Slides

steves903

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Jan 28, 2024
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Location
Saint Croix Falls
We own a 2021 Keystone Arcadia 3660 and are taking our first trip to Florida with it in the coming weeks. We plan to stay in truck stops at night and are concerned about having the slide out for the bedroom and losing it to a passing truck. I've read that you should not sleep on the bed without the slide extended and looking for opinions from the thousands of people that make this trek every year. Is it a valid concern having the slide extended in the truck stops and does anyone sleep on the bed with the slide retracted?
 
Keystone specifically advises against putting any added weight on a slide unless it is fully extended. If it were me, and I had no other choice than to overnight at a truck-stop (basically hell would have to freeze over), I would just use the sleeper-sofa and keep everything pulled in nice and snug.
 
Thanks for the reply. This is what I had read about sleeping on the bed with the slide retracted. Do you have any suggestions for overnight stops? Considered Cracker Barrell and Wal Marts??
 
Truck stops are NOT where you want to "try" to sleep !!!!!

Between trucks coming and going ALL NIGHT LONG, and when they do park, usually idle their truck for heat or cooling while they sleep 3 or 4 hours, then leave for the next leg of their trip. So, sitting next to them, whether you extend the slide or not, you WILL NOT be getting any "restful sleep"....

Cracker Barrel is a bit better, until that 4AM dump truck empties their "clanging lid dumpster" (right next to where you're parked)...

WalMart often gets their shipments between 2AM and 6AM (ask me how I know), so sleeping there often means an "early departure since we're already awake"....

Some Lowe's offer a place to sleep, but if you arrive after the store closes, you may get a police officer knocking on the door at midnight, telling you it's against the law to park at that particular Lowe's due to some local ordinance, not a Lowe's policy....

So, while we've used "free parking lots to sleep" over the years, I honestly can't recall any one of them where we got a "really great restful night"...

That makes the next day's drive just that much longer and more stressful and when you do finally get to a place you can take a hot shower, sit and watch TV with the air conditioner keeping you cool, then sleeping in a QUIET bedroom all night long without interruptions.... To me, that's worth the price of admission over saving that few dollars by sleeping next to an idling semi or a "lid clanging dumpster"....

As always, YMMV and I may end up staying overnight in a WalMart parking lot if it's the only place around, but it no longer is my "preferred means of resting while towing"....
 
Thanks for the reply. This is what I had read about sleeping on the bed with the slide retracted. Do you have any suggestions for overnight stops? Considered Cracker Barrell and Wal Marts??

Depending on your floorplan, if your sofa bed is in the slide..... Well, there goes that bed too ..... and even then, on most of the sofa beds that are not in slides, the slides prevent opening the bed unless you extend the adjoining slides... So... Danged if you do and danged if you don't ....
 
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You may want to look at Harvest Hosts or Boondockers Welcome as an option. We stayed at a Walmart ONCE, but as John mentioned, noise was too much (for us it was street sweepers at 4am.)
 
Our sofa bed is not accessible without the slides out. Life's an adventure, so this is going to be ab adventure. I do appreciate the input from those who have learned from their experiences!
 
I guess I'm on the other side of the coin.
Sleeping at truck stops with slides open has not really been a problem for us.
Done it many times, in many different state locations. A lot...not all...truck stops have warmed up to RVers hanging out for ONE (1) evening of rest.

A couple things tho, you have to get in early (before dark sits in) and I always first attempt to find an "end cap" as I call them so you can move to one side of the slot and not have any worries about slides out or stairs being down.
I will say tho, one time we got into a TS late, I was tired, she was cranky and rolled thru to find only one slot left. And it was an end cap! Backed her in and rolled out the slide and was asleep before before the first deep breath.
Woke up the next morning and went for my usual walk around to check tires and what have you and on the fence behind us was a sign that said RESERVED parking! :hide:
After the missus did a little research the next morning as she usually does when things seem amiss (no pun intended). She finds out that TS we were at only had reserved spaces for those who purchased X number amount of fuel and/or other goods at their stop. No one bothered us and we woke refreshed...and got our butts out of there before anyone knew any better. Security never bothered us and they had a heavy presence circling the lot so I guess I just chalk that one up to our guardian angel.....again!;)
We still have an occasional laugh about that one. Due diligence is probably paramount when deciding to nap at a TS. Like I said...we were tired.
I drove coast to coast a few years back and slept in many so the noise doesn't bother me or her. If there were a fire in the coach and the alarm went off I'd still have wake her to get up and moving. :LOL:

