For snowbirds that leave your trailer permanently on your siteWe will be putting our new 2016 travel trailer on or own site and leaving it there and using it during the winter months. It is 37 feet long and I have no intention of ever hauling it. This is our first trailer with slide outs My questions are in regards to the slide outs which are both on the same side.1. Do you level the trailer and then put the slides out or do you put the slides out and then level the trailer ?2. Since I am leaving the trailer there permanently, (like a house) is it Ok to just leave the slides out, or do you pull yours in when you leave each year?3. Do you put separate supports under your slides outs ?Jack L

1. Level first, then put slide outs, well "out".2. Mine were out well over 12 years on one RV. Remember you still have to clean on top, so rain water will flow off. Pulled them in when I washed to check seals etc.3. No, I don't but some people do. Depends on what you have I guess. Some slide are stronger than others.(We've had a place over 22 years with different RV's) I would also inquire about other things specific. Every place is different. Propane, do people get it delivered or haul your own? Our place is pretty hard to keep the normal RV sewer pipe. Our place is best to have the hard ABS plastic pipe as critters like to chew thru the thin stuff. You'll find out real quick by asking around about other things that might effect you. Recommend you make friends with a "full timer" in your park to keep an eye out for you when you're not there. If the place gets cold, put a thermometer that is large enough to see from the outside, so someone can look in the window to make sure your heater is working. Little things like that vary from park to park. Your RV will still need... batteries checked, annual inspection and stuff like that, even though its parked. Had ours insured as "second home". Also good idea to use water pump every now and then to make sure you don't have a leak somewhere by listening for the pump to sound off when it shouldn't. If you can have a shed, be prepared to end up with two of everything (hammers, saws, rakes, shovels, etc. One at house and one at your snowbird place:)More and more at our park, people are getting smaller RV's to travel in and leaving their big rigs parked. Every year one couple camps all the way down from Canada to AZ in what they call their "real RV" which is a very small class C and leaves their newer 40 foot diesel pusher parked. They are Canadian and have seen more of the US than I have.OK good luck

path1 wrote:1. Level first, then put slide outs, well "out".2. Mine were out well over 12 years on one RV. Remember you still have to clean on top, so rain water will flow off. Pulled them in when I washed to check seals etc.3. No, I don't but some people do. Depends on what you have I guess. Some slide are stronger than others.(We've had a place over 22 years with different RV's) I would also inquire about other things specific. Every place is different. Propane, do people get it delivered or haul your own? Our place is pretty hard to keep the normal RV sewer pipe. Our place is best to have the hard ABS plastic pipe as critters like to chew thru the thin stuff. You'll find out real quick by asking around about other things that might effect you. Recommend you make friends with a "full timer" in your park to keep an eye out for you when you're not there. If the place gets cold, put a thermometer that is large enough to see from the outside, so someone can look in the window to make sure your heater is working. Little things like that vary from park to park. Your RV will still need... batteries checked, annual inspection and stuff like that, even though its parked. Had ours insured as "second home". Also good idea to use water pump every now and then to make sure you don't have a leak somewhere by listening for the pump to sound off when it shouldn't. If you can have a shed, be prepared to end up with two of everything (hammers, saws, rakes, shovels, etc. One at house and one at your snowbird place:)More and more at our park, people are getting smaller RV's to travel in and leaving their big rigs parked. Every year one couple camps all the way down from Canada to AZ in what they call their "real RV" which is a very small class C and leaves their newer 40 foot diesel pusher parked. They are Canadian and have seen more of the US than I have.OK good luckGreat ! I wish I had found you sooner. You have answered exactly what I was asking for, and moreAnd yes we are lucky in the fact that a good friend lives there year round.We are also keeping our 25 footer just for separate trips here and there. That is a good idea on picking other peoples brains who have experienceThanks again,Jack L

On the topic of leaving the slides out all year. I know of too many new RV's that have slides that leak. I would pull them in when gone so as to eliminate a problem with leaks and too keep the sun off the slide roof if rubber. Level then put the slides out. Supports under the slides can not hurt, and will eliminate a problem if the slide is designed poorly.

Slide supports get mixed reviews with most, IIRC, being against them. If your trailer settles or loses air in a tire, your slide can be damaged.

After years of being on the road we plan this fall to permanently put our trailer on a site inArizona, and sell out pick-up. We've always leveled our rig first before we put our slides out. When we leave we will pull our slides in, the main reason is to protect the slide seals and to help keep the inside cleaner. Our slides have a flange that covers the seals when they are in. Have not used any slide supports in the past, need to think about that one, but they seem solid without supports.

Permanent snowbird site questions | Good Sam Community

path1
Explorer
Jul 10, 2016
1. Level first, then put slide outs, well "out".

2. Mine were out well over 12 years on one RV. Remember you still have to clean on top, so rain water will flow off. Pulled them in when I washed to check seals etc.

3. No, I don't but some people do. Depends on what you have I guess. Some slide are stronger than others.

(We've had a place over 22 years with different RV's) I would also inquire about other things specific. Every place is different. Propane, do people get it delivered or haul your own? Our place is pretty hard to keep the normal RV sewer pipe. Our place is best to have the hard ABS plastic pipe as critters like to chew thru the thin stuff. You'll find out real quick by asking around about other things that might effect you. Recommend you make friends with a "full timer" in your park to keep an eye out for you when you're not there. If the place gets cold, put a thermometer that is large enough to see from the outside, so someone can look in the window to make sure your heater is working. Little things like that vary from park to park. Your RV will still need... batteries checked, annual inspection and stuff like that, even though its parked. Had ours insured as "second home". Also good idea to use water pump every now and then to make sure you don't have a leak somewhere by listening for the pump to sound off when it shouldn't. If you can have a shed, be prepared to end up with two of everything (hammers, saws, rakes, shovels, etc. One at house and one at your snowbird place:)

More and more at our park, people are getting smaller RV's to travel in and leaving their big rigs parked. Every year one couple camps all the way down from Canada to AZ in what they call their "real RV" which is a very small class C and leaves their newer 40 foot diesel pusher parked. They are Canadian and have seen more of the US than I have.

OK good luck

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