformers". I like my bus to look like a bus, and not like a transformer. These are personal "likes/dislikes", and it doesn't mean that you slide lovers are in the wrong, or I am right. Just as I like my steak bloody, some people prefer "well done". No right/wrong.

One poster said "it's easy to search".......true that! I get up at about 4AM, feed horses (and other animals), go for a run with the dogs, and hop here to see what's new. She is sleeping. I have plenty of time to "search", ask questions, or just browse. She WOULD NOT sit through the process of me pulling up different posts that talk about slide problems. So,.......I thought I'll get some people to put their issues in ONE post, and let her read it.

Thanks a lot!

"Getting stuck in Missoula".......I am about to move (permanently) 1.5 hours South of Missoula. This will be my closest "major" city for shopping/entertainment. Oh boy,....at least they have a nice airport.

My DW knows that I will be looking to replace our coach next year. I will be shopping for Prevost without slides (and acres of polished stainless steel!). She doesn't like newer Prevosts either (the ones with slides, and no SS)! Guess what she would "like me to do"? Get a "classic" (Detroit 60 minimum - starting in 1995 or so), and CUSTOM make the full wall slides! I know it's possible, but I will NOT take that project on. Nope. So it's either "swirly wirly transformer" with slides, or classic with no slides.......I vote classic.

And it's all in good spirits too (this "fight" about slides)......neither one of us is getting mad or anything. But as long as I drive/maintain/repair this thing, ....it's my decision to make. Once she starts driving, and working on it (breaking her pretty nails God forbid!!!).....she can buy whatever she wants (she has WAY more money than me anyway).

[Hammer bird]

We have a rig with 4 slides. Our rig is "mostly" accessible when all 4 are in except for two drawers of the dresser. We intentionally bought ours since it's really easy to maneuver fully closed up. Our previous TT had two slides and in 10 years of ownership never had one issue with the slides.

[lenny-shawna]

Hardheaded,
What possible benefit could you possible be looking for by asking for only negative responses??

What if one wanted to know all the negatives and only negatives to RV-ing or life for that matter?

Clearly consumers want both and that's why manufactures have both. But make no mistake, slides (albeit when working) add significant space and are more sort after than non-slide models.

Get the floor plan that fits both your lifestyle and enjoy life. Be proactive and address issues as they arise.

As for your question, well, one slide didn't retract. We had to hand crank it in. Had I educated myself before hand I would have turned off the house batteries first and then tried to retract them (I didn't know engine should be running when you work slides). Other than that there awesome. We would not have an RV without them.

Enjoy!

[Smitty77]

Oh come on Danielsand, we can see right through this campaign. As nice as your Vogue is, you're trying to convince the wife that it's time to step up to a Prevost based coach. A nice well cared for 45', will give you extra space, and that Prevost based coach. And with non slide Prevosts based coaches now available at mere mortal prices - we're on to you!

OK, per your request:

-We had a bedroom slide weld brake on a trip to Alaska
-We had a bedroom slide leak before fixing of the frame weld going
-We sometimes can not fit in narrow campgrounds with the slide out
-Slides do get in the way of the underneath basement storage access
-Slides may make a coach less rigid, and thus not as strong, and thus less accident protection
-Slides add weight to a coach
-Slides are usually less well insulated, and thus the coach can get cooler or hotter accordingly
-Slides, with and without slide toppers, can get water build up, and or snow and ice build up. Ice and snow build up, can keep you from being able to retract your slide when you want to head out.
-Slides mean more exterior surface space needs to be washed and waxed
-Slides flooring can be uneven, causing a potential tripping point
-A slide stuck into open position, can keep you from departure
-A slide in a poorly designed coach, that will not open, could keep you from getting to your booze cabinet
-A slide keeps your main squeeze just the much further away from you
-A slide does add extra costs to ongoing maintenance
-Slides loose about 4-6" of upper cabinet space
-Slides with moving plumbing, can be more problematic

I'll stop here. If I were you, I would selectively 'cut and paste' from the responses to this post, and add it to a word document to share with the wife...

You guys have a rolling classic, from era of unique high end classic rigs. And from your previous posts, I see that as a point of pride in our wording.

But all that being said. Sir, the words of wisdom about keeping the DW happy rang thru. And you know, their are some very nice well built coaches with slides, that area also very nice to drive around in. Maybe make a game out of looking for higher end older coaches. Perhaps a compromise, where you look for another high end classic, say one with only one slide in the living area as the one slides coaches are less $$ then the two + slides coaches. And acquire your next rolling classic....

A win/win, if the DW is happy, and you perhaps get a coach with sam a BIG BLOCK engine with 2 or 3 stage Jake Compression brake...

Best to you,
Smitty

[mhbell]

in 1995 bought a brand new coach with 1 slide. Had nothing but trouble with it tearing up the floor and leaking. Finally took it to the factory. They sent me to a dealer in the area after customer service called them and told them to give me a good deal. I got a brand new bigger coach and 3 years newer for $5000 difference. It was a 1998 model without a slide. We kept it for 8 years, when we traded it off. We then got a diesel pusher with out a slide. What a costly mistake. after a year we traded it off. with no slides I lost a lot of money trading it off. Everyone wanted a slide. in 2006 got a motor home with 3 slides. it was a older one a 2002. We loved that coach it was 38 ft long and had everything for a gasser. Slide problems.
1. They were leaking when extended in heavy rain. Unit had to be perfectly leveled and the bedroom slide leaked on the floor even in light rain. the water would run down the sides and somehow travel under the slide and leak into the floor wetting the carpet. I traded it off. after 2 years. since then I have had a couple of motor homes with slides. No problems. I down sized a couple of years ago and bought my present coach. Last year we spend several months in Texas and it rained the whole time we were there. No leaks. The only problem was extending the slide when we stayed in a unlevel truck parking lot one night while on the road. I had to push the top of the slide as it was binding to get it to extend. Have not had any trouble since, even though this model has had a lot of slide problems according to some of the forums. I would not have a smaller motor home without slides.
Mel
.

