How to Maintain Slides on RVs As Cost Effectively As Possible

Maintaining RV slides can get costly. RV dealers and mechanics are equipped to handle slide repair when things go wrong, but by learning how to properly care for your RV slides yourself, you can save a ton of money.

The best way to maintain RV slides cost-effectively is to:

Understand how they work, so you can spot problems early
Be diligent in completing preventative maintenance
Know how to complete a full visual inspection every week
Learn how to complete more in-depth maintenance yourself

In this article, we’ll explore what you should do to best maintain the slides on your RV. If a problem does occur, it could be a nightmare to deal with during a trip and not many people have the proper tools to fix them while out camping; And repair bills can be mighty expensive.

Understanding Slides Means Cheap Maintenance

It’s important to understand what RV slides do, their role in how you use your RV, and how they mechanically function so you can understand how to best maintain them. This elementary understanding will prepare you for any situation you might come across and help you figure out how to best maintain your particular style of the slide.

Know What Type of Slides Your Have

RV slides are moveable sections of an RV that, as the name states, slides out of the RV’s side to allow for more room within the RV. These rectangular blocks are most often used to expand space for the bedroom or living room section of an RV, but they might also house bathrooms as well.

There is a wide variety of slide mechanisms, but these are the three most popular types of mechanism:

Hydraulic: a pump-driven system uses hydraulic fluid and pistons to extend and retract the slide.
Electric: an electric motor runs off a battery and cranks gears that extend and retract the entire slide.
Manual: a system which needs the owner to manually turn a crank, spinning gears which operate the slide in and out.

In order to know how to maintain your RV slide cheaply, you need to know exactly which style of slides you have. Each has different methods of actuation and parts used in the process, and this affects the maintenance needs and costs.

Note: Most slides have a backup manual mechanism beside their electric and hydraulic systems in the case they fail or malfunction. If your battery dies or you spring a hydraulic leak, you an rest easy knowing that you’ll still be able to slide it back in and get on the road again.

Well-Maintained Slides Avoid Headaches Down the Road

Proper maintenance of your RV’s slides is vital. Without proper care, your slide might stop halfway while coming out, and you’ll be forced to manually crank them back in.

While a backup system can make sure you aren’t ever stuck with your slides half open, it’s still a huge headache when it does happen. Of course, in the case of a malfunction, the slide will be damaged and need repair as well… often, an expensive bill to get saddled with.

Proper understanding, maintenance, and care of your slides is the best way to ensure your slides never need any huge, costly repairs.

Common Issues With Slides

RV slides are mechanical systems with a whole system of motors and pumps that can fail. As with any mechanical system, the more parts, the higher risk of failure. The same with the cost, as the more parts, the higher the repair costs. In some cases, a single part malfunctioning could cause damage to other parts and the whole system might need replacing.

The main issue with RV slides is that they are exposed to the weather and environment. RV manufacturers have tried making these slides as protected as possible, but these precautions involve moving parts and such parts don’t last forever.

The Slide Exterior

The slide exterior is the biggest part, but often the last part you may have an issue with. However, if there is an issue with the exterior, it’s likely to be in one of these places:

Peeling of the paint, which can lead to rusting on the metal
Exterior seams failing and allowing water inside the mechanism
Glass or acrylic windows shattering or cracking due to stress

Internal Mechanisms and Fail Points

The parts that are in the most danger to the weather are the mechanisms that move the slide.

For electric slides, there are motors hidden in the RV’s main body that engage gears on the bottom or sides of the slides to push them out. These gears can become clogged with water or debris and cause issues.
For hydraulic slides, the hydraulic pistons are found under the slide body and are often enclosed within. This lower half is often sealed in, but these seals can harden or rot away. The piston itself can have issues of corroding, leaking, or become bent and chipped if problems occur. There is also tension gearing which helps the piston, but this too can wear out.

For manual slides, there is a gearbox which operates a rack and pinion gear system like an electric system. These have the same issues that electric systems have of gearing becoming clogged or corroded.

