Slide out retention strap

[navychaps]

My 2003 Adventurer came with a Slide retention strap for the front slide. How many of you have such a thing and do you use yours?

[cbeierl]

The first thing I did with my new 2005 Vectra was remove the slide strap--the only thing it was going to do was pull the trim off the slide.

[DAN L]

Originally Posted by navychaps

My 2003 Adventurer came with a Slide retention strap for the front slide. How many of you have such a thing and do you use yours?

i use both of my front slide straps when moving the moho.
i purchased another strap from winnebago.com and devised mounts for it on the aft slide.
i cut 3 each 2x4's to length and install them in the overheads when the slides are in to keep them in. i have red ribbons installed on them to remind me to not skip removing them when i am doing my arrival checklist.
i had the rear slide extend 9'' all by itself while crossing the columbia river on the i-5 bridge.
something like that will never happen again if i can help it.

[Ron & Dee]

Not anymore, since I pulled the screws out about three times, forgetting to take the strap off before putting the slide out

Ron

["007"]

Some of us use slide locking devises whether bars,auto locks or straps and others do not.
I always say its up to individual but just realize what happens if you get cut off and bumped by a car on your front bumper, when he cuts you off, doing 60 mph and coach gyrates back and forth as you try to control the back and forth movement of your coach to bring it back to a straight path.
Are the slides still in the coach???

[Clay L]

Winnebago customer service told me the strap helped keep rain from blowing in under certain conditions while driving and that it wasn't necessary to use it.
If you look at the way it is attached you can see that it will be of little if any value in an accident.

I haven't used mine for 8 years and 48,000 miles.

The back slide did not come with a strap.

[navychaps]

I can tell the previous owner had forgotten to remove it one time because the trim is loose where it attaches. I'm not real sure how to reattach the trim back to the slide, but then again, you can’t tell it is loose unless the strap is attached. My personal opinion is that the hydraulic vacuum created by the pump will hold the slide in place, once again, that is an assumption.

For the folks who think some sort of retention is advisable and do not use the strap; what is your solution.

BTW, thanks for all your comments.

[dagray]

Oh yea, that strap. Put it away when the motorhome was new and don't know where it is. Never used it.

[Chuck 1935]

Da Strap = A problem waiting to happen.
It's main purpose, in legalese, is to CYA (cover your, oh you know ) so Whinnie isn't on the hook because of some ambulance chaser working up a paycheck !!

If you wonder how I know about such things ? my wife worked for a large law firm.

[Rkh]

1998 Winnebago Chieftain...Previous owners replaced carpet and flooring and never re-installed slide travel locks...I bought new ones and had them on the coach...I didn't get them on before the rare event of loosing hydraulic pressure on I-80, 15 miles west of Wendover NV..As a result of the slide coming out and hitting bumps at the same time, the inner bay storage bolts snapped. So while I was able to wench the slide in, I could not travel because the 15 ft section of storage bay below the slide was now dangling by it's outer mounting brackets...Spent 24 hours off the side of the road until I could temp fix the bay...
Slide locks? What a joke...Right...

[tncruiser]

Originally Posted by "007"

Some of us use slide locking devises whether bars,auto locks or straps and others do not.
I always say its up to individual but just realize what happens if you get cut off and bumped by a car on your front bumper, when he cuts you off, doing 60 mph and coach gyrates back and forth as you try to control the back and forth movement of your coach to bring it back to a straight path.
Are the slides still in the coach???

if we used our and the slide slid all it would protect is the job of the carpenter who is going to make the repairs to the trim,i realize other may be different if the manufactures really thought they were needed,they should have a designated attachment spot for the bars and real reinforcement points that would hold them in
6000 miles on my coach and slides are tight never even wind noise
safe travails all
brianj

[dagray]

I think it may make a difference if you have hydraulic or electric slides.

[tncruiser]

Originally Posted by dagray

I think it may make a difference if you have hydraulic or electric slides.

i can see that ,our slides are electric
brianj

[Yellowboat]

Originally Posted by dagray

Oh yea, that strap. Put it away when the motorhome was new and don't know where it is. Never used it.

Ditto.

The attach point on the slide trim is not strong enough to counteract the forces of a forgetful owner who tries to put the slide out with the strap attached. I very much doubt the strap will stop a runaway deployment of a slide or stand up to the forces of an accident.

The post that says "the strap helped keep rain from blowing in under certain conditions while driving and that it wasn't necessary to use it" does make some sence to me but my vote is for a Winnebago CYA.

JD

[David K]

I have them on my MH and use them all the time --- I don't think they would hold the 4,000 lb slide in if it decided to go out but, since they are there, I do use them -- only takes a minute to fasten them b4 opening slide and about as quick to put them back into place when getting ready to go. The back slide on mine does not have them as the back slide is held in by hydraulic pressure. If you open the valve on the rear slide solenoid, it will self extend --- don't ask me how I know that.

[lakewoodpaul]

After pulling off the trim on my 03 adv. I stopped using the strap---------until driving into a headwind in N. Dakota, I heard a slapping noise I thought was my patio awning unfurling in the wind. It wasn't, it was my slide topper unfurling and it was pulling out the whole slide out about 8 inches and than slapping it back in. Needless to say I started using the ol strap again. That slide was hydraulic my new one is elec/mechanical and has a locking device that is applied electrically.