A slideout allows RVers to expand the space inside their RVs by as much as one-third once they reach their destination. It is a mechanism that, at the touch of a button, lets a portion of the room and the objects in it, such as a couch, table or refrigerator, slide outward up to about 3 feet. When extended, the cube protrudes beyond the fixed outer body of the RV, creating more floor space inside the vehicle. This eliminates the central hallway layout of many older RVs and replaces it with the open design of home. When the RV is in motion, the retraced slideout rests inside the RV's body, leaving the furniture or appliances contained in the slideout cube in the same positions they would be in a non slideout model.
Some vehicles have a single slideout and others have as many as three.
Some units mount the kitchen counter, stove and cabinets in a slideout to open up the kitchen area and others create extra space in the bedroom by mounting the queen-size bed in a slideout. Slideouts first appeared in travel trailers, which could best carry the added weight. As lighter slide mechanisms were developed, slideouts become a popular option in motorhomes. Now they even appear in compact folding camping trailers, where the table area slides out to create open floor space in the center of the camper.