I am thinking of a side entry for my next camper, right near the front. Mainly this is driven by floor plan, the only other major advantage I can think of is it will not get as dirty. I am worried about one thing: the rear is usually clear, but the side not necessarily: in a supermarket parking lot there will be a car, in many campgrounds the pad may not be wide enough, etc. I didn't really notice that with my 5th wheel and Class A, both of which had side entries. But the camper will have many more steps and will require more room. Those of you with side entries, what problems have you had?The solution may be to turn the steps to run down the side, but it is mechanically somewhat more complicated. Would that be worth the trouble?

I don't have a side entry, but I think you've got the biggest potential issues mentioned. That is, it's possible for someone to park to close to your side and the pad might not be wide enough. In practice, I almost always park away from everyone else, and most pads will probably be wide enough.I'm interested to see what other issues people might have as well. I may eventually get a different TC.

I tow behind my camper which makes a side door more convenient than climbing over the tongue of the trailer or cutting the truck sharply to the left to deploy the stairs. Some campers also have a lower entry with a side door than on one in the rear if the camper has a basement.The disadvantage of a side door would be in a tight parking lot and the amount of overhang required to fit a door into the side. If you are looking for smaller camper that can be parked in narrow standard length spots, you're probably looking at model that ends close to the bumper and has no slides.I've had three trailers before going to rear door truck camper. Although it was convenient to be able to pull forward or back in to a campsite based on the view or topography, I went back to side door for the added access I get when towing. I need extra room to open slides, so I am typically parking in the far end of any parking lot. My truck/camper is now too long to fit one spot without sticking out too much, but I try to choose an end spot and only take up two deep in space. I can deploy my slides over the top of a car that later parks next to me but may only be able to unfold two of the four steps. I have a step stool available for those times or can move the camper if it is too tight. When I am towing, I need 50+ feet of length and typically take up seven spots since I park across them. This leaves me plenty of room for stairs and slides since even compact spots are 16' deep.Since camping spots typically are set up for trailers, I have not had trouble using a side entry. We have been to RV parks where you camped so close that you cannot open your side awning, but there is still room to open slides and use the side door.

I bought camper with side entry for our transcontinental trip and it was working very well for frequent stops. Never had a problem with opening the door while parking, but Lance has side door in the rear. Bad parts - dogs are falling from Lance steps, where they can walk Glow Steps. Side entrance also eats wardrobe, but judging form Host topic, some members don't use cloths ;)Side steps will also keep you from lowering the camper close to the ground. Since my older camper did not sell last season and I repaired the dry-rot, we decided to sell side entrance one and keep rear entrance as for planed now short trips and longer camping that makes more sense to us.

Plenty of closet space in side entry campers, we don't have to -Hanging wardrobe with lower drawers between bedroom and kitchen:Hanging wardrobe to the left side of the bed:Full length wardrobe with shelves to the right side of the bed:I even have a hat shelf...

We find the side door on our Northstar 12' STC really convenient. 1. Stays much cleaner. 2. Makes getting into camper when on the side of the highway much safer.3. When parking we just make sure there is space to open the door/steps.4. A side entrance will obviously make your camper overhang much more, but we can usually back into a parking spot, overhanging grass, etc. and cut our footprint to fit regular length.5. Our 3 or 4 steps fold up so tightly we can lower the camper almost to the ground when off the truck. We don't have a basement so we don't have such a high climb up.6. I'm not sure which wardrobe I might have "lost", but we have soooo much cabinetry inside that we have never lacked storage.7. Towing obviously requires more hardware with overhang.We have never owned a rear door, so can't really compare.

Side entry - pros and cons? | Good Sam Community

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Jan 31, 2018
zb39 wrote:
,,,, My 5500 with flatbed is a pickup here in PA. They would have a tough time ticketing me for not stopping unless there are signs posted for this.

I think you need to read your state law a bit.
Here are PA definitions
There is no "pickup" on those pages, but you can find
PA DMV wrote:
"Truck." A motor vehicle designed primarily for the transportation of property. The term includes motor vehicles designed with seats that may be readily removed and reinstalled if those vehicles are primarily used for the transportation of property.
...........
"Motor carrier vehicle."
-
(2) A truck, truck tractor or combination engaged in interstate commerce and having a gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight rating, registered gross weight, registered combination weight or actual gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more.
HMS_Beagle
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
They'd have a pretty easy time ticketing you if they so chose. The California vehicle code says a flat bed is not a pickup. It doesn't say "except when displaying an out of state license". Not saying I agree with that, or that it would be enforced, or that you might explain your position and get off with a warning. But that is the law. It is no different in any other state. Some states you can't turn right after stopping on a red light. It doesn't matter what plate you happen to have on the car - that's just the law there.

