Slide vs No-Slide

[RonAltman]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but I can't seem to find it so here goes. After 3 non-Prevost coaches which all had 4 slides, is it piratical to think we would be happy in a non-slide Prevost (maybe one slide)? We've looked at a few Prevosts wiithout slides and, although some "mind" changes will be in order, I really don't think it would be too much of an adjustment to go to a non-slide (or a one slide) Prevost. Additionally, from some of the posts I've run across about slide problems, I'm thinking a non-slide coach might be best anyway.

The plan is to go full time, but one of us still works down in the oil fields in the Gulf, so most of the time there will be only one person in the coach. We would love to hear thoughts and comments from those that have "downsized" from the traditional 3 or 4 slide coach to a non, or one slide, Prevost. Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Ray Davis]

Ron, if you do search through the archives, you'll find several discussions about slides here. Basically it comes down to preferences. There definitely seems to be two camps, i.e. the ones that love slides, and the ones that don't want slides.

I think it's a fair consensus that IF you are planning on traveling to a spot, and then spending a fair amount of time in that one location, then slides are a big win (albeit expensive). If you tend to travel more than stay in one location, then slides seem to be less desirable. Slides do tend to minimize the room while you are driving.

My personal preference is to not have slides. I don't worry about the trouble with slides, and as you've mentioned, there does seem to be a lot of issues with slides.

I love my non-slide coach, but as indicated, you will find others here that absolutely want slides.

Ray

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ron, there are several topics that get Prevost owners excited. You happened to bring up one of them.

I am a no slide coach guy for three basic reasons. We do not use our coach as a primary or second home parked in an RV resort as our home base. If we did our attitude about this reason would change. We use our coach to travel and to attend rallies. As a result a slide has much less importance than to someone who would enjoy the extra space in the living area.

We do not want the extra complexity of a slide. All slides require maintenance, typically occasional seal replacement, and that is an expense we don't need, nor do we want to be exposed to the costs if the slide needs adjustment or service.

Finally, and this is my personal opinion, I am uncomfortable with cutting openings through the main longitudinal structural member of the bus. It was not designed for slides, so when the main backbone of the bus on one side is cut to create an opening, despite the fact a lot of reinforcement is added back in, I just feel uncomfortable knowing a critical structural element of the bus has been comrpomised.

But if you want or need a slide and you are OK with all aspects of slide ownership ignore all of us who do not have slides. It's your money, its your choice, and it would be terrible if you bought a non slide coach and hated it. There is no justifiable reason to buy a Prevost, so when you get silly like the rest of us, make sure your purchase is what you want.

[phorner]

Ron,

We have had coaches with one slide, two slides and our last coach, a 2003 Beaver, had three slides.

One of our priorities when moving up to a Prevost was to be slide free. We are VERY happy with our non-slide XLV.

A lot will depend on how you use your coach and how important it is to be just as comfortable at a rest or fuel stop as you are in a resort.

We also live in our bus full time.

Good luck and enjoy the experience!!

[dale farley]

Paulette would love to have 5 slides in our bus. I would like to have 1 slide if someone else would pay for it and if it came with a gurantee that is would never malfunciton or leak.

[sawdust_128]

We went through the process of acquiring our first rig.

No slides because:

1. no worrying about slides.
2. no working around slides when they can't be deployed.
3. 45' coach has enough limitations as to sight availability without adding the need to accomodate slides as well (we all seem to suffer scratchanoia and dinganoia at some level and all suffer severe bashaphobia).
4. didn't want to give up the additional Cargo Capacity that slides consume.
5. We don't stay at any one place for too long.
6. no working on slides when they don't work (stuckoutanoia).
7. no paying for slides (upfront and maintenance and repair)(costophobia).

On the silly side, remember the universe is expanding so much it will turn into nothing. It could happen to your coach.:eek:

[jello_jeep]

Another thing to think of, is if you park where the ambient temperature is above or below the normal range, you are multiplying the number of cubic feet you have to either heat or cool by a significant amount.

