Slide out stabilizer jack

[Shagginwaggin0389]

Hello campers
It seems my question concerning my slideout is causing confusion. I will try to clarify.. I purchased from Baker manufacturing Universal sidewinder to support slide while extended is this a good idea or bad?
Thanks again

[Ford Idaho]

Did you get any paper work on the slide out?

If you did is there anything about voiding the warranty?

When you looked at trailers did you ever see one with any type of slide support?

Did anyone from the dealer suggest a slide support?

[fella10]

Originally Posted by Shagginwaggin0389

Hello campers
It seems my question concerning my slideout is causing confusion. I will try to clarify.. I purchased from Baker manufacturing Universal sidewinder to support slide while extended is this a good idea or bad?
Thanks again

Shaggin,.......I don't know what RV you have, but ours was a Micro Lite 21DS trailer w/4100# dry weight, ......the large and deep dinette slideout certainly was at least 25%, maybe even more, of that weight,...... that's at least 1000# but probably more(especially when we were sitting at the table and our weight was added to the weight of the slideout), extended 40" out, off the side of a 4100# trailer, ....but if you think about it, when the 1000# is extended out, it becomes a 1000# weight hung off the side of a 3100# trailer, .....and because of that situation, I liked having the extra support for that heavy extension that the jacks gave, I used them correctly, never had a problem and would not hesitate to use them again under the same or similar circumstances, ......now if I had had a 10,000# 5er I might have done differently, because I'm sure a 10,000# 5er has a stoutness about it(since spell check didn't flag "stoutness", I guess it's an ok word), that a 4100# trailer doesn't have,...... but I didn't have a 10,000# 5er, I had a 4100# trailer and I dealt with that situation in the way that I thought best,........so I would say it comes down to "to each his own", if you don't want to use them, don't(there are plenty of reasons not to), but if you think your situation can benefit from using them(I certainly did) then use um, just use them carefully and correctly(I did and had no problems whatsoever),.......

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by mike.t

That's what the OP is asking Vince. Now explain to him why the slide does not need to be

supported and does not need any additional help.

Thanks

Sure, thousands of RV's roll off the assembly line every year. In my near thirty years of camping I've never seen fixed ground supports on slides. If better stabilizing is needed use frame jacks. Slide support can lead to serious RV damage if a tire loses air or gravel/soil shifts occur the slide foundation becomes part of the chassis support system. Not advisable. Mfg will not warrant repairs if it does go bad and specifically forbid the idea in their manuals. Can they all be wrong?

[mike.t]

Appreciate your opinion Vince.

[Shagginwaggin0389]

Thanks to all for the help with slide out support Jacks question . Won't be using them.

[rblack22]

I am however visualizing a system where a person could attach a support beam to the frame. Possibly one that slides through welded brackets for ease of use. The beam would extend far enough that a stabilizer Jack could be placed between the slide and the beam. That way if the trailer shifts, the stabilizer shifts with it. Paperwork ready for copyright application. Anyone care to fund this venture?

[5picker]

Slide outs are by design, built to carry downwards (or weighted) loads.

And I'll agree, when a 'stabilizer,' 'support,' jack' 'leg' or 'beam' or whatever you want to call it, is properly placed under a slide out, it can help carry the cantilevered load... and in a perfect world... this might be OK.

The problem is, we don't live in a perfect world.

All it takes is for the ground to settle a little more under the tires and/or frame stabs than it does under the slide out stabilizer and you have initialized an UPWARDS force on the slide out frame that it isn't designed for.

I can't imagine what might happen if your tire had a slow leak and over the course of a weekend, it slowly went flat while your slide out stabilizer tried to hold up the added weight which the tire supported.

No thanks. No slide out support-a-lizer jack leg beams for me!

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by rblack22

I am however visualizing a system where a person could attach a support beam to the frame. Possibly one that slides through welded brackets for ease of use. The beam would extend far enough that a stabilizer Jack could be placed between the slide and the beam. That way if the trailer shifts, the stabilizer shifts with it. Paperwork ready for copyright application. Anyone care to fund this venture?

Sorry, the Phoenicians hold the patent circa 1000 BC.

[Scubanut]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Slide outs are by design, built to carry downwards (or weighted) loads.

And I'll agree, when a 'stabilizer,' 'support,' jack' 'leg' or 'beam' or whatever you want to call it, is properly placed under a slide out, it can help carry the cantilevered load... and in a perfect world... this might be OK.

The problem is, we don't live in a perfect world.

All it takes is for the ground to settle a little more under the tires and/or frame stabs than it does under the slide out stabilizer and you have initialized an UPWARDS force on the slide out frame that it isn't designed for.

I can't imagine what might happen if your tire had a slow leak and over the course of a weekend, it slowly went flat while your slide out stabilizer tried to hold up the added weight which the tire supported.

No thanks. No slide out support-a-lizer jack leg beams for me!

X2

I agree with this explanation. In fact I have never heard a better explanation.


2012 F150 FX4 Crew 5.0 3.73

2012Coachman Freedom Express 292BHDS (outdoor Kitchen)

[rblack22]

Originally Posted by VinceU

Sorry, the Phoenicians hold the patent circa 1000 BC.

Nice