Flatbeds and utility beds have been skipping the scales here for quite awhile, but enforcement seems to be picking up. I've rented a big van truck, drove it by the scales a few times knowing I was taking a risk. No one stopped me. But they might have, the next time.
zb39
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
Bedlam wrote:
October 2016, we did the NorCal coast going south and I-5 going north without stopping at any weigh stations or truck checkpoints. October 2017, we cut through the northern part of CA but I was the back routes from Reno to Shasta before getting on I-5 to head farther north without stopping at any weigh stations or truck checkpoints. Both times we had the camper loaded on my flatbed and were towing my enclosed trailer behind it, so we either looked like a RV or were given a pass due to out of state plates.

This is my experience. I will not be stopping unless there are signs up saying pickups have to stop. My 5500 with flatbed is a pickup here in PA. They would have a tough time ticketing me for not stopping unless there are signs posted for this.
billyray50
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
I have traveled many states and never pulled in a weigh station nor was I flagged. Maybe California is different. Still do not plan on pulling in if in California.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Jan 31, 2018
Bedlam wrote:
October 2016, we did the NorCal coast going south and I-5 going north without stopping at any weigh stations or truck checkpoints. October 2017, we cut through the northern part of CA but I was the back routes from Reno to Shasta before getting on I-5 to head farther north without stopping at any weigh stations or truck checkpoints. Both times we had the camper loaded on my flatbed and were towing my enclosed trailer behind it, so we either looked like a RV or were given a pass due to out of state plates.

You are not getting the point.
I've been driving 10' commercial flatbed for years in CA never stopping at checkpoint, but it come to the end at some point.
Just becouse you got away with it, does not make it the rule.
And I agree with Beagle that only MORE enforcement is expected.
Bedlam
Moderator
Jan 31, 2018
October 2016, we did the NorCal coast going south and I-5 going north without stopping at any weigh stations or truck checkpoints. October 2017, we cut through the northern part of CA but I was the back routes from Reno to Shasta before getting on I-5 to head farther north without stopping at any weigh stations or truck checkpoints. Both times we had the camper loaded on my flatbed and were towing my enclosed trailer behind it, so we either looked like a RV or were given a pass due to out of state plates.
HMS_Beagle
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
zb39 wrote:
I feel for the guys that live in CA. I'm not concerned if I travel thru(except for all the dope smokers)
I will not be stopping at any scales in CA. I didn't stop 2 years ago when I was there. Because I don't live there and my trucks are not registered there I don't need to know all the individual laws concerning them.
Just basic traffic laws are fine. If they want to pull me over and tell me to run over the scale, no problem, I will. I only need to know what my state wants. Here in PA you don't run over the scales unless your commercial. I know guys with flatbeds and guys with semis that are private only. No DOT numbers. They don't hit the scales. I don't know why CA wants to be so complicated, maybe it has to do with money. I here the state is broke.

I don't think displaying an out of state plate exempts you from any traffic laws in another state. Registration laws, yes. So if your state allows your flat bed to be registered as a private vehicle, California will not give you a ticket because it is improperly registered. But for scales, there is no exemption allowing a bypass because you have an out of state license, and I believe that is true of every state. You must obey the traffic laws of the state you are in. You must obey the registration laws of the state in which you are registered. You might get treated leniently, but if given a ticket, ignorance of local laws is very rarely a successful defense.
jimh406
Explorer III
Jan 31, 2018
Kayteg1 wrote:
FYI jim - in your state Ridgefield Port of Entry is famous as most driver-harassing crew in the nation.

Not too famous since I've never heard of the issue. :)
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Jan 31, 2018
FYI jim - in your state Ridgefield Port of Entry is famous as most driver-harassing crew in the nation.
But yes, Nevada doesn't recognize commercial pickups.
Pickup is pickup here and my registration is fraction of what I used to pay in CA. No DOT scales in Las Vegas area neither. I think I have seen 1 in Reno area, but never open.
Thinking about avoiding scales becouse you come from different state?
More and more stations have computer-controlled displays that flag vehicles who need to pull over and who can pass.
Don't think you want to ignore those.
zb39
Explorer
Jan 31, 2018
I feel for the guys that live in CA. I'm not concerned if I travel thru(except for all the dope smokers)
I will not be stopping at any scales in CA. I didn't stop 2 years ago when I was there. Because I don't live there and my trucks are not registered there I don't need to know all the individual laws concerning them.
Just basic traffic laws are fine. If they want to pull me over and tell me to run over the scale, no problem, I will. I only need to know what my state wants. Here in PA you don't run over the scales unless your commercial. I know guys with flatbeds and guys with semis that are private only. No DOT numbers. They don't hit the scales. I don't know why CA wants to be so complicated, maybe it has to do with money. I here the state is broke.