No Slide Out Travel Trailer

Posting here has helped my husband and I to add to our wish list and narrow down the list of the manufactures we like. My husband is going to go browse through an RV show in March alone since I have issues walking plus it will give him space to think about what he likes. Thanks so much for the advice.

Our wish list now has...
24’ to 28’ Trailer
Under $20,000
Recliners a bonus
Walk around queen bed
Bunk beds or lift up queen (Yarn Storage)
Generator
Washer and Dryer Spot
3 way Refrigerator
Enclosed Underbelly & Heated Tanks (4 Season)
TV that swivels between bedroom and living room
Outdoor Kitchen

I'm in Dalton, GA but we often travel to Atlanta and sometime even further south to Augusta so the next time I do a road trip I will try and meet up. The one benefit of having a trailer of our own will be being able to hold crochet lessons for those that want to learn.

wannavolunteerFT wrote:
Crochetdiva, not sure where you are in GA, but if you are in South West GA or planning to come to SWGA, I will be glad to help you look and give you another opinion. I have had 3 different TT's over the years, as needs and circumstances change. PM me and I will be glad to meet you to help you make this decision. Living in a TT is quite doable and for your budget you should find several options.

Also if you end up here in SWGA, please let me know as I don't know of any crochet "studios/shops" in the area. Only the chain craft store classes, and several of them have had listings looking for instructors. I am ready to re-learn to crochet, as I haven't done much in over 10 years.

Re the accumulation of snow/pine needles/debris on the top of the slide, the simple and relatively inexpensive solution is a slide awning. Also very helpful in keeping the rain out. We don't camp in snowy weather, but after much of any rain or lots of falling leaves, I just bring the slide in slowly, stop, slowly, stop and everything comes off. Put the slide back out and you're done. That said, if heavy snow is predicted, I would go ahead and close the slide. Not only eliminates any weight issues, but does make for a smaller area to heat.

So sorry to hear about your health issues. Hoping for many good days for you and your husband. Take care.

Crochetdiva, not sure where you are in GA, but if you are in South West GA or planning to come to SWGA, I will be glad to help you look and give you another opinion. I have had 3 different TT's over the years, as needs and circumstances change. PM me and I will be glad to meet you to help you make this decision. Living in a TT is quite doable and for your budget you should find several options.

Also if you end up here in SWGA, please let me know as I don't know of any crochet "studios/shops" in the area. Only the chain craft store classes, and several of them have had listings looking for instructors. I am ready to re-learn to crochet, as I haven't done much in over 10 years.

Expense is what you make of it and what the local market supports. We've come across nice parks for under $300/month. When you come across parks charging $800-1000/month they typically have some combination of high end facilities or an apartment in the area would be up around $2000/month. That's not to say, you can't spend more but yes, it can help control costs.

Someone said 90% of RV's have slides, for RV's over 25', I'm betting it's closer to 99% with the rare person custom ordering a non-slide unit. The mechanical slides typically have a crank you can use in the event of a motor failure. Yes, they can break but it's not an untried technology. They are reliable and well worth the risk.

I have late stage Lyme and we want the option of being close to Hubby's mom or dad but not staying in their house. Also we want to travel as we don't know how long I will have.

The thing about a TT with no slide is that it does consume less propane.

We set our 31 ft no slide TT next to my buddy's 37 ft quad slide montana. He was refilling his propane tanks nearly 3 to 1 of mine. We had 29 ft of living space inside and out RV was very roomy.

Ours was a front kitchen with a dinette across from the sink and stove. There was a Mid living room with a chair and a Couch. Small hall way with a huge closet on the left (looking back towards the rear) and the full bath to the right. At the end of the trailer was a master bedroom with a walk around queen bed.

We had four in our RV... One DS got the couch...the other DS got the dinette. DW and I got the queen bed.

Loved that floor plan. Camped hundreds of nights there all over the southeast.

There were a few times we wanted a slide out....mostly when we were all trying to get ready for church all at the same time. Then again, without two bathrooms a quad slide fiver would have had the same issue.

We preferred the non bunkhouse because we had all 29 ft of interior space to use. If the boys wanted privacy then they can go to a tent. Lol

Fulltiming is possible...but you have to be adaptive and be ready to overcome issues as they pop up. Like what happens if the campground loses electricity and it's 15° outside? You better be ready for stuff like this. RV's do not hold heat like a home would in that same situation. A warm RV without power will become an ice box in minutes.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I'll be the first to admit,slides are nice but they don't come without issues related.Mobile homes used to have slides called tip outs..Quite popular for a while until the issues related to it made most,if not all discontinue them...Leaks was the main issue I had with a brand new one.

RV slides are problematic when it comes to snow/pine needles etc etc unless you crawl up there and clean it off before you leave.The weight of the snow on the slide worries me as it's not supported like the rest of the trailer.

There are tons of motorhomes out there without slides that people full time in..Some slides interfere with using the trailer on the road.Can't get to the bathroom or even kitchen.

Having said all that,if I get another RV,I'll want it to have a slide for the extra room it gives for a shorter unit which I need for the places I go.

If you get a slide,make sure the manual retract works before you buy.See it in person.

Hi Sara,

Plastic parts start to fail at about the ten year mark. Almost all RV's are poorly insulated.

Are you hoping that living in a trailer or RV will be cheaper than an apartment? It probably won't be if you are full time in an RV park.

crochetdiva wrote:
I'm looking for a trailer that is older than 2005. I'm going to be using it for a studio so it must have a place to store LOTS of yarn. My husband, myself and my service dog will also be living in it full time in Georgia so enclosed tanks and well insulated is a must. Also on our wish list is a dinette, sofa, and walk around queen bed. Does this exist? Any ideas on brands or floor plans?

With a budget of $20,000 you should be able to get a near new - as in 2 or 3 years old - AND I strongly, strongly suggest a slide. Without taking a poll, I would guess that better than 90%+ of us have trailers with slides and posts re problems are very rare. Though the slide is usually electric, there is a manual over-ride. I think that in very short order, you'd be kicking yourself for not at least having a small slide. Totally aside from you and the DH is your service dog....they take space, too. Can almost guarantee you will not be happy crawling over each other to get around. Please reconsider that idea.

The idea of a bunkhouse is good. Either remove the bunks entirely or use baskets and organizers and you should be fine.

Are you thinking of an RV vs a park model type home for the travel opportunities? Very often you can find a very nice park model in the price range you're thinking. Back to the slide....please revisit that idea. Good luck.