Importance of accessing TC without opening a slide.

I spend a lot of time in National Parks. Most have pullouts, rest stops, observation points. It is great to be able to pull off the road and be able to use the restroom, cook a meal, and or take a nap. Of course, I do the same during road trips and often use rest stops.

I would only buy a TC that had full functionality without opening slides. In fact I bought a TC without any slides. I do not need to find a campsite with room to operate slides. I often "stealth" camp. Without slides I can spend the night just about anywhere without needing extra space and without making it obvious that I am camping. Slides add to the mechanical complexity, add weight, and increase the potential for leaks and water damage. Typically most of what you get from slides is floor space and not much else of functional value.

We use ours to travel during the day, do activities, eat meals, etc and then find a place for the night. We often stop and enter the TC for different things such as eating, grabbing snacks, changing clothes, bathroom breaks, etc. An average day probably had 8-10 stops. To have to open a slide adds to the inconvenience plus a lot of wear and tear. Think 9 slide cycles per day for 50 days each year and that will go up to 150 days when I retire soon. It's also impossible to stealth camp if the slide must be out. And if you do stealth or boondock, it adds time to bugging out in an emergency.

We won't buy a TC with a slide because of the inconveniences. We don't think the added space is worth the headaches, lost storage, extra weight, extra cost, added leak potential and possible problems.

I wouldn't buy a TC with a slide that blocked the entry door when its "in". Some slide configurations only block some of the interior space. Others, especially the double and triple slide TC's, there is no way to use the unit without putting the slides out. Our 1121 is totally accessible with the slide in, and the side-door 1161 which was produced alongside the 1121 is also fully functional with the slide in.

I also don't want any plumbing or appliances in the slide, and I realize that I'm probably way out of step with most RV owners opinions on that (no problem). I would buy a no-slide TC before I'd buy one with either of those designs. Unfortunately, that means Lance doesn't make a TC that I would buy today. The no-slide models are all too small for us, and the ones with slides all either block the door or have plumbing and/or appliances in the slide.

:):)

There are those that trade off space when parked vs not pressing a button. Mine is partially blocked, so I can't say how much a pain a full blockage would be.

Maybe someone who actually has one that blocks the entry and doesn't like it will post. Seems like most complaints are from those who don't have one.

My single slide allows me to squeeze around the corner when it is in, but I hate to think about its malfunction.
So my worry would not be if I need to move the slide a bit to get in, but how the emergency operation looks like.
I do have emergency crank for my slide, but knock on the wood, have never used it.

jimh425 wrote:
Seems like most complaints are from those who don't have one.

That's why they don't have them.

On mine I can get in the camper with it in but putting it out just a couple of inches makes it a lot easier and it doesn't stick out enough that most would even notice it has been extended. Once I squeeze past we have enough room to make a meal, get in the frig, use the bathroom, etc. If it completely blocked entry and had to be extended all the way I might feel different but with ours I'm more than happy with the setup and only extend it a bit if I'll be in and out a few times. Other than that I just turn sideways to get in and enjoy the extra space once we are actually camping. Put me in the happy to have a slide corner.

My AF 811's bathroom and fridge is accessible with the slide in, although you may have to suck it in a little to get through (I should probably suck it in all the time anyway). The main concern about partially opening the slide when using the lavy/fridge is remembering to close it fully when getting back on the road again......and the additional wear and tear on the slide motor and mechanism.
When I bought this camper I was hesitant because I didn't want a slide but now I could not own a TC without one. I've been lusting for an AF992, although I personally haven't seen one, however it looks like you have to almost open the slide fully to access the fridge and lavy.

I'm happy with my camper. I would like a little extra room at times, but when I consider the cost of a new camper and likely truck, I become even more satisfied. We have used the camper the last 3 weekends in a row: camping Memorial weekend at friend's lake house, camping at Lake Chelan, and going to my daughter's graduation a few hours away. For daughter's graduation, we parked in a driveway, nobody ever knew we were there.

I am proponent of slides and like the additional room they provide. We do not camp where we are not welcome, so stealth camping just sounds like illegal squatting to me. Access to the camper requires flipping out the step, unlocking the door, and pushing a couple of buttons for less 30 seconds.

Having a street-side slide does make it harder to pull off to the side of the road and access the camper, but I'm not comfortable stopping somewhere where my camper is that close to road traffic with the number of distracted drivers today.