Slideouts: Benefits and drawbacks
For those considering a camper with a slide out, or without, I will offer my 3 cents worth: Benefits: More space! I love the expanded floor space I get in my AF811 with the slide out. I can i...
Forum Discussion
The first slides were not as reliable. Many manufacturers have modified their slides over their lifetimes several times. For that reason, I wouldn't want a slide camper older than 2006 or so with the exception of the newer campers like Chalet that are essentially new to market and somewhat unknown still. Slides have more moving parts than nonslides, but that's obvious.
Slideouts are heavier for equivalent lengths, but to have the same amount of space, you need a longer nonslide model. If you count double and triple slides, it's not even close when you compare space for the same length. The net is you get to have a shorter camper for the same weight as a longer one with the same amount of space or more which means less overhang and less trouble with trailering.
Like the DRW vs SRW debate, there isn't one answer that's going to suit everyone. Of course, everyone gets to decide what their tradeoffs are.
Slideouts are heavier for equivalent lengths, but to have the same amount of space, you need a longer nonslide model. If you count double and triple slides, it's not even close when you compare space for the same length. The net is you get to have a shorter camper for the same weight as a longer one with the same amount of space or more which means less overhang and less trouble with trailering.
Like the DRW vs SRW debate, there isn't one answer that's going to suit everyone. Of course, everyone gets to decide what their tradeoffs are.
