In the world of recreational vehicles there are many options, ranging from pop-up trailers all the way to luxury motor homes. RVs come with or without a slide-out room. Some come with as many as six slide outs that are mechanical or work with hydraulic systems.
Advantages of Slide Outs
There are slide outs that only a portion of the side opens such as just the living area or the living area and the galley. Then there are slide outs that just extend the space in the bedroom. Some motor homes have slides where the slide is the whole wall on the drivers side and there are some with whole wall slide outs on both sides of the RV.
The advantage of having the slides is that space increases and ultimately makes the unit feel more comfortable. They make a nice wide walking space down the center of the unit as well. To open the slides you push a button located near the drivers seat and they automatically open or shut.
Disadvantages of Slides
Everything has its pros and cons and the slide outs are no different. Slide outs are expensive usually adding between $45,000 to $75,000 to the price of the motor home. They also add weight from each slide out which takes away from your weight of items to be added inside the motorhome. When you have sliders your basement storage is usually eliminated. However, in all fairness many companies are improving this problem by having the storage slide open with the slide out. As with everything electric there is more to maintain or can malfunction.
Camping with Slides
When using a campsite or RV park you have to make sure the sites are wide enough for the RV with the slides out. The site not only has to be extra wide, but also make sure there are no trees in the way.
If you do buy a RV with a slide, make sure you check the seals so no air can filtrate in. If air can come through, water can as well. Keep in mind you should also purchase a topper when you buy a slider. The topper serves as the awning over the top of the slide. Make sure you close the slider properly if you use a topper so it does not get in the way and damage the slider.