Slideouts: Benefits and drawbacks

[deltabravo]

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 imagine that with 2 people, the extra space would even be more advantageous, because you can walk past each other without going sideways.

When I was camper shopping in mid to late 2009, I also considered the AF865, but went with the 811 because it was shorter, and it would also more easily accommodate installing a power inverter.

Shorter camper, with less weight was a huge consideration for me at the time due to payload capacity of my truck, as well as the fact that I always have a trailer with me when the camper is on the truck.

Knowing what I know now, after having lived with a slide out for 3.5 camping seasons, would I buy a camper with a slide out again? Probably so, because I love the extra floor space.

Drawbacks (or minor annoyances):

1. The back portion of the camper is very cramped with the slide out retracted. The camper really isn't intended to be used with the slide in, though I have gotten in and out of it with the slide in.

Loading groceries enroute is a PITA with the slide in.
Getting in the bathroom is also a challenge, unless you are good at doing a side-step dance maneuver while shimmying through the narrow space between the wall where the sliding bathroom door is and the dinette.

2. Without a slide topper awning, you will likely get water in the camper when you retract the slide if the slide roof is wet. The water won't all get squeegeed off the roof by the rubber flapper seals when you pull in the slide. What water remains up there will run off the roof, and into the camper interior once you start moving down the road.

The first time I encountered the above was when I was returning from the Overland Expo two years ago. The weather got cold coming through California, and I hit snow near Mt Shasta. I stopped for the night, and put out the slide, never giving a thought to the snow accumulating on the slide roof. (DUH!! What the heck was a thinking?!? ) The furnace ran a lot that night. In the morning, I had to climb up on the roof and clear the snow off the slide roof. NOT FUN! Once the slide was in I had to clean the residual snow/water off the slide roof with some towels.

Later down the road, I realized I should have left the slide in. It would have prevented the snow/water problem, and probably would have provided better warmth too, with less air space to heat.

Last night I stopped for the night, and shortly after parking, it started to rain, so I immediately retracted the slide after I remembered the problem above.

Neither of the above are meant to sound like a person shouldn't / can't extend the slide during inclement weather. The instances I encountered as described above were minor concerns / issues for me because I was just stopping for the night, with the intent to hit the road as soon as I woke up.

So, what is everyone elses list of benefits and drawbacks of a slideout?

[Bedlam]

I could see toppers sagging on larger RV slides, but I don't think truck camper slides are long enough to have those problems. I had much more work removing debris off the slide on my toy hauler without a topper than with one.

[mlts22]

One trick I read about people doing is to stick a partially inflated beachball that is attached to a rope between the slide and the topper fabric. This not just moves water (and ice/snow) to the edges, but when one pulls it out, it dislodges any debris which might have found a home there.

[Bedlam]

We went through the freezing rain and snow in Portland, OR this weekend. No problem deploying or stowing our slide with topper even with 1/2" ice build up.

[deltabravo]

Time to revive this thread just so it doesn't get closed out and relagated to archive status.

[Bedlam]

Our last two RV's have had slides and we never had trouble deploying them multiple times for our trips twice a month or leaking due to wind and rain. There's no arguing there is more complexity and weight, but we have not experienced these dire encounters of doom. For us, the slides provide more interior room with less exterior to haul around. Since we are not seasonal campers, we choose RV's that are just as friendly inside as outside.

[garryk6]

retiredtoo wrote:
All our use of our TC is between april and October, so we are spending almost all out time out of the camper. Also, the non-slide is much lighter. 300 lb's is a lot of extra weight. I've yet to be in a campground for more than a few days when I haven't seen someone with jacks and tools trying to get their slide in or out. We spend much of our time on the road and doing quick overnights. So we access our camper every couple hours for peeing or lunch while on the road. Having no slide in the way is really nice. And there are only two of us most of the time. If friends and kids come along, we tell them to bring their tents and sleeping bags. Simplicity, cost, light weight, and quick and easy access while on the road to the amenities in the TC drove us to leave mechanicals like slides for those who use their RV's for indoor entertainment. Now, if I was using my TC in all weather a lot, then the indoor space becomes more of an issue.

While I agree with most said here, I would offer the following observations:
1) Where you live (Dry country or wet country) and when you camp (summer/winter) will directly affect your choice.
2) How you camp will also greatly affect your decision. Do you spend most of the time outside? Or inside?
3) Do you move often? Do you camp often?
4) How many of you are in the camping party?

My wife and I own a 30ft TT with a 14ft slide, but it is down in WA state on my dads farm, while we live in Kodiak, Alaska. We have 4 kids, one of which just joined the Marine Corps. We have made our 10 ft non slide 1966 camper work for our family outings here in Kodiak, and all around Alaska since buying the TC in 2011. It is all about your state of mind. If you want to make something work, you will make it work. If you get it in your head that it won't work, based on others notions, etc, you will not be happy. I too have seen people have problems with slides, and have had a few issues with my own slide. The room is nice, but even with our non-slide TC, it rains so hard in Alaska, that we have fought water infiltration...

