Duo Form’s RV Slide Out Ski kit offered a good solution to smoothing out the operation, while preventing potential gouging and eliminating grinding that could lead to jamming.

We determined that the problem with the slideout we were working on was due to incorrectly installed rollers. The result was serious gouging of the material that covered the bottom of the slideout floor. The first step was to remove the molding on the outside of the front and rear slideout walls. Once the old caulking was removed, time was spent determining where to cut the skis. These skis are typically installed on the edges of the slidout and can be positioned up against or under the molding — and if you cut off the lip, they can be installed in the middle or anywhere underneath the slideout room. There is a link in the instructions for an online video of the installation process, which we watched for this project.

Duo Form recommends that the installation be performed by an experienced technician because if not done properly, jacking up the bottom of the slideout to provide clearance for the skis can be dangerous. In our case, the installation was a little tougher because the rollers were so close to each sidewall that we had difficulty installing the skis — but we persisted with some cutting and were able to get them placed properly. With a little patience, experienced do-it-yourselfers should be able to complete the installation.

We used two six-ton hydraulic bottle jacks that were positioned between a built-up pile of lumber and another piece of wood under the slideout to lift the floor high enough (until you can see light under the floor) to gain access for the skis; one side of the slideout was lifted at a time. In the video, 2x4s in a T-shaped configuration were used for support, but our system seemed to be stronger and more stable. With the slideout lifted, measurements were taken, which was tough because there was not much room to work with. Fortunately, this will not be an issue in all RVs.

We cut the skis to length and held them into place to make sure the fit was right. Before we jacked the room up to install the skis, we moved the slideout room in about 12 to 16 inches to gain access from the inside, where the skis were installed.

We soon learned, however, that there were obstructions in the way, so we had to make cuts to accommodate the fit — especially to clear the roller brackets. For this malady, a file was used to take down the sharp edges, which we determined caused the tearing of the material on the bottom of the slideout. Satisfied that we could put the skis in place without any obstructions, the double-sided tape supplied with the kit was installed. It took some doing to get our fingers in the tight space to remove the backing from the double-sided tape. Once we had the technique down, though, installing the second ski was much easier and faster.

Finally, butyl tape was applied to the moldings that were reinstalled on both sides of the slideout. After a few in-and-out tests, everything stayed in place and worked smoothly, gaining our confidence that damaging the slideout — and the potential for floor gouging, sticking and grinding — was now a thing of the past.

The first step was to remove the molding on the front and rear slideout walls using a screw gun. Once the screws were removed, the molding was pulled off the sides with little effort. Make sure you do not bend the molding while removing.

A utility knife was used to cut through the old sealant and a putty knife made short work of lifting the sealant away from the molding.

It was necessary to lift the slideout enough to see daylight through the frame. Extreme care must be taken, and Duo Form recommends that this step be left to RV technicians. Experienced do-it-yourselfers, though, should be able to complete this task — just be sure to use enough wood to build up a stable structure for the bottle jacks.

It’s possible to install the skis in places other than the outer edges of the slideout structure by cutting off the end of each ski.

The skis were installed from inside the RV once cut to size. It took a little juggling to make sure they fit properly. In our case we had interference from the roller brackets, which were filed down to ensure proper clearance (not shown). The skis can be installed butted up to the molding as shown here, or under the molding.

Once the skis were solidly in place, butyl tape (not supplied) was applied to the molding, which was reinstalled using the existing screws. Finally, a bead of exterior sealant was applied neatly to prevent water intrusion.