Slides v. Non-Slides - RV-Dreams Community Forum

NINK · RV-Dreams Family Member

Slides v. Non-Slides

MrToad · RV-Dreams Community Member

I am interested in a new Class C and was pondering the same question about slides or no slides. Am I just asking for trouble if I get one with slides? How often do people have trouble with them? Looking forward to reading comments. Thanks.

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

There is "room" and there is "room". Room or walk around, room for storage, room for guests, room for dinner, ****tails or sleep overs. What's right for you has nothing what so ever to do with what is right for someone else. We have a non-slide bus conversion that we have owned since '99 and it now 23 years old. How do you suppose that 23 year old coach with slides is holding up? Maybe you are not interested in keeping a coach for very long so this would not be an issue. It was a little tight in the living area when we purchased the coach as it had to opposing sofas in the living area. We removed one and installed a more slender desk and free standing chair which opened the area for 4 people to be comfortable and the 2 of us to do as we please. The sofa is a fold-out bed so we have spent a week with Mom in the coach without issue as well. RVing is about what's right for you. Read all you can. Go into as many coaches as you can (including asking the guy next door if he minds if you take a look). Research all you can. Figure out your needs. Buy the coach that has a floor plan that works for you. I suggest that you bring everyone who will be using the coach at the same time to the dealer and request a couple of hours alone. Now, do what you think you will be doing on a regular basis. Who will sit where? Are you going to be using a computer, if so, where? How will everyone watch TV, cook dinner, play games, keep the litter box, whatever. I think you get the idea.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think slide reliability and leakage was a common problem when slides were first introduced, but like anything, they have become more reliable with time and experience. Also, problems have a lot of to do with the quality of the brand. As a practical matter, if you are looking at new rigs I think you will find it difficult to find one without slides.

As a side note, 13 or 14 feet is wider than 8 feet any way you measure it. There is definitely more living room.

Good luck in your search,

-- Edited by Luvglass on Monday 19th of September 2011 09:47:40 PM

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

As a side note, 13 or 14 feet is wider than 8 feet any way you measure it. There is definitely more living room.

I generally don't live on my floor so "living room" is not necessary defined by floor space. You will have more walking room, however. Yes, there is more carpet to vacuum or tile to clean. You will certainly be farther apart if you are seated on opposite sides of the coach if that is important as well. For me that's simply not important. YMMV.

-- Edited by Bill Adams on Tuesday 20th of September 2011 06:56:30 AM

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Slides have come along way, they are as reliable as any of the other conveniences that make our RV's comfortable. I would not purchase an RV today without a slide or Three.... Obviously size does matter, if it did not, we would all be camping in Tear Drops......

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have had non-slides and slides RVs. I would take as many slides as possible. It's great to have the room to walk around without the need to crab by some obstacle or my DW.

Our RV is 16 years old and we have only had one slide problem. A wire nut came loose and the motor wouldn't run. I spent a half hour removing the cover, insulation, replaced the wire nut and buttoned everything back up. The slide worked and has worked for the past three years since.

We have two slides now, I'm guessing our next RV will have 4 to 5 slides.

RVPAINTER · RV-Dreams Family Member

"What's right for you has nothing what so ever to do with what is right for someone else."

A good thought Bill.

IMHO floor space is floor space which translates to more room - more comfort - more options. I understand the worry about slides leaking - not closing - not opening. I guess you could say the same about many of the elements in an RV - toilets do not always work just right - but I would not travel without one.

We weighed the delima of slide/no slide and after lots of walking thru RV's with and without - floor space alias COMFORT won out over the fear of slide problems.

I wonder - can you order a new RV and request that no slides be put in??? This is an honest question.

MrToad · RV-Dreams Community Member

There are a few Nexus RVs without slides.

RVPAINTER · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes, but they are smaller in length - perhaps not for full-timers.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

As others have said it's all personal choice, but most people choose more room (slide outs) over the potential problems they may have. More/Less room you live with everyday, problems come along once every few years, if any, and can be repaired.

Flyone

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

I've had our 5ver for 3 years now and have run the slides in and out more times than I can count.No leaks, no problems.To me worrying about a potential slide out problem is like worrying about a potential kitchen faucet leaking.Remember you only hear about the very few slide problems but nobody post and tells you they never have a problem. On edit: I guessI just did, but hopefully you get my point :).

