# Overcoming Obstacles...



## castalos (Oct 22, 2006)

We are down to two models that we're trying to decide between. Outback 21RS and MaxLite 23RS. Both are basically identical floor plans except the Outback has single size bunks at 22'1" overall length and the MaxLite has double size bunks at 23'3" overall length. Each has it's advantage and it's disadvantages.

The main advantage to me of the Outback 21RS is that DH fits in the rear queen slide. The MaxLite is one inch shorter and at 6'2" that makes a difference.

There are a few things on the Outback 21RS that I'm not fond of and so I'm curious how outback owners have overcome those obstacles (or whether you considered them to be obstacles)...

- Manual vs Automatic slide. I've read LOTs on here about the slide being EASY to operate and that a child could do it. But the fact of it is that yes, the pulling in/out is very easy. But locking it into the in/travel position I could not do. Maybe I'm too short and just didn't have the leverage on getting those braces that hold it in when you travel under the metal brackets. Maybe it's that since the dealers always leave them out that the seals are stiff and it's harder to get in initially. The MaxLite has an automatic slide and so pushing a button is about as easy as it gets. Additionally, after we had retracted and then extended the Outback, the sales person (female) couldn't get the support bracket back on the unit. DH ended up having to help.

- Storage nooks in the bunk area (the MaxLite has cubbies in the lower bunk next to the bunk and the back of the bunk ward they've sectioned off part and made it accessible from the bunk. Plus there is an upper cabinet on top of the bunk ward for the upper bunk child to use)

- No window in the lower bunk (just the solid door). I have two boys little now, but they'll grow and having "equality" in the bunks (storage/lights/windows) is important.

- Step tub vs full tub. My boys (ages 4 & 5) still take baths and they'll fit in a full size tub for a few more years, but they won't fit in a step tub. We take 3 week long trips and thus need at least one bath during the trip.

- Single size bunks vs double size bunks. My boys are already big for their age at 4 & 5. They're going to be big/tall teenagers. Will they still be comfortable in single size bunks once they're grown?

If the Outback's 23RS wasn't SOO much longer (24'11" vs 23'3") we'd consider it. If they had used a full size bed instead of a queen and they didn't put the end table next to the bed they'd save the foot and a half difference. But we're not willing to go over 24' as many of the camgrounds we wish to visit have 24' limits. We'd prefer to be closer to 20'! But haven't found anything with a full time queen bed AND bunks that short. The Outback 21RS is the shortest at 22'1"

Any comments/insights are welcome!
Thanks,
Coleen


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

hey Coleen,

They're both good trailers - we see lots of them. It really comes down to spending some more time in each one, to find out what is going to work for you. Try to imagine yourself cooking lunch, brushing your teeth, getting dressed - all that "normal" stuff you never think about until you have to actually do it inside a trailer!

Good luck!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Tough choice, both are great trailers. My obvious vote would be for an Outback







gee I wonder why









Coleen has some great advice...look at both trailer carefully a few more times and try out all of the stuff. Good luck with your choice

Thor


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Hello Coleen,

We went through the same thing wanting a trailer that is less than 24 feet because I see a lot of campgrounds that list 24' max but we bought the 23RS anyway and we are very happy we did. We have not had a problem parking it in a campground that says 24 foot max in fact I went to several campgrounds that said 24 ft max and measured several of the sites and found some as large as 80' for some reserve America loves that 24 foot max thing so I quit believing them and go out to the campground and check it out for myself.

We really love having 2 queen beds and a bunk and all the storage under the front bed. As far as the manual vs the power slide, I have no problem with the manual one and don't have to worry about it breaking while open. If you are having a hard time with the locking bars then bring a step stool and make a cheater bar to give you the leverage you need to lock it.

Another thing to consider is the holding tank size the Outback had two 40 gallon holding tanks not sure what the Maxlite has???

