Drawer Slides

Picking the right slide for the job

Sort out first whether the fix is a drawer or a slide-out room, since the two share only a name. A sticky galley drawer takes a new pair of ball-bearing slides; a slide-out that won't retract takes a cable kit, a cylinder, or a motor. Work from function to size.

• Drawer slide length and capacity. Measure the old slide end to end, match the length, then check the load rating. The RV Designer 45mm ball-bearing pair here is full-extension and rated to 100 pounds, which handles most galley and wardrobe drawers.
• Full-extension versus three-quarter. Full-extension slides clear the whole drawer from the cabinet so the back is reachable — useful on deep galley drawers. Confirm your cabinet depth against the slide's closed length so it doesn't bottom out.
• Slide-out cables (BAL Accuslide). When a cable-driven room binds or pulls in crooked, a repair kit swaps the worn cables as a matched set. Do both at once so the room stays square in the opening.
• Slide-out cylinders and motors (Lippert). Hydraulic cylinders are called out by length, stroke, bore, and thread — the 53-inch unit here runs a 38-inch stroke, 1-1/2-inch bore, and 3/4-10 thread. The Klauber D-300 motor turns a 3/4-inch drive on 12 volts. Match the spec on the old part.
• Cabinet hinges and bumpers. Face-frame hinges, a nylon shortside door hinge, and closet-door bumpers are here too, worth grabbing while the cabinet is already apart.

For the catches that hold a drawer or door shut once it slides right, see latches and catches. To corral the loose gear inside, hooks and organizers handle that.