Slides & Leveling

montanaB · 08-10-2006, 03:30 PM

What is the proper procedure...extend slides, then level or level then slides?

montanaB · 08-10-2006, 03:30 PM

What is the proper procedure...extend slides, then level or level then slides?

JJ Hamick · 08-10-2006, 03:35 PM

I level and then extend my slide. It may just be me but I think you want your coach level before you extend. I do check my level after extending but have not found it out of level yet...

RonTon · 08-10-2006, 03:37 PM

I always level and then extend slides.

rebelsbeach · 08-10-2006, 03:39 PM

montanab, you're going to open a potato/potatoe can of worms here....

Not that it matters, but let me share with the masses your rig type:

RV, Manufacturer: 2006 Winnebago Vectra 40'er

I've heard both sides of this, but I always level the coach and then put the slides out. My reasoning is that the coach being level FIRST creates an "even" platform for the slides to come out, with no danger of twisting....

Funny aside here....You should see them DRIVING the coaches around the paint shop at Forest City with the slides extended!!

GaryKD · 08-10-2006, 03:47 PM

I am the same as rebelsbeach, for the same reasons. Your owners manual may provide additional information.

"007" · 08-10-2006, 04:21 PM

When you level coach level each rail side together meaning front and rear jack on unlevel side first, your yellow light, until light goes out or moves to other side than front and rear jack opposeing side rail until light goes out. Always move jacks in pairs so as to not twist the coach platform. When coach is leveled this way slides will move so the floor of slide will not gouge a grove into your floor. The slide rollers will move evenly over the level floor.
If you are low in the front or rear move either front or rear jacks in pairs to put off the light. You move in pairs so you do not twist the frame, or flex the frame causing your doors to bind.

rebelsbeach · 08-10-2006, 04:43 PM

montanab most likely has the auto-leveling HWH system in the '06 Vectra....does it all by it's little self.

glenda1908 · 08-10-2006, 04:44 PM

I vote for level then S-l-i-d-e.

For all the reasons given.

FrontRangeRVer · 08-10-2006, 04:56 PM

If all fails, read your Winnebago owners manual which says to level, then slide...

Auto level here...push one button...and it does the rest automatically

GStream40 · 08-10-2006, 05:46 PM

I always push auto level, go outside and do the other things needed and then the wife extends all the slides.

That is what Gulf Stream recommends, level first, then extend slides.

Ron

Hikerdogs · 08-10-2006, 06:35 PM

According to the HWH rep at the Winnebago Rally last month the coach should be leveled before extending the main body slides (those with the outdoor storage cabinets attached). The bedroom slides can be extended at any time whether the coach is level or not.

NeilV · 08-10-2006, 06:36 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FrontRangeRVer:
If all fails, read your Winnebago owners manual which says to level, then slide...

Auto level here...push one button...and it does the rest automatically </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I went with reading the manual first, which as stated above is level first then extend. They can't fault you in a warrenty claim if you go by the book.

Regards,

traveler of california · 08-11-2006, 07:41 AM

My Winnie manual says to level and then extend.

Nick, Journey '01

John_Canfield · 08-11-2006, 09:50 AM

We learned our current procedure the hard way. Our format is to level first and then extend slides unless we encounter a very out of level site.

We had the coach at Iron Horse RV in San Antonio to have the Howard steering product installed this May and we were able to stay in their parking lot while the work was being done. The parking area was sloped quite a bit down to the front and rolled off to the side as well. Our automatic levelling control does NOT handle this type of situation very well but it tries the best it can. After levelling as best we could (I think I took over and did it manually) we extended the slides and there was some obvious frame twisting because the living room slides sounded horrible while we were extending them.

They were binding up due to the twisted frame because we never could fully level (but level enough for the fridge.) We since learned to put out the two living room slides first when we have a very pronnounced out of level situation. This is a very unusual situation fortunately.

rebelsbeach · 08-11-2006, 12:33 PM

On the way to the National Rally in Sevierville we encountered the worst space we've ever tried to put a coach in...The site was waay out of level from front to back and thus we weren't able to get level.
To add insult to injury, when it came time to leave the next morning, we had to BACK out of the site and use the lower road....This site was the last site on a "bluff" and the steep angle down would've taken us right through some low hanging branches.

As it that wasn't bad enough,we were forced to drive through some real low hanging branches on the exit road as well...

Maybe at 13' I'm a little higher than most, but the consensus of the rest of the overnighters there with us was the campground needed to do a little pruning.
The campground was the Kingsport KOA....if height is an issue for you, I'd recommend passing it by.

Sometimes I wonder if these people actually have any idea of what they're doing...

smlranger · 08-11-2006, 02:19 PM

Bob:

You mean it was tighter than Walnut Hills??