[aauummm]

Originally Posted by Danielsand

Thank you all for (mostly) no help at all!

You can see what I drive from my avatar. She has no slides, and is fully accessible at all times. Wide body, full queen walkaround bed (no crawling). I like "classics" (from classical music, to classic rock, and everything else considered to be "classic"). I also like classy ladies (but I digress).

Classic motorhomes have no slides. To ME,.......classics start in the early 80s (depending on make/model), and end with introduction of "transformers". I like my bus to look like a bus, and not like a transformer. These are personal "likes/dislikes", and it doesn't mean that you slide lovers are in the wrong, or I am right. Just as I like my steak bloody, some people prefer "well done". No right/wrong.

One poster said "it's easy to search".......true that! I get up at about 4AM, feed horses (and other animals), go for a run with the dogs, and hop here to see what's new. She is sleeping. I have plenty of time to "search", ask questions, or just browse. She WOULD NOT sit through the process of me pulling up different posts that talk about slide problems. So,.......I thought I'll get some people to put their issues in ONE post, and let her read it.

Thanks a lot!

"Getting stuck in Missoula".......I am about to move (permanently) 1.5 hours South of Missoula. This will be my closest "major" city for shopping/entertainment. Oh boy,....at least they have a nice airport.

My DW knows that I will be looking to replace our coach next year. I will be shopping for Prevost without slides (and acres of polished stainless steel!). She doesn't like newer Prevosts either (the ones with slides, and no SS)! Guess what she would "like me to do"? Get a "classic" (Detroit 60 minimum - starting in 1995 or so), and CUSTOM make the full wall slides! I know it's possible, but I will NOT take that project on. Nope. So it's either "swirly wirly transformer" with slides, or classic with no slides.......I vote classic.

And it's all in good spirits too (this "fight" about slides)......neither one of us is getting mad or anything. But as long as I drive/maintain/repair this thing, ....it's my decision to make. Once she starts driving, and working on it (breaking her pretty nails God forbid!!!).....she can buy whatever she wants (she has WAY more money than me anyway).

Chuckle...thanks for giving me the opportunity to have a lot of fun with your question! A question like that will bring out some really creative answers from some really creative people! And there's lots of creative people on here!

You asked for negatives on slides and one guy replies "Slides saved my marriage!" Now that is creative and worth a good chuckle!

[Electra 225]

Originally Posted by Danielsand

Thank you all for (mostly) no help at all!

You can see what I drive from my avatar. She has no slides, and is fully accessible at all times. Wide body, full queen walkaround bed (no crawling). I like "classics" (from classical music, to classic rock, and everything else considered to be "classic"). I also like classy ladies (but I digress).

Classic motorhomes have no slides. To ME,.......classics start in the early 80s (depending on make/model), and end with introduction of "transformers". I like my bus to look like a bus, and not like a transformer. These are personal "likes/dislikes", and it doesn't mean that you slide lovers are in the wrong, or I am right. Just as I like my steak bloody, some people prefer "well done". No right/wrong.

One poster said "it's easy to search".......true that! I get up at about 4AM, feed horses (and other animals), go for a run with the dogs, and hop here to see what's new. She is sleeping. I have plenty of time to "search", ask questions, or just browse. She WOULD NOT sit through the process of me pulling up different posts that talk about slide problems. So,.......I thought I'll get some people to put their issues in ONE post, and let her read it.

Thanks a lot!

"Getting stuck in Missoula".......I am about to move (permanently) 1.5 hours South of Missoula. This will be my closest "major" city for shopping/entertainment. Oh boy,....at least they have a nice airport.

My DW knows that I will be looking to replace our coach next year. I will be shopping for Prevost without slides (and acres of polished stainless steel!). She doesn't like newer Prevosts either (the ones with slides, and no SS)! Guess what she would "like me to do"? Get a "classic" (Detroit 60 minimum - starting in 1995 or so), and CUSTOM make the full wall slides! I know it's possible, but I will NOT take that project on. Nope. So it's either "swirly wirly transformer" with slides, or classic with no slides.......I vote classic.

And it's all in good spirits too (this "fight" about slides)......neither one of us is getting mad or anything. But as long as I drive/maintain/repair this thing, ....it's my decision to make. Once she starts driving, and working on it (breaking her pretty nails God forbid!!!).....she can buy whatever she wants (she has WAY more money than me anyway).

Daniel you have a great sense of humor, I sure dig that. I've had a few good laughs through this thread, and your above post. I told you before you have a nice classic there. It sounds like you and DW are having a good time any way you cut it, and that's what it's ALL about. Have good luck in the rest of the journey slides or not.

Best regards,
W.D.

[bulldog620]

You're lucky she hasn't put a pillow over your face while sleeping.....