Bathroom access on the road

[mattyj]

I’m gonna be ordering and adventurer 910 DB next year and after doing some research I find the bathroom cannot be accessed without the slide out out. At first I was really disappointed about the “ inconvenience “ of hitting a switch . But now I’m resigned to
hitting the switch. Now I’m just curious,( I never had a slide out before) am I missing something or does it just take 30 seconds or so to bring out slide out? If that’s the case Iare there other factors to be considered about bathroom access before I commit to the purchase? Thanks

[Grit_dog]

^Bingo. Fear of the unknown coupled with the general pessimism of rvnet is really a bit much sometimes

[Kayteg1]

Let's not get into paranoia.
I parted camper with 20 years old slide and it never failed.
Inspecting it after removal show some bend rail, what might be due to overload, maybe due to camper frame failing in slide corner at 1 time, but the slide never failed to close or open.
Dealing with modern gadgetry, I have a feeling that those touch pads can fail faster than slide mechanism.

[memilanuk]

mattyj wrote:
I’m not really worried about any factor, I just had questions, for instance is there a manual crank to crank out a slide out if it gets stuck in the out or in position?

Yes. Pretty much a standard feature on any camper (or RV in general) with slide(s). Haven't had to use it myself as of yet, but our 910 DB has a switch to disable the motor right above the slide in/out switch.
Supposedly trying to move the slide manually without disabling the motor first is quite a bit harder.

Also if you’re up in the cab over is there ever a switch option to close the slide from bed?

No, not stock out of the box. Two RVs ago we had a TT that had everything (slider, awning, stabilizers) controlled from a touch screen wireless remote. It wasn't the slickest interface, but it worked very well. Our 910 DB has a wireless remote for the Happi-Jac stabilizers, but the controls for the slide and awning are just inside the door under the oven. Basically you open the door, reach in and they are right there. It'd be kind of a cool DIY electronics project to make a remote of some sort... 😉

My understanding is this model has a Happi-Jac slide mechanism, which is supposed to be sturdier and/or less fussy than the Schwinntek about partial opening.

[Grit_dog]

^As with life, RVs are also a compromise, no matter what you buy.
Drop $300k on a luxury pusher and it’s a compromise not in the same manner but of equal or greater consequence or limitation than say even a lowly truck camper.
Side door on TC, another compromise. Great for those who tow and/or need a lower step in height. But not available except in larger models with longer overhangs, which become a compromise or cost $ to workaround for other activities like towing.

These threads always end up in people appearing to defend“their” choice. And the questions should really be the “choice” of the person considering it. Not that of those defending their choice.

[notsobigjoe]

This is one of those subjects that gets everyone's attention. I had a coachman camper with a side door and no slide and I now own a lance 1181. In my humble opinion it was not that the slide was ever in the way but the argument for me would be which door is better for access on the road. I would go with the side door. OP, opinions aside it's what you can live with. If you don't want to be bothered with the slide so be it. If the slide doesn't bother you ditto... Many of us can not live without the slide and many can. Every opinion has been given in the 5 pages of this post.

[run100]

In a truck camper, the pros of a slide far outweigh the cons (IMHO). Although we can easily access our camper without deploying the slide, most of the time I still extend it about a foot for ease of use. Since the remote is wireless, you can use it from anywhere inside, or outside, the camper. Operating the slide for these quick stops is so simple, I would consider it a non-issue. My opinion is based on owning our current camper close to nine years. Previous model was a non-slide.

SUGGESTION: Carry a spare battery or two. Our remote uses a 9-volt, just like the smoke detector.

Good luck with your upcoming purchase.

[Mike134]

Grit dog wrote:
Ole Bill….lol.
Don’t pay attention to the naysayers about how horrible and limiting a slide out is.
Some folks have pretty jaded opinions and could find an issue with winning the lotto and getting _____ by a supermodel all in the same day!

You are so CORRECT!!!

[deltabravo]

capacitor wrote:
The slide is usually on the drivers side.

Unless it's an Arctic Fox 811, 990, 1140, 1150

[deltabravo]

wnjj wrote:
If you’re just using the bathroom, I wouldn’t even put the slide out any more than needed so it would be less than 30 seconds.

That said, our bathroom door is a slider and a next to the rear door so we can slip in without opening the slide at all.

Ditto.

My AF811 was the same way. I only put the slide out maybe 5". Sometimes I don't put it out at all.

[Boondocking2019]

I have a 2020 Adventurer 89RBS and opening that slide 6-8 inches to get into the bathroom when stopped never crossed my mind as being an issue, just remember to close it back up.

[tlowe43q]

Slides open MUCH faster than even a short walk to a rest stop bathroom. Check your clearance from traffic before opening.

[mr_andyj]

deal breaker for me

[JimK-NY]

The odds are you will never need warranty service. If you buy from Bill, he will go over the unit thoroughly anyway.

[mattyj]

JimK-NY wrote:

Geo*Boy wrote:

K Mac wrote:
Bill has a Penny for your thoughts LOL

Bill Penny, told me directly that he does not like Adventurer or Eagle Cap TC’s because of warranty problems.

I would take his advice very seriously. He is an expert on truck campers with many years of experience and he has a reputation for honesty.

. Yes I know I bought the camper I have now from Bill in 2005, but unfortunately the Adventurer has all the features we like.