Are slides worth the extra space ?

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Jubal

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Joined
Oct 3, 2012
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9
Howdy All
We are still shopping for a quality travel trailer that has a overall length of 21' or less. We would prefer a queen bed that is acessible from both the sides, a dinette and a dry bath. Most 21-22' travel trailers with these features have a slide. My mechanical experience has taught me that complex systems are more prone to failure. Are the benefits of increased space provided by a slide offset by the possible (probable) aggrevations of a slide ?
I would rather rely on your experience than learn from making a bad decision.
Thank you, Jubal
 
I really want to say no, no NO..  but I don't want to get into that argument.

  Space is a personal choice.... how much do you need ?  How long is a string ?  ;D



 
Having had with and without, I really believe it is a personal choice. I get claustrophobic when cooped up after several days of inclement weather so I like my slides. It really depends on how many will be in the RV and can you pass in the hall way.  :) :)
 
YES they are worth the EXTRA weight, repair issues. Try 8 familiy members PACKED in our's goes out 3 feet so HUGE differance. Just remember NO riders in or out and it should last for a LONG time.
 
And to address the OP's concerns.....EVERYTHING on an RV is prone to failure.  The slide mechanism is probably down on the list of things to worry about.
 
note that if the slide fails to extend or retract normally, you can always retract it manually without much fuss.  said another way, it will not keep you from getting underway but it will be a PITA
 
Personally I feel slides are worth the trouble.. but then I knwo how to deal with the trouble.

Some disagree with me

But if you want a queen size bed.. You really have no choice.
 
The length/space question depends on your individual needs.  It might be worth your while to rent a trailer with a slide and one without before making your purchase.  If you buy first, don't like the trailer, then buy another, the depreciation on the first will likely be considerably more than the cost of a rental for a few days.

As far as slides go, we haven't had any problem with ours.  We have a 4 year old Keystone product and we've put more than 30,000 miles on it during that time.  That said, I hear that the number one thing RV shops work on are slides. 
 
carson said:
I really want to say no, no NO..  but I don't want to get into that argument.

  Space is a personal choice.... how much do you need ?  How long is a string ?  ;D

How Long is a person of Chinese descent.

Ken
 
Yes for us. As there are 7 of us a slide is a must if everyone is inside at once.  But for your situation you are the only ones that can truly decide. Have a keystone zepplin that is 7 years old and no troubles. Good luck and enjoy.
 
If you are buying a new trailer then the answer is a big yes.  If purchasing an older used trailer then not so sure I would say yes.
 
It really is  personal preference. I just shook hands on an older Alpenlite 27 with no slide, and could not be happier. It suits us better for what we want to do, now. I am sure we'll change rigs yet again, but we wanted to put the 'travel' back into 'travel trailer'.
 
Hello Jubal,  I can understand your concerns. I have some thoughts that I thank will help you. If you find a nice trailer with a slide. Take all the people that will camp with you and spend some time in it with the slide closed Try to visualize you and your family living in it on a rainy day. Use your imagination to visualize your daily routine.  Only after you have it clear in your mind,  open the slide. I think this will be a great help in deciding. The experience of all the nice people on RV Forum have helped me avoid some bad decisions. Good luck and happy shopping. 
 

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