Concerns about head of bed in slide out?

[Bradski]

This is a query directed specifically to owners of the "G class" toy hauler travel trailers that have the main bedroom slide into which the upper half of the bed is fitted. I was pretty much settled on buying one of these units for my first RV, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've become wary of the bed-in-slide layout.

I'd really appreciate feedback from people who have experience with this aspect of these particular models (or expertise / experience with GD slides generally).

I basically have three concerns:

First and most obvious, while sleeping in the bed the upper half of your body is outside the main structure of the trailer and contained only in the structure of the slide.
The slide construction and insulation is surely at least somewhat less robust than the trailer walls and roof. Also the top of the slide, and therefore the "ceiling" above the sleepers is a foot or more lower than the trailer roof - that is, closer to the occupants heads.

So it would seem, even if the slide gaskets are super tight, that a hard night rain would make much more racket over your head, that a cold night would be even a bit colder, and a howling midnight wind around that slide would be especially unpleasant, if not even scary.

Also, if you stop at a rest area on a cross-country trip for a nap, it appears that the slide just about has to be extended, which is something you might not want to do in that circumstance unless you can find parking where no vehicles are whizzing by or maneuvering to park on that side.

And if it's a hot summer day, would the slide area get hotter than the inside of the trailer?


Second, and especially if dry camping in cold or heat, the generator is directly below the slide. Even if the noise and vibration of the generator is totally contained, and I understand it is not, the idea of sleeping directly above the exhaust from the generator gives me the creeps.
So the choice seems to be in that circumstance to run down batteries, sleep right on top of an operating generator, or be hot or cold?


Last, the bed / slide layout requires that the mattress be able to bend (almost in half in the 21G, it appears), which makes upgrading the mattress a considerably more difficult proposition.


Sorry to seem so negative - there are many things about these models that are really appealing!
I have a 3/4 ton truck and can't have the pickup bed blocked by a fifth wheel hitch anyway so that's not an option.

Unless I hear from current owners that these concerns are really unrealistic, I may wait to see if some day GD makes a toy hauler TT with a more traditional front bedroom layout.

Thanks in advance!

[cookinwitdiesel]

The insulation and construction should be comparable to the RV sidewalls. I have a bed-in-slide in my fifth wheel and have zero issues with temperature. I have a slide topper awning so wind can be noisy but rain wont be - trade off. I WOULD expect to hear the generator, but how much would you need to run it while sleeping?

Just a couple thoughts that come to mind.

[Subvet0615]

Bradski,

Your concerns are valid.
I own a 21G and have spent 64 nights in it.
When it rains, yes it is noisier in the slide than the main roof but I haven't noticed that the wind is any noisier. When an acorn dropped on the slide roof I sat up like I heard a gun shot.

Had a problem with condensation moisture under the mattress when camping in cool outdoor temperatures (37 deg. and raining) so I cut and installed one inch foam board under the mattress and sides (mattress height) of the mattress to cut down on the moisture. I also had this problem in a previous TT where the mattress was over an unheated pass through storage space. Have not noticed that it is any cooler or hotter in the slide area.

With the generator under the bed and exhaust under the slide I will not run the generator while sleeping in the slide out bed. If I needed to run the generator I would probably sleep on the folded out sofa with a window cracked open on the side opposite the generator. Also will use the sofa for nap so don't have to extend slide.

I installed two batteries so I could run the heater at night if needed.
If warm I just run the generator and a/c to cooldown the trailer and turn it off prior to bedtime. I am also installing a fantastic fan that I can run at night off batteries to get air flow through window at head of bed once it cools down outside at night.

The main problem we have with the 21G is lack of storage space. Small closet and not many cabinets. To get around this problem we use plastic totes sized to fit under the sofas, three on each side tied down. Also have four shallow plastic totes that stack in the outside storage. Only problem is what I need is usually in the bottom tote.

This is our seventh RV. We like the 21G. Shortest toy hauler with a semi-walk-around bed.
We shopped for over 6 months before we settled on the 21G. We purchased it for the generator, water capacity, and space.
Did a trip to Alaska in 2018 with a 30 foot 5W. Decided that we wanted a smaller TT better setup for camping at Canadian PP parks. Had a 58 day trip back through Canada planned. Would have left last Wednesday. Just cancelled our 3 nights at Liard R. Hot Springs. Also have a 38 day circle tour around Lake Superior planned for September. Doubt we'll make that one either.

There are a couple RV brands out there that make a toy hauler TT without a slide but they are to long for me.

Hope I answered some of your questions.

[Bradski]

Thanks very much for these thoughtful and very helpful replies!

Larry & Paula,
If I may, two more questions. Are you satisfied with the stock mattress as is or have you figured out a way to improve upon it with a bendable topper or something?
And if you have the slide out in the daytime and the generator running, have you ever smelled exhaust fumes in the bedroom?

Thanks again, and all the best with your travel plans this year!

[Subvet0615]

Bradski,

We have added a one inch foam topper to the mattress, and plan to add an additional one inch foam topper. The mattress is enclosed in a mattress bag.
Had to add a bungee cord to prevent the mattress from sliding off the base during travel.

