What are my favorite couple’s trailers that have no slide rooms? This is something more than a few of you have discussed with me and it got me to thinking: What a great idea for an article. I am always surprised by how many of you have shared with me that you would prefer a trailer with no slide room if you could find one you liked.
Here are six trailers that I would likely consider in choosing whatever next follows me around the country. Some of these are budget busters, but there are two more value-focused models at the back.
And, yes, they’re in order of preference (most preferred to least).
Bigfoot B25RQ
Canadian company Bigfoot and their B25RQ take full advantage of the 100-inch width by putting the walk-around queen-sized bed in the back facing east-west.
But one of the other reasons to covet a Bigfoot product is the insulation. These fit into any stereotype you might have of the Great White North, and these are ready for the winters up there.
The company also really sweats details like the suspension and chassis. Talking to a Bigfoot owner in the wild is like speaking with someone wearing mouse ears at Disneyland. They tend to be very passionate.
inTech Terra Oasis
The review of this model is one of the more popular that I’ve done. In fact, I got to see one of these in person in the past few days and I loved it. It’s spacious and was very well made. But I can also see the styling and design of this as being polarizing.
This is a wide-body trailer at 100” in width. The large windshield and open space really make the interior feel spacious.
The model I saw featured a two-burner stove and convection microwave, which would be fine with me.
The width of this trailer also made the bedroom feel very spacious and even someone of my ability to displace water in the pool got around well.
On the downside, there isn’t as much hanging space as some trailers, but that may not matter. Overall, I liked this trailer even more than I thought I would. Also, the build quality was on point.
inTech Terra Oasis full review
Lance 2075
The first time I saw the Lance 2075 at the California RV Show I was smitten, and I continue to be. This model has a big “U”-shaped dinette in back and the bedroom up front. The windows surrounding the dinette open up a full 90° and surround the dinette on three sides, so you could feel like you’re outside without actually being outside.
Further, this has an optional slide-out outdoor kitchen option with a drawer-style fridge and even a sink and stovetop.
Lance is so good at creating compartments for batteries, offering space for three propane tanks and paying close attention to so many details. They’re not cheap, but the people I speak with who own them are very pleased with their purchase.
Safari Condo Alto F2414
Canadian company Safari Condo has a knack for doing things very differently. Their Alto F2414 is an example. Weighing in at about 3,000 pounds yet stretching 24 feet in length, the F2414 almost seems to defy the laws of physics.
That’s until you see the sandwich material the unit is made of—strong and light. It’s dubbed AluFiber.
The only materials used in building the Condo Alto are those on which water has little effect. These include aluminum, AluFiber, plastic, Formica and glass. Inside, the furniture consists largely of aluminum and composite materials. Rigid and ultra-light sandwich panels are integrated into the bed cushions. The entire bed structure is made of aluminum extrusions.
The biggest downside to me is the shower, which exits right into the trailer. Of course, that depends on whom you’re camping with. This could be an advantage. Not for anyone camping with me, though.
Safari Condo Alto A2124 full review
r-pod 201
While some of the previous models are pricey and have wider designs, the r-pod 201 is none of those things. There’s a nifty seating area in the back with a bench on the road side and a recliner near the door.
Being an r-pod, this features a built-in vacuum and even has a fireplace. But the bathroom bisects the trailer and the front bedroom includes a flip-up plastic windshield—just like some of the more expensive models in this group.
Cherokee Grey Wolf 24JS
The folks at Cherokee don’t make the fanciest campers in the business. But they do make models that have a lot of value and some interesting features. As such, the Cherokee Grey Wolf 24JS has the bathroom across the back. There’s also a couch that splits the bedroom from the main living space and, well, that also means there’s a couch.
And a dinette.
Cherokee does an interesting thing with their packaging. These are all wood-framed trailers. But you can either get one with a fiberglass outer skin or the more traditional corrugated aluminum.
It’s a good floor plan with no slides. While I would stop and get better tires on the way home from the RV dealer, these are still a decent value compared to some other offerings on the market today.
Cherokee Grey Wolf 24JS full review
In summary
Someone once said you can’t focus group a Disneyland, and creative, innovative and new designs and experiences have to come from visionaries. With that logic in mind, the creative folks in the RV industry are the ones who know what we want and are building it.
If you just spit your coffee all over your screen after reading that, I apologize.
Every time I’ve suggested to major brands that they should offer at least one no-slide model, maybe two, they tell me that’s not what you want. I’m curious if we’re outliers or if they don’t know what they’re talking about.
And would you bet your job, if you were a designer, that I was right?
(Psst: There’s one more of Tony’s favorite no-slide couple’s campers coming up in tomorrow’s Daily Tips newsletter. Make sure you check back to see what it is! If you’re not subscribed, you can do so here.)
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Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a lifelong RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.
You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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We prefer no slides and ordered a new Casita Liberty Deluxe from the Casita factory in Rice, Texas, when we downsized in 2018. It’s perfect for easy camping and towing.
I also think a no-slide trailer is the way to go. Less to go wrong and we do most of our living outside anyway. We have had our 1998 Casita Deluxe since 2007. I agree–easy camping and towing.
Our RVing is how we get to and stay at our venue-Jack Russell Terrier trials. Yes, we are nuts and hopelessly dedicated to our dogs Our trips usually involve 5 days and we need the space for all the “stuff” we take with us. Also we are the 20% of people who “help” put on the trial while the other 80% enjoy themselves. All of this adds up to a 2006 Tiffin 40QSH DP with 4 slides.
Hello! I hope you have seen the movie “Best in Show”. It is a HILARIOUS comedy/documentary that you as a dog show afficionado would likely appreciate.
Great movie!
I wonder why some RV companies put the dinette in the front of the travel trailer. When you back into a site. You want to see the view in the rear, which could be waterfront property or a long distance view. The lance is nice, but expensive.
We ended up with a Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser 17rwd with no slides (they also make a Vista Cruiser 17rwd non-woody version). It has a rear dinette with the bed up front, and a spacious dry bath on the side. The dry bath is large enough to almost make the bed feel like it’s in it’s own cabin — which we completed by adding a curtain. For us, the dinette really has to be in the rear — that’s where the views of nature (rather than of other campers) almost always are. And the bed up front is needed because it creates the option for one of us to be in bed while the other is up early or late without disturbing the other. There’s no window in the front, which is nice, since we don’t need extra light while sleeping and don’t want to look out at the other campers while in bed (or have them look in at us). There is also an oven, which we do use (since we mostly camp in the shoulder seasons). And the price was right (about half of the Lance 1575 we were originally considering).
Great options, thanks. I, too, never want to deal with all the maintenance of slides or their inherent riskiness.
Intech Terra for the Win. Don’t forget about Airstream 25-27 All Models.