Slide Outs Out or In for Winter?

[iceman31]

We have always put our slides in for the winter months. Here is my dilemma on our new Sabre we have 3 slides all on the same side. In order to position the trailer where I want I have to open the middle slide then back the trailer up over our power/water post. Then I have the door where I want it. If I want to close the slides I will have to reverse the process every year. I will have to close the rear and forward slides then move the trailer forward approx 18" to clear the power/water post then close the slide. Does it hurt to keep the slides open during winter? I see some seasonal sites here that just leave there slides open all winter. I have always been worried about this? My new Sabre gets delivered this Friday - can't wait!

[TURBS]

I have my unit in inside storage but I leave leave main slide out.

[DAISY BOYKIN]

I close my slides up anytime we are not using the RV. Especially for the winter.

[SaskCampers]

Our slides are in for the winter, not sure if it would hurt but I do not want snow piling up on top of them.

[iceman31]

If I have confused you with my ramblings maybe this will help,I have an outside enclosure built for the door side of the trailer. To position the door where I want it i have to do what i described above. If I position my trailer where i can open and close the slides my door will hit one of the walls of my enclosure. That is why I am having this dilemma. Hope that clears it up. If you look at the above floor plan in my signature you will see the rear slide and the middle slide. My power post will fit in between there and I could open and shut my slides. Now the slides are high enough that I could back my trailer up 18" so the power post would then be under the middle slide. This way my entrance door would be where I want it to be. The down side to that would be having to move my trailer every spring and fall so that I could open and close my slides.

[great white]

Meh, I pull the slides in when not in use.

No need to have any more of the trailer exposed to the elements than necessary.

Depending on your enclosure, this may not be an issue.

But, given how cold it can get in Gravelbourg, I'd say once they're out they're out for the duration. Once they're in they're in.

I wouldn't be running them in and out when it drops to -30/-35 C. Great way to break something or maybe tear a seal....

[h20ski]

Can you move the power post? That might solve the whole problem. It shouldn't cost to much if you had to pay someone to do it.

[geodavis]

Close my slide also don't want the snow build up

[caper]

x2 on moving the post.

[dwaynerz]

close it up and dream of spring

[F and E Damp]

When we bought our GT, the owner had left the slides out all the time it wasn't actually on the road. Where he parked it, the living room/dinette wall faced south. When we did our pre-purchase walk-round, I noticed the front edge of the slide topper was frayed.

We later found out that the whole topper had rotted out, probably from solar exposure. There was only the netting substrate left. As a result, we got a major rain-water incursion. Fortunately it only afftected the overhead cabinets in the slide-out, thanks to a large package of table napkins that soaked most of it up.

We did get mold in the cabinets as the weather warmed up and I ended up removing them and building new cabinets. As a result, we keep the slides retracted unless we're on the road or someone is staying at our house and spending overnight hours in the RV.

[BT Ramblers]

I have my unit parked under cover with 30 amp shore power. I plan to leave the slides in for winter (I do now). I am also thinking about leaving the heat on (around 45°) as well as leaving the heaters on the tanks on. I do plan to drain the water from the system and the water heater.

We live in the north GA mtns where it snows, ices and typically is below freezing on days and weeks on end. My problem is the period of time between mid November and Christmas as we will be in Tampa followed by Disney for a week before returning around the 3rd of January.

Anybody have any suggestions or experience in the winterization area?

[jmswms]

If you don't close the slides you are taking a big big chance that the seals will go bad and then you will have a mess on your hands.