If we lived back in San Diego, where my wife comes from, slide outs and leaks would not even be a thought in my mind. but after living in Western Washington, and Kodiak, Alaska, I take leaks seriously, and any way of minimizing the possibility of a leak is high on my priority level.

Just my 2 cents...

Good Luck!
Garry

[retiredtoo]

All our use of our TC is between april and October, so we are spending almost all out time out of the camper. Also, the non-slide is much lighter. 300 lb's is a lot of extra weight. I've yet to be in a campground for more than a few days when I haven't seen someone with jacks and tools trying to get their slide in or out. We spend much of our time on the road and doing quick overnights. So we access our camper every couple hours for peeing or lunch while on the road. Having no slide in the way is really nice. And there are only two of us most of the time. If friends and kids come along, we tell them to bring their tents and sleeping bags. Simplicity, cost, light weight, and quick and easy access while on the road to the amenities in the TC drove us to leave mechanicals like slides for those who use their RV's for indoor entertainment. Now, if I was using my TC in all weather a lot, then the indoor space becomes more of an issue.

[trailgranny50]

Just an observation having had a slide in a TT. The more moving parts you have on a movable object the more chances there are for issues at any point. Just saying.

[rkortes]

bka0721 wrote:

mlts22 wrote:
JMHO, a slide topper is a mandatory item.

I wish Solera/Lippert still made their slide sleeves/boots. Those appeared to go a long way to reduce the chances of water intrusion because there was always a material barrier at all times.

I don't have one and never have and had my slide out a whole bunch of times over the time I have had my Truck Camper. I have never found that I have water coming in, or snow.

Those camping around me in snow have a huge problem when the wind blows and ice freezes under them. I have had those people borrow my ladder and heat gun to then struggle to get under it in order to thaw out there slide and ice. Easy for me! Also debris still gets under the awning and they rip and wear out.

JMHO, a slide topper is

NOT

a mandatory item.

b

We had an AF 990 for 8 years with no problems of leaking. Like others have said, camper was only doable for us with a slide. As far as ingress and egress, we just opened it about 2 inches and it worked great to get in and out!.

Now we have a toy hauler with no slides and it's working out great. The extra length makes up for the difference. Keep in mind it is 102 inches wide. Good thread BTW!

[TCdude]

I'm new to the whole TC community, but I spent lots of time tolling over just this debate internally over the last couple months determining what will be my small families first camping mobile. I first had to debate TT, 5th wheel, RV, or TC. I chose the TC for the versatility TCs provide but more so I want my camping vacations to bring the family closer together and force us out into the fresh air. I chose the non-slide because (along with all the other benefits discussed already) it gives us the shelter and amenities of home but also pushes us out next to the bonfire. I imagined with a roomy TT or triple slide my kids would be sitting inside playing video games or watching TV instead of enjoying nature. So in my particular situation less space = more family bonding/growing.

Granted when I become a gray bearded old fart and the kids are off on there own, I'll be looking into the newest 10 slide TC in the year 2050.

[deltabravo]

Another drawback: This morning I discovered where cold outside air enters my AF interior, under the slide. I knew the outside (under the slide) is open around the tracks, but I found where the air enters the living space at each end of the step that goes up to the slide.

It was 23 degrees when I got up at 0630.

[bka0721]

mlts22 wrote:
JMHO, a slide topper is a mandatory item.

I wish Solera/Lippert still made their slide sleeves/boots. Those appeared to go a long way to reduce the chances of water intrusion because there was always a material barrier at all times.

I don't have one and never have and had my slide out a whole bunch of times over the time I have had my Truck Camper. I have never found that I have water coming in, or snow.

Those camping around me in snow have a huge problem when the wind blows and ice freezes under them. I have had those people borrow my ladder and heat gun to then struggle to get under it in order to thaw out there slide and ice. Easy for me! Also debris still gets under the awning and they rip and wear out.

JMHO, a slide topper is

NOT

a mandatory item.

b

[av8rds]

1971amerigo wrote:
I love my slide. It takes 45 seconds to pull open and has plenty of extra room.

saw you this past weekend at Sandy Neck!(I think, cant be too many of those around) Looking good!!

[Grit_dog]

nick11 wrote:
For me the slide out is the only reason a TC was even a consideration. Me DW and 2 kids in our 06 AF860 works. Having a full wall slide in a SB camper is incredible compared to a non slide. I am doing this on a SRW and towing a Mastercraft boat. They are taller and heavier but by setting the truck up right and driving smart this setup works fine.

Yeah buddy, same here. 4 of us in a short bed camper with no slide would be more cramped.
Now to get the X2 hooked up behind the rig next yr when we get back from AK!
Actually one of the bigger reasons we got the camper. After our AK stay it's back to WA and do some boatin!