The RV slideout is one of the major components in the living space and floorplan configurations of the RVs. Today, the newly manufactured motorhomes come inbuilt with slideout rooms. But to maintain their functionalities and prolong their lifespan, we need to know the slideout mechanisms.
Slideouts are available in various sizes, ranging from small wardrobe slides to extra-large and full-wall ones. The floorplan options offered with different RV models sometimes also allow expansion of the rooms to optimize the maximum available space, for which these slideouts are used.
One of the customer care agents who attended us at the Des Moines RV dealer mentioned that among all of them the living-room slides found to be the most commonly used, and the second common ones are for the bedroom. The knowledge of how a particular slideout in a said motorhome works become a necessityto avoid the probabilities of malfunctioning in the future.
Laying the Land
It is the condition of the battery that is directly responsible for the optimumutility of all the slideouts. It is because the slides extract a lot of amperage that needs adequate power supply, without which it won’t work properly. So, you need to keep a watch on the battery whenever there is a journey ahead.
Make sure the motor is at least of 10.5 to 11 volts when working under load. However it also depends on the size and weight of the slide how much power it requires. If the batteries go low, you need to start the engine to charge it up.
Types of Popular Slideout
The design of slideouts can be pretty complex. So many times they can even invite many or pose problems that require the service of trained technicians.
Electric slideouts can be seen in three basic types, one is the screw jack, the other is the rack-and-pinion and the third a cable-driven one. The mechanisms are different as well as their operating systems, but what binds them together is the requirement for anelectric motor of 12-volt DC.
Many times there can be a heavy slideout room system that is handicapped with an inadequate wire gauge, or excessive wire length, both leading to a bad connection. There is a pair of Bosch-style that is supposed to coordinate the appropriate wiring that can be installed on most of the existing systems to alleviate theissue.
The other type of slideout is made of hydraulic systems that makes use of a pump that drives the pistons that move the slides in and out. These hydraulic systems are incredibly powerful and capable of moving even the largest of slideout rooms.
Maintaining the Slideouts
Motorhomes that come with a slideout room can be extended which is not movable. Every motorhome with a slideout mechanism needs to be maintained following specific maintenance as well as inspection procedures, which will be categorically mentioned in the owner’s manual. If the owner’s manual does not have these procedures, check the manufacturer’s website for service information, recommends a sales agent of the best RV dealer in Des Moines.
