To get slide outs or not?

Thank you!

Congratulations MookieKat. You have set the record for the most number of posts, on this forum, since you joined 8/24/13 (98). It's great to ask questions about a large purchase.
Here is my response to most of your questions.

1. Get a slide or two
2. camped in state parks for 25 years, no problems with slide space
3. get a smoothed wall camper; easier to keep clean
4. mold comes from leaking campers, keep up on maintenance of the rv, esp the roof, no leaks; not mold
5. gassing off will occur in any new camper no-matter what the dealer tells you
6. interest rates based on your credit
7. one brand better that the other? ALL have problems
8. length of trailer based on your floorplan preference
9. many tow a TT with a Dakota. as long as you match the trucks towing specs
10. all electric is possible with almost any TT
11. it's logical the the lighter rv's don't put a strain on TV but might not tow better than the heavier ones
12. lowest prices at dealers varies with inventory esp leftovers

There's all your info you asked for and more on all your posts answers. Get out to dealers and look. What one person doesn't like my be your favorite brand or model.

Good luck.

I had the same debate with myself but now that I have the slide out that extra 18" of floor space is a plus, especially when the grandkids are camping with us. Typically you only hear about the problems which tends to magnify the perception that a particular feature is an issues.

I am fully convinced! I fell in love with the roominess as soon as I entered one, but my friend, who has an 18' funfinder X, was trying to talk me out of it, re weight. Well, I could hardly breathe (felt too crowded, not fumes) inside hers, much less spend even one night as a trial to see how it would feel.

So, when we liked the slides, I was wondering if we were being extravagant or ridiculous for wanting one, when they were able to live in theirs for a year!! I could never do that! I really like my space and why not be more comfortable at our age?

In my earlier years, up to my 40s, I could have used a small TT like hers, but I don't know why getting older wants more space....

We walked into a lot of small TTs under 4,000 lbs and I immediately felt anxious and antsy inside them....especially the ones without full slideouts. Even the partial slideouts felt tight. Maybe because our kitchen at home is 15x18 and is open to the dining room, so I am used to really open spaces.

I wouldn't own a TT without a slide!

Thank you! Our choices are not very wide now that we have to go "green."

Went from 3 slides in a fifth wheel to single living/dining slide in the TT. Miss the space in the bedroom (no bedroom slide in the TT), but do not miss the weight I'm no longer towing, the miles of caulking to mantain and the persistent weeping of fluid in the slide pump compartment no matter how much those #@$%* fittings were tightened. Slide in the TT is electric, works just fine and easy to maintain.

Before we bought our '07 ROO HTT, DH was absolutely, positively NOT gonna have a slide. "More weight and just one more thing to go wrong". We decided on a 19 and ordered it. FR was busy making 21SS and 23SS HTT as fast as they could, and our 19 had several option items. 4 months later we still didn't have it, so contacted our dealer and told him we'd be in the area on Saturday and needed to leave there with a trailer or needed our deposit refunded. Long story short, we left with a 23SS.....as in Super Slide. Both the kitchen and the sofa were in the slide. We loved it and never had one minute's problem with it. Our camping buddies bought a Shamrock 19 and when we camped together, guess where we headed to play cards or dominoes or just "be". Add into the mix an 80# lab and their 35# cocker and when we were in their 19 it was just a bit too snug for comfort. There was never a day we were sorry that we didn't have the 19. We recently made the change to a TT and it also has a good sized slide and it's wonderful. wmoses.....you're having too much fun in that new TT!

Re resale....I think it would certainly be a benefit and you would recoup your money in a hurry, not to mention appealing to a larger market.

Maintenance is not a difficult thing. Keep the slides lubed, clean and condition your seals, check the mechanism from time to time and absolutely, positively have a slide awning. With just the awning, you eliminate all the leaves and junk falling on the slide top, minimize chances of water when you close up and it's just something you need as a part of the awning.

Personal opinion is that you would be sorry very quickly if you chose not to have a slide. Amazing how much roomier it is with just that amount of extra space.

Re bathroom/kitchen access when traveling....it's nice to have and don't know that it would be a deal breaker for us, but as it happens both our ROO and now our Rockwood Ultra Lite have access. With the '07 ROO, they highly recommended the use of the slide locks that were provided and we always used them. If we had a model that used them and had to be removed to have bathroom/kitchen access, it would have been a PITA. Not hard to put on and take off, but just a step you wouldn't want to do very often.

Hope you can find a model you like, that works with your towing capacity and budget, has a slide and bathroom/kitchen access. Personal opinion, that would be the best of the best.

aarond76 wrote:
I say go with the slide. They provide so much more room. I also hear people talk about not being able to access certain parts of the camper when the slide is not extended. In our camper you cannot get to the bathroom or back bunkhouse without atleast partially opening the slide. I do not understand what problem this causes for some people. It involves pushing a button down for 5 seconds to get the slide open a little bit. I relate it to "I don't want a car with windows because I will have to roll them down to go thru a drive-thru".

Whew!! This is a huge relief to hear, because the Evergreen is not set up to be able to go to the bathroom with slides closed! I had been wondering just how complicated it was to partially open a slide to squeeze through!

Here is my take on slides, decide how you plan on using the trailer. I personally will never spend the money or want the extra weight of a slide because the only thing we do with our trailers is sleep in them, and I do not need a slide while I am snoring.

We are always on the go, hiking,biking,canoeing,playing,shopping,etc etc to spend anytime in the trailer.

and meals are always cooked on the BBQ

If it is raining we are playing games under the awning or enjoying the campfire under a tarp.

but I guarantee you I am a dying breed of "RV'ER"

I guess I am a "camper" and love every second of it.


But if you plan on hauling your trailer hundreds of miles and spending between 35-70 dollars a night then sitting in your trailer for hours on end, yeah, get slides.

Goodluck