Slide size

jaycocreek wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
20 sec to push a button and get the slide out far enough.

That's why it's never been an issue with me. I was told your not supposed to walk on the slide when it's in anyway.

I have never had an issue with running the slide out to use the TT. When on the road I stop for the Collie's and I to have a potty break fuel and food and a modern gas station I can do all 3.

My slide is close to 4' deep and 12' long. I would rather have a deep slide and more room then a shallow slide and less room when open.

Old Duck wrote:
DutchmanSport, you always have posts that are very good, Thanks! All your photos have put an Outback on my short list if we get the notion to change. We have two slides in our rear kitchen 5er, getting to the kitchen isn't too back, but the Fridge is tough to get things in or out of when the slides are in. We usually pivot our dining table (not a booth dinette) so it gives us more room to get by the cabinet. Our bathroom is completely accessible with the bed slide in.

Thanks Old Duck for your kind comments. If looking at Outbacks, you might consider the 5er Outbacks too. They have several rear double slide models that are almost identical to our floor plan, with the exception of steps to the upper bedroom.

For accessibility, I have come across several fellow campers that have been very disappointed with their models with center islands and the inability to get around them with slides in.

In my Outback, we were fortunate to get a model that did not include a dinette, but had the free-standing table. The only modification I had to do to make the back-end easily accessable was to turn the table 90 degrees, so the long side was parallel to the wall, instead of sticking out against the kitchen sink (L shaped counter). Once turned, this provided more than adequate passage to the back.

About all those folks that say you have to "compromise"? Well, I disagree! You end up "compromising" when you settle for something too soon or run out of patients looking. The secret is to stick with your idea of that "perfect" floor plan, perfect RV and keep looking until you find it.

We searched for over 3 years until we found our Outback. We had very specific ideas what we were looking for. More than knowing what we wanted, we absolutely knew what we DID NOT want. I've always said it just as important in life to know what we do not like and do NOT want as it is to know what we DO want and like! I know what I DID NOT like in an RV. So kept looking. I was NOT willing to compromise. Spending $35,000 plus tax, title, delivery, extended warranty, services and everything else, NO! I wasn't compromising.

Luckly we encountered the right dealer who REALLY listened to our "DO NOT LIKES" and pointed us to the camper that had NOTHING we did NOT like! Took 3 years, but it was absolutely worth it. We absolutely love this camper. It's functional, closed up or opened up! We had to have one that met this #1 condition. We were opposed to slides for the longest time for this simple reason, we could not find a camper that was functional with slides in. Until that August Saturday in 2013.... the rest is history!

No, don't compromise! No one has to. If you've compromised, it's only because you caved in. Well, I suppose .... isn't that what "compromising" is .... caving in?

Our North Trail 22FBS is totally usable with the slide in. You just lose access to 3/4 of the sofa. We can even cook if needed.

Very clear access all the way to the bathroom, one of the things we love about our floor plan. We also are comfortable in the dinette for lunch stops. Not as much room for the pups as with the slide out, but they understand.

goducks10 wrote:
20 sec to push a button and get the slide out far enough.

That's why it's never been an issue with me. I was told your not supposed to walk on the slide when it's in anyway.

20 sec to push a button and get the slide out far enough. $1000's lost in a trade. Hmmm. I know what I'd do. I've never been in a trailer, TT or 5er that didn't have some kind of compromise.

Unfortunately, I have to stop every 200 miles to get gas anyway. I just use the bathroom then.

DutchmanSport, you always have posts that are very good, Thanks! All your photos have put an Outback on my short list if we get the notion to change. We have two slides in our rear kitchen 5er, getting to the kitchen isn't too back, but the Fridge is tough to get things in or out of when the slides are in. We usually pivot our dining table (not a booth dinette) so it gives us more room to get by the cabinet. Our bathroom is completely accessible with the bed slide in.

To state the obvious you cannot have it both ways. If you like the roominess the slides provide when you are parked they have to go somewhere when you are towing. :(

Since my DW and I stop at placed on the way for potty breaks and snacks, we made sure the TT was useable with the slide in. This means that our slide is only about 14 or 16 inches deep. However it is 14 feet long with the kitchen and couch, so half of our 25 foot wall moves out when we are parked. :)

The worst combination I saw, was a large living room slide that stopped up against the bathroom door when retracted. That would never do for us old folks.:S

owenssailor wrote:
We need to open the slide about 10 inches to use the bathroom. Push a button - out it goes. I don't see that as a problem to be concerned about.

That's what we do as well.
I was concerned at first that doing that would cause early wear to the slide but 11 years later and it still works like new.

PS I really like that Dutchman Sport floor plan and interior materials!

Great question. We bought our first TT and didn't consider this. 2 years later(this year) we've upgraded and still didn't think about it until we got it home.

Let me tell ya... wowsa. We bought a gulfstream Amerilite 259BH model (just shy of 29 feet ball to bumper). With the slide in we can still access the fridge, and walk all the way back to the bathroom, and open/close the door!
I'm not a thin guy, and it's no issue. In fact we could camp this way. The slide gives us a ton of open floor space, so with it in we just have an aisle like in a non-slide. On our slide is a sofa and dinette.