We have dry camped only 8 days and ran the generator twice during each day with the slide extended to recharge batteries. Never smelled any exhaust fumes in the bedroom area.

One problem I haven't resolved yet is the dumping / siphoning of water from the FW tanks when driving and especially right hand turns and curves. I have a plan but have not done it yet.

If you haven't already, you might want to do a search of this entire forum for 21G and read through all the problems identified by myself and other owners.

[boyscout]

This is a query directed specifically to owners of the "G class" toy hauler travel trailers that have the main bedroom slide into which the upper half of the bed is fitted. I was pretty much settled on buying one of these units for my first RV, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've become wary of the bed-in-slide layout. I'd really appreciate feedback from people who have experience with this aspect of these particular models (or expertise / experience with GD slides generally). I basically have three concerns:

First and most obvious, while sleeping in the bed the upper half of your body is outside the main structure of the trailer and contained only in the structure of the slide. The slide construction and insulation is surely at least somewhat less robust than the trailer walls and roof. Also the top of the slide, and therefore the "ceiling" above the sleepers is a foot or more lower than the trailer roof - that is, closer to the occupants heads. So it would seem, even if the slide gaskets are super tight, that a hard night rain would make much more racket over your head, that a cold night would be even a bit colder, and a howling midnight wind around that slide would be especially unpleasant, if not even scary. Also, if you stop at a rest area on a cross-country trip for a nap, it appears that the slide just about has to be extended, which is something you might not want to do in that circumstance unless you can find parking where no vehicles are whizzing by or maneuvering to park on that side. And if it's a hot summer day, would the slide area get hotter than the inside of the trailer?

Second, and especially if dry camping in cold or heat, the generator is directly below the slide. Even if the noise and vibration of the generator is totally contained, and I understand it is not, the idea of sleeping directly above the exhaust from the generator gives me the creeps. So the choice seems to be in that circumstance to run down batteries, sleep right on top of an operating generator, or be hot or cold?

Last, the bed / slide layout requires that the mattress be able to bend (almost in half in the 21G, it appears), which makes upgrading the mattress a considerably more difficult proposition. Sorry to seem so negative - there are many things about these models that are really appealing! I have a 3/4 ton truck and can't have the pickup bed blocked by a fifth wheel hitch anyway so that's not an option.

Had a Reflection, now a Solitude, both with bed-in-slide. Love it.

Yes, you can hear heavy rain... we don't hate that. On our Solitude we have slide-toppers - they reduce the noise of the rain considerably, almost disappointing for us.

We don't notice your other concerns about wind, cold, heat, noise; the slides are pretty much as solid as the other parts of the trailer. We LOVE having windows beside our heads on both sides of the bed - fresh air cross-breezes, look out easily, light in the morning.

At stops where we don't put out the slide someone climbs across the bed to their side - maybe it's not a big deal for me because it's my wife that climbs across but she doesn't complain.

We don't have a generator, but it seems to me that being out the side of the trailer instead of directly over top of the generator as in some front-bed models would be a good thing, not a bad thing.

Finally, I don't understand your mattress-bend-in-half point. We have storage under our bed and to access it we lift the end of the bed, bending the mattress about 45 degrees. If that's what you mean, it's not a problem for us and we have a "real" mattress, a quality foam mattress (Casper) that's well over twice as thick and heavy as the junk factory mattress.

Hope this helps.

[Subvet0615]

boyscout,

The G models have a slide out on front left, street side, the entire bed does not slide out, only half. The bathroom is located on the right side.
The generator is located in an insulated box under the bed. When bed slide extended the generator exhaust is discharging directly under the head half of the bed.
To retract the slide the mattress must be folded over. Its just like the bed slides in a lot of the class B motorhomes

[Bradski]

Well, it sounds like the construction and insulation of the slide are not really a problem, nor is the generator position and exhaust a deal breaker.
Thanks to everyone above for your perspectives. I appreciate the help!

Will do further searches on both the 21G and 25G, which are the likely models for me.

Currently, there is a new 2019 21G available that a nearby dealer clearly wants off the lot, along with a 2020 25G.
No doubt some 2021s coming at some point, too.

Of course, right now seeing the units in the flesh and metal, not to mention making a deal and getting a first time RV owner (me) all checked out are challenges!

[Subvet0615]

Bradski.

I read in your first post that your tow vehicle is a 3/4 ton. That's good. The weight sheet for our 21G (located with all the other papers) showed that the hitch weight was 1150 pounds when our 21G left the factory. That was before the addition of two full propane tanks and two batteries. I didn't see the weight sheet until I got home. I let the dealer send me on down the road with a Equalizer (2 point) 1000 / 10000 # hitch which wasn't adequate for the high hitch weight. I purchased an Equalizer (4 point) 1400 / 14000 which works well.

[Bradski]

Larry & Paula,
That's a great tip - something I'll have to watch carefully.
I had noticed the hitch info in your signature and wondered if you had too heavy a hitch for your trailer. Obviously not so!
Thanks again.
- Brad