Slide use? - Montana Owners Club

mgdg · 05-24-2005, 03:08 AM

When camping this weekend, we got into a discussion about using your slides when they are "in". Some say you can, others say you shouldn`t. When we went to Key West, we stopped at Flying J`s for the night and used the slides when they were in. We slept on the bed when it was in and had no problems later with the slides. Has anyone heard any different from their dealers, ours said it was ok. Nothing mentioned in the Keystone manual about it or Lippert manual that I saw. The layout of the Mountaineer 328rls allows us full use of it when the slides are in. Its a little tight in the livingroom area but after we went out for dinner we sat on the slide couch and watched a dvd movie.

Ormee and Ginette · 05-24-2005, 03:21 AM

We have always used the RV at the Flying Js with the slides in, we have never had a problem... The only problem I can see is if your carpeting covers any of the furnace vent outlets and restricts the flow of forced air from the furnace... In this case don't use the furnace or prop up the carpeting to allow the air to escape... happy camping..

CountryGuy · 05-24-2005, 03:23 AM

At the repair facility and at the factory, they told us, no problem, however, suggested you not step on the very edge which is raised up a bit when the slide is in. Try to step over that area.

stiles watson · 05-24-2005, 04:32 AM

One reason we got the 3670 RL is because we would be able to function with the slides in, when and if the situation called for it. Overnight Walmart and Flying "J" experiences are not conducive to having the slides out, as I see it.

campbud · 05-24-2005, 04:55 AM

Just last weekend we slept with our bedroom slide in. We always step over the livingroom slide. We had friends with a coachmem and they always stepped on theirs and ended up doing damage to it.

Montana_2779 · 05-24-2005, 05:48 AM

We can verify the "don't step on teh edge of the slide" rule. Luckily, ours took no damage, but it definitely moved. Our 297 does not allow access to the kitchen or TV with slide retracted. However, we have utilized the couch, chair, restroom and bed in this condition with no issues.

mgdg · 05-24-2005, 06:34 AM

Well the Boss(the Wife) and I always used them in, even on our Citation TT and had no problems. The one couple that disagreed with us says you can`t do it so I just changed the subject after that because he`s a good friend and it`s not worth the hassle to argue with him. I don`t know where he gets his info from. I tell him to check out this site and maybe he`ll learn something but he always shrugs it off. I was also told by the dealer just be careful of the ends at the carpet edge and try not to step on them there. He also says to make sure to clean under there and use a silicone spray on the thick nylon strips. Just to save time and searching this site, if you read some of the other posts of ours...The Boss went on the roof this weekend to sweep the slides before closing them in, so I had to congradulate her on that one. Ended up getting the Dexter Shock Kit and will be installing them myself this weekend. Thx for all the replies, as I knew I would get the correct answer to this dilema.

captbanjo · 05-24-2005, 06:47 AM

Am I understanding correctly that one shouldn't put weight on the area where the slide edge meets the floor? Is this because it causes deformation? I store some heavy objects on this area when I travel and I'm concerned after reading this that I'm harming the slides.

CountryGuy · 05-24-2005, 07:00 AM

captbanjo,

It is my understanding that you should not exert pressure or step on that area of the slide where the slide ends. On our unit, that area, at least on the front room slide, raises up, ohhh, maybe a couple of inches?? You can almost trip over that raised area if you are not careful. If I need to get in one of the cupboards over that front room/dinette slide, it is quite the stretch if I am standing on the main floor of the unit. I do stand on the slide floor when it is in, however, I step over that area that is raised, say the last 4 to 6 inches, again, the portion that is raised when the slide is in. I try to never have to do that, but sometimes ya gotta do it. I am very careful to stay off the very edge.

Well, that is as clear as mud! HA HA,

I cannot see how I could store anything on that part of the slide, it is not flat, and the futon/couch come almost out to the edge on mine.

Sorry I could not describe that any better.

NOT talking the main floor of the coach and NOT talking about the main part of the frontroom/dinette slide, I have other stuff I put there too, stool, small table etc. But, all is kept away from the front running edge.

Carol

MIMF · 05-24-2005, 04:04 PM

OK, folks. This is a subject that someone from Keystone would have to address. If it were my coach, I wouldn't want to subject the floor being raised up 2 or 3 inches and standing on it with the room in. Especially all 250 pounds of my lard!

With all the rooms in on our 35RLQ Challenger,you can basically stand in the foyer and go upstairs to the bathroom. Otherwise, you will not go anywhere in our coach until you move at least the kitchen and sofa slide rooms out on the road side. And you will not get to the dinning room table without moving it and the entertainment room out on the door side because of the island sink/counter setting in the center. The bed slide would be a different story. You could use it without moving it out. But, what would be the point. You couldn't use the chest of drawers or the closet with the bed in. To take a nap would work before hitting the road,I guess.

Maybe what I am saying is, that with enough room around my coach, I would take all four of them out to save the floors. It only takes a minute to send them out and have full access to everything and be comfortable. Just my 2 cents worth.

captbanjo · 05-25-2005, 07:45 AM

Well, I went to the source for the answer. I called Keystone. I was informed that they don't recommend putting much weight on the inner slide rims because they could become misaligned. Someone wondered how I could fit anything there and the answer is: I was double leaf bagging fire wood and placing the bags in the rear of the 3400RL by standing them on their sides. When the open slides closed, they converged and brought the bags on the left and right together. This was, I thought, a great way to carry firewood as I would actually take away from the pin weight by putting a couple hundred pounds of weight to the rear. Keystone says that the bouncing and jarring are the bigger concerns and the result could make the slide portions less secure and stable. Ounce of prevention...pounda cure.

azstar · 05-25-2005, 09:02 AM

Hi All,

Just a thought here. My Bed Slide has wheels at the foot of the Bed. These wheels share the load (Us) put on the bed along with the Slide rails. When our slide is out there's plenty of pressure on the wheels. When the Slide is in there is no pressure on my wheels. Actually there is a small gap.

I use caution here because if we were to sit on the foot end of the bed when in, it puts a tremendous load on the head end of the bed. Because the bed now is cantilevered. A force of 150 lbs. at the unsupported foot equates to well over 1000 lbs force at the head. (That's a conservative guess, I didn't run the numbers.)

I would suggest checking the wheels at the foot when the Bed Slide is in. If there tight when you try to roll them your OK, but if there's a gap like mine you may want to stay off the Bed when the Slide is in.

When the slide is out you should have good pressure on these wheels, if not it should be adjusted.

Something else to think about.

Happy Camping

Parrothead · 05-25-2005, 11:02 AM

With our other unit we used the slide "in" a lot as that was where thw table and chairs and the sofa was. We always eat lunch at a rest stop in the unit. We never had any trouble with our slide in that unit. The 3400 is a different story as you can't get to much of the slides when they are in.

You may also like: