Slide outs vs No slide outs models

[Veik]

As I am looking around, I toured a few used Class C that have slide outs. 30+ft class C's I have seen could have up to 3.

My question is - are these a real hassle the maintain, fix and keep going? Rubber seal drying up, water getting inside, etc.

I know that they open up and create a ton of room while camping.

Share your views, please.

[RV_daytrader]

I really dont get why folks like slides so much. Do you guys need more floor space to dance or something?? Cause extra floor space is really all you get!

[Desert_Captain]

Ah slides, love them or hate them just about everyone has an (often strong), opinion. Some folks simply can't live without them and others like myself have no use for them.
On a 30' Class C (that the OP is contemplating). The issue of weight will need to be addressed.

A 30 footer with more than one or one of the huge full wall slides is going to seriously cut into the coach's payload often leaving little for bodies and gear. Weighing any such coach at all four corners would be essential as not all manufacturers manage to balance the loads.

We have a a 24' wide body Class C with a floorpan we love (101"wide with 7' of headroom throughout the coach). We don't have grandchildren and I can't remember the last time we were forced indoors for the day by weather. We just have no need for a slide and thus will never incur any of the many issues that can arise. Hardly a day goes by on this and other RV Forums without someone documenting slide failures/problems, it happens {a lot}.

Best to honestly evaluate how you will actually use any prospective coach and make the slide/no slide decision rationally. Ignore the nonsense that you will not be able to sell a slideless motorhome, evaluate the consequences of the additional weight and be prepared to deal with the issues of leaks and potential mechanical failures.

Consider accessibility when the slides are closed as well as your maintenance access. The folks who regularly use/maintain their slides seem to have the fewest issues. Naturally the higher quality motorhome will have better slide(s) as you still tend to get what you pay for.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

[samsontdog]

I would never buy another RV without slides. I have had RVs with slides for over 15 years with very few problems. With toppers over them, yes.

[j-d]

They sure are nice, but we opted for none. As a couple, no kids, no pets, we've lived in ours up to two months at a time.

Whatever slides' reliability and leak status are, there is no doubt they add weight. I've become convinced the RV builders are less concerned about drivability and weight distribution than they are about the floor plan. Even an experienced builder like Winnebago builds some models with too short a WB to balance out a heavy walk-around rear bedroom. Take a coach you're considering to a truck scale and get front and rear axle weights. Compare with door jamb label ratings. See if an axle is overloaded or close to it. Make sure about 1/3 or more of total weight is on the front.

[wildtoad]

You're going to get plenty of comments both pro and con, or you can do a search for slides. Most posts are about folks with problems. Nobody goes on one of these forums simply to say their slides/levelers/anything worked well today.

As for me and the way we use our MH, slides are not required or desired. There is already too many items that need "tweaking", caulking, oiling, or otherwise maintaining to add slides to the equation. Having said that, due to the total lack of new units that are "slideless" our next unit may have some of them.

Having read many of the posts on slides, it appears to me that the smaller the slide the less issues. So a slide with just say a dinette or bed works more consistently than a full wall slide. But there are always exceptions.

My 2 cents.

[ScottG]

I'd never have any kind of RV without them.
As said before, there's really no "hassle" to them.

[Jim_Shoe]

Slides add weight and just something else that could break and require repairs. If you don't need the extra space, I'd avoid them.

[2oldman]

Slides - Nov 2014

[bukhrn]

Most of us that have them, wouldn't be without them, make sure they have the "toppers" less cleaning, less possibilities of leaks, keeps direct sunlight off the top of the slide.

[wbwood]

Veik wrote:
As I am looking around, I toured a few used Class C that have slide outs. 30+ft class C's I have seen could have up to 3.

My question is - are these a real hassle the maintain, fix and keep going? Rubber seal drying up, water getting inside, etc.

I know that they open up and create a ton of room while camping.

Share your views, please.

Anytime you have something extra or mechanical, there is the chance for something to go wrong. Yes, you need to lubricate seals and etc, but it's not a hassle. Should be a part of your routine maintenance, such as checking your seals and etc. Will water get in? It could if not sealing correctly. But if the actual slide on the unit is working correctly, then no, it SHOULD not leak.

[Wildwilly101]

I've never had any troubles with slide outs, had them for many years on three different units. I do the yearly maintenance on them, treat the seals and lube if required, that's it. As with any mechanical device, there's always a possibility, but I don't think they are problematic enough to avoid.

[winnietrey]

I only have one small slide on my 24. 2001 model. Never have had a kind of problem with it.

One would want to watch the vehicle weight though. As they do add pounds. Want to make sure you have enough spare weight capacity for people and gear, without overloading the thing