I have three hydraulic floor jacks, (small, medium and large) I use them a lot and have never had to service them. To me they are "simple, reliable and dependable" although I do use jack stands when under a vehicle.
I think most of us who maintain our diesel trucks are not "the average Joe" and are more than capable of maintaining an extremely simple RV hydraulic system.

 

Good arguments. Only one problem - - how come you hear so many complaints about hydraulic slides blowing cylinders or hoses or losing motors in motorhomes and fivers? And, whose slides are creeping open or closed and need poles to keep them closed when traveling? Hydraulics. Yeh, I use a lot of hydraulic things, but it will never be a hydraulic slide again.

Bob

 

Busboy-
Do you own a fiver with hydrulic slides?

 

NO, my last fiver (Cardinal) had them but my current Titanium did not have that option. As I said before I do prefer hydraulics rather than electric. Maybe because I've spent over 40 years "playing" with hydraulics I'm partial to them, to each their own. Fiverbob obviously had some bad experiences with hydraulics and shared them with us, I just offered my point of view and in the end we probably buy the trailer floorplan that suites us the best, at least that's what I've always done. RV show this weekend and my buddy is shopping for a trailer, we'll see what I come back with.

 

Print off this thread for him...

 

That's funny but he's had back hoes and loaders for many years so he knows his way around hydraulics, he'll buy the floor plan not the slide.

 

Like electric persoannlay. Every hydraulic anything I have owned has leaked. Including my 12 ton bottle jack that wont lift my 5500 up! I fulltime and my neighbor just had problems with his stabilizers dropping while driving his Class A about a month ago. A will second that Carriage makes a really nice trailer that holds up pretty well. Been in mine for going on 4 years now.

 

I to bought a 1999 Jayco new with slide have pulled and used in sub 0 weather no problem . Only one problem with electric landing gear sheered a pin to motor link, used a short screw driver for a long time then fixed it one day. No problem with electric slide. Have not even concidered shoping for another trailer and after all my wife carries a black belt in shopping. Without hesitation would buy another Jayco.
Cookieman

 

I went from a 18' terry, to a 24' terry, to a 33' Mallard with an electric slide that had the slide locks, (batons). Then to a 34' Prowler, same locks as the mallard, both had electric/mechanical slides and both creeped. I would have to bring the slide in to remove the locks which damaged the walls from the slide moving. The electric motor went out on the Prowler, covered under warranty. I traded the prowler for a Carriage carry lite, it was the biggest piece of garbage I have ever owned. The kitchen slide was always screwing up,everything from multiple failed electric motors to the final straw being after the final electric motor repair. I slide the kitchen slide in and took the entire kitchen floor out with it. Got that fixed and traded it for a Hitch Hiker. A couple small problems with the Nu-Wa, like light fixtures and one leaking shower supply line that had a loose connection that I fixed. I have had it six years now and it has made trips up and down the east coast, form Key west to bar Harbor Maine. Oh yeah all hydraulic slides and not a single issue. I did however take the entire underbelly off when I bought it to inspect it. I found several chaffing area's that would have been a major problem had I not done this inspection. I rerouted and re-secured all problem area's.

In all reality I don't care what you buy or how much you spend, you will have problems with it eventually. The RV industry is an unregulated industry so there are huge variances between manufacturers, and as far as I am concerned all their warranties suck. 3-5 year being a great warranty on a 125k 5ver,

The only recommendation I will make is that you should spec a unit with either full Mor/ryde suspension or a full air ride suspension, and disc brakes.