Slides

[SuzyCothran]

What is your recommendation re: slides?

Some A's have as many as 3; some are almost as long as the rv itself. Is it better to have several small ones or one large one? Do they have many mechanical problems? Leaking issues? Don't they add a lot of weight to the unit and reduce mileage?

[Skip426]

The slides , number , length add weight, and complexity to the overall coach. Fuel mileage, might have a minor effect, by the time a coach is in the 35,000 lbs. + range they get what they get. ( 6>7)
JMHO: Full wall slides , I don't trust for a bunch of reasons , including the ones you mention , water leaks , structural failure, and more.
For may part I went for the minimum number , one, in a floor plan; and that my wife loved; bonus.
The only problem, resale on single slide coaches is going the way of the no slide models..

[Gary RVRoamer]

There is no "better" in size of slides. It's what works with the floor plan (interior layout). The extra long "full wall' slides have some additional mechanical complexity, but slides sizes up to about 14 feet all use the same type mechanism and mostly work well. Sure, it's one more thing that can break down, but it pays back handsomely in usable space.

Slides do add some weight, but you are probably talking at least a 22,000 lb coach (gas) or 28,000-32,000 lb (diesel pusher), so some extra weight in slides is lost in the total. Besides, the weight is not a major factor except when pulling mountain grades. It has little effect on the level.

[R2Home]

We went from three slide outs in our last MH to four slides outs in our current MH. The smaller slides appeal to me for lots of reasons, but that is just me. With the smaller slide outs, I can open all of them or just what I need to have a little more room. If we are staying 'over night' at a rest area, I may not have enough room to open all of the slide outs. I did not want a full side slide out, more due to the types of roads that we tend to travel. My thinking was/is that the full wall slide out will get abused a lot more due in part to its size and weight. There are those out there that travel good roads all of the time and really like their full wall slide out. That is one of the reason that there are so many floor plans out there.

[johnboy2]

In my opinion slides should be hydraulic, each one adds cost at startup and as long as you use the coach in lower fuel economy and overall maintenance. Other than that the extra room is nice.

[Luckiest Dreamer]

The absolute best slide for any trouble free configuration that you can have on a coach is none , zero. They will offer you no mechanical breakdowns. They also will not offer additional space when extended as that is something not available for you. I have a coach that has 4 opposing slides. The longest one is 14 ft and it extends out approximatly 4 feet. The slides that extend out 2 or three feet seem to offer fewer problems and more space for you to move about while they are not extended. What the slides that I have do, is give me a floor plan that I like. The additional chance that they may break because they are a bit larger has proven to be worth it. What you need to do is look at the floor plan that each offer, make a decision as to it's value to you and then make a determination if it is something that you can live with and repair as needed. The additional weight of the slide will take a bit more fuel to push it down the road. I recently changed toads. The previous one weighed about 1500 lbs less than the one I now pull. On average it seems I now am using between 1/4 &1/2 mpg more fuel than I was. In the realm of things that cost from owning one of these animals it seems reasonable. I now own a toad that I prefer and once I unhook from it at the destination it gets 5 MPG better than the on I got rid of. Therefore it is hard to determine which one cost me less. Same with the slides, you may never know exacty what one is best or less troublesome, but you should know which one offers you the floor plan that works best for you!

[Betr2Trvl]

Often overlooked is what is actually in / on the slide. Once you start moving weight (fridges, washer / dryer) or systems (water / drains, gas lines) in and out, you create potential problem areas.

Our coach has no systems or significant weight in the 2 slides; bed and living room sofa and dinette. I can't say it was a significant factor in our decision process, but it certianly was a benefit.

Also, on passenger side slides, many times they eat into your "under awning" usable space. In our case, it is the bed room slide in the back, so it does not intrude into our covered outdoor living area. This was something we were very cognizant of in our decision process.

The other thing you need to pay attention to is how "useable" the coach is with the slides in. What can / can't you get to? Can you get to and open the fridge, can you get to the bathroom? Is the bed useable?

Regards

[89sandman]

Everyone has their own preference. I myself like a superslide in the living room/dining area and then another big slide in the bedroom area. Would never want a slide on the front passenger side, need room for a large awning to enjoy the outside. Small "bed" sized slides just seem like a waste to me. I have had both hydraulic and electric slides and prefer the electric. No hoses to leak, no fluid res. to check, just less hassle.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

There is no "better" in size of slides. It's what works with the floor plan (interior layout). The extra long "full wall' slides have some additional mechanical complexity, but slides sizes up to about 14 feet all use the same type mechanism and mostly work well. Sure, it's one more thing that can break down, but it pays back handsomely in usable space.

Slides do add some weight, but you are probably talking at least a 22,000 lb coach (gas) or 28,000-32,000 lb (diesel pusher), so some extra weight in slides is lost in the total. Besides, the weight is not a major factor except when pulling mountain grades. It has little effect on the level.

X2!

[Rossi6998]

Like other have said, it's only a matter of time when the slide will malfunction. Having said that, I like having one slide. I have a 27 foot Class A motorhome with one slide and it is perfect for my wife and I. I am willing to take the chance of the slide malfunctioning to get the added space.

[Magilla1835]

For us we have 3 slides and it works out. Ultimately I like either one full slide or a double slide on the drivers side. As for the passengers side I only like a rear bedroom slide. I don't like a big slide on this side because it takes away from the outside area that the awning covers. We spend a lot of time outside so that space in important to us.

[jeryan59]

I agree with there is no 'better' number of slides, I had a unit with 1 slide for 11 years and it was great, I've had my current 3 slide configuration (FW Slide) for 3 years (it is a 2009) with no issues. The key on FWS is to never stop it once you start putting it out or bringing it in as you will mess with the synchronization of the motors. I highly recommend measuring the depth of each slide while they are closed, when arriving at site get out and measure from the side of the coach to the obstacle closest to you on each side and make sure you have clearance.


The trade off with FWS or many multiple slide configurations is when they are closed for travel, many do not have much aisle space.


One of the huge advantages however is the interior space you have. Any configuration I have seen allows for the option of putting any combination of slides out, as I do this for loading, overnighting etc depending on what I need.


Highly recommend looking at units with slides in and out so you see the difference. Good luck!

[Jim28730]

Originally Posted by Magilla1835

For us we have 3 slides and it works out. Ultimately I like either one full slide or a double slide on the drivers side. As for the passengers side I only like a rear bedroom slide. I don't like a big slide on this side because it takes away from the outside area that the awning covers. We spend a lot of time outside so that space in important to us.

Main awning attached to the passenger side slide solves the outside area problem. That's one thing we love about our Discovery.

[Duoglide1]

I'm too lazy to measure. If the bay doors open fully without hitting I'm good (just be sure to look up!)


2005 Country Coach Inspire, C9 CAT