Slide/Air/Jack Sequence

[EngineerMike]

This tidbit courtesy of Hal Totten from PA who we ran into again on our way back from Quartzite-

If you have your long slide(s) binding so that they grab & make noise when popping loose when actuated, use the following sequence to minimize binding when setting up:
1) park coach
2) push out long slide 4-5" only
3) dump air, level coach
4) push slide out fully

When breaking camp:
1) start engine & let it pick coach up off jacks
2) hit "store" jacks
3) when coach is floating well on air bags, pull in slide(s)

Probably doesn't apply to small slides.
Theory is the customary frame alignment is best represented w/coach floating on air bags rather than w/coach on the air bag bumper stops or jacks where there is probably some amount of twist on the frame, exacerbating any out-of-spec slide alignment that may tend to pinch at one end or corner.
On occasion our galley slide grabs at the upper rear corner, and lets out a helluva bang when it pops loose. I'll see if this takes care of it.
Thanks Hal.

[zinom]

That proceedure seems to really work well for us mid-door guys too; it also works when the mid-door jams tight.

[Rick J Fisher]

I had that problem with the front of the living room slide. Examination showed the rubber roof on the slide was catching and got torn. The left front jack is right under the front of the slide and the frame must have enough flex to jam the slide up to the opening. I trimmed the torn rubber and applied paint to the wood. It is under the slide topper so should be ok. We use the "slide out first, in last" procedure successfully.

[dgerstel]

This is a photo that shows the amount of movement in my main slide when the coach is on the jacks. When the coach is on the air bags the 2 pieces of trim touch each other.

[dshogman]

When I got my first Alpine - 2001 37ft - both the sales rep and the factory guy gave me the sequence that I have followed with that and the newer coach. See Mike's post above:
arrival: 1,3,4
departure: 3,1,2
It was explained to me that this routine puts the least stress on the slide and slide mechanism. Has always worked for me - no binding, no noise.

[Barbaraok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshogman When I got my first Alpine - 2001 37ft - both the sales rep and the factory guy gave me the sequence that I have followed with that and the newer coach. See Mike's post above: arrival: 1,3,4 departure: 3,1,2 It was explained to me that this routine puts the least stress on the slide and slide mechanism. Has always worked for me - no binding, no noise.

That was the way we were also instructed. I can think of more than a few places we've been where if the jacks came up before the slide came in we would be trying to bring that slide in uphill! I know that we can't put the slide out without the jacks being at least partly down.

Barb

[EngineerMike]

Barb- good caveat that if the big slide would be significantly downhill that it should be brought in on the jacks at least most of the way.

I tried a different sequence recently:
1) fire up engine & retract jacks
2) unhook elec & plumbing
3) pull out of space

This resulted in the spouse-alarm going off full blast. Forgot to insert:
1.5) retract slides
but the spouse sensors detected the problem and gave the appropriate indication.

[Barbaraok]

The other thing I've noticed in this thread is that if the slide is the last thing brought in, then the engine is sitting idling for quite a bit of time. We often bring the front slide in the night before, so that we can get things put in their proper place before the morning and to decrease the time that it takes us to get on the road.

Barb

[azloafer]

Since I don't have an air dump switch on my unit, how do I best get it to let the air out. I notice that the coach will lower very gradually over time with the engine off, but is there a way to release the air faster than that? Joe

[Old Scout]

The only "issue" I see with 3,1,2 at departure is that some HWH jacks [the d/r jack in particular] prefers to have the HWH control panel go completely thru the jack store cycle and shut off before starting the MH engine--this is epecially true on warm mornings [avoids the "jack down" light coming on a bit later down the road]. If you wait to store the jacks last, the engine has to idle quite a long time and you dont get the "benefit" of the coach weight to get the jacks started toward their stored position.

[jerry davis]

We were told by more than one source (WRV at the factory and Guaranty when we picked up the coach) that it was best to leave the jacks down so that the coach was level when the slides are brought in. Doesn't this make the most sense? Just asking because the upper front corner of our large slide does tap the side of the slide opening when being retracted. I keep it lubricated with silicone spray which seems to help.

Using the same lube on the bottom rubber slide seal has stopped the seal from tearing lose which it did twice before I started the lubing.

[dengraham]

Azloafer,
I am surprised you don't have a dump switch. Do you have HWH levelers? Can you send me a photo of your HWH panel inside the coach? I would like to help you. I know some people at HWH.

[azloafer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dengraham Azloafer, I am surprised you don't have a dump switch. Do you have HWH levelers? Can you send me a photo of your HWH panel inside the coach? I would like to help you. I know some people at HWH.

My panel is at the entrance door and it is a Kwikee (spelling) I had an air dump switch on the Monaco, but none on this unit. Coach is in the shop. Joe

[Jim A]

Old Scout,

That has to be poor practice, since that is exactly what I do!!!

I normally close the slides, raise the jacks, and then start the engine. It seems to work fine. The main reason I do this is not technical, but due to the fact that I don't want to listen to the buzzer for a few minutes while the jacks store. Like you I like to help the jacks retract with the coach weight. If one end is unusually high I might drop it down in two or three steps with the down button and then hit the store button.

My problem is not warm mornings, but cold mornings where the jacks take longer to store. However only once I have I had a jacks down warning while on the road, and that was hours down the road, a rough section of I-5 through the Grapevine.