-- Edited by Racerguy on Wednesday 21st of September 2011 11:42:30 AM

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

flyone wrote:
As others have said it's all personal choice, but most people choose more room (slide outs) over the potential problems they may have. More/Less room you live with everyday, problems come along once every few years, if any, and can be repaired.

Flyone

Put us in the "prefer slides" group. Actually we prefer the room that slides give us. We graduated from a no-slide class C to a 3 slide class A. The increase in "liveability" was truly like night and day. The opposing slides up front give us 6-8 ft. of open floor space - a real home-like feeling of spaciousness.

Sure, we worry about the reliability of the slides just like any other system in the RV. The slides can be moved in and out manually in an emergency so it wouldn't be the end of the world if they stopped working - just a nuisance. If they're out when they break then we retract them manually. Once they're back in, we have a no-slide RV until they're fixed!

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

"I wonder - can you order a new RV and request that no slides be put in??? This is an honest question. " Yes, you can. New Horizons is a "custom" manufacturer of fifth wheels, so I asked that very question of them a month or two back. They said that, yes, they would build me a trailer with no slides if that's what I really wanted, but they strongly advised against it. They said I'd take a HUGE hit at resale time. After seeing the prices they charge, there is no way we could afford one of their coaches new, and I strongly suspected that before I wrote to them. Spacecraft is another custom manufacturer, but I didn't check with them, so I don't know about their prices.

As for motorhomes, no, I don't think you will find any new ones without at least one slide. Used is another story, if you are willing to go back far enough. High on my list of possible motorhomes for our FT coach is the Wanderlodge. Only those without slides are in our price range. You might check their forum, http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com/forums/index.php and ask there. They are a very friendly group. The banner at the top of their site is a brokerage site that has quite a few Wanderlodges for sale. Take a look there and see what catches your eye.

Tylerh · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi There
New to the forum, and the issue of slides. I would love to hear your feedback, on my concerns, as we are looking to buy right now.
I'm worried less about break-down, and more about the following:

The wall behind the driver seat seems like it would degrade the travelling experience - putting up a bit of a barrier between you and your passengers while on the road.

How much extra weight do the slides add? Would they compromise either gas mileage, or how heavy of a tow vehicle you might want to use? (we need a 7 pass tow vehicle)

Do they let more heat escape in cold weather RVing?

thanks very much!!

-- Edited by Tylerh on Friday 27th of February 2015 12:14:06 AM

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tylerh: I think the maximum number of passengers we have had is 3 plus the driver, and I think most of us are in that range. Where are 7 going to hang out when you stop? Do you want 6 people talking to you when you are driving? I think you will find the weight of 7 people and their stuff will exceed the carrying capacity of most RVs. Personally, I would put slides way down the priority list, with carrying capacity and a comfortable place for everyone once stopped higher up the list. You are not going to get everything you want, so come up with a realistic list of "must haves", "would like to haves" and "can live without but would not mind having". Everyone in the group needs to have input, you will be living together and one being unhappy all the time will spoil it for the others.

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Some units are tight and have no room to walk around when the slides are in. So you must put them out to be comfortable. Our slide is only around 18" deep so when it's closed up you still get around inside like a unit without slides. A lot of times I don't even care to put the slide out but the wife wants it out. I guess 18" is 18" and gives a bit more room.

Clay L · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our first motor home when we starred full timing had no slides. We were in it forva year and I was okay with it at the time, but after we bought the one we still have that has two slides I would never have one without them again.
No problems in 11 years of full timing.

Glenn West · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are on our second unit and never a slide problem. Wouldn't have a unit without one.

Talensnana · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our first Rv was a 1996 Safari Serengetti. When we purchased it as a second owner in 2008. It had no slides and was an excellent RV. However we found no slides to be okay for a vacation, but not to live in full time. When we sold the Safari and purchased our full-time home on wheels we made sure and got slides. We currently have 3 slides and I do not think we will ever own anything with out slides again. For us it is more homey than ones without slides.

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have no slides in my RV and I am happy.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have 5 slides in my 45ft fifth wheel.. and it's small. Had a small class A with no slides before..Not sure how we did it..

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Junkman wrote:
I have 5 slides in my 45ft fifth wheel.. and it's small. Had a small class A with no slides before..Not sure how we did it..

Aaaahh.................You're just being spoiled now.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Colorado_Kid wrote:
I have no slides in my RV and I am happy.

Coly, how any people and/or pets live in your RV? It makes a difference.

Chip