Category: RV Living

The Largest US RV Dealers – Should You Buy From Them?

This article is about the largest US RV dealers. And whether or not you should buy an RV from a large national dealership chain.

And yes, it’s true that the RV industry is in a big consolidation phase right now.

So most of the brands that you see out there are owned by just a few companies at this point.

And the largest US RV dealers are buying up local RV dealers at a record pace. So is this a good thing for RV buyers or not?

Watch my video on buying from the largest US RV dealers

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The #1 Pro Of Buying At The Largest US RV Dealers

Well not necessarily. So let’s talk about both the pros and the cons of national RV dealer chains, starting with the pros first.

And the number one pro we’ll mention is that they often have a very large inventory of RVs to look at.

Of course, that is great for newer RVers that often aren’t sure what kind of RV they should buy.

In fact, it can be a big help to visit a large dealer chain. Because with all those RVs, you can go through all the different kinds of RVs at one time.

You can also view lots of sizes and floor plans in different categories of RVs.

And that’s a good way to find out what works best for you and your needs.

So it’s good to have a large inventory of RVs for educational purposes alone.

RV Buying Pro #2

But the second pro is that you’re also often going to find several brands at one dealership too. And that can be a good thing too.

Because it can take a lot of time and effort to find different RV brands. And comparing them when they aren’t side-by-side can be a challenge too.

The Best Advantage Of Buying At The Largest US RV Dealers

But the number three pro of the largest US RV dealers is really the big one.

And that is that by design they are very convenient. So you can buy an RV there and even finance it all in the same place.

In addition, you can also trade your RV in and that saves the hassle of selling it on your own.

Also, you can access their parts department, their service department and so on.

And all of that is super convenient, since it’s all in one location at these large dealerships.

OK, so those are all pros of the largest US RV dealers. But now let’s talk about the cons as well.

A Big Con Of Buying From Large RV Dealer Chains

And the number one con is that these large dealership chains are not locally owned.

So there’s no local reputation that they have to worry about keeping up in the community.

Small dealers are often more concerned about their overall reputation
Small RV dealers are often more concerned about their overall reputation

Now when you have a smaller RV dealer, the owner is part of the community in many cases.

So the owner will often see and meet their customers as they go around their daily activities.

And that is an incentive to keep their reputation in good repute among the community.

But that’s not true with a large national dealer chain. Because they rely instead on large advertising budgets to get people in through the door.

Con #2 Of Buying At The Largest US RV Dealers

Than another con is that many of the largest US RV dealers have adopted selling tactics that’s been used in the car industry for decades.

And I think we all know how much fun it is to go buy a car from a car dealer, right?

Usually it’s not very much fun for most people. And that’s because they love to use high pressure tactics that people hate.

Well, many in the RV dealer community have adopted very similar tactics. Especially in these large national dealer chains.

Con #3 Of Buying At Large RV Dealerships

Now another con is that because of all of that you are just a monthly number on the sales projection board.

You see, at the beginning of the month most dealers will make a projection of how many sales they want to make that month.

RV dealers usually make sales projections at the start of every month
The largest US RV dealers usually make sales projections at the start of every month

And then, they do everything in their power to meet that projection. Whether or not in many cases it’s good for you as a customer.

And it’s often called the “turn and burn” mentality in vehicle sales. And it does not usually work in favor of the average customer.

The Sales Process – Con #4

OK, the next con is that these dealers have a sales process that they want to use on you. One that gives them full control in the entire process.

So they’re really not there to listen to you or to even educate you. Instead, they want you to fall into their process and do what they want you to do.

Con #5 – What About The Salespeople?

Now the next con is the salespeople that you are going to encounter at large RV dealers.

In fact, many of them may not even know very much about the RVs that they’re selling you.

In fact, very often they’re not even RVers at all. They are just salespersons.

Salespeople at the largest US RV dealers often use high pressure tactics
Salespeople at the largest US RV dealers often use high pressure tactics

So you may actually know more than the salesperson you are working with.

And what this means is that you can’t trust them as a means of learning about RVs. Or about what will work best for your particular situation.

Because many times the things they’re going to tell you are just to sell you an RV. And they will often say almost anything to get the sale.

