Slideouts or leveling first?

[kpecks]

Originally Posted by NWIP

Without restating everything again, I was during the build the slides are installed and squared With the coach at ride height. Once told this things seemed to make a little more sense, gap should be consistent providing on level ground. Best chance for all to go well when operating slide. When at factory they always brought coach back to ride height before closing slides.

So, basically, to close up the coach up to move, air up, retract jacks, then retract slides in?

Also, i have been extending the two door side slides before extending FWS in order to balance weight better. Since I’m still fairly new to the newmar, it feels like each spot would be different. It does make sense to extend slides while coach is aired up. Problem is the coach dumps air when jacks come down. Assuming slides are locked in, I don’t think it will matter or cause damage?

[JimmyB2]

Because of this thread I thoroughly read the 2006 HR Admiral (30 foot gas) owner's manual and found this on page 120:
To extend the slide out room:
Move driver seat forward
Confirm there is ............
>
>
>
If equipped, extend additional slide-out rooms
Level the motorhome with the leveling system

So that is what I am doing

[Mr_D]

Why not just follow the manufacturers instructions? They engineered and built the unit so they would have the best instructions!

[Stuart W]

Originally Posted by kpecks

So, basically, to close up the coach up to move, air up, retract jacks, then retract slides in?

I retract the jacks, start the engine, wait for the air regulator to pop off (full pressure), then bring the slides in.

When I get there, extend the slides, dump the air, deploy the jacks

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

Newmar's instructions and official position is slideouts first then leveling. When I queried them the answer was basically 1) the engineers want to avoid any twisting/stressing on the frame and slideouts, and 2) this is really important for the full-wall slide and they chose to be consistent for other slides as well.

- - - -

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Was in the First post - These are the INSTRUCTIONS!

[Soniccruzer]

Originally Posted by kpecks

So, basically, to close up the coach up to move, air up, retract jacks, then retract slides in?

Also, i have been extending the two door side slides before extending FWS in order to balance weight better. Since I’m still fairly new to the newmar, it feels like each spot would be different. It does make sense to extend slides while coach is aired up. Problem is the coach dumps air when jacks come down. Assuming slides are locked in, I don’t think it will matter or cause damage?

“Air up, Jacks up, Fold up” and drive. I also extend the passenger side slides first to help with balance.

[htmac007]

Originally Posted by Tranquil Jim

As has been mentioned previously, I believe the key first step is to check the reveals. If they are OK...and, I've found that they usually are...then go ahead and extend before leveling.

In a case where you find the reveals to be misaligned, then either reposition the coach and check them again or move to the leveling process before extending. Either way, you need to re-check the reveals before extending the slides to avoid any binding issues.

Interestingly enough, with our 2014 Ventana LE with a FWS, the instruction from Newmar was level first, then extend. Of course, the FWS slide was electric. With advent of the hydraulic slide mechanism we have in the new coach, the procedure has been reversed.

TJ

Here I go with my Noob question, but I really need to know - What/where are these "reveals"???

Keep teaching - I am listening!
Thanks in advance!

[Dav L]

I am open to factual (not hear say) understanding based on a mechanical understanding of the system. Till then, my mechanical background says level then move slides out, and slides in then unlevel. Unless the tires are level on the ground (which could include up on blocks).

In reading these posts, there is lots of "I heard this over a campfire one night..." and "they told me that you should bring the vehicle to ride height and level first..." which is not what one typically finds at a campsite. Sure, you can do that at the level plant floor.

So, what are the mechanical / physical reasons for one approach over the other?

I believe the "reveals" are the "body gaps (industry term)" which are where the slides meet the body. Typically they should be even side to side and with some gap across the bottom and even along each gap across it's width / height. Set by the factory on a level floor via shims and screw adjustments. There is enough designed in gap to allow for minor deviations in level and in part to part slack before one slide part scrapes the body panel, which is what we are all trying to avoid.

[Dan McMartin]

Originally Posted by htmac007

Here I go with my Noob question, but I really need to know - What/where are these "reveals"???

Keep teaching - I am listening!
Thanks in advance!

The reveal is the gap between the slide and the wall of the coach. It should appear uniform all around. If it's not, the coach and frame maybe be twisted and the slide might bind when opening.

