“Slip slidin’ away
Slip slidin’ away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you’re slip slidin’ away… ” Paul Simon
Slide-outs became common in RVs starting in the 1990’s. All vehicles need to maintain a certain maximum width to drive on the highways and down narrow roads. But it’s sure nice to expand that width and accompanying living space in an RV if a campsite permits. RV manufacturers began adding one slide-out, then two, and now some add up to five. Alternatively, some are manufactured with full wall slides, almost doubling the living space with the press of one button.
There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to slides. For instance, some layouts prevent the use of bathrooms, bedrooms, or refrigerators when the slides are in – not so good for accessing features while driving down the road, or at short stops where slides are not permitted. But boy can they add floor space when you are parked where they can be extended!
Our motorhome has 3 slides, and for some reason they operate with different mechanisms. One extends our bed, with another taking the opposite wall of closets out a couple of feet. When they are in, we have to crawl over the bed to reach items on the other side, but when out, we have lots of room to get around. Our living/dining/kitchen space is still functional when the main slide is in, but again, Betty & my style is not cramped so much when it is out!
Previous posts have noted that all three slides have required maintenance, but none so much as our living room slide. This is a story of our most recent experience. Usually, I like to keep our posts upbeat, with lots of evocative pictures. You’ll find none of that here, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s time to look elsewhere. Lol.
BTW, if this was a typical shared campfire story, I’m not sure it would beat the experience of our friends at Town & Country in Winnipeg. Their living room hydraulic slide wouldn’t retract, but couldn’t find a mobile RV tech who could come and assist. They called for a tow truck to take it to a repair shop, but no tow truck would move it with the slide-out extended, and it refused to retract. Eventually, in desperation, they drove it over 80 miles (130km) with the slide extended, to a repair shop. And we’re not sure if it’s fixed yet… So I think they one up us. lol.
While on Vancouver Island for the winter of 2021/22, an RV repair guy spent six months trying to fix our slide. He wanted to order a new motor, but couldn’t find one. He took the motor to be refurbished, but was told there was nothing wrong with it. He cleaned and lubricated all the moving parts, checked the alignment, and got me to order a new gear, which he installed. Still didn’t work.
On the way back to Winnipeg an RV tech in Twin Falls, Idaho, told us we needed a new slide controller, which I ordered. When we got back to Manitoba a mobile RV “tech” checked our spaghetti network of wires, and disconnected the power for all three slides. Never saw him again…
Fortunately, fellow campers Jeff & Gordie checked the wiring, got the bedroom slides working again, and confirmed that the slide controller was not needed. (If anyone needs a new one…)
At the end of the season I took our motorhome to an RV shop that said they could fix it. They didn’t.
In July, 2023, I took our coach to Stylings RV where it has been serviced for the past decade. They said the gear that the guy in Nanaimo installed was now chewed, and encouraged me to order two new ones. The new ones cost over $400. USD, plus shipping, duty, etc. But they got them installed, and the slide worked again. Fingers crossed…
As noted in my Dec. 8/23 post, we were trying to leave Mustang Island State Park for South Padre Island, when our living room slide wouldn’t retract. We are so thankful for our young, strong neighbour, John, who was able to crank it in for us!
As soon as we arrived at our current campsite (C413) at Isla Blanca Park, I called Sierra RV in Port Isabel, as they had serviced our coach on previous trips. RV tech Isaiah stopped by to troubleshoot the problem. He noted that the new gears installed in July were already chewed up, and recommended I order a new set. (Another $400. USD!) Since I had all the specifications from the July order, I placed an order with the supplier in California. This is when I made a critical mistake. On their website, I thought the shipping options were UPS or FedEx, and since the first was cheaper, that’s what I went with.
The next day I received a tracking number, went to the UPS site, and it didn’t work. Looking more closely I found it was USPS, and that extra S made a big difference, since USPS does not deliver to our campground!
I contacted the supplier right away, since the USPS tracking site said they were still awaiting the parts. But the supplier said there was nothing they could do about it. I tried contacting the US Postal Service, but couldn’t get through because all options began by providing my zip code, which I don’t have.
Tried to appeal to the supplier to contact USPS, with no luck. As expected, when the gears arrived at the SPI post office, they were immediately “Returned To Sender.” They arrived at the Fontana, California post office Dec. 18/23, to be delivered the next day to the supplier, a few blocks away. That didn’t happen. I asked the supplier if they could pick the package up. No. After Christmas it had still not been sent back, so I contacted the supplier a few more times, encouraging them to check with the local post office.
Turns out the post office lost the package, so I would have to order the parts again. Fortunately, the supplier refunded me the cost of the first gears, minus the shipping charges, after I paid another $400. for a third small gear, and a second large gear, plus $30. to have them sent to Sierra RV via FedEx.
I faithfully watched the FedEx tracking updates as the package arrived at Harlingen, Texas, via Memphis. It then showed “Out For Delivery”. Yeah! Except then it was returned to Harlingen for an undetermined reason. I eventually got hold of a nice FedEx (I think Canada, employee) who transferred my call to Harlingen FedEx. Angel had my package, and the easiest way to get it on a Friday afternoon, was for Betty & me to drive there and pick it up. Which is what we did…
On return I contacted Sierra Rv, and Isaiah came back out yesterday and installed the gears at a reasonable cost. He also reinforced the face plate covering the gears at the motor, so it shouldn’t shift out of line again.
The slide is working smoother and quieter than ever. Fingers crossed we don’t ever have to go through this ordeal again. May your days be smooth and quiet, and full of enjoyment, whether you slide in or out in life!
“God only knows
God makes his plan
The information’s unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we’re gliding down the highway
When in fact we’re slip slidin’ away.”
Cheers!