If it gets too far over 100, you will never be able to cool it with the cruise/roof airs that came with it.. It is somewhat easier to heat it in my opinion, as there are more options.

I am in the no slide crew in case you can't tell.

The other nice thing is, if you pull into a rest area or truckstop for a break, you have availability to everything as normal. Slides cover stuff up when they are not deployed

But I have to admit, when parked in mild weather, they have their own appeal..

I am still a no-slider for now anyway!

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Ron, it looks like I maybe the ONLY one to post anything about a slide that actual has a slide in a bus.

To be quite honest, for most of this year, I would have said NO to another slide, cause I had lots and lots and lots of problems with our single slide. But I think those issues are behind us now, at least for our last 4 camping trips the single slide has worked great.

What all of the guys are saying is Absolutely Correct. If all you do is travel from place to place, then you may not want or need a slide.

If you like to have more room in your bus, when you get somewhere to relax and enjoy the openness of your bus, the slides absolutely offer more room, when you are parked or camped.

I think even during my trials with my slide issues earlier this year, I stated and still feel this way. " Peg and I would rather have a slide 50% of the time than not have a slide 100% of the time!" :)

YOU have to choose what is important for you, more room when you camp, or the same basic amount of room all the time whether you are camped or driving down the road.

Non Slide Owners would probably never mess with a slide coach.
Slide Owners usually would never trade down to a bus without a slide, Usually!

Gary S.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ron, maybe we need to poke a stick at the slide folks to wake them up. I cannot believe none of them have jumped into this and defended their choice of slides.

The reality is the whole market is gravitating towards slides and those of us without are either going to have very valuable and desirable coaches in the near future, or we are going to have dinosaurs nobody wants.

[sawdust_128]

Well said Gary!!

[jack14r]

I have had 2 Prevost with both having 2 slides and have never had a problem or any maintenance.I would only buy Prevost slides because I feel that they will always be there for service and they designed the slide to be a part of the shell.If you are looking for a newer coach it is hard to find one that does not have slides,the majority of XLs will be non slide coaches.I attend events for 5-7 days and slides are great for us.

[lonesome george]

Ron, we have a non-slide coach and we are happy with it, having said that we have also been in Gary and Peggy Stevens bus with the slide extended and it is VERY ROOMY and a very tasty coach on top of that.
Our bus is an 86" floor to ceiling unit and it has a little different feel. Most XL's are 83" floor to ceiling. Just something else to think about.
This is really a question of how you plan to use the bus and personal preference.

[Bill1170]

I have a 2 slide coach and have enjoyed the extra room. We attend Bama football games every weekend and many times have 7 or 8 people visit at a time.
We also enjoy the room when just the 2 of us are camping.
I have had slide problems this past year,replacing front and rear seals at a cost of about $7000 for both. My coach is an 03 and Prevost told me this is about the normal for seals.
I would suggest you might like the slides since you are full timers but at least look at both slide and nonslide coachs untill you are sure of which you like best.

[rfoster]

I am on my 2nd Prevost. The first was a non slide coach, the 2nd is a two slide coach. They are/were both Prevost. We have enjoyed both tremendously.

I have put 30,000 miles on the slide coach with only one slide problem . Vacuum switch failure, which once bypassed worked as planned.

I could go back to a non slide coach:(, but the wife would resist and I don't want too. It would be like going back to a car/truck with manual windows and no heated seats. I just like the benefit of the slides - MORE ROOM.

Yep, there is price to be paid for more square footage, up front $$ and the future maintenance$$. The Prevost slides are designed with a rubber innertube type inflatable bladder that has a limited life expectancy - just like tires - after a while something like a leak is gonna happen. The cost of replacement of the seals has already been posted in this thread and has been said about Prevosts - they are not for the faint of heart.

So if you want the slides, get 'em, --if you can live without them - then you can spend more money for diesel fuel & Stuff.

As for me - I love my slides.- Its that OTRa/c thing that gets me.

[GDeen]

Frequently discussed topic for sure and ultimately a personal decision. When we bought our XL I was a little concerned about two things - 1.) I would start jonesing for an XLII, and 2.) we would regret not having slides.