Preventative Parts and Maintenance

RV manufacturers are fully aware that RV slides can have issues and they have gone to great lengths to install preventive parts that try to mitigate many of these issues.

Slide seals are flexible rubber that extends from the RV’s body onto the slide’s outside. These extend out when the slide moves and creates the only barrier between the slide and the RV body. These are the mainline of defense against water and debris entering the RV or any mechanisms within the RV’s body.

Roof covers are an additional part that some RV manufacturers add to keep direct weather and any debris like falling leaves from landing on top of the slide. This is like an awning over just the top which tries to barrier anything from touching the top of the slide with a screen of fabric.
If your RV isn’t equipped with a roof cover, you are in the majority, so don’t fret! Still, an aftermarket roof cover can be a good investment to protect your slides.

Any hard seals on the windows or the sealant in the body of the slide are specially made to survive weather conditions for a long period of time. However, it is important to maintain these or at least always inspect them.

Now that you have a general understanding of the basics of slides on an RV, let’s move onto how to maintain them properly to avoid large costs.

Read Your Owner’s Manual

We’ll cover many different issues in detail here, but every RV has its own quirks and needs. Read through the manual to make sure you understand the proper procedures and mechanisms your RV has. Most owner manuals will also have a guide on how routinely you should maintain your RV.

Small Preventative Measures Now Will Keep Future Costs Down

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

Preventing damage to your RV and slides is essential to keep accidents from happening which may lead to expensive repair costs. Many simple actions that take you a few minutes at most a year can save you thousands in repair costs down the road.

Let’s break down what you should do to prevent your RV slides from getting damaged.

Visual Inspection and Cleaning

Before you plan a trip, take the time to visually inspect your RV slides.

Here is a good routine inspection to perform weekly:

Check the seals around the slide for any cracks, wear, or damage. Any small issues with the seals can cause water and debris to leak in. You can also run your fingers under the seals to check their flexibility.
Extend the slide and check for any remaining water or dirt that might have been trapped since your last trip. If water is present, dry it out and inspect the area for rust or corrosion. If dirt is present, brush it away and clean the area with soapy water.
Inspect the exposed mechanisms for dirt and apply a new coat of oil if your manual instructs you to do so. For electric slide mechanisms, the outside gears need oiling or might get clogged.
Hydraulic mechanisms need to be inspected for leaks and wear to the pistons.

Inspect the mounting points for the tension cables, if your system has them. These mounting points can loosen or weaken with time.

The most problematic area for most RV slides is the very top. The seals here work very hard, and the flat top of slides often lets water and dirt pool. Be sure to check this area first.

At the End of the Trip

As you finish up your camping session, be sure to pay extra attention as you finish up. This is when small accidents can be taken for granted and cause many issues later on before you start your next trip.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Before you pack everything up and move your slides inside the RV, visually inspect it as we’ve listed before. This will save a lot of hassle before your next trip.

First, inspect the very top of the slides. If there is water, dry it out with a towel and make sure the seals haven’t sucked any water inside the body of the RV. Any dirt or leaves should be swept away.
A tip for cleaning the top of slides: It’s great to keep a step ladder stowed away in your RV and some sort of extending brush system. This will allow you to get higher to inspect thoroughly and can be used in cases where debris like a branch might have fallen on top of your RV.
If you have a roof cover over the top, do the same, but be careful of the cover’s rolling mechanism. Often leaves and dirt can get trapped inside and cause issues later on down the road. Take a small brush and sweep any debris free of the roll.

Inspect the exposed gearing for any dirt or damage. When camping someone might have leaned something sharp or heavy against the gears, causing damage. A quick glance will tell you all you need to know about the health of the gearing.

Most sealed areas should be fine to be closed up so long as they operated correctly when you initially extended the slides. Opening up a sealed system, like a hydraulic piston assembly, should only be done for maintenance as the act of opening itself brings risk of further damage.