So all of this makes it hard to trust a salesperson that you often find at large RV dealership chains.

#6 – What The Largest US RV Dealers Really Want

OK, the next con is that these kind of dealers want you to buy purely on emotion.

Because they realize that emotions are very powerful. And they will get people to do something they don’t always want to do if they had time to think about it.

Large national RV dealers often like it when you by purely on emotion
Large national RV dealers often like it when you by purely on emotion

So they want you to buy quickly based on emotions. They want to move you through the sales process and get you out the door quickly.

And the interest is not in educating you as a consumer. Or in finding out what you want and need. Just on turning sales.

Con #7 For Buying At National RV Chains

Now the next con is about RV financing at large RV dealers. And it’s often not really the best deal that you could make for an RV loan.

In fact, the finance department of an RV dealership in many cases is the most profitable part of the whole dealer. Why?

Be careful with RV loans at large national RV dealerships
Be careful with RV loans at large national RV dealerships

Because they’re marking up their loans considerably to make profits for the RV dealer.

So financing is often not good for you as a consumer at these large dealer chains.

OK, the next con is that while you’re in the finance office they will love to sell you upgrades for your RV. But at very high profit margin!

Things like extended warranties, fabric protection, exterior protection and so on.

And they are all marked up very high to begin with. But when the cost is put in your RV loan, you really can’t tell how much it’s actually costing you.

Large US RV Dealers And Con #9

Then another con is that they often do very little if any pre-delivery inspection. And that’s true on both new and used RVs.

And as an RV inspector I can tell you this happens a lot, especially with large RV dealers.

So if they do a pre-delivery inspection at all, very often it’s a cursory one.

And very often, it’s done by someone who is not really qualified to do an RV inspection too. Many times by a very low paid employee.

Con #10 – What About RV Inspections?

Now moving on to the next con. And that is that a lot of the largest US RV dealers don’t like RV inspectors.

And they don’t want an RV inspection to be performed on their lot. In fact, more and more, they’re often refusing them all together.

Some of the largest US RV dealers deny RV inspections on their lot
Some of the largest US RV dealers deny RV inspections on their lot

Or if they allow them, they’ll make them very hard to perform. And why is that?

Well remember, their sales process means that they want to move you in and out of that dealership as fast as possible.

And they don’t want you thinking about things that could stop you from buying an RV.

Well, an RV inspection slows down that process. And it allows you to start thinking about whether it’s really a good buy or not.

So many of these large RV dealer chain stores don’t like RV inspections.

The Last Con When Buying From The Largest US RV Dealers

Now our last con that we’re going to talk about is an important one to consider.

So suppose they do allow you to inspect the RV you’re looking at.

Then suppose you take delivery of that RV before the quality issues that the inspector found are fixed?

Well you may have to wait weeks or even months to get those issues fixed. And this is common at these large RV dealer chain stores.

OK, those are a lot of cons about the largest US RV dealers to consider and mull over.

An Important Point About RV Dealers In General

Now let me say this. The cons that I mentioned here are not just restricted to large national RV dealership chains.

In fact, they can often take place with smaller RV dealers as well.

However I can say that in general they are more or less part of the fabric of these large national RV dealer chains.

Definitely, more so than most smaller local RV dealers that you come across.

Here’s My Recommendations To Protect Yourself

So here is what I recommend. If you’re going to buy from one of the largest US RV dealers, be careful every step of the way.

Watch what you’re doing and don’t just let them move you through in their sales process.

Always be careful about every step of the buying process and take nothing for granted.

So number one, know what you want before you buy. Don’t just go to the dealer and let them educate you.

Be educated about the RV you want to buy before visiting a large RV dealer's lot
Be educated about the RV you want to buy before visiting a large RV dealer’s lot

Because they’re often going to direct you where they want you to buy. To what they want to sell you because it makes them more profit.

Instead, be an educated RV buyer before you even start the RV buying process.

More Ways To Protect Yourself At Large National RV Dealers

Then number two, have your financing already set and lined up in advance. Don’t just blindly accept whatever the dealer offers you.

And don’t discuss financing in any way, or monthly payments, until the price for the RV that you’re buying is settled.

Number three, don’t buy your extras for your new RV from the RV dealer.