Turns out that neither concern could be further from the truth - at least at this point. We really enjoy the layout of the bus just like it is even when staying in the same place for a few days. It is a bus after all, and I like the way it feels. I think with Jennifer, the dog and I we have plenty of space. If you are going to travel with multiple people, the slides may be beneficial for moving around each other and just to add cubic feet to the living space.

[garyde]

Ah yes, the eternal question. Slides or no-slides. The question haunts POG members like a tick on a dog.
Here's the thing. Slides are great. You quickly increase your living space when open. If they are Prevost slides, you have great support . something goes wrong, you call Prevost 24/7 and they will walk you thru an answer and get you on the road. Heating and cooling are not an issue in my coach no matter the temp outside.
Just like everything else on a coach, you need to maintain the slides. No big deal.
Structurally, Prevost over engineers everything so thats not a concern unless I'm hauling goats.
My Coach is very quiet travelling with no air leaks, rattles, squeak, noise, etc.
With my kids, dogs, my wife and I there is abundant room to relax with the slides open.
My last two coaches had slides, so were past that question.

[grantracy]

We have a two slide coach and it is unlikely we would ever have a non-slide coach. Our slides are after market and were mfg. by HWH who by the way give great support. The only problem we have encountered is a failed switch which we were able to jump( this in over three years of use) I view the slides as a desirable option ( like any other option/sytem) and the attendant maintenance as a small price to pay( so far)

[Loc]

We have had a non-slide Prevost and currently have a 2 slide Prevost. As Roger said, we enjoyed the non-slide and really are enjoying the current bus. When I started looking for a newer bus I wanted bunks for the kids. I really didn't want slides because we typically do a lot of driving (800 miles on Saturday) on our vacations and other than a trip to Disenyworld every year we rarely sit in the same place for more than 3 days. Long story short, I bought this bus for the bunks and not the slides. However, I really like the slides and would have a difficult time going back to a non slide bus. We had a problem with the roof leaking which Prevost fixed as a warranty item. So far (knock on wood) no other real problems. I do expect there to be more issues to deal with given the slides (more moving parts equals more issues or at least more maintenance). I agree with Gary that I would stick to Prevost slides because Prevost did engineer the bus to have slides. I was concerned about being isolated or the bus feeling really small with the slides in. Not the case with our conversion because of the way the converter does the build out in the slides retaining a very large window to the front and rear.

Granvil,

What was the two slide Vantare doing at Millennium?

[Russell Coachworks]

As you may or may not know, one division of our company leases to entertainers and our fleet is made up of Prevost XLII. We have slide and non-slide units. Here is my brief thought on the issue. As many have said, if you are going to be in a location for an extended period of time, it is great to have slides. You obviously get more room, etc. If all you are doing, like many others have said, is running the highways to get to a destination and not be on the coach full time, a slide may not be the best choice for you. It really comes down to personal choice. Keep these things in mind: how many will be on your coach? Is it just you and your spouse? Will you use the coach for entertaining? Are you using it full time? Just a few thoughts.

Regarding function and maintenance of a slide: I would not purchase a coach that does not have factory slides from Prevost. Personally, I will not run a coach that have third-party slides. Like Jon has mentioned, it is a little nervous thought to have a whole cut in the side of the coach! Who better to do it than a company who has an engineering and design team that knows their product inside and out. I for sure would only go with a coach with Prevost slides!

Our coaches run 80,000 + miles a year. We have not had any problems, issues or concerns with our slides.

I hope you find this information beneficial!

Rob Russell
www.russellcoach.com

[merle&louise]

Rob,

That seems to me to be a pretty resounding endorsement of Prevost slides! A fleet of XL IIs with slides and no issues, no problems, and no complaints.

[grantracy]

Loc:

The two slide Vantare got hungry and decided to eat some dollars..no secrets out there is there? What started out as a little lipstick change has evolved into a minor face lift.

