I had the good fortune to run into an interesting family, Lee and Judy Riley of Harrisburg PA, at the Russian River 1000 Trails RV Park, and they shared with me their experiences of traveling with a Fleetwood Southwind 36′ Slide Out RV.  Which is a full sized Class A rv.)  And, even more interesting, travelling with Nicky, their Royal Poodle.  (Visit their blog:  TravelsWithNicky)  Lee and Judy have been travelling and rving with a variety of rvs over the years, and have quite a bit of experience buying and trading in rvs.  They prefer trading in their older rv rather than selling it themselves.  In 2006 they purchased a 2003 Fleetwood Southwind 36′ Slide out rv, and traded in their fifth wheel at the same time.  They purchased their Fleetwood Southwind Slide Out Rv from Lazydays RV SuperCenter in Florida.  (Quite possibly the largest rv dealer in the US, or anywhere for that matter.)  I asked them what I usually ask folks that own an rv:  If you had it to do all over again, what would you have done differently, and do you wish you had bought something else instead?  Lee and Judy were happy with their purchase, and shared their experiences buying an rv, with a few suggestions for other prospective buyers to keep in mind when buying their new (or used) rv. 

Considerations when buying an rv:

• Consider what your driving experience will be like.  An rv is much easier to handle on the road and setting up than a fifth wheel camper.
• Know what your budget is ahead of time when shopping for an rv.  When you visit an rv lot, always walk away from your first visit – don’t make an emotional decision when buying your rv.
• Carefully make your list of desired features in your new rv.  If there’s something on your list that’s important to you, don’t settle for less.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking; “It’s not that bad, we’ll get used to it.”  Don’t compromise when you shouldn’t.  You don’t get used to “it”, it just leads to dissatisfaction down the road. 
  

When Judy and Lee went shopping for their new RV, they selected a 2003 36′ Southwind Fleetwood slide out motorhome.  This rv has three slide outs, one slide out in the kitchen, one slide out in the living room, and one slide out in the bedroom.  The slide outs are electric.  They found almost everything they were looking for in the Southwind 36′ Fleetwood slide out rv, and here are the items that were important to them.  (And you might consider these items when you shop for a new motorhome or camper also!)

• Slide campers give you more space for living quarters and storage, so consider a slide out rv.
• Given the choice over electric slide outs or hydraulic slideouts, Lee would prefer hydraulic slide outs, they’re smoother.  Their Southwind Fleetwood rv has electric slide outs, which work well, but Lee would have preferred hydraulic slide outs.
• Their Southwind Fleetwood has a Ford V10 Gas engine, which gets about 7mpg.  Their friend bought essentially the same identical motorhome, the one difference being the engine.  They got their rv with a Chevy 454 engine, which gets about 9mpg, and has better torque on the hills in the mountains.  So, Lee’s recommendation – if you have a choice go with the Chevy over the Ford engine. 
• Tires are important.  The 22″ wheels are better than the 19″ wheels.  Check the date on the tires.  If they’re approaching 5 years, regardless of tread, have the dealer put new tires on.  It’s tire rot, not tread wear that is a major problem.  Tires only last about 7 years, and if the motorhome has been sitting unused for awhile, rot may be an issue, and you’re not really going to see that on a visual inspection.  At $250. to $300. per tire, better be safe than sorry – get the new tires before you sign the deal!
• Some of the things to check when you’re comparing slide out campers – what is the floor plan?  Do you prefer your bathroom separate from your bedroom?  Lee and Judy have a floorplan where the shower is in a separate room from the toilet and sink, and everything is separate from the bedroom. This is a much better setup for two people, they can both use some of the facilities at the same time. 
• Look into the drawers to check that they’re full depth.  Some slide campers have half depth drawers. With rvs, storage is critical. 
• Judy stressed the importance for them of having clearance around three sides of the bed.  She absolutely did not want a bed flush with the wall, this was not negotiable.  She said you think you can get used to it and it won’t be a problem, but it really gets old having to crawl around trying to get out of bed at night!
• The refrigerator size is important, and this is another feature that is non-negotiable for Judy – don’t settle for the little refrigerator!  Theirs is a Norcold, and it’s beautiful.  There will be times when you’re dry camping, and the small size refrigerator just won’t do!
• Judy’s rv has a very nice built in washer/dryer combo, which is a plus.  Their slide out rv didn’t come with the built in washer/dryer, but there was a space that was plumbed for it.  They were able to locate the exact model they needed for only $100. and Lee installed it.  Judy loves it for washing small loads, but uses her custom built (by Lee!) clothes line instead of the dryer.
• If the awnings need updating but the hardware for the awnings is still good, try talking to your local upholstery shop that works on boats.  Canvas is canvas, and Lee recently saved over $100. by having new awnings made rather than purchasiing them from a camping supply supplier that required the purchase of new hardware with new awnings. 