Because usually you can get extras and add-ons yourself with no problem. And you can usually get them at a much better price elsewhere.

Also, the upgrades you buy will often be better quality than what you will get at the dealer too.

For instance, let’s take extended warranties or service contracts after the sale.

Those can be very useful. And I personally have used them with good success on my RV.

But I recommend you go to wholesalewarranties.com because they are a broker in RV extended warranties or service contracts.

They can find the extended warranty that’s going to fit best for you and your RV.

Wholesale Warranties is a great place to get a good deal on a quality RV extended warranty
Wholesale Warranties is a great place to get a good deal on a quality RV extended warranty

So just follow this link to learn more about what they have to offer.

One More Piece Of Advice For Buying At The Largest US RV Dealers

Now number four is always, and I mean always, insist on a full third party inspection of the RV you intend to buy.

And be sure to use a certified NRVIA RV inspector to do the inspection for you. Do not allow the dealer to talk you out of it.

Always get any RV you buy inspected by a certified NRVIA inspector
Always get any RV you buy inspected by a certified NRVIA inspector

Or allow them to tell you that their pre-delivery inspection takes care of all of that. And that it doesn’t cost you anything. That’s usually not true!

So always insist on that third party inspection. And if the dealer refuses, I can’t tell you what to do.

But I can tell you what I would do. I would leave, because that’s telling me everything I need to know about that dealer.

And about how much they value me as a customer. Or are interested in my having a positive RV buying experience.

OK, the final point I want to share with you is something very few buyers do.

The Final RV Buying Recommendation I Can Give You

And that is never take delivery of any RV before all the issues that the RV inspector found are resolved to your satisfaction.

Because if you take delivery beforehand, then you’re often going to be put at the back of the dealer’s service line.

And you’re probably going to experience a lot of frustration and anxiety trying to get all those issues resolved.

Or at least that’s the way it works for a lot of RV buyers who complain online about their buying experience.

Conclusion

Well if you follow the advice that I’ve given you here in this article you really can get the RV that you want.

Not only the one you want, but the one you also need as well. And you can make sure that it works like it should from the first day of ownership.

And all of this can be accomplished even at one of the largest US RV dealers.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

RV Downsizing – Why And How You Should Do It

This article is about RV downsizing. And about why and how to do it.

Of course, when you start out RVing there’s a lot of things you just don’t know.

And one of those things for many people is how little space they can live in comfortably.

Watch my video on RV downsizing

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Why Many People Buy Big RVs

Also, many come from houses that have 1000 – 3000 or more square feet of living area.

And it can be really daunting to think about living in only 300 square feet or maybe even less.

And that’s the kind of living space that you often find in RVs. So lots of folks just choose a bigger rig to start with.

That’s in order to make the transition a little bit easier for them from a stationary home to an RV.

And quite frankly, that’s really not a bad idea in many cases as they are just starting their RV life.

But there can be lots of reasons why RVers eventually choose to downsize their rig after a while. And we’ll talk about that now.

But before we get started, let me mention something else at this point.

And that is that this is also a very good discussion for you newer RVers too. Even those that don’t have an RV yet.

That’s because some of the points we’re going to cover could actually be things you need to think about before making your first RV purchase.

And knowing this information can help you buy the right size RV the first time.

RV Downsizing Reason #1

OK, let’s get started. And the first possible reason for downsizing is it could that your rig is hard for you to maneuver and drive around.

Now take it from me, because I have a 40 foot diesel pusher motorhome. And we flat tow a Honda CRV behind it.

Here's our big rig - a diesel pusher towing a CRV
Here’s our big rig – a diesel pusher towing a CRV

So when it’s all hooked up, it’s a big rig! In fact, it rivals even many commercial truck and trailer combinations in length.

Also, when I’m all hooked up I don’t have a reverse gear at that point. At least that’s the way I look at it anyway.

Because you really can’t back up when you have a flat towed vehicle connected.

So that means that I can only move in one direction when I’m driving my motorhome.

And that’s something you should think about before buying an RV.

Because when you have a big heavy rig and you’re towing a vehicle, maneuverability is cut down drastically.

For me, I have just decided to use bigger roads and interstate highways when I travel.

