Trailer layout idea for Heartland . . .

Just an idea I thought to toss into the ring . . .

As many know, we've been thinking about upgrading to a new Heartland trailer . . . be it a bumper-pull or a 5th-wheel!

We now have a 2013 Heartland Trail Runner 22RK, which we love, but for other reasons we are thinking of an upgrade!

Now, the main reason we chose our current Trail Runner was because of the rear kitchen . . . plus the two entrance doors!



However, the clincher was the fact that when the slideout was in, you can still walk through the trailer!

Now, every single one of the new Heartlands we've looked at in the last few weeks, the only way to get through the trailer with the slides in was to crawl over something . . . be it the kitchen island or other furniture!

Or, with the slides in, the TV (television) is behind the slideout and can't be used.

Now, we use our trailer a lot where it is parked in our side yard as an extra bedroom for out-of-town visitors and such, but where we park it there is not enough room to put the slide out.

Or when on the road, often one might want to stay the night without unhooking and setting up the trailer and just go back there for a night's sleep!

Which means that any of the new trailers we've been looking at would not be as functional as our current trailer when parked.

So I'm wondering if the designers ever think about stuff like this . . . and if they don't, well maybe this post might get them to thinking about this issue when designing a new trailer layout!

After all . . . there are times when we need to use our trailers when we don't want to (or can't) put out the slides!

Any other thoughts on this?

I think HL's rationale is that the RV is intended to be used fully open. That said, in our 32RL, we have access to the kitchen/frig, dining area (we have the booth), the bedroom, and the bath. Like your situation, we don't have access to the RV/living room without the slides open but we're comfortable with that.

For the evening's entertainment, we do have a TV in the bedroom with a DVD player or have card and board games stored under the bench seats in the dining room.

TxCowboy said:

I think HL's rationale is that the RV is intended to be used fully open. That said, in our 32RL, we have access to the kitchen/frig, dining area (we have the booth), the bedroom, and the bath. Like your situation, we don't have access to the RV/living room without the slides open but we're comfortable with that.

For the evening's entertainment, we do have a TV in the bedroom with a DVD player or have card and board games stored under the bench seats in the dining room.

Click to expand...

Actually, in our current trailer, we do have access to everything when the slide is in!

The living room is half the size and it is kind of a tight squeeze to get through the bathroom door . . . but still doable!

And the living room TV is still viewable with the slide in or out.



We also have a TV in the bedroom as well . . .

I'm just thinking that being able to fully use the trailer when the slides are in would be an option that not only myself, but many others, would be interested in.

Like maybe pulling into a rest area to take a nap . . . putting out the slides at a rest area would probably cause the powers that be to make you move on!

Our Elkridge 29RSKA is fully usable with the slides in - other than the TV is behind a slide... but when we stop for lunch, we're not watching TV anyway. We are, however, using the sofa, fridge, sinks and toilet...

Being able to access as much as possible with slides in is a big consideration for us to. We park in the street to load and unload, so we really can't leave the slides out for more than a few minutes at a time - or we risk someone inadvertently driving through them.