Seasonal Campers: Slides in or out?

Vollmer · Apr 19, 2018

For those of you that use a camper year around, or leave a camper in a spot all summer. Do you put your slides in when leaving, or leave them out?

I have been reading conflicting ideas on this.

BrokenBackJack · Apr 19, 2018

When we done it our camper was parked in the same spot from May 1 to October 1. Slides were left out the whole time. It depends on the make of the camper also. Some good ones out there and some not very good ones. Cheaply made ones i wouldn't leave them open any more than i would have to.

BRK · Apr 19, 2018

I've noticed on mine if i leave it with the slide closed and a heavy wind driven rain comes on the slide side my carpet will be wet. If i leave the slide open that doesn't happen.... I still usually close it unless the weather is looking good.

tikkalover · Apr 19, 2018

If I had my camper parked in a spot all summer, I would put my slides in when not there. Just because if a storm comes up its less stuff to fix if it hails. BRK, slides can be adjusted, when you have your slides out, you need to look at how the weather strip seals up against the slide. Use a ladder to look at the weather strip at the top of the slide. On the wider slides the roof/ceiling has a tendency to sag in the middle of the slide. Make sure when you level your camper that its not exactly level, I make sure mine always tilts to the back of the camper a little so the water runs off the slides.

PrairieGhost · Apr 19, 2018

I always put my slides in. We were camped in Bismarck when that 90mph wind went through the campground. I pulled my slides in so there wasn't so much for the wind to catch. That one was ducking a bullet because a good size branch came down where my right side push out would have been. There were trees down everywhere and no campers or vehicles were damaged. Across the river it messed up campers and vehicles.

shorthairsrus · Apr 20, 2018

Slides out. Except during winter. Wind isnt gonna do anything more blocked and one can always anchor frame if you want to. Ins is high priced

remm · Apr 20, 2018

Our slides go out in the spring when we open things up. Go up on roof to remove all sticks/leaves and slide them in when we winterize. Right or wrong thats what we do.

SLE · Apr 20, 2018

I've had a seasonal site for the last 8 years and have done it both ways. when we started with the seasonal site, the camper we had would leak around the rear bunk room slide so I tried leaving it in and out and eventually just left them out as it didn't seem to matter. updated to a Cedar Creek with awnings over each slide (slide toppers) and pretty much sucked them in every time we left for two reasons. The slides were a single switch hydraulic system with only one motor so wear and tear was fairly minimal and I was always concerned that some in climate weather would wreck the swings over the slides. Used it that way for 5 years without an issue. upgraded last year to new Columbus which doesn't have the canopy's/awnings over the slides and just left them out for the season without issue. I would say 99% of the people seasonal camping just leave them out for the year. Probably the only down side to leaving them out is you should get up on a ladder and brush all the stuff off at the end of the year before you suck them in. When it comes to winter, if I parked it outside, the slides would be in. I don't want the ice and snow-load sitting on the slides for the winter. My uncle has had permanent sites at both woodland resort and now stump lake and in both cases his campers only move when he sells and updates. the slides are out for the entire season and sucked in for the winter.

3Roosters · Apr 20, 2018

We bring the slides in for the winter for the reasons mentioned above, mostly to keep the snow load off. I too, have heard both sides of the argument of leaving them out or bringing them in. I am in the slides in camp.

onpoint! · Apr 20, 2018

i put the slides out in spring, back in when i winterize in fall, but we were in it every/every other week. but i didn't have trees hanging all around in that spot. i suggest if you'll be using it frequently, leave them out. if there are going to be weeks between visits, i'd pull them in - didn't take much effort.

BRK · Apr 20, 2018

The little things i never think of....

tikkalover said:
If I had my camper parked in a spot all summer, I would put my slides in when not there. Just because if a storm comes up its less stuff to fix if it hails. BRK, slides can be adjusted, when you have your slides out, you need to look at how the weather strip seals up against the slide. Use a ladder to look at the weather strip at the top of the slide. On the wider slides the roof/ceiling has a tendency to sag in the middle of the slide. Make sure when you level your camper that its not exactly level, I make sure mine always tilts to the back of the camper a little so the water runs off the slides.

Yarcraft · Apr 20, 2018

I keep my camper at the lake year around. The slide goes out in the spring and back in when it gets winterized. Never had any problems yet.

Tlauz · Apr 20, 2018

I have had a seasonal spot in Minnesota for 14 years. I put out slides in the spring and don't put them in until I winterize. It is the same with all the other seasonal campers at my campground.

shorthairsrus · Apr 21, 2018

I put mine out today

Callem'In · Apr 21, 2018

Purchased a 2004 Breckenridge park model new and sold it last year. Put the slides out when first parked and never touched them again. Never had an issue.

Seasonal Campers: Slides in or out?

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