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Indoor Storage > Storage Tips > Caring for Your RV's Slide-Outs

Caring for Your RV's Slide-Outs

Slide-outs are a wonderful feature on RVs, whether you're in Orange or Riverside County, or anywhere else. All that extra room, yeah!

However, RV slide-outs can present some maintenance and operational difficulties. For instance, before opening or closing a slide-out, check the floor. If there's sand or dirt or grit there, you'll need to eradicate it lest your floor get scratched. Likewise with the roof. Depending on how long you've had the slide-out opened out, all kinds of things could be on the top, from leaves and bird droppings to actual bird nests. Clear the top before retracting the slide-out.

Like garage doors, so to speak, there are various schools of thought on operating the hydraulic slide-out and -in system. Some say never to stop half-way but keep going until it's all out or all in before you change direction. Others say you should hold the button a little while after the conclusion of eitherdirectional operation so that the hydraulic system can get "pressurized." It's probably good to go full in and full out, but as for holding the button an extra few seconds, that's up to you.

There are seals on the sliding mechanism as well. They can dry out, and there are lubricants available. Most people recommend not using anything that contains silicone since it can dry the rubber seals out.

The slide mechanism that draws the slide-out in and pushes it out also needs maintenance, and not everyone agrees on the course of action. Some say not to use the ubiquitous WD-40, which can attract dust and dirt to the gears. Others say, contrary to the seals, to use a silicone-based substance. The best approach is to use whatever the manufacturer recommends.

One last point. You don't want to let your battery wear down. You may find yourself using a hand crank to operate the slide-out, and doing so can take a long, long time and lots of muscle. Bottom line, keep the battery charged.

There you go, some simple steps and tips to keep your slide-out happy and functional, wherever you may be operating your vehicle.

If you're storing your RV with us at Premier, we offer a variety of maintenance options.

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