Where to find slide-out mechanism kits?

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MoInEd

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2020
Posts
160
Location
Edmonton, AB
We have a small single axle trailer (Aspen trail 1700BH), it's a simple typical floor plan with bed at front, dinette in the middle, and bunks at the back.
We wish the dinette was on a slide (like some newer models) to open up the space a little bit. For various reasons I don't want to sell this and buy another one (this fits into our heated garage with a few inches front/back during winter, to be able to do this I had to change our garage opening to be 10' tall with a 10' tall door, I have done lots of upgrades to it and a new one would need to go through the same, etc). For e.g. changed the weak 3500lb axles with new 6000lb axles/springs/tires.
So swapping this with one that has is not that economical.

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I'm very handy and have started looking into slide mechanisms that are out there to see if I can get one and add a slide out to the dinette area.
The in-wall systems (like Ball Accu-slide or Lippert schwintek) aren't good for my application as I think I will need to beef-up the walls significantly.
I am interested in one of those above-floor-slides like the one Lippert has. I called them but they don't sell the kit anymore (just parts). There is also Happijac that apparently is intented for truck-campers but I don't see why it won't work. I have tried to contact them but they don't respond.
I want one that is about 72" wide and slides out maybe 20" or so (dinette area is 72"x42").

Short of trying to find a used RV for parts that has an above floor mechanism I can salvage (locally?) is there any other source that I can find
such a slide mechanism, including the motor and controller, and probably the seals?

Thanks
 
Certainly would be a tall task, but this guy did it, maybe here are some examples. It sure helps that you upgraded your axel.
 
If you can do the work yourself it may be a good plan, but you need to be very careful of the additional weight and the gross weight rating of your travel trailer. A slide will add a lot of weight and might overload your axle and tires, and possibly even the frame.
 
The "room" once built shouldn't weigh more than a couple hundred pound (a 72" wide area that slides 20" or so to house a dinette), plus the mechanism (well below 100), that's no more than 300lb additional weight max. The axle/spring/wheels were changed from 3500lb to 6000lb rating. I will add some bracket support right under the room as it's typically required by slide-out manufacturers.
I'm not too concerned about the weight.
 
Well, after quite a bit of search didn't find anything (even on used market).
Went to an RV show with family and found one with a slide-out that was slightly bigger than ours and still would fit (length-wise) in our garage, althought height is an issue to pass the door. Wife made the suggestion to buy it instead and she was serious.
So offer made, will pick up the new one and put the beloved old ones we a TON of upgrades for sale. I'll take most of the upgrades off the old one to put on the new one.
Will have to figure out a way to reduce the height by 6" to pass it under the 10' high door we have (have a couple of home made dollies that will put under the frame, remove wheels and hopefully can roll it in).
Excited for the new one ....
 
Have you given thought to supporting the roof and the wall your going to cut open? Like house construction doors amd windows do t simply have a hole cut, there needs to be a substantial header to carry the load above.
To my thinking this has to be among the worst ideas to come down the pike in a long time
 
Donn the OP never mentioned cutting the opening of the door unless I missed it.
He wants to put a slide room in. That meams cutting the wall out. What I was trying to impart to him that without proper support the trailer wall would probably collapse in on itself.
 
Thanks Donn. I had thought about all of those and would have had cut the wall open, added support for the roof and strengthen the floor under as well with extra brackets welded to the frame. I never jump into things without knowing enough what I am getting myself into. I don't like to surprise myself. I've engineering background and have construction experience (houses, mechanical devices, etc).
Having said that, the whole idea is now shelved as I couldn't find a proper mechanism at reasonable price and wife didn't want me to get into yet another project. So got a new trailer with a slide instead.
 
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