Because secondary roads could be a real challenge and it’s not hard to get into tough situations there. So all of that could be a reason for downsizing.

#2 – Downsizing For RV Parks And Campgrounds

OK, the second reason for downsizing is that many campgrounds these days are still not big rig friendly.

They were built decades ago for RVs that were generally a much smaller size back then.

RV downsizing - Campgrounds are often a challenge for bigger RVs
Campgrounds are often a challenge for bigger RVs

So the campground roads are more narrow. And in many cases, the corners can be narrow and make turning challenging too.

Also, in many of these older RV parks the sites themselves are tight. Making them more difficult to get into and out of with a bigger rig.

So all of this could be a very good reason for downsizing into a smaller and more nimble RV.

RV Downsizing Reason #3

OK, our third reason for downsizing has to do boondocking. Or off-grid camping. And lots of folks love to do that.

In fact, that’s what many people want to do with their RV. They aren’t interested in staying in RV parks or campgrounds.

RV downsizing helps when you like to boondock a lot
RV downsizing helps when you like to boondock a lot

Instead, they want to go to remote places. Where you’re going to see things that you just can’t see any other way.

Well if you have a bigger rig, I’m going to tell you that’s going to be more of a challenge.

It’s just a fact that off-road camping is a lot easier in smaller RVs in general.

Now it doesn’t mean you can’t do it in bigger rigs. But it’s more of a challenge for sure!

#4 – What About Maintenance And Repair?

Now our next reason for downsizing is that big rigs often require more maintenance and repair overall.

That’s because if manufacturers have a bigger RV to work with, they often stuff a whole lot more amenities and other things in it.

Things that can require more maintenance and more expense to keep up and repair.

Now I made a video a little while ago about the annual cost of maintaining our particular rig.

And quite frankly, I was very surprised when I found out how much it was costing us.

So I think it would be helpful for you to watch that video. Because it might help you decide whether downsizing is a good idea for you or not.

Watch my video on what our large motorhome cost to repair and maintain
Watch my video on what our large motorhome cost to repair and maintain

Especially if you want to avoid some of those extra costs of RV maintenance and repairs.

RV Downsizing Reason #5

OK, our next reason for downsizing is that big rigs require a lot more focus to drive.

And I can testify to that. Because when I’m driving I’m always watching everything.

And by that, I mean I’m scanning the gauges in front of me constantly.

That helps me make sure that all of the mechanical things on the RV are operating correctly.

Then I’m also looking at the car we tow along with us in the rear camera too. Just to make sure it’s okay and tracking along behind us well.

And I’m also checking my tire pressure monitoring system from time to time.

Then I’m also looking at the coach’s mirrors to see what’s coming up behind me.

And besides all of that, I’m looking at the road ahead, the road conditions and even the weather.

So all of these things require focus on the part of the RV’s driver. And more focus than usual because it’s a bigger rig.

Because if something goes wrong, you need to be prepared for it if you can.

Now all of that focus and attention can honestly wear you out. And it doesn’t take very long to do that.

So if you want to enjoy the journey more as you travel, maybe a smaller RV might be good for you.

The Cost Of Large RV Rigs – #6

Now our next reason for downsizing is that larger rigs often just cost more to buy up front.

And that means that if you downsize to a smaller rig, you can probably save money. That’s because the RV itself is not costing you as much.

What About Fuel Mileage? – #7

Also, another reason for downsizing is that smaller RVs tend to get better fuel mileage.

So that means you can travel more and farther for less money. And that’s a great thing!

RV Downsizing Reason #8

Now another reason for downsizing is that when you get your fuel, you actually can have access to a lot more fuel stations with a smaller rig.

For us, with the big rig we have, we only feel comfortable going to fuel stations where commercial trucks get their fuel.

That’s because with a bigger rig going into a normal fuel station you have to be very careful.

Because you might get in at that fuel station. But you may not get out very easily. And we learned that lesson the hard way!

So having a smaller rig is a lot easier to fuel up and maneuver in more fuel stations.

#9 – What About RV Storage Choices?

The next reason for downsizing is that you may not have to store your RV at a storage facility while you’re not using it.

So for those that aren’t RVing full-time, what do you do with your RV when you’re not using it?