And I agree with the big red post. The manual clearly says slides first, leveling second. We do that probably 98% of the time. Only when the coach is on severely unlevel ground and we can't get it somewhat level with blocks will we level first, but even that is rare since if we can't get close to level with blocks, we probably can't level with the jacks either. That seems prudent to me and we've done that once but otherwise, I follow Newmar's instructions.

This is a dead horse. Some have suggested Newmar doesn't know what they're talking about or that their engineers aren't qualified. Well, they design, build and service the coaches. Most of us consider Newmar coaches among the best in the industry. If they don't know, who does? They've built thousands over the years and serviced many of those. I submit their experience and knowledge trumps anyone's anecdotal, shade tree mechanic knowledge and experience or that of a dealer that probably doesn't know as much about the coach as you're average owner...

[Buly]

I don’t understand why is the word “reveal” used either? What is wrong with gaps? [emoji848]

[Dan McMartin]

Originally Posted by Buly

I don’t understand why is the word “reveal” used either? What is wrong with gaps? [emoji848]

If they just called them gaps we'd have nothing to talk about

[ghaynes754]

Dav L when Newmar builds the coach it is built with the coach on inflated ride height air bags on a level plant floor. And yes I would say the plant floor is close to perfectly level since the move the coaches from station to station on air pads. Slides are inserted while on the air bags. They don't use the hydraulic jacks during the build process for anything.

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by ghaynes754

Dav L when Newmar builds the coach it is built with the coach on inflated ride height air bags on a level plant floor. And yes I would say the plant floor is close to perfectly level since the move the coaches from station to station on air pads. Slides are inserted while on the air bags. They don't use the hydraulic jacks during the build process for anything.

Hi Ghaynes,
Yes, I am sure their plant floor where they set the body gaps is a level work area. And yes, I am sure that extending the slides when the tires are on level ground is ok. I do that at WalMart Lodges all the time, especially when it's hot out so I am not leaving foot prints in their hot pavement.

What I am thinking the "gap" is, is under real world campground conditions, the tires are NOT level. Therefore the slides should not be extended.
In that case, the vehicle should be leveled (with blocks under the tires OR the more likely use the leveling jacks) before extending the slides. I think this is the point that is getting confused.

Unfortunately, I think that Newmar has not explained this well enough in the discussions and in their manual to be a proper 'edict' of how the systems should be used. I also am thinking that most of the folks that represent Newmar in these ad-hoc discussions aren't covering all of the use cases (even the prominent one) due to the informality of the conversation.

Having managed service manual documentation teams for a much larger OE, I understand how these use cases don't make their way into the official owner's manual. The engineer who understands the system best, never writes the manual. They may be interviewed by the writer. The engineer might not be a very good writer. They might not even consult their FEMA (Failure Effects Mode Analysis) to cover the use cases. Heck, the engineer might not even done a FEMA...The writer may not even work for Newmar. FCA's manuals were (are) outsourced as example.

When I see a Newmar engineering statement that says "When your tires are NOT on level ground, first open the slides and then raise the RV on it's leveling system until level." And hopefully also provides an explanation on WHY that is the proper procedure, then I'll start to pay attention to the official word.

Quite frankly, I suggest that there is so much gap, and the chassis is generally pretty rigid that it doesn't make too much difference either way, as long as the tires aren't extremely off level. I think most buyers of high end RVs are overly concerned that things are done "exactly this way" or their baby will revolt. This is essentially proven in this thread since half do it one way, the other half the other way and no one is saying that the RV bent in half.

On my Bounder, I have to make sure the chassis is level because the slides have age induced drag and the motor isn't the strongest so it won't extend "uphill".

The MountainAire doesn't seem to care anyway. Much stronger mechanism.
BTW, I have done frame work, aligned the slides, remove slides, etc. so am pretty familiar with the whole topic mechanically. But open for discussions that are fact based.

[Dan McMartin]

Originally Posted by Dav L

When I see a Newmar engineering statement that says "When your tires are NOT on level ground, first open the slides and then raise the RV on it's leveling system until level." And hopefully also provides an explanation on WHY that is the proper procedure, then I'll start to pay attention to the official word.

I get what you're saying but why are you so sure Newmar wrong? Why do you need proof to assure you that their way is the right way when there is no proof that your way is the right way? It probably doesn't matter in most situations but it's pretty obvious the folks that design, build and warranty the coaches think slide followed by jacks is the way to go. Why is that such a point of contention?