When you have an RV, a slide out can be a real life-saver. It allows your RV to fit more snugly into storage space while giving your RV the expanded interior you need to feel comfortable when camping. But just like anything else in your RV, it deserves your attention when it comes to maintenance. That way you can continue to enjoy a fully-functioning RV slide out that makes your RV that much more flexible. Here are some basic RV slide out maintenance tips you can start using to keep your slide out in great shape.
Inspect and Maintain Your Slide Seals
When your slide out is working properly, it’s tempting to think that means that every aspect of your RV is working properly. But one area you have to pay attention to are the slide seals. These are the seals near your slide outs that help lock out the elements. Just like any seals in your RV, you’ll always want to be equipped to handle holes in these seals when you notice them.
Our recommendation? Keep some RV by LIFE sealants handy. We can’t tell you what all of your individual seals are going to be made of, so make sure that you choose the product that corresponds to your slide out’s individual seals. You don’t want to get caught in the winter with a slide out that can’t keep the cold air outside and the warm air locked inside.
Know Your Slide Out Mechanism
One of the most important elements on your slide out is the mechanism that allows for sliding in the first place. There are a few key types:
- Hydraulic slides. These are usually for heavier RVs with more substantial slide outs, giving more power and stability to the central mechanism. For many people, this will be their first interaction with anything hydraulic—at least up close and personal—which is why it’s important to know how to inspect and maintain hydraulic slides.
- Electric motor slide outs. These are generally simpler to deal with, since the motor mechanism is relatively straight forward. But you’ll also want to regularly inspect these motors for signs of issues and problems that may need repairs.
Inspecting Your Slide Outs Before Big Trips
For most people, the problem isn’t handling these slide outs. That’s a question of simply getting the proper room, having the RV set up, and switching it on.
But you’ll want to make sure that you have everything you need before a big trip. That means you should add your slide out and its component parts to your inspection list before a long trip, pack any relevant repair tools you may need, and make sure that you have the RV sealants capable of repairing any holes or tears that show up if the slide out gets stuck.
Shop RV by LIFE
We hope these RV slide out maintenance tips assist you. If you want more great ways to maintain your RV, we have the RV sealant and repair products that will make RV upkeep easy! Shop our products now.
