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Non-Cramped Bed in 24 Feet?

JayMartin
Explorer
Explorer
Hi,
Ex-truck camper here (Northstar on a Dodge diesel), thinking I might like a 24’ Class C w/ slide. Are there layouts in that short a footprint that have more than 5’ of access to one corner of the foot of the bed? If not, what is the shortest length I should shop for to be able to make the bed easier than I could in the truck camper?
Thanks,
Jay
Past:
2001 2500 Dodge CTD, 4x4, long bed
2005 Northstar 850SC

Current:
Shopping for a Class C
30 REPLIES 30

sullivanclan
Explorer
Explorer
Hi Jay,

Sullivanclan from Grand Junction Colorado. Just a few years ago we sold our Dodge Pick up and Northstar Truck camper and purchased a used 2003 Ford 450 Jayco 25-D FT, a class C motorhome. (We had super luck with the Northstar family business and overall quality)

Though I miss the truck and ability to get a bit off road, we are really pleased with the additional space in the motorhome, especially during cold or wet weather. It does have a slide and the couch instead of that uncomfortable dinnet which you use just for eating. I also have one easy chair. We also have the corner bed and the large bed over the cab. We don't sweat the challenge with making the bed, just toss a comforter over the top.
2003 Ford 450 Jayco Greyhawk 25D
1986 Jeep Renegade
2011 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon JK

magnusfide
Explorer II
Explorer II
Expyinflight wrote:
We love our 'non' slideout rig also. After the previous motorhome with 2 slideouts that leaked, malfunctioned at inopportune moments, and needed several repairs, I vowed....never again.
It is just the two of us, so don't care about having the dance floor.
More than enough room, and we easily make it work.
As stated above, our non slideout unit is also easy to heat, easy to cool.

Double ditto. We're non-slideout RVers too.

We aren't full-timers and that's the only reason to have a slideout imo especially if you hang out inside your rig alot. So it depends on what you do when you're camping: rig-dwellers or sight-seers.

We don't stay longer than a week or ten days and we're always out and about instead of staying inside the rig. We're the kind of vacationers who only stay in the rig to sleep and on rainy days, eat.

Slideouts are an extra worry on the checklist and like others have said it can be a source multiple headaches.
"The only time you should fear cast iron is if your wife is fixin' to hit you with it."-Kent Rollins
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.

Magnus

JayMartin
Explorer
Explorer
bobndot wrote:
JayMartin, have you actually tried out the corner bed floorplan ?...

No not yet. I suppose another big difference between making the bed in a C and a TC is having all sorts of headroom that wasn't there in the truck camper. Thanks for the tips on making up the bed and sewing sheets together.
Jay
Past:
2001 2500 Dodge CTD, 4x4, long bed
2005 Northstar 850SC

Current:
Shopping for a Class C

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
JayMartin, have you actually tried out the corner bed floorplan ?

When we went from TC to the class 'c' corner bed floorplan , we tried making the bed in the same fashion as our former TC's , from north to south .
We find it much easier to make the bed from east/west. Tuck it in along the passenger side first then tuck in the bathroom side. That way you can reach in to pull it taught towards the bathroom and make it look nice n neat.
It seemed to be an easier make.

We have also used a zipped together double king and double zipped together queen sleeping bad set in a lighter weight and used 2 top sheets sewn together as a full liner that can be easily washed.
That was the easiest to use and it feels like sleeping in a regular bed, not restricted. Just do not sew the sides of the two sheets all the way up (sew it 1/2 way). Leave room to get yourself easily in/out. It was just like having a Travasac. or rv sleep system.

Newbiecampers
Explorer
Explorer
ron.dittmer wrote:
We who love slideless, are a rare few.....very rare.



I would not say we who love slideless are very rare.

Add us as well to the list of the "slideless" on our class C for pretty much every reason you mentioned.

I recall another discussion here regarding slide/no-slide and there were a fair number who elected no slide.

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
JayMartin wrote:
Are there 24' floor plans with no slide and where the bed isn't in the corner as in the above layout?
Jay
That would only be a cab-over bed (above the driver and passenger seats). Otherwise you have to get a lot longer for what is called an island bed. They are nearly non-existent in brand new fashion with maybe LazyDaze offering it. There are a few old ones out there starting around 29' long and get longer from there.

I just took this floor plan off the LazyDaze website. The rig is 31 feet long.


There are some old shorter ~27' rigs with a double bed straddled across the back wall which provides full access from one side, but I have not seen them in many years.

If you want to get a bit funky, check out the Winnebago Rialta 22FD with easy entry from one side. They are very compact and are only 21'-8" long. But beware of capacities and weights. I consider them ideal for a single traveler who is a minimalist. There is a Rialta following. A 2003-2005 will have a more powerful engine.

JayMartin
Explorer
Explorer
Are there 24' floor plans with no slide and where the bed isn't in the corner as in the above layout?
Jay
Past:
2001 2500 Dodge CTD, 4x4, long bed
2005 Northstar 850SC

Current:
Shopping for a Class C

winnietrey
Explorer
Explorer
We have a 24ft with a slide, it has broken twice, in the last 18 years. Both times it was a 10 cent roll pin.

We like a slide, and would not want a small rig without one. (even taking into account the problems we have had) Our slide is a Swintech, which is actually a pretty simple mechanism, once you understand how it works.

