Overnight slides in or out

[jdarwin]

We’re getting ready to leave on our first long term trip. We wanted to know if others put their slides out when overnight at a truck stop, Walmart, state visitor’s center or roadside park? Also, from reading the forum, it seems it is OK to leave the truck attached as long as you can level the coach. I just want to make sure so I don’t have to make repairs in the field. Thanks

[Mikendebbie]

Also, from reading the forum, it seems it is OK to leave the truck attached as long as you can level the coach.

I would say that it’s ok to leave attached to truck as long as the whole rig is relatively level. I would not leave it hooked up and try to use the Auto-Level feature. I might manually lower the jacks to stabilize the rig.

[RMcNeal]

I usually open at least the BR and Kitchen/Dining slides. I can't use the kitchen sink or get into my cabinets or pantry with them closed. Fridge is accessible when closed, but not ideal. Our unit has 5 slides, 2 in living room rear. If I don't need to use the LR, I don't bother opening them.

[Mikendebbie]

jdarwin - I just read RMcNeals post and I thought of this: we are fortunate with our model to be able to access the fridge without moving the big hydraulic slides. Also we can simply put the bedroom slide out and hit the hay for the night. Our bedroom slide is a schwintek slide. I have not researched schwintek slides for how being not being level affects it. Maybe someone here knows more. My sense is that our bedroom slide is fine to operate when the rig is not perfectly level. The bedroom slide on our unit (3921/3931) has a lot of structure surrounding it.

[RMcNeal]

As I understand it, even the Schwintek slides are susceptible to issues without being level. I would at least try to be as close as possible. The slide might be able to shift in the hole and throw everything off otherwise.

[Slow Hand]

If I am just parking for the night and dont need to get to the kitchen I just leave mine closed. I don.t want someone in the night not see them out and hit them I also tow with my trailer level so that is not a problem. its a struggle to go to bed but In the morning I get dressed and hit the road. I don't have to spend time putting the jacks up put in the slides.

[RMcNeal]

I'm envious. We travel frequently with 2 English Bulldogs, so I have no choice but to open at least some slides.

[Theunz]

If you are in a large sparsely occupied parking lot and reasonably level then opening your slides is ok. If you are in a rest area or a truck stop you need to be sure that you don’t encroach on an adjacent parking spot. Even if you just extend to the limits of your spot you run the risk of getting hit when a semi has to back in beside you in the darkness of night. Even if it’s a pull-thru spot you still run the risk of getting clipped if the approach or departure access is restricted.
If you need to access something, open the slide just enough to accomplish the task and then quickly close it. If it’s a busy truck stop then you might even want to have someone watch to be sure no one is trying to park next to you before you get the slide closed again.
Having to climb over the bed is much less hassle then having your clock cleaned when a semi backs into your extended bedroom slide in the middle of a good dream!

[JandC]

Everyone does things differently. We rarely stop and dry camp but when we do it is usually in a Walmart, Cabelas, of similar business, never in an interstate rest area. No matter what I always unhook and level. It literally takes me 10 minutes to do all of this and I know I am not stressing my slides.

We have watched a lot of fivers stay hooked up and push their slides out over the years. We have also talked to a lot of folks that have had slide issues, we have not.

[DQDick]

We never unhook and with our two current rigs we don't extend any slides. On our 2010 we had to extend a slide to use the bedroom and I always worried about it getting hit by a tired trucker or someone. We put a lot of reflective tape on the sides of that slide and hoped for the best.

[jdarwin]

We never unhook and with our two current rigs we don't extend any slides. On our 2010 we had to extend a slide to use the bedroom and I always worried about it getting hit by a tired trucker or someone. We put a lot of reflective tape on the sides of that slide and hoped for the best.

Thanks for the tips. I had a friend show me a trick with our iPhone. It has a level/measuring app. I don’t know if Androids do. He had me lay the phone on the floor and check for level. Then use the LCI manual controls to level and steady the rig.

DQDick, thanks for the input on reflective tape. I’m goin to put flashing lights (the kind used on the back of my bicycle) to put on the slides in hopes of warning other drivers.

[richfaa]

When in travel we do not overnight at any of the places you mention we stick to camp grounds. We do not normally unhook the truck from the camper on overnighters but we do level as best we can.

[JABURKHOLDER]

When I was still working, the destination was the vacation. That meant driving all day (7am - 10pm) and spending the night at a Flying J or a Wal-Mart. We would arrive tired and worn from driving 800 or so miles. All we needed was sleep. Leave the truck hooked, lower the landing gear, go to bed. No slides. In the morning, raise the landing gear and drive away. The first rule of overnighting like that is to never appear to be "camping".

Since I have retired, the journey is the vacation. We do not overnight at a Flying J or Wal-Mart anymore. We don't even overnight at campgrounds. The most I'll be on the road is 6 hours. It's usually more like 4 hours. We arrive at a campground, with daylight, set up, take in some sights and relax. We stay at least 2 or more days at each campground on our journey. This way, since we generally take 45 - 80 day trips around the country, I don't get burnt out from driving back to back to back days.

[Slow Hand]

When I was still working, the destination was the vacation. That meant driving all day (7am - 10pm) and spending the night at a Flying J or a Wal-Mart. We would arrive tired and worn from driving 800 or so miles. All we needed was sleep. Leave the truck hooked, lower the landing gear, go to bed. No slides. In the morning, raise the landing gear and drive away. The first rule of overnighting like that is to never appear to be "camping".

Since I have retired, the journey is the vacation. We do not overnight at a Flying J or Wal-Mart anymore. We don't even overnight at campgrounds. The most I'll be on the road is 6 hours. It's usually more like 4 hours. We arrive at a campground, with daylight, set up, take in some sights and relax. We stay at least 2 or more days at each campground on our journey. This way, since we generally take 45 - 80 day trips around the country, I don't get burnt out from driving back to back to back days.
This is exactly how we do all our trips. I never stay anywhere but a campground.