Another question for 23RB owners

[Atlee]

And this question would apply to any other Jayco owner whose trailer doesn't have a slide.

Do you miss not having a slide? After getting the 23RB, do you wish you had gotten one with a slide?

We sat in one during this past February's RV show in Richmond, VA, and it seemed surprisingly roomy even without the slide. Does this feeling continue, even after being couped up in it for a couple of day due to inclement weather?

I understand the pro and cons of not having a slide. Pro is not having to contend with another mechanism that can break.

Cons include less interior space and lower resale value since most people want slides.

Thanks for any insight you might have.

[JLSheldon]

We've had ours since early May and have used it a few times now. We don't miss the slide at all. Granted, we haven't had to sit in it days in a time due to bad weather, but, for the 2 of us and 2 small dogs it's perfect.

We were very surprised how roomy it felt when we sat it in it at a trailer show as well. When we finally decided on the floor plan, just like you said, we were happy to have one less thing to maintain or break.

So many floor plans with slides require that the TV be covered up by the slideout when it's in or the living area or kitchen is unusable due to the configuration of the furniture/slide. This just seems so silly to us as we expect to often be spending the night in a Walmart or similar situation just passing through where we'd keep the slides in and we'd still want to be able to use the trailer. That's why the 23RB is perfect for us.

[Gharwali]

Atlee:

My wife and I purchased a 2015 RB23 more or less directly from the factory in Middleburg, IN last May. We had seen this RV on a lot before making a decision to buy one where we could get the best deal. The prevailing buying philosophy was KISS, which clearly eliminated anything that expanded in any direction. For one thing, I could not reconcile how I would get an expanding RV down the interstate with part of it hanging out because the slide had broken or failed to function. We are senior, senior citizens and the space available for us and a 100 pound mutt has proven to be more than adequate because Jayco surprisingly offered plenty of storage space in the RB23 design. Fit and functionality have also added to the usefulness of this RV model. We have made many extended trips and continue to complement ourselves with the sensibility of our first RV purchase. Probably, if Jayco can terminate and reverse it's quality control problems within the next couple of years, we'll even buy another RB23.

Gharwali

[Atlee]

What quality control problems?

Originally Posted by Gharwali

Atlee:

My wife and I purchased a 2015 RB23 more or less directly from the factory in Middleburg, IN last May. We had seen this RV on a lot before making a decision to buy one where we could get the best deal. The prevailing buying philosophy was KISS, which clearly eliminated anything that expanded in any direction. For one thing, I could not reconcile how I would get an expanding RV down the interstate with part of it hanging out because the slide had broken or failed to function. We are senior, senior citizens and the space available for us and a 100 pound mutt has proven to be more than adequate because Jayco surprisingly offered plenty of storage space in the RB23 design. Fit and functionality have also added to the usefulness of this RV model. We have made many extended trips and continue to complement ourselves with the sensibility of our first RV purchase. Probably, if Jayco can terminate and reverse it's quality control problems within the next couple of years, we'll even buy another RB23.

Gharwali

[Atlee]

Thanks for replying. As mentioned, I was surprised how much room it seemed to have. It compared favorably to our current Koala 21CS which has a slide, albeit a shallow one at 18". But then I remembered our current trailer is only 7'6' wide with only a space the width of the 3 person sofa giving a net 10" more width while this Jayco is 8' wide the entire length of the trailer.

It certainly doesn't bother me at all that I wouldn't need to worry about a slide mechanism going bad, especially in the extended position.

Originally Posted by JLSheldon

We've had ours since early May and have used it a few times now. We don't miss the slide at all. Granted, we haven't had to sit in it days in a time due to bad weather, but, for the 2 of us and 2 small dogs it's perfect.

We were very surprised how roomy it felt when we sat it in it at a trailer show as well. When we finally decided on the floor plan, just like you said, we were happy to have one less thing to maintain or break.

So many floor plans with slides require that the TV be covered up by the slideout when it's in or the living area or kitchen is unusable due to the configuration of the furniture/slide. This just seems so silly to us as we expect to often be spending the night in a Walmart or similar situation just passing through where we'd keep the slides in and we'd still want to be able to use the trailer. That's why the 23RB is perfect for us.

[Gharwali]

Originally Posted by Atlee

What quality control problems?

Atlee:

Concerning QC, I was writing generally about any activity that produces for consumption a complex product--such as a Jayco RV.

You need only to become a regular reader of this forum to be apprised of the many kinds of QC lapses that are mentioned for examples that defined my initial comment.

Gharwali

[Screwby]

I agree with the KISS side of the argument too. Although I know the slide out would be roomier I didn't want the extra moving parts. Another factor was that I knew if we stopped for a quick sleep break on a road trip (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Cabelas, etc) we didn't need to put the slide out to be functional. I don't like moving parts and didn't like the extra weight and leak potential. I think the taller ceilings, the elite package larger entry door, and layout make the 23RB such a cool "roomie" small trailer.

[FishAr]

23RB was my first new trailer. It didn't take me long to decide I needed more room.
Don't think I could make it anymore without a slide out.

[wilderness john]

We too pondered getting the slide model but opted for the 23rb without a slide. Same comment as others; we didn't want the extra weight and the extra "stuff" to go wrong.

Very happy with the materials and the engineering of the trailer.

While they haven't been anything too major we noticed a good deal of just sloppy workmanship and we echo another's comment that we hope the factory corrects that as we would certainly look more closely at a unit to purchase in the furture.

[Slr120]

I too struggled early on about my purchase of the 2015 23rb until I took a trip last year to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone for 11 nights of fabulous camping. I no longer have any regrets but I do need a bigger truck!

[rtiedeken]

For us, t comes down to need, and want. The 23RB is enough and just right for me, my wife, and our little dog. Its simple, easy to haul with my Sierra 1500, and allows me to pack anything I want ion the bed or trailer storage, and travel with a full water tank when necessary without issues. When we see, or spend time in a trailer w a slide or slides, it certainly is nice to have more space to stretch out, but for us, as of now, it isn't necessary.

Our plan is to upgrade our truck in the next 5 years, in turn upgrading our trailer, for more space, but we could be just fine in our 23RB. Days when the weather is bad, and my wife is cooking, its tight trying get tot eh bathroom, but that is the exception of activity throughout day so its manageable.

Do we WANT more space and slides? Sure, as a luxury item.

Do we NEED more space and slides? No