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How comfortable are no slides?
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Last winter we spent 78 continuous days in the coach “down south”. This year we’re over 90days and will probably be at 100 days when we get home this weekend.
We bought a non-slide coach primarily because that’s what fit the budget we had set.
Since owning the coach we find the coach very adequate. Like Corey told us when we first started looking for a coach … cocktails for six, dinner for four, and sleeping for two. We don’t tailgate, don’t travel with kids, and while we have entertained in the coach … we don’t do it every night.
We have no slide maintenance, we don’t have any slide retracting ritual or anxiety nor will we ever put DEF in our coach and we’ll have to never worry about stainless delamination.
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We have dogs.
We bought RVs over the years so we can travel with dogs.
Dogs take up floor space.
Slides provide floor space.
We have a coach with slides.
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Hey Les, I have horses… Let me know when you’re coming through Murphy!
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Wow, Harry
I can’t wait to see how you handle your horses inside your coach….
Happy Trails,
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So that’s a NO on taking my horses with your Dogs? I thought we were closer than that Les… Hey one is a Palomino!
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I just can’t resist getting into this.
First of all I don’t need no stinking slides.
With that over with, I’ll get on to my two cents worth.
I’ve been in the RV population for a little over sixty years from pop-ups, to travel trailers (including Airsteams), to motor homes and now a Prevost, the Crown Jewel.
In 2004 I bought a new Bluebird with two slides. I didn’t want them, but new Bluebirds didn’t come without them. They weren’t any more trouble than slides normally are, but there were occasional issues and there’s no denying that they do occasionally give problems and add to the maintenance costs.
By 2015 I had had enough. I bought a 1999 XLV Country Coach and have been very happy ever since. Yes, I was a two coach family for a little while. It worked out okay.
Here’s my reasoning. Number one is that a slide is a breach in the structure and I have a problem with that. Number two is the additional maintenance and occasional glitch. Always, as Murphy says, at the worst time and in the worst place. Number three is that they create additional tasks in setting up and stowing for departure and that’s a pain for me. Number four is that they most of the time interfere with use if you would really rather not extend them for some reason. Last, but not least, is the fact that I like it that when I shut it down and get out of the seat there’s nothing to do but relax. I’m home.
I think that the slides probably came into being in an effort to make the lifestyle more appealing to women and after all, it is good to keep momma happy.
We live in our straight side for six months out of the year and take occasional trips the rest of the year and have never felt, and never is anything mentioned, about needing or wanting more room. We used to actually hold warm-up sessions before shows for a five piece Bluegrass band in a narrow body Barth without any problem. We could probably do a concert with a small audience in this wide body straight side.
Now, after all that, I would recommend that you read Jon’s posts again, look around, buy what turns you on and go on down the road and be happy. It really is a great lifestyle. It’s truly as close as you’ll ever get to a magic carpet.
Oh, and by the way. I really do, big time, prefer rivets and little windshields so I guess a 1999 model is as close to new as I’ll ever get.
JC
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Thanks to all of you who have responded to my question. We will continue with our dreaming and take your advice and check each ccoach out for its merits.
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Both coaches are great. With and without slide. Well…may be not the very early (2000’ish) after market slides.
We made our decision on how we use the coach. 95% of our use is from and to the track. Almost more driving than living in it, so a non slide made more sense for us. Its actually surprisingly spacious even without the slides.
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