Slide question

[JimC]

Wife & I just bought a 1780 Winnie drop. It has 1 slide. Should that slide be supported by some sort of stand when it's out? I think I saw an ad for slide stands but I'm not sure.... Any advice?

[SummitPond]

Originally Posted by JimC

Wife & I just bought a 1780 Winnie drop. It has 1 slide. Should that slide be supported by some sort of stand when it's out? I think I saw an ad for slide stands but I'm not sure.... Any advice?

Welcome to the forum!

Don't do it. The slides are designed to be "freestanding" - if that's the correct term. You can bind the mechanism using a support.

There are certain operating conditions you must meet for the slide. If it's a Schwintek mechanism (it will have two parallel tracks with gear teeth in them on each side of the slide) you must either fully insert or extend the slide - no half-way measures. The motors could get out of sync. There are videos on what to do if this occurs. Not sure what the requirements are for a hydraulic ram as I don't own one.

The TT should also be fairly level when extending or retracting. Put your stabilizers down first as there will be a little shifting from side to side due to the change in center-of-gravity.

[be happy]

NO! NO! NO!
From years ago experience, I had a older 5th wheel and saw an add about the jack supports for slide outs. To me that made sense, so went a purchased two of them. Went camping set the trailer up extended the slide then went to use the jacks. You do not want them to tight or to loose. Had them set went in side moving around as normal heard the jacks fall down, reset them. Over and over again for any movement the jacks failed, so now they are in my shop waiting for something more important to do!

Plus the jack will or could bend the track system. Think about this you have the jacks tights so they do not fall down. For some reason the trailer settles down but the jacks do not you will be creating a very bad upward bend to the slides.