[truk4u]

Hey Gran, I saw your bus in person and it looked like 3 cans of silly puddy went off above your dash!:eek: Gee, hope they know were all those wires go.
I know someone with a great picture you can use as the "before'":D

[ronnorthern]

Hello,
I have owned 2 Monaco Sigs with slides, and 2 Vantare's without, It was a mindset at first to go to the non slide. You need to decide what is important and how you are going to use your coach, and then finding the layout that works for you.

Our current Vantare has a very OPEN plan that works well for us. it can be seen at http://blog.northernjetsales.com/?page_id=651

The thing we dislike about most slide coaches is that when the slides are in and traveling there is restricted access to some places you need access to. Some of the slides take up much of the aisle space making it difficult to move from front to rear of the coach.

I almost made the mistake of purchasing a 4 slide Travel Supreme until i had the dealer bring all 4 slides in and then try to walk through the coach. It was not an easy task, and imagine trying to get to the potty with the coach moving down the highway at 70mph.

Almost all with a rear slide require climbing over the bed with the slide in.

Slides are nice when you are in a park, and if you are living in the coach. if you mainly use the coach for travel, then my vote is for a non-slide.

[dmatz]

My last coach was a 04 bluebird and I had plenty of issues with the slides there were 2 and I never knew if they would go out or come in. My fist coach was a new dynamax 2 slide never a problem. I have one slide and a prevost slide is made like nothing else I have ever seen. That being said I have one slide. That works well for us I have 2 teenage boys and the space is great when we get parked. The layout does not prevent us or hinder us when under way. We like the north south bed as well. Once the kids are gone no slides may be very appealing. For all the reasons of one less to go wrong.However with the quality I am experiencing with prevost I may not be scared on my next one.

[travelite]

That's what it comes down to with me - if you travel with kids, you need a slide.

[Kevin Erion]

I have 3 girls and the wife. we do a bunch of driving, west coast to east coast with no slides! I think it was just said, if it goes out and gives you room, it comes in and takes it away. We only stay in one spot maybe 4 days so we are on the move, with some driving days of 700 miles +. The girls are up moving around, watching TV or playing games. Our non slide bunk coach is just the thing for us, but it could change. I feel like when the girls are out of the house and we are still into the bus thing, I could see a non slide H in my future!

[James]

I could see a non slide H in my future!

Kevin,

I totally agree with having a non slide bus, however I was wondering why an H versus an XLII?

[Gary Carmichael]

I have awaken from my cave,landslide? oh bus slide you say! I have had 2 and 4 slides ,currently 2 slides on our 2005 H3-45 Liberty, for years I drooled at those slides on prevost coaches the fit , the look and although i knew they were not trouble free I knew someday I would own one well If money were no object I would own a new 3 slide! When traveling there is more room with the 2 slides than on our old Essex 4 slide we like the extra room it gives for those times you entertain in your coach and the dog likes it too!

[Kevin Erion]

James, Due to my extreme illness, I think an H would be a little easier to live with! Maybe I am wrong but the H feels like it has a little more room on the inside also.

[James]

James, Due to my extreme illness, I think an H would be a little easier to live with! Maybe I am wrong but the H feels like it has a little more room on the inside also.

Thanks, we'll have to take another look although Kris would be hard to convince. She actually wants to get an XL. She loves the rivets.

[Loc]

Ron,

We went from a slide equipped Fleetwood DP to a non-slide Prevost in 2002. We didn't mind the switch at all primarily because the front salon in the Prevost had big windows and felt much more open than our manufactured motorhome. That said we now have a two slide bus. I didn't want slides when I went looking for a next bus, but found a bus with bunks that happened to have slides and the priced was right at the time (at least it seemed like it was). I really like the slides and the extra room that they provide. My wife is a huge fan of the slides. I was concerned that the slides would make the bus seem small when traveling (we do a lot of driving and generally don't stay in one place for more than a couple of days), but they don't in my bus because of how the converter fit them out. I would want slides in my next bus (if I was to ever need a next bus, but I don't see than happening unless I lose my mind). The jump from a manufactured motorhome to a Prevost will be more than enought to offset the loss of slides. If you plan to park a lot then get the slides, if you plan to drive more then don't worry about it.

