Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
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I have not read many good things about this slideout. It seems more manufacturers are using this in the bedroom slides. We are looking for a new fifthwheel to fulltime in. I am leary about buying something that has problems. I have a few questions.
Just a simple google of schwentek slides makes me want to go out and look!!!!!.............I couldnt find anything good , alot of manufacturers have discontinued there use. and there is to many to list!!
good luck on your research
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1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
Thanks Mike, They scare me. I watched a video from the man who designed it. He said to carry 2x4s in the rig to hold slideout in if you had to disconnect the motors. We hope to boondock and I don't think Cindy and I could move them by ourselves. Companies tout their hydraulic slides but when you look close they use electric also. I wish they would put that on their website. I have to look at pictures to see their systems.
There are several electric slide systems on the market today.
Two electric systems that are used widely among manufacturers are the BAL AccuSlide Cable slide system and the Schwintek Slide system. Because of how both of these systems work, they are not flush floor type systems. One advantage is both systems do not require cutting into the trailers frame for slide hardware. Also when used on a bedroom slide you do not loose storage space under the bed. There are still a lot of manufacturers using the Schwintek Slide system. It is found on everything from DRV units to Forest River[s different brands and Thor's different brands.
The Schwintek System is a good concept but some manufacturers do a better job of installation and alignment than others. As manufacturers learn how to engineer and install the system correctly, many of the problems will go away. Same thing happened with the Cable Slide system, lots of problems when it was first installed by several manufacturers but as the manufactures learned how to install them the problems went away.
We have two slides with the Schwintek Slide system. The small bedroom slide is a Schwintek unit and has worked great, no issues at all, love it. The large Entertainment Center / Kitchen slide is also a Schwintek slide system, this one has worked fine but is a big slide and we have to be a little more careful when operating this unit. It has always worked ok but if the trailer is out of way out of level when operating it will struggle, so we only operate it when the trailer is level. Also you have to make sure to keep debris out of the exposed tracks. Now that we have figured out the Do's and Dont's of the Schwintek Slide system and how to operate them correctly, we have not had any issues.
Rob, Thanks for the reply. I want to hear from owners of these slides. It is sometimes only the bad that you read about on forums. I did talk to 2 salesmen at different dealerships that said they had some rigs in for slide service. It was mainly on the larger slides. I had one dealership run slides in and out. On 2 units the slides did not close on the bottom. It left a 2" gap. I am having a hard time finding new rigs without the Schentek slides. I think they must be cheaper to use. It is all about the cost.
The more I research it and look at the slides problems its mostly operator error.........not leveling the rig first....poor maintenance not servicing and cleaning...
I think to many people seem to believe you push a button and it works , and if it breaks because you push the button to many times its a piece of junk and the company is at fault.............amazing just about everything you can imagine is in the operators manual that is still wrapped in plastic!!!
__________________
1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
You are right, lower cost, quicker to install requiring less labor at assembly, that is what the RV Manufacturers are always looking for.
Come to think of it, in our business being in a competetive retail market, that is the same thing we are always trying to do too !!!!
Mike,
I agree, many problems are probally operator error.
Another issue is RV dealer and tech education. When the Schwintek slides hit the market, the RV Companies rely on the Dealer's and their Service Techs to take care of adjustments and customer orientation. Many of the Dealers and their Service Techs did not understand the Schwintek slide operation and maintenance so they just made things worse.
