After our horrible experiences with slideout cables during our trip to Canada, I've decided to take with us everything I need to do repairs on future trips, especially if there's a chance that we won't be close to a repair facility. The cable cutter and crimper tools are rather heavy, but I'm willing to accept the extra weight, especially since I will be carrying them in the truck bed toolbox.

The photo on the right of the tangled cable illustrates just how bad things can get when they go awry. Click the image to enlarge. Here are links to some of the tools and supplies I used to do my repairs. Feel free to research others if you like, but be sure to read the caveats below.

Don't even think about eschewing a good cable cutter in favor of ordinary tools like sidesnips, hacksaws or bolt cutters. The cable ends have to be cut perfectly clean before inserting into the swages.

Wire Rope and Cable Cutter

This is a good little repair kit to have around if you decide not to purchase a spool of cable like the one shown here.

Cable Repair Kit for Accuslide slideouts

Although you may be tempted to use the pair of cable TV crimpers you have on hand, don't do it. They won't be able to make the tight, snug fit you need for the strains your slideouts will put on the cable system. You really don't want to have a cable pull out of a swage.

18" Steel Swaging Tool

Swages are the things you use to attach the cable ends to the frame of a slideout. Your slideout frame brackets may have slots where you can slide in the swage after crimping it onto the cable. If not, push the swage through the bracket first and then crimp the cable into it.

Stainless Steel Stemball Swage

Don't skimp on the cable wire. Use aircraft wire for its tensile strength and resistance to fraying. If you go on a long trip and you start experiencing cable problems, you will likely have trouble with more than one wire. In such cases you will be glad you brought along enough cable to handle them all.