Level then Slides vs Slides then Level?

[hikerjohn7]

I agree your rig should be level before moving slides in or out. I once activated a slide while not level and the extra strain of having to move the slide uphill was audible. Never did it again.

[aplunkett]

On our 2018 339FLQS the rear bedroom slide introduces a slight twist. Our procedure is level, slides out, then level once more.

The second level usually just raises the right rear jack slightly then grounds all jacks.

[Hogpilot]

Originally Posted by ralett

On our 2018 Seneca, the rear slide always hangs if I level before extending that slide. So, rear slide goes out first, then I level, then the front slide goes out. That's what works for our rig...

I do the same. The Schwintec bedroom slide always get out of sync if I level first, then try to put out the bedroom slide on a 2017 37TS.

[Click_here]

Originally Posted by Screwby

Keeps you from smacking your head on the sharp edges of the slide once they are extended.

Oh man, we use them too! Was just about to comment. Having walked around the rear end of our Greyhawk early on and nearly knocking myself out by looking down and head butting the slide edge! Think I still have a scar...

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Hogpilot

I do the same. The Schwintec bedroom slide always get out of sync if I level first, then try to put out the bedroom slide on a 2017 37TS.

From what I have read on Schwintec slides, the main cause of getting out of sync is when they are not fully opened and closed. The instructions say to activated them all the way and then to hold the button down for a second or so after they have bottomed. The motors and gearing are supposedly desigmned to allow this and it keeps them in calibration.

[SFM]

Originally Posted by Ripwild

With the auto-levelers, do you deploy slides then auto-level, or start with auto level and then deploy slides?

Which one, and why?

We are picking up our 2019 Seneca 37TS next week. I too had the same question. Page 45-46 of the 2019 owners manual reads in the note box to deploy slides first then level. I have never done it that way on my previous coaches for all the reasons stated by the other folks. I contacted Jayco and they stated to use the procedure in the manual. The reason given is the weight transfer of opening the slide will tilt the coach after it is leveled if leveled first. That makes sense to me due to the the size and weight of the slides on new coaches. Sometimes years of tradition is interrupted by progress. Just a thought.

[Forelyndogs]

Someone posted that the new owner’s manuals advise extending the slides first and then level. This poster contacted Jayco and was told that the manual was correct because the slides will “unlevel” the coach if the autolevelers have already deployed. In one way this makes sense, yes I cannot help but wonder at the wisdom of extending the slides when the coach is not stable. I have this vision of the whole rig flopping over on its side as the slide goes out. Or the autolevelers going back and forth on each side desperately trying to level the rig because one slide may be much heavier than the other. I think I’ll stick with what my older manual says until I get a new coach with a new manual. Then again, maybe I won’t!!!!

[Yotahilux]

Originally Posted by JimD

1. Generator on (I mostly boondock).

2. Auto level.

3. Extend slide.

4. Raise Direct TV dish.

5. Extend awning.

6. Generator off.

7. Do all the other crap the wife makes me do.

8. Relax.



The reason for running the generator while doing all these things is that the levelers and slide suck a lot of battery juice and I don't want to start my boondocking trip with batteries that are already down a bit.



I also sometimes will adjust my level during the stay. Seems the auto levelers have the front end down just a bit so I bring it up. I have tried the auto leveler calibration but that has never seemed to do anything.

Our TT stays set up so....
1. Unlock door
2. Turn on AC
3. Open Beer
4. Drink Beer
5. Unload truck
6. Avoid DW Jk

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Forelyndogs

Someone posted that the new owner’s manuals advise extending the slides first and then level. This poster contacted Jayco and was told that the manual was correct because the slides will “unlevel” the coach if the autolevelers have already deployed. In one way this makes sense, yes I cannot help but wonder at the wisdom of extending the slides when the coach is not stable. I have this vision of the whole rig flopping over on its side as the slide goes out. Or the autolevelers going back and forth on each side desperately trying to level the rig because one slide may be much heavier than the other. I think I’ll stick with what my older manual says until I get a new coach with a new manual. Then again, maybe I won’t!!!!

I'm not bragging but I am a retired engineer and I think that extending slides when an RV is not level is risky and I am really surprised that any manual would recommend this.

When the coach is leaning either sideways or lengthwise, the slide motors and gears have to work harder to push the very heavy slide structures up the incline. And judging from all the problems RVs have with slides, it's probably not inaccurate to say that slide actuation systems are not designed with a lot of extra capacity.

It's true that, after extending the slides from a level position, under some conditions the RV's level can be affected. On soft ground for instance the levelers on the side with the heaviest slide can sink into the ground slightly. And I have had this happen.

In such cases you would have to make some manual adjustments to the RV's level. It's an inconvenience but it's better than taking the risk of exposing the slide motors and gearing to the extra load of having to pull a slide up an incline.

[SFM]

Originally Posted by hikerjohn7

I'm not bragging but I am a retired engineer and I think that extending slides when an RV is not level is risky and I am really surprised that any manual would recommend this.

When the coach is leaning either sideways or lengthwise, the slide motors and gears have to work harder to push the very heavy slide structures up the incline. And judging from all the problems RVs have with slides, it's probably not inaccurate to say that slide actuation systems are not designed with a lot of extra capacity.

It's true that, after extending the slides from a level position, under some conditions the RV's level can be affected. On soft ground for instance the levelers on the side with the heaviest slide can sink into the ground slightly. And I have had this happen.

In such cases you would have to make some manual adjustments to the RV's level. It's an inconvenience but it's better than taking the risk of exposing the slide motors and gearing to the extra load of having to pull a slide up an incline.

Not here to debate the issue since I don’t think a blanket statement of always level then slide would be applicable. I do agree that from my structural background and owning a fabrication business that to level the coach first sounds the most reasonable on the surface. Maybe the Jayco engineers are holding out a secret to keep their jobs?????

Question is, if RV owner X goes to dealer Y with a broken slide and Dealer Y ask what happen and said RV owner X explains he leveled the unit then put out the slides. Can Jayco deny warranty coverage since the written procedure was not followed for proper operation of the slides. Just thinking out load again.

[DrSmart]

Auto level, then slides out. If trailer becomes unlevel after slides are out, just hit auto level again. That way slides were initially extended when the trailer was level, which should be best scenario.