Using the RV on short stops

Access with slides in is a layout issue. It's not a MH vs Trailer issue. Yes, getting one where you can access fridge, bathroom and possibly bed is a great advantage.

Driving down the road the heat/cool isn't that big of an issue. None are sealed that well and the wind blowing by will tend to keep it fairly close to outside temps (with the hatch covers you can leave them open really helping).

The dash Air/Heat won't handle your typical motorhome space. If you are running the generator the whole time, you could do the same with a trailer (they can be had with built in generators also)...but really not a big issue.

If you are just making a quick stop and will be off in the morning, as long as the site is reasonably level, yeah, you can leave it hooked up, so you can head out quickly in the morning.

Really unless you can live without a TOAD (which brings it's own challenges), there is very little difference traveling with either option.

DutchmenSport wrote:

“...About using the bathroom when traveling. Yes! We do it all the time. We NEVER use fuel station bathrooms! Never any more when the trailer is with us. That's the one advantage of having your own bathroom with you, and why it's so important in your selection of camper to make sure EVERYTHING is accessible when the slides are in...”

Exactly. The major consideration for our recent TT purchase was full accessibility with the slide room “In”.

Thanks for a very informative post. Lots of great tips!

We can get to frig/bathroom/bed with slides in, but not stove. We use ours all the time for bathroom breaks/lunch/etc. We have built in generator so no problems overnights if needed. Stay hooked up, but might put down landing gear to help level and stabilize.

Lots of good answers already from lots of experienced RV'ers...

Just remember, there is no perfect RV. Anything you finally settle on will be a compromise. You get some things and you give up others...
Good luck with you search and decision..

We have both a 5er and a class c.
Each has it’s pluses and minuses. If heating/cooling the 5er while traveling, is a potential deal-breaker, the heat is not a problem....provided that the heat ducks are not completely covered enough to stop the heated air flow. Just simply run your heater.

“If” you do not have a built-in generator, the cooling is a “bit” more problematic....but “not” insurmountable! You can have (as ours does) a separate 50 amp receptacle installed in the front of main body (beneath the nose).....by the manufacturer if ordering, or by a reputable technician after purchase. You can run the generator ( in the pick-up truck bed, connected to your “new” 50 receptacle).... run the ac to cool the unit prior to your arrival.

We are a family of 4, so our needs differ from a couple traveling. We have a fifth wheel with 4 slides that we pull with a 4 door F350 dually. It is a comfortable ride while pulling the fiver and we make pit stops in rest areas for bathroom and just walking around to stretch and we stop at to get fuel at large stations.

We have wally-docked on occasion for the night and we have pulled in to campgrounds just to overnight if we are enroute somewhere. As long as we have room, we do not unhook, push the button to activate our level-up system while still attached to the truck. The slides go out, plug into electric, if available. We usually have something that is easy to prepare for dinner and have, on occasion, had pizza delivered to us in the Walmart parking lot. If we are at a Walmart, that is usually a really late evening, so we have probably already eaten dinner before we stop for the night.

Right now, with a family, this works best for us....NOW. In another few years, when the kids are off on their own, our needs may change.

Travel trailer owner here.

Yes, we use the trailer all the time when traveling. Many, many times we've pulled into a parking lot, run into the local McDonalds or whatever, brought the food back out, opened the awning, pulled out a couple lawn chairs, our folding portable table and enjoy a Big Mac. It only takes a minute to set it up, and only a minute to put it all away. We do this a lot!

We do not have a generator in or trailer, but do have access to the gas stove, full access to the refrigerator, bathroom, bedroom, and living room with slides in. The only thing restricted from enjoying is the television in the living room with slides in. But the one in the bed room is just fine!

So, when traveling, if we fix our own meals, we have water on board and use the on-board water pump. We can heat stuff on the gas stove, and of course, cold stuff in the refrigerator. When we do this, we try to find a city park rather than a Wall Mart parking lot (too hot in the sun). We also have an outside (built in) gas stove, so we can always heat and cook outside if the inside is too hot.

Overnighting? We don't boom dock. We don't do Wall Mart overnights. We always stay in KOA or Good Sam campgrounds that always have full hook-ups (water, electric, and sewer). Unless the camp site is horribly unlevel, we don't unhitch, but I do put the trailer stabilizer jacks down for stability and to make sure when the 3 slides are deployed, they wont' get into a bind or anything.

Yes, if traveling all day, with no air conditioner in the trailer, the inside of the trailer can get pretty roasty hot. But with electricity, it doesn't take too long to cool things down. In the winter to create a quick heat, I'll turn on all 3 burners on the gas stove for about 10 minutes. This warms up even the coldest campers in a hurry, and by then the furnace has had a time to warm up and start pumping warm air. Then the burners on the stove are turned off (like I say, maybe 10 minutes. The stove is run longer than than when fixing eggs for breakfast).

Sometimes, if doing an overnight in a specific planned campground, we will unhitch so we can take the truck and site see or go to an event in the area. Hitching is so easy, after doing it for 50 years, I don't think anything about it any more.

About using the bathroom when traveling. Yes! We do it all the time. We NEVER use fuel station bathrooms! Never any more when the trailer is with us. That's the one advantage of having your own bathroom with you, and why it's so important in your selection of camper to make sure EVERYTHING is accessible when the slides are in.

We also use the camper in our driveway all year round too, until temperatures reach about 20 degrees F or below. So, between the end of December and the middle to end of February are about the only weeks we don't use the camper.

We slept in the camper every night now (driveway, or camping in a State Park), every night now since the March 1 of this year. We are in it right now, and will be sleeping in here again tonight.

Whatever RV you end up selecting, just make sure everything is functional when the slides are in: Bathroom door opens; kitchen sink, refrigerator, and stove are usable; bed are 100 percent usable. If you have more than just husband and wife sleeping in the camper, make sure your guests (or kids) can access their beds too with no problems with the slides in also. There will be times you'll need to use your camper (no matter what you get), when the slides need to be in.

Example: extreme cold or hot weather, to reduce the square footage to better heat or air condition the livable space. Horrible bad weather when it's howling and blowing so hard, it feels like the camper will blow over. Pulling in the slides helps reduce the surface wind-sail and we've slept in ours many nights with all the slides in because it was howling so bad outside. Sometimes you will be traveling, and will be parked somewhere it's absolutely NOT possible to extend the slides. Sometimes, at home - depending on your parking conditions - you might not be able to deploy the slides to load or unload the camper. Yes, there will be times the slides need to be in. So make sure everything is functional with slides in. Especially when traveling on the road, you will find yourself in places you won't be able to extend them.

Hope this helps.

One our "must haves" when we selected our current Class A was that everything must be accessible with the slide(s) in. The single super slide unit we bought met that criteria, with only a seldom used 120v outlet hidden by the stowed slide. And as said, having the bathroom available while underway was a major selling point for my wife back when we were first deciding whether to move from TT's to motorhomes.

“I'm sure it gets hot in there while on the road...”. Not that hot..generally outdoor temperature. On a windless day driving a straight road the potty is available in a MH but not otherwise for us. Using the MH (or TC) for siteseeing got very old for me very fast. TTs can be left in the CG. If I had another MH I’d get a toad. If someone is willing to use the TV as a daily driver, RVing gets less expensive.

And having air conditioning or heat as needed, arriving cool or warm!