We usually try to pick one with some half decent grub and coffee for the morning. More times than not I'm heading to the pumps in the morning to fill up for days haul. So it's a trade off. Kind of like the HH thing.
Can't tell you how many times I've had truck drivers stop me walking to or from the rig or at the pumps want to know where we're headed, how much this or that costs, are we full timers, etc...etc. Just like other RVers at camps, parks or other places to stay you'll run into a rotten apple that gives you the glare! I just give it right back! :whistling:
Walmart...no problems. A lot of them have NO overnight parking signs up. We've always went inside asked for the manager on duty, let him/her see us face to face and ASK for permission. 99 times out of 100 they tell the story that the "city...county...whatever jurisdiction they're in" asked Walmart to put the signs up. They generally go to tell that they are NEVER enforced and they'll tell us which end of the parking lot they prefer we park at.
Cracker Barrel...generally don't care for. Small areas to park and not all have spots. Good breakfast tho!
:popcorn:
 
+1 on Harvest Host, just renewed my membership. We use these extensively in our travels
 
We have made the Wisconsin to Florida trip several times, but we always opt to overnight in campgrounds. I couldn't sleep well in a business parking lot, and for sure in a truck stop. Luckily our layout gives us full bed and bathroom access even with the bedroom slide in if I don't want to set up for the night. Definitely keep those slides in if you opt for a truck stop though!
 
I use an App called RVPARKY. I stay at Walmarts, Cracker Barrel and several other spots. The App will indicate if you can stay overnight. My Fifth Wheel bed is in front and does not require the slide to be extended. It does mean that you have to crawl over instead of walk around. However, we usually run the slides out. Have traveled over 35000 miles in 4 years.
 
Not yet mentioned is parking "on the edge of the lot" with slides extended over the grass so not to take up parking space at the business.....

WATCH CAREFULLY !!!!! Many WalMart lots have sprinkler systems located against the concrete curbing (hidden in the grass) to keep all that green stuff green.... Usually they water in the early morning hours to prevent solar evaporation.... Extend your slide over the sprinkler and you're going to be "dripping wet under the slide" when you get ready to retract it into the coach and get your early morning start.... Then, come parking time that afternoon, your carpet is going to be soaking wet when you extend the slide to relax.....

LOOK FOR SPRINKLERS IF YOU PARK AGAINST THE CURB... you might just "outsmart yourself if you don't".....
 
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We own a 2021 Keystone Arcadia 3660 and are taking our first trip to Florida with it in the coming weeks. We plan to stay in truck stops at night and are concerned about having the slide out for the bedroom and losing it to a passing truck. I've read that you should not sleep on the bed without the slide extended and looking for opinions from the thousands of people that make this trek every year. Is it a valid concern having the slide extended in the truck stops and does anyone sleep on the bed with the slide retracted?

Never a good idea to stay overnight in a truck stop. The spots are generally for the professional drivers. Do yourself a favour and look at Harvest Hosts for overnight stays. I use them extensively when traveling from Toronto to final destinations in the Southwest.
 
No problem

I have a Cougar 333mks (successor to the Cougar 359MBI), and routinely sleep in the master slide when closed. Both models have rollers on the foot so supported open or closed. Zero issues. I like Loves (most have dedicated spots), and the new/remodels have some mini campgrounds with water and electric, and access to their dump site. So I can cook my own dinner and breakfast in comfort. Very reasonable all locations I have stopped. And I sleep well in any conditions.
 
A friend just slept at a truck stop in a small sports car and in the night had the whole side of his car ripped by a truck backing up They do not expect obstructions outside the white lines so if you do stay park with the slide extended onto the grass etc
 
When you're using the larger through frame slide-outs, it's true about trying to stay off of the floors unless they are extended. But bedroom slides, in most cases are on rollers. The slide-out mechanisms only assist for going in and out. The slide box is fully supported, either all the way in or out. Feel free to use the bed. As a side note, if you do extend the slides, if they use the Schwintek motor system (Tracks on the upper and lower box wall), always either extend or retract the slide-out completely. And hold the button for at least 3-5 seconds after it stops. This will help keep your slide-out motors in sync with each other.
 
On a recent trip to Florida we stayed a a Loves truck stop twice where they had designated parking for RV's. Have also stayed at Pro Bass where they had designated RV parking.
I have also installed reflective stickers [red and white] on the sides of my slide-outs for night time visibility.
 

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