What ever you decide good luck,


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Well I went to the R/vision web site to look and the Maxlite and have to say they are a OWB (Outback wanna be), they even copied the battery/propane tank cover. I guess when you have a great product everyone else will copy it, glad I have the real thing not a SOB OWB









Edit: I also noticed that the Maxlite 23rs is 31' 1" when pulled out, I can't believe the bed pulls out 10' so I'm betting the 23' 1" length closed is only the Box and not the bumper to hitch length that the Outback 23rs is measuring...







I would go out with a tape measure and check it for my self and I'll bet you will find that both are about the same size.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

The trailer designation is under 24 and thats all you tell anyone but truth be told if you want to be picky on overall camping length you would need to count the rear slide.

Compare, you are already asking questions







, go with what will work for your family and don t mind a bit that we all think the Outback is better









John


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

> Hi Everyone. We are newbies from Michigan. We have an Outback 28rsds that we cant wait to take delivery on. We have only had a pop up so we are feeling a bit ignorant. I thank all of you for all of the great info here. It was this site that helped us decide between this model and the KZ. Happy trails


Coleen,

See, others have made the obvious choice!









Mark


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## castalos (Oct 22, 2006)

N7OQ said:


> Edit: I also noticed that the Maxlite 23rs is 31' 1" when pulled out, I can't believe the bed pulls out 10' so I'm betting the 23' 1" length closed is only the Box and not the bumper to hitch length that the Outback 23rs is measuring...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a typo on an old brochure. It's a 4' extension from the base length.

We did confirm the overall length with a tape measure as some manufacturers don't include the toungue. The Outback 21RS from ball hitch to bumper was about 22'3". MaxLite 23RS was 23'3"

-Coleen


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

You could go Maxlite, but then you'd have to find Maxliters.com


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## castalos (Oct 22, 2006)

skippershe said:


> You could go Maxlite, but then you'd have to find Maxliters.com


It's called R-visioncamping.org - it's there but for all R-vision products and not as active as Outbackers.com that's for sure!

-Coleen


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Coleen said:


> You could go Maxlite, but then you'd have to find Maxliters.com


It's called R-visioncamping.org - it's there but for all R-vision products and not as active as Outbackers.com that's for sure!

-Coleen
[/quote]
Oh sorry! 
Well, they can't be as much fun as we are


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## 4ME (Sep 11, 2006)

Make sure to compare tank sizes to your needs.
I am having the dealer replace the tub for a full one before i take delivery.$400.00
I think the pantry is smaller in the maxlite too.
Everybody will call your trailer SOB and you will have to spray paint over your decals to come to the Rally.(kidding)


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## Camper Man (Jan 12, 2006)

We also chose between the Outback and another R-Vision trailer, the Trail-Lite. We bought the Outback because it seemed better designed with a heavier floor, crowned roof (vs. a flat roof for the Trail-Lite) and the fully enclosed underbelly. However, our friends have had a Max-Lite for several years and they like it fine. They do not have small children so I do not know how it would hold up over time.


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## prevish gang (Mar 19, 2006)

Coleen, we faced the same dilemma until the dealer who sold both told us that he was discontinuing the MaxLites because they were a maintenance nightmare. He said that the Outbacks were put together much better and that although he didn't have anything to fit our criteria that we should get an Outback even if it meant sending us to someone else.

Darlene


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## kmcfetters (May 7, 2005)

GO OUTBACK! We went through the same thing and was told if we could afford an Outback ---get it----built alot better---We have been happy so far!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I'm not fully up to speed on the automatic slide for the bed, but what happens if you have a problem with that. Can you sleep on the bed when it isn't out (you're not suppose with an Outback)

Even worse...what if it fails while you are camping and it won't go back in?

My wife is 5'2" and all of a 110lbs and she can push our slide out back in with no problems. Perhaps your dealer didn't have the bars adjusted correctly and the bed simply wasn't sliding properly..???


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## castalos (Oct 22, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> My wife is 5'2" and all of a 110lbs and she can push our slide out back in with no problems. Perhaps your dealer didn't have the bars adjusted correctly and the bed simply wasn't sliding properly..???


