With the slides out, towing or moving a trailer can be dangerous for a variety of reasons. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, and it’s also extremely dangerous. Towing a travel trailer requires you to close all of the slides.
Find out the dangers and drawbacks of towing with the slide outs.
Why would someone tow with the slides out?
Towing an RV with its slides out may be necessary if the vehicle breaks down while on a journey and is rendered immobile. You don’t have to drive with the slide open if you have an emergency operation or backup to retract it.
Towing with the Slides out on a Travel Trailer is Dangerous
Your RV is too wide for the road with the slides out
When the slides are out, the trailer is too wide to haul. It takes up a lot of room on a road and puts you in danger of colliding with other vehicles. In order to use the side mirrors, you must be facing forward when the slides are out.
The width of most travel trailers is 8 feet, which grows by 2 or 3 feet when the slides are pushed out. This means that the trailer is in violation of the 8.5-foot legal limit, making it unlawful to drive on the road.
Poor Aerodynamics
In order to maintain balance and decrease wind resistance, trailers and trucks have been particularly constructed to be aerodynamically efficient. Reduced gas mileage is a direct result of increased wind resistance.
The typical trailer reduces fuel economy by roughly seven miles per gallon. In order to get the best gas mileage possible, the slide outs must be kept in place at all times.
Cause an Accident
Towing a trailer or RV with the slides open increases your danger of swaying and perhaps causing an accident, therefore it’s important to keep them closed when possible. This will cause the vehicle to turn, resulting in an unanticipated amount of steering effort.
As long as the force exerted is powerful enough, the tire-road friction will not be overcome. An accident like this might cause the camper to be flipped over and the trailer to come loose from the truck or flip the truck with the camper.
Damage Towing with Slides Out Could Cause
It can Damage the Slides
Since the slides aren’t built to handle any amount of movement, merely moving your trailer a short distance might damage them. It’s quite easy to bend the slide out rails while towing a trailer with the slides out, and that can cost hundreds of dollars each slide to fix.
It’s possible that they’d be wiped clean in a major accident. A slide repair costs between $500 and $1700 per slide. Even a little bend in an RV slide may cost hundreds of dollars to repair.
In comparison to the trailer sitting idle, the amount of force exerted on the hardware would be 100 times greater. During towing, the slide might be ripped off the RV.
Structural Damage to the RV
The RV slide out rails can be bent if you exert too much pressure and tension on them. An alignment problem might lead to catastrophic damage to the slides. Even if you’re not hauling your trailer with the slides out, this is a regular problem for trailer owners.
When transporting your RV or travel trailer, if you’ve had a slideout topper placed on the slide out, chances are it will pull off and cause irreversible damage to the side of the RV or travel trailer.
Will Cause Permanent Leaks
A leak may develop if the slideout is left out. No matter how much towing is done, leaks might occur at any point. However, worn-out seals are the most common cause of leaks. In order to avoid a full breakdown, it is recommended that they be replaced every two years.
If the slides are open during rainfall, water can quickly get into your trailer. Keeping the slides closed while towing will safeguard them from wind and weather.
Slides are also accessible to electrical systems while they’re out. With the slide-out motor or fuse exposed, too much tension on the slide might cause it to fail. Your slide might become immovable if you are utilizing a hydraulic user to control the slides.
Interior Damage
Slides are commonly included in many travel trailers. When the slides are extended, the kitchens retract back into the trailers.
It is impossible to open cabinets and the refrigerator if the slides are closed, as the cabinets and refrigerator rest against the floor of the trailer and cannot be opened. This prevents objects from flying out of them during travel.
Towing with the slides closed is the least risky and also the most sensible choice for safeguarding your items and the trailer, even if it doesn’t guarantee that every cabinet in the trailer is closed.
In Conclusion
Before moving your trailer even a few steps, make sure that all of the slides are closed. If you don’t, there are a variety of problems that might arise, including slide damage, collisions with other cars, trailer wobble, and a drop in fuel economy.
Before you go off on your trip, make sure you close the slides. This is one of the most important safety precautions you can take.