Since Lee and Judy have purchased and traded in so many campers, fifth wheels over the years, I asked them how they go about determining the blue book value of a camper.  Do they use Kelly Blue Book or Nada Guides for checking the blue book value of an rv?  Or have they ever looked at the completed listings on eBay to check selling prices and blue book value of a camper?  They don’t!  They had a suggestion for me that makes so much sense, especially in today’s unusual economic times.  They check with their bank, to see what amount the bank would be willing to loan.  (Even if they’re paying cash.)  They said that when they ask the bank to determine the blue book value of the camper, they think the bank is actually quoting the wholesale bluebook, not the retail bluebook.  This makes sense when you consider that the bank may become the owner of a number of rvs down the road if the owners are unable to keep up the payments, and it’s in the bank’s interest to loan the lowest amount possible in case they need to take over ownership.  So Lee and Judy recommend talking to a bank (or several) about the bluebook value of the rv before purchasing it.  And be involved in the process of establishing the blue book value of the camper – carefully consider whether the dealer is stating a current market value for the bank evaluation. 

Judy and Nicky

Thanks Judy and Lee for allowing me to interview you, and for all your wonderful suggestions on how to get the slide camper of your dreams! 

Nicky, Lee and Judy

Keystone Challenger Slide Out Camper

The Keystone RV Slide out camper offers a tremendous amount of built in storage space, spacious living area, and fabulous kitchen setup.  This model slide out camper has 4 slide-outs.  I recently visited with Paul and Laura Hase who were camping with a large group with their 2007 Challenger Keystone RV Slide Out Camper.  They love their slide out camper and really put a lot of time and effort into researching the new campers for sale before deciding on the Keystone RV.  They had previously owned and outgrown a toy hauler and needed to upgrade to a camper with more living space and a better kitchen setup.  Paul and Laura own a group home for developmentally disabled adults, and they love to rv travel and camp with their clients.  They chose the Keystone RV slide out camper because it was the best option for them to be able to camp comfortably with a large group.  When they travel they prepare gourmet meals (not hotdogs – think chicken marsala!) and need to seat up to 14 people inside during periods of camping in foul weather. 

Keystone RV Slide Out Camper

Slide Out Camper 

Laura told me that the three most important items to them when researching a new slide out camper were storage, kitchen prep space, and seating available inside.  They were just packing up their rv to leave the Russian River 1000 Trails when I caught up with them and asked them how the liked their slide out camper.  Well, they love it!  The Keystone RV slide out camper has 4 slide outs, which gives them tremendous living area and an incredible amount of built in storage.  The kitchen area was fantastic, with lots of counter space and storage cabinets.  They were packed and ready to pull out when they gave me a tour, and I could see how they easily they packed and how quickly they were ready to go.  They had all their luggage stacked neatly along the sides of both sides of the slide out camper, and they also had a row of luggage down the middle.  They knew exactly how far in the slide outs for the camper came in, so they used every bit of storage for their luggage when they used the hydraulics to pull in the camper slide outs.  Paul was very pleased with the hydraulic camper slide outs, and also with the Sidewide hitch by Airborne.  (He prefers hydraulic slides over electric slides.)  Drawbacks to this model Keystone RV slideout camper?  Paul and Laura wish that the dining room table and chairs would have been a booth design with benches, instead of a table and chairs.  This would have given them additional sleeping area and a bit more storage in the benches.  You can never have too much storage in your camper!

This review gives a big thumbs up for the Keystone Challenger Slide Out Camper!  It’s beautiful, spacious, has lots of storage and cooking space, and with the 4 slide-outs, is a really nice setup for camping with groups.

Thanks Paul and Laura for the time and the tour!  And thank you Regan, John, Fred, Julie, Ashley, Katie, Goldie, Steve, Tim, Jacob, David, and Jarrett for allowing me to tour your slide out camper and take pictures!

We Love to Camp!

Do you have a slide out camper?  Are you considering the purchase of a slide out camper?  Which model have you considered, and why?  Do you prefer a motorhome slideout, a fifthwheel slideout or a toyhauler slideout?  If you have already purchased a slide out camper, are you happy with it, or do you wish you had gotten something different?

Please join the conversation about slide out campers!