OK to sleep in bedroom with the slide in

Vagabonder74

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We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?
 
I personally would. I can’t imagine how it would hurt anything but I suppose it all depends on the weight of the people

Doesn’t the slide only go out 18 inches or so at the headboard?

You could always sleep with your head at the footboard and only the weight of the legs would be at the slide end

Btw doesn’t your bed have storage underneath, my imagine does. There isn’t anything talking about what you can put in there I do not believe
 
Obviously, I can't speak for your model. Our slide uses the Schwintek mechanism. We had a 2022 22MLE and after using the sofa in the slide while doing overnights and daytime stops (when we could not put the slide out), I noticed after a while that the front bottom of the slide floor was touching the floor. Initially, there was a sizeable gap. It would go back up as the slide was extended but whenever it was retracted it would rest on the floor.

I started using tree felling wedges to prop the front of the slide up when we planned to use it while retracted. I like those wedges because they are bright yellow or orange so less chance I would forget them in place, and they fit perfectly under the slide floor.

Once we moved to our 2023 23LDE I've always used that same method with the wedges and the floor still retains the gap in front. So personally, I would prop up the floor if you are going to use the slide while it is retracted. I feel like it's worth the extra step to potentially avoid future issues. Just my $.02.
 
We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?

I think the new 2025 337RLS has the slim-rack bed room slide vs. the schwintek slide system in the past. Not sure if one or the other supports more weight? No experience with the slim-rack system.

Dutchman2
 
We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?
Is it the Slimrack system? My understanding is other brands advertise that it is OK but I'm not sure about Grand Design. I would email Grand Design and let them answer you in writing. It really is their call. Especially if something happens and you need to get it covered under warranty.
 
I can also add that the mounting of the rollers supporting the bed box seems to be different on the same model line (at least for our floor plan) depending upon year. If the rollers are mounted fixed to the floor with the box riding on the roller as noted by a couple of people (with pictures), there isn't much support under the foot end of the bed when retracted. Ours has the rollers mounted to the bed box rolling on the floor so they provide support when retracted or extended but I don't know how they are implementing the rollers on the newer rigs. I wasn't sure and contacted Grand Design customer service who confirmed for my model it would not be an issue.
 
What does your owner's manual say? Sometimes salespeople are not as knowledgeable as one would hope. :)
All slideouts are MUCH weaker when retracted. Some like my fridge slide have wheels to support more weight when retracted. I have never seen a bed slide that had wheels to support it while retracted.
A salesman will say anything to make a sale.
 
All slideouts are MUCH weaker when retracted. Some like my fridge slide have wheels to support more weight when retracted. I have never seen a bed slide that had wheels to support it while retracted.
A salesman will say anything to make a sale.
Mine has four rollers screwed into the foot end of the bed box - one on either side of the box about 2-3' from the toe end the other two under the pull-out seat/storage box. All rollers ride on the lino - have the indentations to prove it. Rollers are about 2" wide and provide great support to be on bed when retracted.

I do not walk on my hydraulic slide-outs unless they are fully extended.
 
We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?
When you say "while traveling" do you mean stopped while traveling? or while bombing down the road? First there is nothing that should prevent you from sleeping on the bed with the slide closed moving or stopped. That being said as a retired state trooper, although it's perfectly legal to do so in about half of the states in the US, as long as you have a way to communicate between the driver and passenger, I would not recommend it for a minute. If you've ever seen a trailer that has come apart in a crash you'd know that even a minor accident could result in an overturned trailer that comes apart like a soaking wet cardboard box in a hurricane. Rarely does the passenger come of it well.
 
I saw this video from a guy I've been watching for a while and he seems to have great basic answers to various questions. In this Video he discusses how you may be able to tell which types of slides can be used in "travel mode". It's a couple of years old and he doesn't cover the Slimrack system which you may have for the bedroom. In any case you can take a look to see if it helps. His bottom line is to use common sense when checking to see if you can use the slide when it's in.
 
We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?
We are on our second 337. The first a 2018 and now a 2025 and have slept with the bedroom slide in on both without any issues. We’ve done it for quick overnight stops or when we have been in very windy areas where we thought our slide toppers were going to rip off the rig.
 
We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?
As someone who has had to have their slide rack replaced twice, my advice would be to don't mess with your slides. As I understand it from researching slides, your slides are designed to ride all the way in and are only to be used when the unit is leveled and the slides are all the way out. Plus, I don't think it would be wise (or legal) to have someone in your trailer while traveling. Passengers should seat-belted no matter where they are traveling.

I understand slide outs on motorhomes may be different, I understand that the slides in motorhomes may be designed to be used both retracted or all the way out, but best to check with your manufacturer.
 
As someone who has had to have their slide rack replaced twice, my advice would be to don't mess with your slides. As I understand it from researching slides, your slides are designed to ride all the way in and are only to be used when the unit is leveled and the slides are all the way out. Plus, I don't think it would be wise (or legal) to have someone in your trailer while traveling. Passengers should seat-belted no matter where they are traveling.

I understand slide outs on motorhomes may be different, I understand that the slides in motorhomes may be designed to be used both retracted or all the way out, but best to check with your manufacturer.
Do you remove the stuff in your underbed storage before operating the slide?
 
Do you remove the stuff in your underbed storage before operating the slide?
In the 260RD, the slide has the pantry, refrigerator and the couch. We do not empty the pantry or the refrigerator. I suspect the weight of the refrigerator near the one end of the slide may be the issue in the 260RD or maybe I just have a lemon. Probably a design issue. The stuff in the pantry is pretty light except for a few cans of canned food that may be kept in there.

From what I read when researching slide-out problems, you should not sit on the couch when the slide is in. Say 150 lbs per person, that weight could add up if up to 3 people sit on the couch at one time.
 
From what I understand, slide-outs that are "flat" with electric or hydraulic rack & pinion mechanisms (like the 337RLS kitchen & dinette ones) have a slight gap between the bottom of the slide and the top of the RV floor when in. If the slide is in and you step on it you depress the slide-out floor which in theory deforms it. From everything I've seen that's not a good idea. In looking at the 337RLS pictures on the GD site the bedroom seems to have the same setup but I don't know if it will suffer similar issues on a smaller slide-out with a bed on it. Also, something that didn't get answered is if this was to be done while moving or at an overnight stop. Weirdly enough, of all places California lets you ride in a trailer while moving. I don't think I'd ever let anyone ride in a trailer while it's under way, seems way too risky :oops:.
 
We have a 2025 337RLS. The salesperson said it was ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in while traveling. I have heard that you should not do this as it will harm the slide. Is it ok to sleep in the bedroom with the slide in?
I do it in my 2020 337RLS because I fail to see the difference between my body weight and what someone might be storing in the bed compartment under the mattress. I only have an ironing board, iron and an extra blanket. I've seen others stuffed with clothes which weight wise can add up quickly. It seems to me if there was an issue, you wouldn't have storage or such a large storage space under the bed. Especially because whatever is in there is bouncing down the road while traveling possibly putting stress on the slide mechanisms.
 
Quote from page 169 of the owners manual 2024 Reflection 337RLS, "Slideout rooms are designed to provide you additional living space during stationary camping". However, we have slept on the bed with the slide in on occasion without any adverse affects. We have the SlimRack slide system on the bedroom slide. Travel safe
 

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