But, as a nod to those who don't like slides, this. last time I had my cousin help me fix it. Now he is a 40 year machinist, one of those guys who built his own airplane, can fix anything. His comment was, not very well engineered, built just about as cheap, as possible. Which as a long time RV owner did not surprise me in the least, considering how they build the rest of the rig.

But in my opinion the good things about a slide outweigh the bad, at least for us. Others of course may reach a different conclusion

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
We hate troubles with our small Class C when out and about in it - and we have been blessed by very few troubles with it. Some folks assume that "troubles" will come in life and don't care to be negative-thinkers enough so as to figure out how to insure that ownership troubles are minimized when shopping for an RV. Added complexity means more chances for failure. I think there's a niche in science that studies that relationship.

Our Class C was pretty much fully loaded and optioned when we bought it. It had sat on the dealer's lot for about a year before we bought it (hence, the coach batteries were about ruined and the roof vents were close to being sun-cracked).

It took me a couple of years before I figured out why it had most likely sat unsold so long - it had no slide(s)!

We love it's options, features, and reliability and plan to keep it running and usable for many years. I'm hoping beyond hope that gas powered recreational vehicles are allowed to stay on the road long after run-around daily transportation has all been converted to electric powered personal vehicles and electric powered public transportation vehicles. 🙂
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

Expyinflight
Explorer
Explorer
We love our 'non' slideout rig also. After the previous motorhome with 2 slideouts that leaked, malfunctioned at inopportune moments, and needed several repairs, I vowed....never again.
It is just the two of us, so don't care about having the dance floor.
More than enough room, and we easily make it work.
As stated above, our non slideout unit is also easy to heat, easy to cool.
2017 Winnebago Spirit 25b

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
Jack Spratt wrote:
We special ordered our rig in 2017 specifically with 2 slide outs and we LOVE it.

Didn’t realize the depth of the anti-slide movement

Leprechaun 260 DSF
Ha ha. No, surely not a movement, not at all.

We who love slideless, are a rare few.....very rare.

Jack_Spratt
Explorer
Explorer
We special ordered our rig in 2017 specifically with 2 slide outs and we LOVE it.

Didn’t realize the depth of the anti-slide movement

Leprechaun 260 DSF
Leprechaun 260 DSF
2017 Big Horn FL3750

'10 Yellow Lab to keep us on our toes.

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
JayMartin wrote:
I am now curious to learn the 10 reasons for not having a slide out. I was just assuming I was going to want the extra space but would like to understand the tradeoffs with those too.
Ron, what is the thing on your console and on top of the back up camera screen? (I know I'm wondering off topic; but it is my thread.:D )
Thanks again,
Jay
Hi Jay,

Here are the pros and cons to having a slide out (from my perspective)

Pros to having one or more slide outs
- a more open floor plan
- when it's time, the rig is easier to resell because people want slide outs

Cons to having one or more slide outs
- Each slide out costs $5600 MSRP more if buying a new special-order rig.
- Each slide out adds roughly 500 pounds to an already heavy load.
- The extra large hole in the wall reduces the overall structural integrity of the house.
- There is no significant header across the top of the opening. You run the risk of roof-sag, especially if a heavy a/c unit straddles the area.
- A slide out leaks in cold in cold climates, and heat in hot climates.
- A slide out lets in more noise in noise-ridden camping conditions.
- Spiders and other bugs are brought in when the slide out is brought in.
- Even with a topper, wind-driven rain will puddle on top of the slide out. Pull in a slide out with water on it and drive away, then watch the water fall in your house, maybe even on you.
- Slide outs rattle when driving your rig
- Slide outs can fail at the most inopportune times, when you are nowhere near a service center. You can't drive with a slide out sticking out.
- Slide outs take away from the travel experience by having a huge box inside the house.
- A slide out requires 3 or more inches on each sides and top, and have a slight step-up on the floor. This takes away linear wall space, interior over-head cabinet space, and head room.
- A couch inside a slide out is like sitting in a cavity. Pending the unit, it blocks viewing the TV.
- A dinette inside a slide out versus a no-slide dinette, will be significant tighter by the loss of that 3" x2 and the headroom. In our rig's case the sacrifice is worse yet due to the inability to utilize the transition wall as our no-slide dinette does as shown HERE.
- When a slide out is extended, it makes accessing the outdoor storage underneath it very difficult.
- Slide outs require more maintenance to assure they work and seal as best as possible year after year.
- An appliance inside a slide out introduces the need for flexible plumbing lines, gas lines, or electrical lines (pending the appliance) further reducing reliability.
- A fridge inside a slide out has a less effective side-discharge chimney.
- With age and weathering, the seals will need replacing.
- Slide outs can get out of alignment to the house, causing progressive wear leading to worse problems to come.

Okay that was 20, not 10.

We special ordered our rig in 2007 specifically without a slide out and we LOVE it. We plan to own our rig for a minimum of 30 years so long term reliability was a very high priority for us. We also wanted a dinette and so we got a comfortable one that on occasion we turn into a bed for a guest. The larger dinette makes for a longer bed. We typically travel just the two of us and so we do extremely well without the optional dance floor that comes provided with a slide out.

The thing sitting on our center console, left side, is our Unified Brake Controller.
The thing sitting on top of our top-center rear view monitor is a ScanGauge-II.