Well if it’s a bigger RV, you’re probably going to need to store it at a storage facility.

But if it’s smaller, it very often can fit right there at home with you. And that’s a big savings on storage costs.

#10 – Lifestyle Changes

OK, our next reason for downsizing is maybe you’ve been RVing for a while.

And now you’ve discovered that your space and living area needs have changed.

So you now feel that you can live in a smaller area. And if that’s the case, then downsizing could be a good idea for you.

RV Downsizing Reason #11

Also, another reason for downsizing is that we all reach a point in life where it becomes physically challenging to have a larger rig.

That’s because there’s just so much more physical work that goes with a big RV.

It takes more effort to maintain it and care for it. And even in setting up and breaking down camp each time you stop.

So maybe you want to continue RVing. But you don’t want to have to expend the physical effort that’s involved with a bigger rig.

Well if that’s the case, downsizing could be a very good thing for you at that stage of life.

The Last Reason For Downsizing – #12

Now the last thing to cover in this article is that a lot of folks want to live a more minimalistic lifestyle these days.

In fact, they want to get rid of stuff and material things rather than accumulate them.

So if you feel that way, it may make a lot of sense for you to consider downsizing your rig.

For instance, it may be important to you to live a greener lifestyle in general. Or just a more more minimalistic one.

And in that case, downsizing your RV will help. Because it will really force you to not be able to carry as much stuff along with you.

Because you just can’t afford to do that with the weight and space that you have in a smaller RV.

Well, these are all good reasons to think about RV downsizing in the near future.

How Can You Downsize A Motorhome Successfully?

Now let’s talk about how to do it. And let’s assume that you’re a motorhome owner and you’ve got a big rig.

It might even be a Class A diesel pusher or it could be a Super C RV as well. So how do you downsize from those larger rigs?

Well for you Class A diesel pusher owners, you could downsize down to a a gasoline-powered Class A instead.

Downsizing to a gas Class A can be a good choice for diesel pusher owners
Downsizing to a gas Class A can be a good choice for diesel pusher owners

Something around 30 feet or so. And that could be a very good choice for you.

Or you could go even farther and downsize into a class C RV. Because some of them go down to around 25 feet or so.

That could be a very good choice for you and still keep you in a motorhome.

What About Towable RVs?

But now what about you luxury fifth wheel owners? Of course, you’ve got a rolling apartment going down the road, right?

Well the good news is that again you can downsize to a smaller fifth wheel.

In fact, there’s a lot of them on the market that are 30 feet or a little bit more. And that could be a very good choice for you instead.

But remember, you also have access to travel trailers as a towable RV too.

Travel trailers let you downsize as far as you want to go
Travel trailers let you downsize as far as you want to go

So you could drop down in size to almost any size RV you want using a travel trailer.

Conclusion

But the bottom line is that if you have a motorhome, there are ways to downsize your RV.

And if you have a towable RV, there’s ways to successfully downsize from there as well. But before I finish here, let me say this.

Not everyone feels the need to downsize their rig or their RV. In fact, there’s a lot of folks that want to go the opposite direction.

They want even more room than they currently have. But the great thing about RVing is the flexibility that it allows you.

You can adjust your living space to choose whatever you feel is going to make you happy. And that is a very good thing!

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

RV Slide Out Repairs – How To Avoid Expensive Problems

In this article I’m going to be talking about RV slide out repairs. And the top five tips for maintaining and protecting your RV slide outs.

So that way you can avoid a lot of the slide repairs that can be very costly to fix.

Of course, one thing’s for sure. And that is that RV slides provide a lot more living space inside an RV.

RV slide rooms can increase living space dramatically
RV slide rooms can increase living space dramatically

In fact, RV manufacturers can extend up to 50% of an RV’s living space by using enough slides.

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RV Slide Outs Can Have Problems

But slide out rooms can have their problems too. And that’s especially true if they’re not maintained or operated correctly.

And that eventually often leads to RV slide out repairs becoming necessary.

In fact, there are many RVers these days that absolutely avoid slide rooms altogether.

Because of the potential problems that they have heard about or seen themselves.

But by following the tips in this article, you can avoid a lot of those issues and problems. Ones that can become very expensive to repair.

