Some food for thought on slide outs

[rabiznick]

I had the opportunity to see a new starcraft, aruba travel trailer at an rv show near by here. I was fascinated with their very simple solution to adding slide out space to an rv. They use it to create a slide out queen bed that is just slick.
It is manually operated. When you park, you put a couple of folding angle brackets into sockets in the bumper and the back of the unit, forming the slide tracks. The unit extends with a gentle pull on the box.
If you have a chance to see one, go look at it. It should be simple to duplicate and looks quite durable. No electrics, cables or hydraulics to go bad. Also looks as though it could be adapted to use on the side of the rv as well (knowing what clever people skoolie converters tend to be )
If you google starcraft aruba in the image finder, you will get a few pics to get your interest going.

[Zen Ken]

rabiznick.
Thanks for this post! I've been researching slide-outs for a while now and have wanted to go manual for many reasons. Not one to reinvent the wheel, I appreciate the tip on the Starcraft Aruba. I'm going to check it out right now.

[Ryan Grimm]

I've heard more than a couple horor stories about the hydraulic slide-outs; explosive leaks, sliding out while on the road(!), won't retract, etc.

I likewise saw the manual slide-outs at an RV show a month or so ago...very do-able! A welded steel frame, some heavy fixed caster wheels, VERY stout hinged tracks and you'd be good to go.
You could even use fabric side panels if you want, tho not as sound-and weather-resistant.
I HAD at one time considered cutting out the side of the bus and reusing the steel panel, hinging it at the bottom and swinging it down using a winch and cables. Fold-out walls and roof would complete the unit...saw something similar in an issue of Fine Homebuilding, where a company converted a semi trailer to a complete cabinet maker's shop. Canvas sides and a good furnace/AC setup gave them climate control.

I wonder why the RV industry doesn't use an electromechanical slide-out. That way of the power fails for some reason, a hand crank could be used to retract/extend the unit.

[Roasting8]

I've found that New Zealanders have been using slide outs for quite a while. I think if anyone would know about doing, slide outs on the cheap, that they probably would know.

The web site that I found was:

http://www.stu.co.nz/housetrucksnz/news.php

[Roasting8]

I'm sorry guys, it looks like the New Zealanders revised their site and no longer have a full forum. Maybe asking on the forum would get responses.

[rabiznick]

Keystone Rv's also have this type of slide out if anyone is interested. Here is a page with some pretty good pics of interior and exterior setup.
http://www.benzel.net/camping/camper/index.htm