Importance of accessing TC without opening a slide.

Been reading along with interest.

This was posted on another forum I frequent. Glad I don't have a slide, never needed one anyway.....

"Drove to an adjoining parking lot to park the truck between 2 semi trailers and forgot to put the slide in. Needless to say, the camper is totalled.
Luckily, I was only 914 miles (13 hours, 40 minutes) away from home
Making for a rather unpleasant, expensive trip to the Laconia Bike week.
I just wanted to say, I can't tell you how much I've appreciated your helpfulness, knowledge, tips and experience. I won't be doing a truck camper again. dry.gif

Thought you might like to read about his misfortune...

work2much wrote:
I have seen a few comments on TC forums and other RV forums regarding the benefit of entering without having to open a slide.

I was just wondering what the thought process is.

Mechanical or electrical failure with the slide in.
Lance, for one, built several models with no mechanical override feature to move the slide.

In my case, the rear slide allows access into the camper to the sink, sofa and dinette. Extending either side slide out about 1.5' gives access to the bath, fridge or bed. If I pull into a parking lot and someone pulls in right next to me in a car, I can actually extend the slide over the top of them (they have to be awfully close to me for this to even happen).

We also tow behind our TC about half the time. When we don't need the garage, we don't have to bring it with us.

Kayteg1 wrote:

I know some use TC to pull horse trailer, but I've seen horse trailers with very comfortable living space up front as well.

Because I am not going to drag around a 30' living quarters horse trailer to go camping at a national park. Trailers are a pain. We tow the horse trailer only when necessary. The rest of the time it's truck and TC. In 8 years of having my non slide Lance 1055 I have never felt the need to buy a TC with a slide and I use my rig at least 100 days a year.

OK, Thanks for the responses. We also don't camp anywhere that we need to keep a low profile. The slide takes just seconds to open enough to comfortably get where we plan to get in like shopping parking lot, side of road, rest stop, campground BLM etc. We can park and stay within our parking spot with the slide out a foot or so.

The stealth camping answer seems to make the most sense to me as with a closed slide someone might wonder if there are people inside vs. being pretty sure they are. To date we have never had the late night knock on the door asking us to move on but we don't stay where overnighting is questionable.

Crashing for a few hours at a rest stop, etc., isn't really "stealth camping" - that's what the rest stop is for (although many don't allow overnight stays, they do allow a few hours to take a nap). Pulling out your slide at a rest stop is OK because you're allowed to "rest" there.

With stealth camping, you are pretending that the RV belongs to a resident (or visitor of a resident) of the street on which you're parked. The RV should appear to be unoccupied, hence no slides. Often, there are regulations against sleeping in vehicles (RVs included) on the street. This usually is done in urban areas. Stealth camping is illegal and that is why it's "stealthy".

Boondocking is legal camping just not at a campground. Slides are OK for this.

The OP really needs to consider how they will use the TC:
If they are going to be doing stealth camping, then full access without slides IS important.

If they are going to be boondocking in heavily forested/treed areas, then full access without slides MAY BE important (you may not always have room where you camp to extend the slide(s)).

If you want to be able to pull over on the side of the road for lunch or a nap during a long day of driving, then full access without slides MAY BE important.

If you don't do any of those things, then full access MAY NOT BE important. In that case, just go with what you're comfortable with - do you want to take the 30 seconds to extend the slide in order to use the restroom, get into the fridge, etc.? Pick a TC with a slide that gives you the level of access you need.

Lwiddis wrote:
"stealth camping just sounds like illegal squatting"

Bedlam, I agree that if camping somewhere is illegal for the homeless it's illegal for RVers. On the other side, however, is those of us truly in transit stopping for 6-8 hours of sleep and driving on. Our CA rest stops allow you to stay 8 hours in most cases.

There are plenty of different types of places for "stealth" camping. Many are legal. Before staying in the exclusive neighborhood of Mill Valley, CA, I checked with the local police regarding regulations and found I could stay for up to 30 days. Beyond that my vehicle would be considered as abandoned if it sat in the same location. Very often the legal issues are questionable and open to interpretation. You could be considered to be a public nuisance or a vagrant. Often you just want to be stealthy as a consideration for the neighborhood. You certainly don't want to open up your slides, bring out the lawn chairs and fire up the BBQ. Rules for the use of highway rest stops are also often uncertain and can vary from State to State or even locally. Sometimes rules are posted, but many times there are no indications. Typically you cannot "camp", but you are allowed to sleep in your car (or RV). Again, you are best in stealth mode with no slides, no chairs, no BBQs.

In addition to legalities, another issue is space. My truck camper can fit in pretty much any parking space but that would not be the case trying to operate a slide. You don't want another vehicle driving at night and pulling into what they thought was an empty space and hitting your slide. Space for slides can even be a problem for many forest service and other campgrounds that were not designed for bigger rigs.

Single slide 9'9", full access. We also use our camper accessing the bathroom, lunch etc while on the road. More so sight seeing where constantly pulling off to check the vistas or what ever. Cant imagine having to deploy slide just to grab camera or something. Too many fine lunches setting in a parking lot or side of road where slide couldn't be out.
Also few times where it got late and just stopping for the night to eat and sleep, without setting up makes it simple. So yes camper access with slide in important.
One comment though, when we bought ours we looked at it and a virtually identical non-slide model. Difference, other than cost +500# and seemingly twice the space was the dinette seats about 16" wider, and the table longer, and the seat boxes underneath. Extra cabinet inside and out side beside fridge, so overall more storage than less in the slide unit.
If I couldn't just open the door and enter we would have a non-slide.

I've never been checked by staying overnight at CA rest areas and slides don't bother anybody there.
It is pulling the camping chairs and BBQ that ends stealth camping ;)
I am satisfy with the space single slide gives us when we travel with my DW and 3 small dogs.
But meeting other campers, we've been inside triple slide trailer.
Even the trailer was not that long, the both side slides in the rear gave it huge living room, with fireplace and center island in the kitchen.
My jaw dropped.
To some point I can't understand why one would spend $60,000 on triple-slide camper, than $70,000 on truck to carry it, when for much less you can buy much more comfortable TT and tow it with almost anything.
I know some use TC to pull horse trailer, but I've seen horse trailers with very comfortable living space up front as well.

Troutguy wrote:
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.

Same here, can squeeze by unless I put on another 20 lbs, lol.

Fwiw, we usually run the slide out a little bit when gettin in for lunch or something. I can report that leaving the slide out a bit and driving. Down the road has so far had no negative effects. More than once I'll notice, an hour or 2 after getting on the road, that the slide isn't all the way in. So no harm no foul if you forget, at least on my old AF campers.