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11-08-2016, 11:59 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumming
Posts: 117
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Seneca Leveling and Slides
While going through our orientation before taking delivery of our seneca, the technician said to put out our slides and then deploy the leveling jacks. This is the opposite of what I've done in the past with my Greyhawk, so I made sure to clarify what he said and it confirmed that the slides come out b/f the jacks. Once I got home I started looking over the manuals and the jayco manual for the coach does say to put out the slides first. When I picked up the manual for the slide mechanism it said to only move the slides while the coach is level, which would mean to go with jacks first.
Anyone have any idea which it should be? I suppose I'll have to call Jayco to ask about this again, since it doesn't seem to make sense to me to put out the slides first.
__________________
Current:
2017 Jayco Seneca 37TS
Toad: 2009 Ford Flex
Former:
2015 Jayco Greyhawk 31DS
Toad: 2009 Ford Flex
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11-08-2016, 12:11 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Akron
Posts: 3,191
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I was told to ALWAYS level before deploying slides. Even though they do have big beefy frames, they still flex when parked on uneven ground and can put a bind on the slides.
__________________
Rob R.
Akron, OH
2014 Seneca 37TS
Toads: 2019 Ford Edge ST or 2013 Ford Focus ST
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11-08-2016, 12:26 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Kingman AZ and where our Seneca is today.
Posts: 3,112
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I agree with Rob.. We level first, then once that is settled... the Slides come out. If you have to make an adjustment in how the Auto-level finished, you could really bounce the slides. And of course - Slides all in before retracting the Level system.
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11-08-2016, 03:42 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Panama City
Posts: 567
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"Make sure the motor home is level before operating the slideout room." Page 59, 2017 Seneca Owner's manual.
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11-08-2016, 03:48 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Panama City
Posts: 567
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Hmmm...looks like the 2017 Owners manual is contradicting itself. On page 45, the following appears:
"NOTE: All slide-out rooms should be fully extended prior to leveling
the motor home; rooms out, jacks down. Raise the jacks before
retracting the slide-out rooms."
Might be worth a call to Jayco to clarify.
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11-08-2016, 04:00 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Akron
Posts: 3,191
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You really have to wonder who writes and who reviews our manuals before they are published. Certainly not the first conflicting instructions we have heard in this forum.
Also makes it difficult if someone has a problem and the service people ask "Did you follow the instructions in the Owner's manual?"..........!
I now would be very interested in what Jayco has to say about the slides and the discrepancies. But regardless, I don't think you can go wrong leveling then deploying.
__________________
Rob R.
Akron, OH
2014 Seneca 37TS
Toads: 2019 Ford Edge ST or 2013 Ford Focus ST
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11-08-2016, 04:16 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Panama City
Posts: 567
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbbyr
You really have to wonder who writes and who reviews our manuals before they are published. Certainly not the first conflicting instructions we have heard in this forum....
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The same individual who specs the screws...hahaha. Gotta maintain a sense of humor.
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11-08-2016, 07:52 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Grove City, OH
Posts: 238
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I agree with Rob and the others - we level first, then operate the slides. However, to make things interesting, my coach has a sticker on the control panel which says this "NOTICE: Unit may need to be leveled before and after extending slideouts."
How is that for contradiction?
__________________
Ty & Deb Montag
Columbus, OH
2015 Jayco Seneca 36FK
2014 Honda CR-V toad
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11-09-2016, 09:46 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumming
Posts: 117
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Thanks to all
I will contact Jayco to get their position, but it doesn't seem logical to extend slides before leveling to me.
__________________
Current:
2017 Jayco Seneca 37TS
Toad: 2009 Ford Flex
Former:
2015 Jayco Greyhawk 31DS
Toad: 2009 Ford Flex
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11-09-2016, 10:58 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: North Central Texas
Posts: 428
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Ty said...
"However, to make things interesting, my coach has a sticker on the control panel which says this "NOTICE: Unit may need to be leveled before and after extending slideouts."
How is that for contradiction?"
Ty, your statement isn't a contradiction. When the heavier slides are extended there may be some lean introduced and some tweaking might be necessary to get level again. Also, I'm finding that the air suspension doesn't let all the air out during the leveling process. After a few days the "level" changes a bit.
__________________
Walt
2019 Renegade Valencia 38RW
Gone: 2015 Jayco Seneca / 2010 Tiffin RED / ...
