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Old 01-20-2019, 01:01 PM   #1
IHnutz
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Stored with slides in or out?

What do others do? The 5th wheel is stored in the barn for the winter, out of the weather nice and cozy. It is leveled with the jacks/stabilizers down solid on 2 by's. with the slides out for access. Is this a good idea, leaving them out for 3 or 4 months? It is a '16 Sprinter with the 4 cable type mechanism that moves the slide units in and out. What is the chance the cables will stretch or fatigue over an extended time? And, NO the barn is not heated.
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Old 01-20-2019, 01:11 PM   #2
meaz93*
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For me....I would keep the slides in for storage as not to dry out the rubber seals, especially if its stored outdoors in the wet elements....obviously this does not pertain to you.
Since it's in a barn or enclosure I would be mindful of critters trying to get in, so again slides in-lol
Periodically run the slides in & out just making sure everything works properly-IMO.
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Old 01-20-2019, 01:48 PM   #3
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We winter in Florida and leave the unit on site. The slides are out for 6 months, and in for the summer 6 months. The unit gets washed as required and 303 protectant applied to the seals. We do have toppers to provide a layer of protection from the elements.

To look at that 5th wheel a little differently.

I am way past the point of worrying about things wearing out...as I am wearing out faster than the material things I have.
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Old 01-20-2019, 05:07 PM   #4
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Not that anybody ever reads the owner's manual, but on page 65 of the current manual and included in every manual I've read is the following:

• Slide-out rooms should be stored retracted.

Whether Keystone knows anything about the trailers they build is a topic for another thread, but in the meantime, this is what they suggest. There aren't any "qualifiers" about whether it's stored inside, stored covered, stored outside, kissed every day on the way to work or affectionately patted on the rear bumper before bed every evening....... Just the plain old recommendation to store with the slides retracted..... YMMV
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Old 01-20-2019, 05:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Not that anybody ever reads the owner's manual, but on page 65 of the current manual and included in every manual I've read is the following:

• Slide-out rooms should be stored retracted.

Whether Keystone knows anything about the trailers they build is a topic for another thread, but in the meantime, this is what they suggest. There aren't any "qualifiers" about whether it's stored inside, stored covered, stored outside, kissed every day on the way to work or affectionately patted on the rear bumper before bed every evening....... Just the plain old recommendation to store with the slides retracted..... YMMV

^^^^This would be my recommendation. With slides retracted all the seals are not exposed to the elements; not so when you leave them out. Plus, when the slides are out they leave lots of areas open to "stuff" that is closed up when the slides are in. We travel similar to you and keep our slides in while in storage all the time except to go out and excercise, clean and lube them from time to time.
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Old 01-20-2019, 06:01 PM   #6
travelin texans
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Mine has had the slides out everyday for the past 6 years, closed long enough to travel from spot to spot then back out for a week, a month or 6 months, so far no ill effects on my seals. I treat the seals monthly with Pledge furniture polish, recommended by factory service techs.
If yours is stored indoors out of the weather I'm not sure what would cause problems with the seals. With slides closed the interior seals are exposed so not sure what difference open or closed would make.
If I had the facility to park/store it indoors I'm fairly certain they would be open just for ease of access.
My recommendation is, do whichever way makes you happy, it's your rv.
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Old 01-20-2019, 06:02 PM   #7
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Another consideration, if you have one or two slides on one side and none or a smaller slide on the other, when you extend them, you "cantilever weight" beyond the tires. Storing a trailer with an extra 1,000 pounds of extended slide, far outboard from the tires, adds significant weight to that side of the axle and "unbalances" the weight on the tires. Trailers are designed to be "fairly close to equal weight on all tires for travel (slides in) and storing them in that position helps equalize weight on all the tires, preventing excessive weight on one side of the trailer for an extended period of time. Again, YMMV
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Old 01-20-2019, 06:58 PM   #8
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Mine is stored in a barn with slides out. I treat the seals with 303, as others have mentioned. Done this for years, never a problem.
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