As for all the concerns about slides, I think it is overblown in some circumstances and deserved in others. Our bus is just as solid and quiet (actually quieter) than our non-slide bus was. If you do decide to go the slide route, I would do a couple of things. 1) I would want Prevost factory slides (just my preference). There are some buses that use non-factory slides (Featherlite in there H3's, Marathon in just about everything now). 2) Make sure that you have the tops of the slides inspected. Prevost had an issue with early generation slides where the sheet metail would bow on top of the slide and create water infiltration issues. Prevost fixed most of the these under warranty, but if you have a bus today that is an older version and needs the fix it is very expensive ($25K plus).

If you are interested in more details / thoughts, I would be happy to talk with you. Just send me a PM and we can go from there.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Slides are an additional maintenance item. I am not speaking pro or con relative to slides, but can say if you have a bus with slides you should do some research on which generation slides it has and what the service history of that particular generation might be.

From working with Roger and Jim Keller on roger's slide seal I am impressed with the quality of the slide system, but I am also aware it is both robust and complex. Seals are a maintenance item and I suspect the seal has a life span of somewhere between 3 and 10 years. There is a potential for the seal to fail prematurely due to the design because anything that gets on the roof of the slide room has the potential to damaage the seal. The seals are easy to replace, but I do not see any service facility doing a replacement in less than 8 man hours. Double that might be the other end of the range. The seals were in the $2000 range and the failure of a seal and ignoring that failure could result in water damage to the coach and some VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE mold removal and repair.

I think slides (Prevost factory slides) have a value as long as the owner's are understanding of and willingness to maintain them properly. If as an owner you are careless in maintaining things recognize slide could become your worst nightmare. Parliament Coach was repairing a slide coach that the owner did not maintain and the damage to the coach from mold and mildew was extensive.

[GDeen]

Always an interesting discussion. Last summer, we took a western states trip over a couple of weeks with our whole crew. The lack of slides was really not bothersome with 6 of us including our 3 20+ year old sons. While driving, slides don't do you any good at all as far as space goes. When camped, we stayed at places with the rental cabins so that made it easy for sleeping arrangements. Even with slides, I don't think all 6 of us in there would have been comfortable without bunks. For eating and general hanging out,it worked fine in particular since a lot of the slide space is "dance floor" as someone put it. Plus we like to go to places where it is nice enough outside to spend time out of the coach.

With most of our future trips just Jennifer and the dog and I, I think no slides will be plenty good for our needs. Someday that may change, but certainly for now we are just fine. Plus, I like the feeling that we are in a converted bus, which with slides extended, just doesn't feel that way. Alternatively, I could see that becoming claustrophobic for some folks.

Kind of the old Ford vs Chevy discussion, but no slides has worked well for us thus far, and I like the added mechanical simplicity.

[dmatz]

I believe the XLII has larger ceiling height then the H. The H does have taller storage below.

According to my visit at Prevost in NJ there is no maintenance you can do on your slide. If there is I would like to know it. They said the worst thing to do is to run it in or out with out the door open. The small windows do not allow enough air to not effect the seals.

I have heard that dry graphite in the slide lock holes can be beneficial, but not from Prevo.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Doug,

As an owner of a slide coach there is no limit to the maintenance you can do on your slides. Three inexperienced POG members changed Roger's slide seal with no injuries and a lot of knowledge gained. What we did was work that would have cost about $2000 to have someone else perform. After seeing the slides close up and personal I see a very well built system, somewhat complex, but not so complex it cannot be serviced, and a system made of components all subject to failure at some point. To say there is no owner performed service or maintenance is an insult because a determined owner with some tools and a desire to do his own work will be more than capable of learning the system and understanding its operation.

I don't feel I need slides, but if I chose to get a slide coach I don't feel I would be obligated to have others do all the needed maintenance and repair work. I am not going to suggest all that work is easy one man work, but I did not see much a competent person could not do.