Toads: 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited / 2012 Kia Soul
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11-09-2016, 12:31 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Akron
Posts: 3,191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WaltW
Ty, your statement isn't a contradiction. When the heavier slides are extended there may be some lean introduced and some tweaking might be necessary to get level again. Also, I'm finding that the air suspension doesn't let all the air out during the leveling process. After a few days the "level" changes a bit.
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I agree about the air suspension affecting the ultimate level, one "trick" I employ seems to help with that issue. Before I put out slides and actually "level" the coach, I chock my front wheels and then put my Bigfoot system into the manual mode. Then I lift the rear as high as it will go, this "bleeds" most of the air from the rear air bags. I leave it up until all of the "hissing" of escaping air stops. Sometimes I have to retract the jacks and do this twice since air in the truck's tank tries to refill the air springs when I let it down the first time. After completed I retract the rear jacks and level the coach normally. Seems to help keep it from changing much over time and helps keep it from raising the front end too high when leveling.
__________________
Rob R.
Akron, OH
2014 Seneca 37TS
Toads: 2019 Ford Edge ST or 2013 Ford Focus ST
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11-09-2016, 12:36 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,036
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With our former motorhome and air brakes and bags we would push the brake pedal several times to drain the air and bags before leveling with the hydraulic jacks.
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11-09-2016, 12:45 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Akron
Posts: 3,191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abarkl
With our former motorhome and air brakes and bags we would push the brake pedal several times to drain the air and bags before leveling with the hydraulic jacks.
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Would probably work on newest Senecas with air brakes, mine has hydraulic brakes so a no-go for me.
Have even considered adding an "air dump" solenoid, but that potentially introduces a failure point.
__________________
Rob R.
Akron, OH
2014 Seneca 37TS
Toads: 2019 Ford Edge ST or 2013 Ford Focus ST
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11-09-2016, 12:51 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Kingman AZ and where our Seneca is today.
Posts: 3,112
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Oh... and another thing to consider.. When we are packing up and getting ready to depart - We make sure and start the engine and build Air Pressure up before we retract the leveler. My Fleet Manager told me to avoid putting my suspension on empty Air Bags.
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11-09-2016, 01:00 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,036
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbbyr
Have even considered adding an "air dump" solenoid, but that potentially introduces a failure point.
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Our diesel pusher had an air dump solenoid and switch on the dash but it was a momentary switch and it took forever the one time we tried to drain the entire system using it.
Pumping the brake pedal with the air brakes and bags was quick and effective.
P.S. That motorhome manufacturer also had the same instructions specifically stated; level the coach and then deploy the slides.
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11-09-2016, 01:05 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,036
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SloPoke
Oh... and another thing to consider.. When we are packing up and getting ready to depart - We make sure and start the engine and build Air Pressure up before we retract the leveler. My Fleet Manager told me to avoid putting my suspension on empty Air Bags.
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Always a good idea with an air bag suspension.
The steps we always used and use today (except we don't have air today);
Park
(drain system air deflating air suspension)
Deploy levelers
Deploy slides
Retract slides
(start engine and build full pressure)
Retract levelers
Drive
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11-10-2016, 06:48 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 880
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We normally put the slides out before leveling. Every once in awhile things will get binded because we are sitting so un-level and we have to level first. So we level first, put the slides out and then re-level. The idea is don't force anything and take a moment to think about what is going on.
Also have had to do the same thing bringing in slides once or twice.
__________________
Smooth Sailing,
Ric and Jan Golding
Southern Illinois
2016 Jayco Seneca 37FS
2016 Chevrolet Traverse
2018 Cheverolet Silverado
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11-13-2016, 09:50 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Elk city
Posts: 186
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Yep, I would like the low down on this too!
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11-14-2016, 03:19 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 2,872
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We always took it to mean level, slide/pop out, stabilize. Not having the stabs down allowed a little movement. The issue seems to be that at times the industry sometimes uses leveling and stabilizing synonymously.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
__________________
2017 JayFlight 21QB
2021 Ford F150 SCrew 3.5 Eco, 157”, 3.55, Tow Pkg
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03-06-2017, 07:13 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Manchester Center
Posts: 1,519
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Did anyone ever get clarification from Jayco on the contradiction in the manual? level first then extend slides vs the manual stating slide first then level.
Just wanted to see if anyone had gotten a response before I attempt to find out.
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