slide vs no slide

[dave17352]

Here is my question.

We are well into our 60's. We are thinking about getting a class c and the kids will take the truck camper and truck. This class C will be used for lake camping with grand kids and also for travel for just the two of us.

Looking for opinions of pros and cons of slides vs no slides on a newer unit. Probably no more than 2 or 3 years old.

Thanks in advance of any input.

[camperdave]

Most rigs have a slide now, and everyone that has a slide seems to love them. Personally I didn't care much either way, my criteria being everything needed to be usable and accessible with slides closed (I hate those motorhomes where the bed has to be folded in half to retract the slide! How is wife going to sleep in the morning while we're cruising down the road?

I ended up with a good deal on a non-slide rig (buying used), and have no regrets. My in laws have a sweet class A with three slides and it does feel like a condo compared to our tunnel, but they also paid 5x...

I'd take a slide, but I'm perfectly happy without one.

[ferndaleflyer]

I had a non slide DP for many years and never noticed it didn't have a slide. Our current DP has a kitchen living area slide and we seldom use it. I once drove a 45ft DP from CA to FL with 4 slides and even with 2 bathrooms I could not get to either with the slides in, couldn't get the refrigerator open either. But some people like to brag about how many slides they have---I can do without.

[valhalla360]

Nobody posts about their slides unless there is an issue, so you get a biased understanding reading thru the forums. They really are pretty reliable unless you do something stupid.

Generally they work fine and the difference in space and feel is MASSIVE. Add in the difficulty in finding a non-slide unit, you would likely have to special order (with little or no discount off the MSRP) to get one.

[pauldub]

I'm not a fan of slides because I'm paranoid about water leakage and the damage that it causes. That being said, there aren't very many class C units anymore that don't have slides. Lazy Daze is one brand with no slides.

[DrewE]

For a newer class C, it's very nearly a moot point; you will get one one or more slides with the great majority of motorhomes available. There are not too many non-slide floorplans available, and those that are I suspect exist mainly to satisfy the rental market.

Slides are not perfect and do occasionally fail, no doubt, but for the most part they must be pretty reliable or they wouldn't be so nearly ubiquitous. Plenty of other things in RVs can give bother now and again, too; generators and furnaces and air conditioners and roofs and doors also need maintenance and the occasional odd repair to work properly and reliably.

[jdc1]

I have a 20 year old 5th wheel. The slides have NEVER failed. I can access EVERYTHING just as if there were no slide.
One great slide plus is the interior storage. They grandkids really use the added floor space too. We don't have to crawl over them....we can walk around them.

[memtb]

The slides have been and will continue to be an issue on many units....class c’’s, class a’s, and tow behinds. There are some units that have minimal to zero issues with slides, while with others it’s a continuing problem. Slide issues or non-issues are a product of engineering design and the quality of materials that the manufacturer puts into their units. We have had 5th wheels (only one manufacture) dating back to 1990....with zero issues. Our present Class C has a slide, which we rarely use. If we stop for just a “one night stand”.....we don’t use the slide. If we’re gonna remain for multiple days, we use the slide....as it creates much more comfortable living space. If we have grandkids or other folks with us.....the slide is a “huge” plus! memtb

[wildtoad]

Many slide issues fall into the category of self inflicted wounds. Not following instructions, not performing maintenance, forgetting to unlock the slide locks. Nobody gets on here and touts how well their slides work, rather how theirs got stuck.

If it's just you and spouse you might do well without slides. More folks need more room. If you find a late model W/O slides get in it and imagine being in it for an extended period of time. You’ll figure it out.

[folivier]

Make certain that you can access all of the essentials with the slide in. I've seen some where the fridge, or cabinets, or even the bathroom was blocked by the slide being in. Most if not all dealers will have the slides out and grumble if you want them to pull the slides in.

[Dick_B]

It's easy. Visit one or more dealers/shows and, while sitting in one, think about the activities you will do inside and whether or not the extra room would be beneficial while moving around.
Slides must not be necessary because I haven't seen an Airstream with one.
I have an opinion for us BUT it doesn't count for you.

[tobydad]

The pro is obvious-more internal room. The cons are extra weight, a little more maintenance (lubricating slide rails and conditioning seals - which takes very little time), the biggest con is when the slide will not work. When the slide will not work results in frustration getting the slide in or out and cost of repair.

[Dusty_R]

I read, many years ago, that the slide is #1/at the top of the list of things to give trouble.
Most likely they have improved a lot, but I'll bet that they are still at the top.
We had avoided having a slide until 2012, when we bought a new mh, and I figured by that time it would be hard to find a new mh without a slide.
We just made sure that when we were on the road we could stop and spend the night in it without putting the slide out.
Our slide is just the dinette, and it does give more room. But the mh is useable without the slide out.

Dusty