Closing Up the Slide

When you are finished with your quick once-over, be aware of these tips when you close the slide:

If there was any water or debris on top of the slide that you cleaned away, retract the slide slowly. This will allow any water or debris you might have missed to slowly dislodge and not clog the system.
When operating the retraction, pay attention to any sounds or odd motions that might occur. Even if the retraction mechanism works perfectly, any issue might be a sign of damage or dirt trapped in the system.
If there is an issue, inspect the slide over and fix any problems you may find. If you cannot find the issue, but the slide can still retract, be sure to thoroughly inspect the slide when you return home.
When fully retracted, inspect the outer seals for them to fit flush from the RV body to the slide body. Any issue with the seals now might cause issues after the RV is left to rest after a season not camping.

Now that you have a few quick guides on pre, during, and post trip inspections, you’re in a good place to keep your slides spic and span. Try to do these inspections regularly, as the cheapest maintenance is preventative maintenance!

Deeper Maintenance and Repair on a Budget

This is where we start maintaining your RV on a much deeper level. Think of this as deep cleaning your RV slide. It’s best to do this during the off seasons so if you find damage or issues then you have a good amount of time to take care of it.

Here on we’ll also explain the method of replacing parts and materials on your own to reduce the costs of maintaining your RV slide.

We’ve covered how to complete a quick visual assessment that can be performed without tools or specialized equipment, but most of the mechanisms at work to push and pull your slides are hidden away behind panels to keep them safe from the elements.

Read your owner’s manual for any information on where to locate your service panels and how to unsecure them. There might be many hatches to your RV, some located under the main body, so be prepared to crawl underneath and collect your tools.

General Parts and Maintenance

Regardless of what kind of slide mechanism system you may have, all systems have seals, especially the slide seals that go around the slide section. This slide seal is a part that’s often replaced and hiring someone can be costly for such a simple job.

Luckily, this is one of the easiest larger repairs to complete yourself.

First, check for damaged slide seals. They are easy to find. They are either cracked, broken or don’t flex right to seal around the slide. Slide seals have several attachment methods, but often have the seal itself run up a groove on a mounting system that is connected to the wiper seal that’s screwed directly into the RV body.

If your slide seal needs replaced, follow this guide:

If there is a protective covering over the wiper seal’s screw holes, remove that. It might be mounted with screws of its own, often located at the top.
With the top off, the wiper seal can be unfastened by unscrewing the screws.
Replace with a compatible wiper seal and top seal.
If you have a roof cover attached to your slide:
Extend the roof cover and inspect for any damage or debris.
Clean any debris from where the cover enters the enclosure. This can be often opened with a few screws.

Hydraulic Systems Care on the Cheap

Hydraulic slide systems can be very convenient and is one of the fastest ways to deploy slides. They are expensive compared to electric systems, so inspecting them for damage is even more crucial.

For hydraulic systems, the service hatch should be typically be at the bottom of the slide. Extend the slide out and, following the owner’s manual, open the hatch up.

Here you want to check the piston for:

Any leaks, even small ones. Due to the nature of hydraulic systems and the high pressures involved, a small leak will lead to a larger rupture.
Bad seals. Look for tearing, cracking, or signs of age.
Piston damage, such as corrosion, chipping, or bending. This is a serious issue if you find it, and you’ll need to get it fixed ASAP.

Once done with the piston, take care to check the mounting system in place for any damage. Look for warped mountings, stripped screws, or signs of keyholing (elongation in the bolt holes due to wear from the bolt itself).

Further Checks on Hydraulic Systems

There are several other smaller areas to check in a hydraulic system:

Along with many hydraulic systems, a counter-acting pulley system is in place. Check the chains for proper lubrication, or the belts for any fraying or cracks.
Find the service hatch where the hydraulic pump is located. Inspect the pump for any leaks or corrosion.
The hydraulic lines might be metal or rubber. Inspect them well for any cracks or damage which might cause them to leak. If they do leak, all pressure will leave the system.

A Small Warning About Hydraulic Systems

Hydraulic systems are hard to repair due to their pressurized oil. One of the common issues with hydraulic systems is damage due to the stress of the pressurized oil inside.

Hydraulic oil can be under very high pressure and can very dangerous and can cause great injury.

