Trailers where slides do NOT block access?
My travel partner is wanting out of his current Coachmen trailer, to upgrade somewhat and have something with a slide. He wants something with a better quality of materials and insulation, easily set...
Forum Discussion
Just a few comments about slide deployment ... ;)
Our current trailer is the first we've ever owned with a slide BUT it's a small sofa slide that doesn't restrict interior use of the trailer in any way and in fact I actually do use it that way quite often. When parked here at the house during the camping season between trips I'm in it almost every day and often use it in the evenings as my "man cave". I always park it with the slide retracted so as to not extend over the property line and to not in any way restrict that space between our properties. Secondly, if I go solo camping with just the dog I often don't bother deploying the slide - he doesn't care, neither do I, it's usually only when my wife goes as well do I do a complete setup. Third, we often do stop midway along the way to use the facilities or make lunch ... and on those days when we check out at the required 2pm we'll sometimes head to the beach and park in the adjacent lot where space is limited. At the day's end when we return from the beach we'll often shower, change, and even make something to eat before heading home. It's easy to say deploy the slide but on a midday stop when it's absolutely pouring cats 'n dogs outside retracting a soaking wet slide back into the trailer is the last thing I want to deal with. Yes, we've been caught often so either owning a trailer with no slide or one in which the slide does not interfere in any way with interior access is a huge advantage. In the shoulder camping months we've also been caught several times in snow but with our current trailer I can simply retract the slide as the snow begins and not have to worry later about clearing the top of the slide of snow or ice that has formed, just the same as I wouldn't have to worry about it with a non-slide trailer ... and yes that's happened to us as well. If on the evening before we're departing our campsite the weather takes a real turn for the worse and looks like it's going to settle in like that for the rest of our time there I'll even pull the slide in that evening and eliminate the need to deal with retracting the slide the next day when it may be pouring rain outside. So yes, there are legitimate reasons unrestricted interior access is really important to some of us and simply extending the slide to provide that access is not the answer for everyone. ;)
Our current trailer is the first we've ever owned with a slide BUT it's a small sofa slide that doesn't restrict interior use of the trailer in any way and in fact I actually do use it that way quite often. When parked here at the house during the camping season between trips I'm in it almost every day and often use it in the evenings as my "man cave". I always park it with the slide retracted so as to not extend over the property line and to not in any way restrict that space between our properties. Secondly, if I go solo camping with just the dog I often don't bother deploying the slide - he doesn't care, neither do I, it's usually only when my wife goes as well do I do a complete setup. Third, we often do stop midway along the way to use the facilities or make lunch ... and on those days when we check out at the required 2pm we'll sometimes head to the beach and park in the adjacent lot where space is limited. At the day's end when we return from the beach we'll often shower, change, and even make something to eat before heading home. It's easy to say deploy the slide but on a midday stop when it's absolutely pouring cats 'n dogs outside retracting a soaking wet slide back into the trailer is the last thing I want to deal with. Yes, we've been caught often so either owning a trailer with no slide or one in which the slide does not interfere in any way with interior access is a huge advantage. In the shoulder camping months we've also been caught several times in snow but with our current trailer I can simply retract the slide as the snow begins and not have to worry later about clearing the top of the slide of snow or ice that has formed, just the same as I wouldn't have to worry about it with a non-slide trailer ... and yes that's happened to us as well. If on the evening before we're departing our campsite the weather takes a real turn for the worse and looks like it's going to settle in like that for the rest of our time there I'll even pull the slide in that evening and eliminate the need to deal with retracting the slide the next day when it may be pouring rain outside. So yes, there are legitimate reasons unrestricted interior access is really important to some of us and simply extending the slide to provide that access is not the answer for everyone. ;)
