My 12' slide only comes out about 18" and it makes a HUGE difference for room. Most all newer units will have slides............especially the 45' variety.

 

I have had it both ways......at the present I have no slide with a wide body coach....2 to 3 feet doesnt seem like much in judging a rig in length because all your doing is cutting down storage space...but 2 to 3 feet in width starts cutting down on actual living space.

as a boondocker I thought not having slides would be the way to go because I would be less noticeable during layovers in parking lots or while playing "Hide and go Seek" in a wooded area and it does have its advantages but I found it cut down on the over day to day living arrangement and the walls seemed to get closer without having to push a button!!!

Most slides are in high traffic areas....in the main salon its almost a must once you been in one for a while....in the bedroom not so much , the 8 hours you spend in there your on the bed and the slide only comes in handy while making the bed.

Im moving back up to a slide again this year............Nikki thinks this one is Smaller than her dog house!!

Our full time friends in an older MH with no slides are continually amazed at our "space" when they visit. We have three and we wish we had a fourth in the bedroom. No biggie but that's the one place we can't pass each other if both in the same room.

Sherry

I'd agree with what Mike and Bill have said.  A 45' MH with no slides would be like living in an extended hallway.  It wouldn't be as bad for one person since there isn't anyone to pass by walking back and forth but I think it would still feel mighty cramped after while.  Bill is right on with the advice to go shorter.  We have a 34' Class A with 3 slides and have absolutely no complaints... we have lots of space inside and rarely have any trouble finding a campsite we can fit on.  I think I'd find a way to trade in the 45' rig and maybe get something in the 30-35' range with 1-2 slides. Lots more quality of life inside and broader horizons for parking spots.

This is one topic that is sure to generate a lot of discussion, and most of it will be opinion (including mine).

First of all, no matter how you figure it, slides add weight, maintenance, and living space. They cost money and storage capacity. Only you can decide which trade-off is best for you.

We had a small slide on our small mpg TT, and it was quite helpful on that small rig. We travel with a cat, though, so before we could let her out of her travel kennel we had to block all access to under the slide that she might try to find. That was one of the reasons why we deliberately looked for a non-slide coach. A bigger reason was that we really couldn't afford one.

This summer we took a trip from SW Missouri to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a family reunion. The original plan was that it would be just Jo Ann, the cat, and me. About a week before the trip my sister decided to go with us. After we got to the reunion we decided not to use the shelter we had planned on, and the 10 of us did all of our visiting in our 40' non-slide MH. We did eat outside, though.

With others, I wonder why you need such a large coach for only one person. You did mention some business use, though, so maybe the additional space is needed for that. If not, I would think that you might find a 36' coach to be plenty big for you. I don't know where you are in the country, but if you could get down to Texas you could check PPL or Motorhomesoftexas and see examples of different coaches. PPL has hundreds of coaches to look at, while MOT has only a dozen or so. The big advantage of MOT is that you can easily go from a 36' Foretravel to a 40' Foretravel in only a few steps, so the comparison is easier to make.

I always repeat the advice we were given: buy the highest quality coach you can find.

We've been slide-free for nearly 8 years... and have no regrets. We love the simplicity of our setup, and having less to worry about going wrong - and our space feels abundant. We currently full time in a 35' narrow body bus conversion (only 96" wide) and it feels very spacious to us. We also both work out of our RV - it really all comes down to layout as to what will work for you.

Now, that's not to say that sometimes we have entertainment envy when we visit friends with slides and they have room to host a dance party, or lots of people over for happy hour! But overall, nope - don't feel slides are necessary for our current style.

- Cherie

Thanks to all of you for your feedback.....much appreciated.  Decided on a Newell, go to finalize the deal on Friday, no slides and it will be just me 90% of the time. I will be using it for work for the next couple of years, or less.

TRAILERKING wrote:

 

 

 UPDATE.......Did you close the deal??

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 PICS.....or it didn't happen!

Cool to hear..........Post some pic's when you get it.

Made it home with no problems!