Level and slide or slide then level?

[smackey2x]

Hello,

I have a 2010 Coachman model 385DS class A pusher with a full wall slide.

As with my previous motorhomes I always run the leveling jacks down first, then run the slide(s) out.

Having some binding issues with the full wall slide, a tech at the dealership is telling me I should first run out the slides, then use the leveling jacks. He also says I should retract the leveling jacks before I run the slides back in.

Any thoughts on this issue? It doesn't seem to make the full wall slide operate any better.

[powerboatr]

don tknow
last two fivers and the bus all wanted to be level first then the slides out

logic would say make sure the platform is level and square before you run out a big slide...
if your slide is binding when level. i would guess its not square in the frame and being off level makes it not bind

[Revodoc]

I always level then slide. It would seem that the joints that move and pivot are sure to be stable with out bending or stressing. Have you tried sliding out just a little bit then leveling completely then sliding the rest out?

[dons2346]

It depends on what your manufacturer says. My CC manual says level then slides. My friends Beaver says slides then level.

That is why you should read your manual and follow it and don't go by what other people do with their coach.

[MonacoMama]

Originally Posted by dons2346

It depends on what your manufacturer says. My CC manual says level then slides. My friends Beaver says slides then level.

That is why you should read your manual and follow it and don't go by what other people do with their coach.

This is definitely the RIGHT answer!! It may be different for each manufacturer - so please read the information from the manufacturer of your rig.

[Lakeman1]

Level then slide

[Monacoach]

Maybe try manually leveling instead of auto level. This will put less stress on the frame and might help with your sliding issue.

[Mac99]

I level, then slide. Often, I will need to re-level as the coach settles
on the ground, usually after a few hours or a day. Once in a while,
if you are on soft ground, you may have to re-level yet again. I find the
slides come in a lot smoother when the coach is level.

[steelheadbluesman]

I can only speak to this issue as it relates to hydraulic levelers. IMHO, logic dictates that when using hydraulic levelers, we level first, then put out slides. Then, pull slides in before pulling up levelers. Anyone who has used the auto level feature knows how "herky-jerky" the process can be, and doing it manually can be pretty jerky as well. I don't want MY slides hanging out in space while the rig is dropping, nor do I want them jerking around unsupported when the levelers are bumping up or down to reach level.... Just my 2 cents. While I agree that most of the time the builder should advise, on this one, I don't care what the manufacturer says, logic rules. Besides, if you level first, where is the argument for damage? What can get hurt??

[Arch Hoagland]

I've done it both ways.

Depends on whether my wife runs the slides out before I get the outside hook up jobs done.

[WheelingIt]

Originally Posted by dons2346

It depends on what your manufacturer says. My CC manual says level then slides. My friends Beaver says slides then level.

That is why you should read your manual and follow it and don't go by what other people do with their coach.

Agreed. Have a look at the manual.

[bdpreece]

Read your manual and if you can't find it there contact the manufacturer direct. Do not take the word of a local tech or us experts here. Each and every manufacturer has their own set of rules.

[Gary RVRoamer]

I have two sets of printed instructions from the coach manufacturer, stating the opposite procedures. One says slide & level, the other level & slide. Maybe i should ask for a third and see hwo the vote goes?

In any case, we almost always level then slide, but I don't have any hang-up about using the slides if we are not level, e.g. in a short stop at a rest area. I've seen a few cases where the slide did not deploy easily or fully becasue we were noticeably off-level.

[DutchStar38]

Like the best general opinion on here, read the manual then decide on your own. After all it is your coach. However,we level then slide almost every time. On a few occasions when at a rest stop and the coach is fairly close to level we will slide only the bed out. I have a small level bubble level I place on the galley counter as a check for the amount of level before I push bed slide out. If I feel it is to great then we just sleep with the bed in. We don't have auto-level.