SLIDE OR NOT?

[lincolnmatthews]

I'm looking to upgrade from our Lance 880 to a 08 1055 Lance. We want more headroom over cab, a bigger bath & a basement model for less distance from the floor to the bed, (to make it easier to get into). I "think" we can live without a slide, we tend to drive off road quite a bit & I don't really want the issues that come with a slide. I'm kind of thinking that most any new camper w/a slide will be ok for awhile but after 5-10yrs that I'm going to have problems down the road with a slide unit.
Its just the two of us, & besides When the weathers decent were usually sitting out under the awning anyway, but that's just us. My Wife has a little reservation about spending the bucks for a used non slide & maybe we should get a slide model.
I just can't quite come to spending 35-40k for a new slide camper.
What's the opinions out there? I know this has been discussed before, but am I off based on my thinking about slides? Thanks

[jefe_4x4]

bka wrote:
"So there are times, sometimes weeks on end, that I never put my slide out. When I am in travel mode and grabbing overnight spots, stealth camping if you will, I typically don't put my slide out, so as to blend into my surroundings."
Alright, tell me what part of this 47 foot rig would you say would 'blend in'? 8<)

This has been a lively discussion of the pros and cons of slides, but I'm afraid no one is going to change the results of anyone's own experience.
jefe

[run100]

Pre-kids, started with a non-slide. Added kids, so moved to a slide and wouldn't want it any other way. Love the space and love the roomy booth dinette. Works great for meals, playing games and planning our excursions (reading maps, books, iPad, etc.)

Although full access is possible with the slide in on a Lance 855S, sometimes we put it out about 6-inches when stopping along the road. The remote control makes it simple and it literally takes a few seconds. If you can operate your cell phone, you can put out your slide with ease.

[bka0721]

BobTowne wrote:

bka0721 wrote:
If you do decide to go with a slide, you might want to put a priority of being able to still use the truck camper when the slide is in.

b

This was definitely one of our priorities - it falls under one of our prioritized categories, functionality.

Functionality is often in the Eye of the Beholder. For me, not being able to funtionally use the interior of my TC, would be a game killer. As I often keep my slide in, during sand and wind storms (Heavy wind/sand/cold infiltrates the slider's seals) and extreme cold conditions. So there are times, sometimes weeks on end, that I never put my slide out. When I am in travel mode and grabbing overnight spots, stealth camping if you will, I typically don't put my slide out, so as to blend into my surroundings.

But, if your camping is mostly/entirely within areas where a slide is always slid out and utilized, such as a campground, driveway, dry camping/boondocking, without stops in between. Then not having full access to your interior is not as much as a priority as it would be for me. Thus, purely functional for you! But not functional, for my uses.

b

[BobTowne]

bka0721 wrote:
If you do decide to go with a slide, you might want to put a priority of being able to still use the truck camper when the slide is in.

b

This was definitely one of our priorities - it falls under one of our prioritized categories, functionality.

[nycsteve]

Get the slide topper installed. Much less water on the top of the slide when it rains plus no branches or leaves.

[Sparky87k5]

ck1 wrote:
...if you do go with a 1055 (which is a great camper by the way) go with a dinette..i ordered mine with the sofa and wish i didn't...when we are in there eating you are staring at the bathroom wall vs a dinette you are able to look out the window...

I had the same conclusion when I bought my '05 Eagle Cap 850 non slide. It had the sofa and after one trip of eating and staring at the bathroom wall I decided to change it. Removed the sofa and all the material from it for later use to make cushions for the new dinette I built. I used as much of the OEM materials I could and bought a new table for an 850 slide version that matched perfectly. Cut the table down to fit my new dinette and we are much happier as we eat and look out the windows now. We used almost all the foam and cloth from the original sofa to make new cushions for the dinette, only thing not used was steel framework of sofa.

[Butch50]

dakonthemountain wrote:

brholt wrote:
I'ld just add that we try and go out on weekends. The weather forecast up here in winter is usually rain but we go anyway since the forecasts are often wrong and there are often "breaks" that are pretty nice. If the forecast is correct we settle in the camper and read a book, work on a project, or otherwise relax (we come prepared). The extra space of the slide is very nice in those circumstances. I don't know if we would try and go as much if we were ending up "cramped" in a non slide too much.

Here's my question about that.... if it's raining and you put the slide in before you go don't you have to get up inside the camper on top of the slide to wipe/dry the water off? Or does the seal sort of squeegee it off like in my fiver I had years ago?...

Dak

Slides have a wiper on them when they are retracted. Some work pretty good and some don't and leave water on the top of the slide. Or course it also depends on how level it is across the top of your slide to how well they wipe off the moisture.

[dakonthemountai]

brholt wrote:
I'ld just add that we try and go out on weekends. The weather forecast up here in winter is usually rain but we go anyway since the forecasts are often wrong and there are often "breaks" that are pretty nice. If the forecast is correct we settle in the camper and read a book, work on a project, or otherwise relax (we come prepared). The extra space of the slide is very nice in those circumstances. I don't know if we would try and go as much if we were ending up "cramped" in a non slide too much.

Here's my question about that.... if it's raining and you put the slide in before you go don't you have to get up inside the camper on top of the slide to wipe/dry the water off? Or does the seal sort of squeegee it off like in my fiver I had years ago?...

Dak

[JacintoKid]

Had one with and one without. The next one might have 2. No problem getting in and out of the camper with the slide in, no problems at all with the slide mechanism. No problem stealth camping/overnighting, with the slide in.

[SugarHillCTD]

wintersun wrote:
I would go with your wife to a Lance dealer's lot and look at the model you are considering with a slide or slides and see what it feels like inside with it out.....

Exactly.

We had a non-slide and in 2012 I found a barely used 2012 Lance 855S.

Cathy and I went to look at it. That was all it took.

SWMBO gave it a big thumbs up and it was a done deal.


Is it something else that can go wrong mechanically? Sure- but not likely. If we were all concerned with mechanical problems, we wouldn't have running water, heat, A/C, etc.

[bka0721]

If you do decide to go with a slide, you might want to put a priority of being able to still use the truck camper when the slide is in.

b

[Buzzcut1]

We spent many years as tent campers (backpacking tents) so to us the non slide 1055 is spacious for the two of us and the dogs. Yeah a slide would be nice if we entertained but in 4 years we have camped with only one other TC. Mostly we boondock by ourselves. When we want a couch with windows we drop the dinette into bed mode and toss in some pillows. Plenty of room for two snuggled up with some wine looking out the windows in late afternoon or on a rainy day

[brholt]

I'ld just add that we try and go out on weekends. The weather forecast up here in winter is usually rain but we go anyway since the forecasts are often wrong and there are often "breaks" that are pretty nice. If the forecast is correct we settle in the camper and read a book, work on a project, or otherwise relax (we come prepared). The extra space of the slide is very nice in those circumstances. I don't know if we would try and go as much if we were ending up "cramped" in a non slide too much.

[Super_Dave]

Model size probably makes a big difference here. I spent the weekend in my friends 8.5' model with no slide. With both of us in the camper at the same time, one of us had to leave so the other one could exhale. My 8.5' model with a slide is very liveable with 2 people. As the models get bigger, I imagine the slide is a little less mandatory.