Not All Slide Outs Are The Same

First of all though, let me say this. Not all RV slide rooms operate the same way.

Yes, they all go out and then come back into the RV. But the mechanism that causes them to do that can be very different from one RV to another.

And there are four main kinds of slide out systems in use today in most RVs you’ll see.

RV Slide System #1

The first one we’ll talk about is the electric rack and pinion type of system.

Now rack and pinion just means that you have a circular gear that moves on top of a lateral gear. And moves the slide room in and out.

A typical rack and pinion RV slide gear
A typical rack and pinion RV slide gear

It’s the most common type of mechanism used because it’s very reliable. Also because there’s very few moving parts too.

So RV manufacturers love using that system and installing it at the factory.

Unfortunately, it can also be one of the more expensive systems to install correctly.

RV Slide Out System #2

The second slide system we’re going to talk about has a little bit of a bad reputation though.

It’s the Schwintek slide room system. And Schwintek uses worm gears at each end of the slide to move the slide in and out.

This is what a Schwintek RV slide system looks like on the outside of the slide room
This is what a Schwintek RV slide system looks like on the outside of the slide room

It’s actually a fairly reliable system overall. But some RV manufacturers these days have been using them in ways it was not designed to be used.

For instance, they may use it on very long and heavy slides often referred to as “super slides”.

But Schwintek is not designed for that. It’s best used for smaller slides like you find in an RV bedroom.

And as long as it is used in the way it was designed, it usually works just fine.

RV Slide Mechanism #3

Now the third type of system we’ll talk about is hydraulic. It uses a motor and a pump and somewhere there is a reservoir for the hydraulic fluid.

A hydraulic slide system using an arm to drive the slide room in and out
A hydraulic slide system using an arm to drive the slide room in and out

Now if you know anything about hydraulics you know that you can use it to move really heavy things around.

So a hydraulic slide mechanism works very well for those bigger and longer super slides I mentioned earlier.

And the other thing that you’ll notice is that as you operate a hydraulic slide it moves in and out usually a lot faster too.

Especially when compared to the electric rack and pinion type of slide system. In fact, it can move so fast that it’s almost scary to some people.

RV Slide Out System #4

Now the last system we’ll talk about today is a cable slide room system. It’s a little more expensive and therefore it’s not used quite as often.

But it uses cables that bring the slide out and then cables that pull it back in.

A typical cable slide out mechanism on the outside of the slide
A typical cable slide out mechanism on the outside of the slide

Usually you only see a couple of cables outside but there are more that are inside the mechanism.

And once again, this kind of system is best used on smaller slides.

Although it is more robust than the Schwintek system mentioned above.

OK, those are the four most commonly used types of slide systems in RVs these days.

But remember that maintenance is going to be required on all of these systems to some degree.

So here are my five top tips for maintaining RV slide rooms to get the best service from them.

RV Slide Out Repairs – Maintenance Tip #1

And the number one tip is make sure that you lubricate any moving metal parts that are touching one another.

You’ll want to do that to keep them moving smoothly and cut down on friction.

However, it’s important to use the right lubrication too. So don’t use anything other than a dry lubrication like you see here.

To help prevent RV slide out repairs use a dry lube like this on moving metal parts
To help prevent RV slide out repairs use a dry lube like this on moving metal parts

Because if you use something else, very often dirt or debris will be attracted to that lubricant.

And that can even gum up the system instead and make it worse.

So lubricate moving metal parts and use a dry lube for that task.

Slide Out Tip #2

Now the second tip is to also lubricate your slide seals very often as well.

And slide seals are the rubber seals that go all the way around your slide room.

The purpose of them is to keep any kind of weather and debris out of your RV.

But especially to prevent water from penetrating in and around the slide room.

And replacing a slide seal when it’s damaged can cost you thousands of dollars. So you really want to pay attention to your slide room seals.

And the number one thing that breaks down rubber slide seals is ultraviolet rays from the sun.

So while your slide is extended it’s a good idea to lubricate and protect the seals.

And the best kind of lubrication you can use in my opinion is a high quality ultraviolet inhibitor. Like 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Preventing RV slide out repairs involves protecting slide seals with a UV inhibitor
Preventing RV slide out repairs involves protecting slide seals with a UV inhibitor

I have used this product for years now. And it keeps my slide seals supple and protected from UV damage.

