Securing slide outs

wdweldon · 10-11-2016, 12:59 PM

According to my Winnebago Adventurer 04 manual I am suppose to remove the security straps prior to extending the slide outs, my question is I have never used these straps or even know where to do so? Are they necessary?

Clay L · 10-11-2016, 01:19 PM

I asked Winnebago customer service about the strap when I bought my 2004 Sightseer in 2004. When I got it brand new, someone at the dealer had opened the front slide with the strap in place and broke the trim piece one end of the strap was connected to. The dealer had to order a new trim piece and said it was a common occurrence.
There was no strap on the rear slide.
Winnebago said I really didn't have to use the strap and they weren't sure why it was being included with the rig.

Ten full timing years later and 68,000 miles and no problems.
Found the strap when I was cleaning the rig out to sell it. Pitched it so the new owner wouldn't be confused. I had removed the u-rings mounted to the floor and trim piece so the strap couldn't be used anyway.

peggwn · 10-12-2016, 10:29 AM

We too asked about those straps (we have one slide with a strap on each side) and we were given the same caution about tearing out trim, etc. We had a hydraulic cylinder leak and our slide eased out about 2" in front where the bad cylinder was, but it did not move on the rear side; in other words it was cantilevered and stuck in place. The repair tech said because of this wedging effect it would be very, very difficult for a slide-out to completely slide out. Think of a sticky drawer. I would think the only time the slide could be moved out completely would be if some weird happened with the switch/controller and it mysteriously got stuck in the "out" position and started pushing out the slide while you were driving. I suppose this falls into the "anything is possible, but it's highly unlikely" category. We too have stowed our straps somewhere.

Polyian · 10-12-2016, 11:14 AM

Slide locks are a safety item, much like safety cables on the Toad. Most of the time they do nothing but when something goes sideways (No PUN intended) these safety items can prevent a lot of damage and a possible highway accident. Picture your motorhome suddenly becoming 3 ft wider on the left side, picture the poor SOB driving towards you in the oncoming lane.
I always use my LR slide lock and I keep a warning procedure sheet in front of the slide switch to remind me to tilt the drivers seat forward and unlock the slide bars before pressing the switch...don't ask me why I put that warning sheet there...but it works.

homeless · 10-12-2016, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyian

Slide locks are a safety item, much like safety cables on the Toad. Most of the time they do nothing but when something goes sideways (No PUN intended) these safety items can prevent a lot of damage and a possible highway accident. Picture your motorhome suddenly becoming 3 ft wider on the left side, picture the poor SOB driving towards you in the oncoming lane.
I always use my LR slide lock and I keep a warning procedure sheet in front of the slide switch to remind me to tilt the drivers seat forward and unlock the slide bars before pressing the switch...don't ask me why I put that warning sheet there...but it works.

" unlock the slide bar " Am I to under stand you place a bar between the inside of the outside wall and the back side of the slide lip? Do you force a wedge in this space? A photo would be wonderful!!

PJStough · 10-12-2016, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyian

Slide locks are a safety item, much like safety cables on the Toad. Most of the time they do nothing but when something goes sideways (No PUN intended) these safety items can prevent a lot of damage and a possible highway accident. Picture your motorhome suddenly becoming 3 ft wider on the left side, picture the poor SOB driving towards you in the oncoming lane.
I always use my LR slide lock and I keep a warning procedure sheet in front of the slide switch to remind me to tilt the drivers seat forward and unlock the slide bars before pressing the switch...don't ask me why I put that warning sheet there...but it works.

The slide locks on our Winnebago and many others are mostly decorative trim. The straps are anchored to the floor and to the trim on the slide outs. There is very little holding the trim to the slideouts, so if a slideout was to start sliding out going down the road, the trim would come off very easily, and not stop the movement of the slideout. Other motorhomes may have more substantial restraint systems.

Polyian · 10-12-2016, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homeless

" unlock the slide bar " Am I to under stand you place a bar between the inside of the outside wall and the back side of the slide lip? Do you force a wedge in this space? A photo would be wonderful!!

The Bars are already in place, they fold when the slide is operated but require pushing up at the centre to lock in place as well as down again to release. They are original equipment by Newmar. Some Newmars have automatic slide locks.

Post #4 in this thread illustrates a Newmar manual slide lock bar:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/manu...ar-168635.html

The bars totally disappear when the slide is out.

Cranemec · 10-12-2016, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homeless

" unlock the slide bar " Am I to under stand you place a bar between the inside of the outside wall and the back side of the slide lip? Do you force a wedge in this space? A photo would be wonderful!!

Yes. We used these on our old coach. Our new one has built in slide locks. One end goes against the outside wall, the other on the slide lip. Screw the middle until it becomes tight against both. Solved all our our slide noise going down the road too!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

homeless · 10-12-2016, 02:06 PM

Thanks, I'm going to try something similar.

throbbin367 · 10-13-2016, 10:42 AM

I have an 04 winne journey, just bought this April and the previous owner showed me the strap and how to use it. There is only one strap for the front end of the living room slide and after using this strap once, I can see how easy it is to tear the trim off by just hooking it up and when you see how tiny the strap is you realize how worthless they are on that big of a slide. I still have the strap but will never use it again

Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

joe5165 · 10-17-2016, 01:15 PM

my slide kept moving out about 2 inches I put a brace behind the anchor trim. I had to have some work done on the slide to keep it from creeping out. I still anchor the slide when I am traveling as my wife lays on the couch sometimes as I am driving and I would rather fight the strap then to have the slide move out with her on it know what I mean???? we have a 2002 journey

70ChevelleSS · 10-17-2016, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by throbbin367

I have an 04 winne journey, just bought this April and the previous owner showed me the strap and how to use it. There is only one strap for the front end of the living room slide and after using this strap once, I can see how easy it is to tear the trim off by just hooking it up and when you see how tiny the strap is you realize how worthless they are on that big of a slide. I still have the strap but will never use it again

Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

Our '03 has the same single strap on the front of the main slide. I use it, it can't hurt. It's only designed to keep the slide from 'bouncing' out should the slide mechanism fail. Why not use it? If you tried to open the slide with strap installed it may fail, but that's not it's purpose.

RayJr · 10-17-2016, 06:02 PM

If you think that thing is going to hold the slide in think again. If I told you how many of those things ripped the trim right off the wall you would do what I always suggested to my customers,"stick them in the junk draw and forget about them".