The problem wasn't in the pushing in/out. The problem was latching the bars that hold the slide in while you travel. Maybe it was just that the seals were stiff so it wouldn't close all the way properly? The second time we looked at the Outback, when DH was with me, we didn't even try because there was snow on top.

I was just wondering if it was stiffer initially locking it shut and it "softened" up with time.
-Coleen


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## Camper Man (Jan 12, 2006)

I hope you can visit a dealer (or an Outback owner) and try the rear-slide procedure one more time. The stowage levers take some minor exertion to lock the rear-slide in place, but you should not have any difficulty. (If this was a widespread problem, you'd sure be reading about it here!) My guess is your salesperson just did not have the process down.


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## 4ME (Sep 11, 2006)

Coleen said:


> My wife is 5'2" and all of a 110lbs and she can push our slide out back in with no problems. Perhaps your dealer didn't have the bars adjusted correctly and the bed simply wasn't sliding properly..???


The problem wasn't in the pushing in/out. The problem was latching the bars that hold the slide in while you travel. Maybe it was just that the seals were stiff so it wouldn't close all the way properly? The second time we looked at the Outback, when DH was with me, we didn't even try because there was snow on top.

I was just wondering if it was stiffer initially locking it shut and it "softened" up with time.
-Coleen
[/quote]

I thought about the maxlite with power slide too but figured it was one more thing to break/maintain.
It is a nice feature however it only takes a minute to work one manually.
I did notice the slide was a lot more difficult to operate with the entry door closed (unit is pretty air tight)
It may be that way for the latches too.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Coleen said:


> The problem wasn't in the pushing in/out. The problem was latching the bars that hold the slide in while you travel. Maybe it was just that the seals were stiff so it wouldn't close all the way properly? The second time we looked at the Outback, when DH was with me, we didn't even try because there was snow on top.
> 
> I was just wondering if it was stiffer initially locking it shut and it "softened" up with time.
> -Coleen


Never had an y issue with mine. You want it to have a lot of pressure....just not so much as you can't get it to work. Was the bed ALL the way in? Perhaps it was stuck on something and was still open an inch or so. If it was, that would sure make it hard to get the locking arms in place.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Go with the 23RS - you won't be sorry, and that extra 20 inches isn't really noticeable. We get ours into some pretty tight places and haven't had one problem.

When your kids are older they can fight over who gets the queen bed or the top bunk, and neither one of them will have a window !!


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## Morgueman (Dec 3, 2006)

We compared the MaxLite 23RS to the Outback and chose the Outback. In our opinion, the construction/ fit and finish is much better on the Outback. Compare the cabinet construction, for example, and you will see what I mean. As for the power rear slide... on our last trip, our battery died overnight. Thank god we had a manual rear slide -- what would we have done? No cell phone service, and it snowed overnight to boot!
Laurie


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## Mgonzo2u (Aug 3, 2004)

Coleen,

Buy yourself a little 12" plastic folding step ($10) and you will have all the extra leverage needed to close the Outback slide.

Done deal.

Welcome to Outbacking.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Morgueman said:


> We compared the MaxLite 23RS to the Outback and chose the Outback. In our opinion, the construction/ fit and finish is much better on the Outback. Compare the cabinet construction, for example, and you will see what I mean. As for the power rear slide... on our last trip, our battery died overnight. *Thank god we had a manual rear slide -- what would we have done? No cell phone service, and it snowed overnight to boot!*
> Laurie


If that happens again, just hook up the your truck. While it is VERY slow to charge the battery, it will still provide 12v to the trailer. Might have to start the TV to get full power.


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## castalos (Oct 22, 2006)

Morgueman said:


> As for the power rear slide... on our last trip, our battery died overnight. Thank god we had a manual rear slide -- what would we have done?


Connected the plug to your Tow Vehicle & used the power from the battery of the Tow Vehicle to bring it in.









We learned that when we were dry camping at the Grand Canyon for 5 nights with our 5th wheel and we drained our batteries...

-Coleen


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

The great thing about the manual slide is that it would be hard to accidently open it up with a tree 3" to close and wreck the slide.


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