Slide stand

[Bbouch84]

So my wife and i are looking to buy a new bullet 261rbs. Do you think its worth it to buy the little stands that some people get for their slides??

[chuckster57]

Do not put any supports under the slide. The slides are supported without them. They were popular “back in the day” when you had a truly manual slide out that had a handle you pulled the room out with.

[fjr vfr]

The slide needs to move with the trailer. If you make it rigid on the end it will create a hinge effect. When the trailer and slide flex they need to flex together.
We had a manual slide on a previous trailer. It had supports that hooked into the frame above the bumper so it still flexed with the trailer.

[14george]

Got this off another site
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jlwright
I could certainly see a problem if a tire went down. Maybe I'll just hold off on that purchase.
In addition to a tire deflation causing severe "upward pressure" on the slide mechanism, consider that this entire thread has been devoted to "shaking" and "movement" of the trailer frame, much of that from the tires/suspension moving up and down causing a "noticeable movement" inside the RV. If you install a rigid support under the slide to stop that movement, yet it continues along the RV chassis (to which the slide mechanism is welded), you are quite likely to cause stress to the slide tubes where they "bend" as the RV moves, while the slide is restricted from moving. That bending could lead to damaged slide extension rod mechanisms and cause a restricted/binding mechanism on slide movement.

In the "old days" when "tip-outs" first appeared in RV's, slide stabilizers and slide locks were a requirement. They were used to support the "tip-out" and formed the foundation to keep the "moving part of the RV" level. As the industry progressed to manual slides and crank out slides, a better "support system" was developed. Today's slides are well supported in the "out" position, but many are above the floor when in the travel position and those won't support weight until extended. Most Keystone slides have cautions to not walk on or sit on them when in the travel position.

As the industry progressed, the slide stabilizers were no longer needed, but in the "interest of self preservation" many of the stabilizer manufacturers just changed their "sales tactics" and started suggesting people use them to "support the new slides". In today's slides, there's really no benefit to using stabilizers under slides and if the RV moves (or shakes) more harm than good can come from using them.

I'd recommend using the money for something else, your RV is designed and engineered so it doesn't need slide stabilizers.

[JRTJH]

Got this off another site
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jlwright
I could certainly see a problem if a tire went down. Maybe I'll just hold off on that purchase.
In addition to a tire deflation causing severe "upward pressure" on the slide mechanism, consider that this entire thread has been devoted to "shaking" and "movement" of the trailer frame, much of that from the tires/suspension moving up and down causing a "noticeable movement" inside the RV. If you install a rigid support under the slide to stop that movement, yet it continues along the RV chassis (to which the slide mechanism is welded), you are quite likely to cause stress to the slide tubes where they "bend" as the RV moves, while the slide is restricted from moving. That bending could lead to damaged slide extension rod mechanisms and cause a restricted/binding mechanism on slide movement.

In the "old days" when "tip-outs" first appeared in RV's, slide stabilizers and slide locks were a requirement. They were used to support the "tip-out" and formed the foundation to keep the "moving part of the RV" level. As the industry progressed to manual slides and crank out slides, a better "support system" was developed. Today's slides are well supported in the "out" position, but many are above the floor when in the travel position and those won't support weight until extended. Most Keystone slides have cautions to not walk on or sit on them when in the travel position.

As the industry progressed, the slide stabilizers were no longer needed, but in the "interest of self preservation" many of the stabilizer manufacturers just changed their "sales tactics" and started suggesting people use them to "support the new slides". In today's slides, there's really no benefit to using stabilizers under slides and if the RV moves (or shakes) more harm than good can come from using them.

I'd recommend using the money for something else, your RV is designed and engineered so it doesn't need slide stabilizers.

George,

Not to "toot my own horn" but I wrote that response to JL Wright's comment on this forum, back on Feb 17, 2015 in the thread located here: http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21132&page=2&highlight=industry+progressed%2C+slide+stabilizers

The "reason I recognized it as my work" is because of the use of quotation marks ("), something that I do specifically for that purpose.

Anyway, if it was used on another site, it was copied from here, suggesting that others rely on information from this site to "make theirs better"....