Community Forums

CountryB · 07-10-2020, 10:16 AM

Seems like a lot of newer class-A Coaches are being designed with one large "full-wall" slide out, rather than the older (more conventional) two smaller slide outs on the same side

What do you think is better?

PROS:
I understand that a full wall slide provides a more interior room (on that side of Coach),

but

CONS:
it also weighs a lot more and requires a more powerful hydraulic system and would be much more difficult to push in manually if the hyd system ever failed. Also the metal framing that the house is built around would need a huge opening (so less vertical frame members) than if the Coach had two smaller slide out rooms on that side. That means less roof support on that side of the Coach.

At least that is the way I see it. Would you want a full wall slide out in your coach?

**Lt Dan** · 07-10-2020, 10:20 AM

Personally I prefer the two shorter slides to one full wall. Our passenger side is almost full wall but is two slides with only about a foot between them. From the inside it looks like a full wall slide. With the right mechanism like hydraulic a full wall would be good but I have seen a lot of the gear driven full wall slides having problems.

Ivylog · 07-10-2020, 10:34 AM

2 smaller...my front ones are not that small (17.5 & 18’). Structurally I would not want that big an opening that a F wall slide has. Often when a F wall is in, getting to the BR is not as easy... have to go through the bath room.

Before buying my 45’ Navigator I looked at Monaco’s F wall on a 43’ coach. The slide mechanism was the same as my 18’ with the hydraulic cylinders further apart BUT there was 10’ cantilevered off the back... no support and NO Thank You.

lincolnmath · 07-10-2020, 10:47 AM

My old Winnebago Adventurer has one full side slide & that's enough for us! We like it and its hydraulic (the only way to go IMHO) It also came with a hand crank winch & brkt that attaches to the frame to retract incase something happens. Of course with only 1 slide we can make full use of the coach even if its retracted, a very positive feature IMO.

Now if it was the crappy electric mechanisms that they used later I Would Not Have bought it at all! Then maybe I would have considered two slides, but no full slides with Schwintek junk for me.

MSHappyCampers · 07-10-2020, 11:00 AM

I don't want a full wall slideout! I think it would be much harder to get it worked on if something goes wrong. JMHO

CountryB · 07-10-2020, 11:05 AM

If you look at the "framing" of the house section, there is not a lot of structural support steel (aluminum) in the side walls to begin with (see the section I highlighted for the roadside bedroom slide).

Now imagine the entire section of framing removed from the rear wheels to the front wheels for a "full wall" slide out. What the heck holds the roof up on that side?

I would not want to walk on the roof along that unsupported edge for concern over my weight tweaking the roof support beams and then creating a drag on the top of slide out.

Crasher · 07-10-2020, 11:10 AM

Ours has four slides, but I've often wondered about a full wall one. Last I had heard, Bob Tiffin did not want a full wall slide in the DP for strength reasons. My son's Mountain Aire had one, but his Newell has four slides. I have to wonder why the Newell wouldn't have a full one unless they have the same reasoning that Tiffin does.

TXiceman · 07-10-2020, 11:52 AM

Even though the two slides require two sets of slide equipment, the systems will be smaller. I will never have a full wall slide RV. As a retired mechanical engineer, it does not look like a good design choice.

Ken

CountryB · 07-10-2020, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Even though the two slides require two sets of slide equipment, the systems will be smaller. I will never have a full wall slide RV. As a retired mechanical engineer, it does not look like a good design choice.

Ken

USMCRET · 07-10-2020, 12:01 PM

FWS have been around for awhile. If there were structural issues with them, wouldn’t we have heard by now?

Rollin101 · 07-10-2020, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crasher

Ours has four slides, but I've often wondered about a full wall one. Last I had heard, Bob Tiffin did not want a full wall slide in the DP for strength reasons. My son's Mountain Aire had one, but his Newell has four slides. I have to wonder why the Newell wouldn't have a full one unless they have the same reasoning that Tiffin does.

ENTEGRA won’t build a full wall slide for the same reason. However, our W floor plan with the two slides look like a full wall slide from the inside.

Gdawgs · 07-10-2020, 12:09 PM

We have a 28' full wall slide and an 18' slide on the other side of the salon and an electric slide opposite the full wall in the bedroom. The hyd system runs the jacks and both slides. As with most the hyd pump is electric driven with the ability to use an electric drill on the pump if the electric motor fails. We also have Valid air leveling and almost never level with the jacks. All full wall slides limit the length they extend out. My 18' slide goes out almost a foot further than the full wall. This keeps the weight of the full wall slide contents directly centered on the outside frame rail of the coach for support when extended. All this is on a Roadmaster 10 air bag chassis with the bags outward mounted. We love our Roadmaster full wall configuration.

95f5334j · 07-10-2020, 12:57 PM

The full wall slide was introduced to reduce manufacturing cost, not to increase the ongoing enjoyment of your motor coach.

Milford 47 · 07-10-2020, 02:18 PM

Currently have a full wall slide with no issues in 5 years

Have had 4 and 5 slide units prior

Floor plan will dictate the next coach, not FWS

One particular thing we do like about the FWS is the speed it deploys when stopping for lunch or coffee

Opening it frees up the 1/2 bath, kitchen, dining making it comfortable for the break

1/2 bathroom is accessible without opening a slide, just easier access