Prevent RV Slide Out Repairs – Tip #3

OK, the third tip for today is also about slide seals. And that is that you need to keep them flipped into place when the slide is extended.

Now this is one of the most common problems I see as an RV inspector.

And that is that that some of the slide seals don’t completely flip out when the slide is extended.

Slide seals not flipped out when the room is extended
Slide seals not flipped out when the slide room is extended

So when you have the seal not flipping out like it should, water can penetrate into your slide room easily.

And when it does, it can start rotting walls, ceilings and floors away quickly. And that’s a very expensive repair.

So you need to keep those slide seals flipped out when the slide is extended.

And keep them nice and tight against the wall of the slide to protect the slide interior.

A Couple Of Suggestions On How To Do This

Now there’s a couple ways you can do this. First of all, you can do it manually.

So you go around after you set up your RV and put your slides out. And you check and make sure that all the slide seals did flip correctly.

But if they didn’t, you could take a ladder and then run your hand up behind the seal and flip it back into place manually like you see here.

Use your hand to manually flip out the slide seals
Use your hand to manually flip out the slide seals

But there’s a way to do it automatically too. I know because I had a very stubborn slide seal on my kitchen slide.

It just would not flip out and back in no matter what I did. So I found a suggestion from another RVer that works really well for me.

And that is that he used these little small half inch plastic furniture bumper stops that you can find for sale almost anywhere.

But you can find them pretty cheap on Amazon at this link.

Then he placed them about halfway down the sidewall of the slide about 18 inches apart from top to bottom.

Keep slide seals flipped properly automatically with these small furniture stops
Keep slide seals flipped properly automatically with these small furniture stops

Now when you do that, you just stick them right on the slide side wall after prepping it with alcohol.

Then as the slide goes out, it flips the seal right out. And likewise as the slide goes in it flips it back in automatically.

The good news is that these furniture stops have been on my slide sidewall for years now. And they work great!

Prevent RV Slide Out Repairs With Tip #4

Now tip number four is to get to know your RV slide out rooms very well.

And what I mean by that is you should listen to them carefully as they operate in and out. Get to know the sounds they make in normal use.

Now all slide out rooms make sounds of various kinds. And very often there’s little squeaks and maybe a slight moan or two.

But what you don’t want to hear are loud sounds. Like pops or grinding noises.

In fact, usually loud sounds of any type that means something is not right.

So when you start hearing that, you need to give that attention right away.

Slide Repairs That I Made on My RV

In fact, let me tell you about another one of my slides that I had this kind of issue with. And that’s my living room slide.

Now it’s operated fine for years going in and out without any trouble. But I always listen very carefully to all my slides for anything out of the ordinary.

And this one started making some funny noises that it hadn’t made before.

So I went online and did some research on the noise I was hearing. And I learned about an issue that these electric rack and pinion systems can have.

And that’s where the slide motor housing loosens up over time. The bolts that hold it together just loosen up through use and vibration.

One of my RV slide out repairs included tightening my slide motor housing bolts
One of my RV slide out repairs included tightening my slide motor housing bolts

And therefore that causes problems with the slide that you can begin to hear. Before it gets really serious and needs repair.

So I went out there to check the motor housing bolts. And sure enough, they needed tightening.

So I tightened them all back down and now my slide moves in and out just like it should. And it doesn’t make that unusual sound anymore.

So know your slides and the sounds it makes that can be considered normal. And take action when you hear sounds that aren’t normal.

For me, I would have never prevented slide damage if I hadn’t been listening to my slide very carefully.

Then if you find anything that’s out of the ordinary, do research on it and get it fixed.

You can do it yourself or get an RV service tech in and get it fixed before it becomes a major issue.

Conclusion

Now here’s my fifth and final tip. Maintaining your RV slide outs is going to take dedication and effort on your part.

So you need to schedule regular maintenance to protect your RV slide out rooms.

But it will pay you back many times over in fewer costly repairs and less stress and frustration.

And these tips that I’ve given you will help you keep your slides in great shape and operating smoothly for many years to come.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

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