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Question Slide out blocks half of the trailer when pulled in - how often is that an issue?

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lrdv4dr

RVF Newbee
Joined
Dec 10, 2020
Messages
3
Hey guys, my name is Mike. I'm new around here, just joined today. I'm not even a noob yet with travel trailers, as I'm researching our first purchase. Doing all the maths with weight, towing and what not. I believe I have found what I think is the "near perfect" trailer for my wife and I. At least from the specs and pics on the dealer website, we haven't visited it in person yet. That will be tonight after work. I'm looking at the Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite 25FKS. My tow vehicle is a 2016 Toyota Tundra 4x4 SR5 5.7L dual-cab.

Anyway, my question is this. It has a single slide that when retracted will end up blocking access to the bathroom and bedroom. How often does (or would) that become an issue for you guys? Whether we have to stop somewhere for a quick stop at a rest area, overnight like at a Walmart or at campgrounds that don't have lots available for slide-out use? I don't foresee us really ever stopping like that right now but maybe in the future as our comfort level rises and our travel distance increases, that might become an issue.

Thanks in advance for your input.
Mike
 
Depends how you end up using it I guess. When we do a quick overnight stop at a rest area, I try to stop early enough that I can get a spot where my full wall slide is adjacent to a median so that I can put it out.

Doing a harvest host is an even better solution whenever possible.

i suspect there would be times when this would be highly annoying such as when you’re just stopping quickly at a rest area and want to use your own restroom instead of the public one. More critically, what if the slide motor died which does happen. Hopefully you’d be able to get it fixed in short order.
 
In my experience, you can find a spot to accommodate your needs 90% of the time. The other 10% you just climb over whatever obstacles are presented, which I could do when I was younger. I’d dislocate something now.
 
Welcome to RVF, @lrdv4dr; glad to have you join us here.

What you are running into here is the trade-off between more interior space when parked vs convenience at a temporary stop. As has been said, you can usually find a spot at a rest stop or pull-out to run the slide out just enough to get by for bathroom use. Is it convenient? No, but if everything else about the trailer works for you, I think it can be an acceptable trade-off.

If it were me, however, I would at least explore the market a bit more to see if there was an alternative that would work better. If none are found, then you have, at least, done your full research and can make an informed decision.

TJ
 
Welcome to RVF, @lrdv4dr; glad to have you join us here.

What you are running into here is the trade-off between more interior space when parked vs convenience at a temporary stop. As has been said, you can usually find a spot at a rest stop or pull-out to run the slide out just enough to get by for bathroom use. Is it convenient? No, but if everything else about the trailer works for you, I think it can be an acceptable trade-off.

If it were me, however, I would at least explore the market a bit more to see if there was an alternative that would work better. If none are found, then you have, at least, done your full research and can make an informed decision.

TJ

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to gauge. I don't have the experience you guys have to know how frequently that might even be a concern, if at all. Honestly I didn't even think about partially deploying the slide to get past it. Sometimes I get stuck in the binary mindset and never think outside the box when I'm learning something new.

Thanks for the advice @TJ&LadyDi . That is very helpful.
 
In my experience, you can find a spot to accommodate your needs 90% of the time. The other 10% you just climb over whatever obstacles are presented, which I could do when I was younger. I’d dislocate something now.
Excellent, thank you. Yeah, I'd hurt myself if I had to crawl over something these days. In this case, I think the slide would just have to be partially deployed as TJ suggested. 90% is pretty good and who knows, over time we might discover our needs/wants change.
 
My first trailer when the slide was closed created a pinch point, if you will. I had to climb over the table to get to the bathroom. For me, it was not a big deal. Usually, w2hen I stop on the road I use the res area facilities. If none available, then I have no choice. For my wife climbing over hings would not be an option. So it all depends on how you will operate.

Definitely look at as many floor plans and different trailers as you can before settling on one.
 
Hey guys, my name is Mike. I'm new around here, just joined today. I'm not even a noob yet with travel trailers, as I'm researching our first purchase. Doing all the maths with weight, towing and what not. I believe I have found what I think is the "near perfect" trailer for my wife and I. At least from the specs and pics on the dealer website, we haven't visited it in person yet. That will be tonight after work. I'm looking at the Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite 25FKS. My tow vehicle is a 2016 Toyota Tundra 4x4 SR5 5.7L dual-cab.

Anyway, my question is this. It has a single slide that when retracted will end up blocking access to the bathroom and bedroom. How often does (or would) that become an issue for you guys? Whether we have to stop somewhere for a quick stop at a rest area, overnight like at a Walmart or at campgrounds that don't have lots available for slide-out use? I don't foresee us really ever stopping like that right now but maybe in the future as our comfort level rises and our travel distance increases, that might become an issue.

Thanks in advance for your input.
Mike
We have a 21' Keystone Mini, with a slideout. The first thing you aren't told until you buy it is that you can't sit on the slide out when it is not extended out. (Our dining table is on the slide out). However, our slideout does not hinder access to the bathroom; we just can't sit at the table without extending it. Not sure if your model is the same. So we always need to be able to extend our slideout before using it. Plus the added room that it gives when out makes for an enjoyable time. Too cramped with it in.
 
We have two requirements, when the slides are in we have to be able to access the refrigerator and the bathroom.

Safe travels.
Nancy & Jay
 

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