If you are unfamiliar with hydraulics and find a leak or other issues, it would be wiser to hire someone to repair them even though it costs more. They are a very complicated sealed system where even a small error in a hose connection could cause the whole system to malfunction.

Replacing and Maintaining Hydraulics

If you do understand hydraulics, here are some steps to look into if you want to replace parts in the system:

Follow your owner’s manual or any guide on your specific pump to relieve the system of pressure. If that’s turning off the pump, turning a valve, or even bleeding the system, please do so.
Any hydraulic lines or pistons should be replaced with direct replacements. If you are unable to find replacements, try to take these broken parts to a hydraulic specialist in your area for a compatible replacement. These experts can create many lines if given the original parts.

When the parts are replaced, bleed the system thoroughly and test well. Any air bubble in the lines can cause issues with the system.

Electric Systems Maintenance for RV Slides

Electrical systems are, in comparison to hydraulic ones, much safer and easier to maintain and repair. Electric motors can last a very long time, gears and pulleys can last longer than most mechanical parts, and they require very little maintenance during the life of the system.

However, there are some common issues and things you must watch out for. Electric systems run off of battery power and possibly a generator or charger if you have one attached.

Here are some tips for maintaining electric slide systems:

Read the owner’s manual for where to locate the hatches and areas where the electric system is stored in the RV. Most often the electric motors are hidden away under the body, or within the walls behind a service hatch. The battery and charger would be located near the other electric equipment for the rest of the RV.
Before doing any work on the system, disconnect the battery.
Be sure to inspect the battery well. Any damage to the casing is a health hazard. Corrosion around the terminals is toxic, but you can clean this with a solution of hot water and baking soda.

Batteries have a shelf life of a few years, so inspect them for when they were made and what the manufacturer lists as the lifespan.

Electric RV Slides: Most Common Issues

Note that you live in an extremely hot or cold climate, batteries can die far earlier than expected. It’s wise to understand the battery’s life guarantee policy if you can exchange it for free. If batteries tend to die within a short amount of time in your area, prepare to replace it.

Inspect all wiring and connections from the battery to the system. These can corrode, wear down, or the protective sleeves can contact the body of the RV and ground the system.

If there are any chargers or generators attached to the battery, be sure to inspect them for wear and test their operation. In the case where the battery could fail, they could be a backup for the system, but also vital to your RV’s normal operation.

Electric system’s motors tend to last a long time, but in the case of them overworking themselves they should be replaced if they have trouble moving or make sounds.

A Note About Electric Systems

Many modern electric motors are sealed and cannot be fixed normally. However, sometimes these motors are refurbished and work just as well as new ones. This can save you a lot of money, and you might be able to exchange the bad motor to receive a discount.

Any gearing or pinion connected to the electric system should be replaced if you find damage on them. Any issues with these can cause unnecessary damage to the motor and the rest of the system.

If you have a cable-pulled slide on your RV, the mounting brackets and cable can be replaced once the tension is released–as instructed by your RV manufacturer.

Manual RV Slide Maintenance

We encourage everyone to read this section regardless of if you have a manual-only system or if you have an electric or hydraulic system.

Most RV slides have a backup manual system to help you out in a pinch. These are very simple, but crucial to keep in good shape as they are your lifeline if your normal slide system fails at camp.

Follow your manufacturer’s guide on where to find the area where your manual system’s internals are located. Typically, it’s located at the very bottom of the RV beside the slide it’ll be moving.
Ensure you have the proper wrench or lever for the system. Do not misplace this and keep it secure and well-located at all times.
These manual systems run off of gears and pulleys, so underneath the RV check for any issues with these parts. Sometimes road debris can cause damage or dirty this system. If so, please clean and lubricate it.

The gearbox for the slide system is easy to locate. If you are able, please lubricate the box where it instructs.

Wrap Up

With this comprehensive guide of maintaining the slides on your RV, we hope you have all the knowledge and tools you need to cheaply maintain and repair your RV. Each RV and each system can differ in how they move your slide-out sections, but with a little understanding and know-how, it’s possible to keep them maintained without breaking your budget.