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Old 01-08-2020, 05:12 PM   #1
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Leveling and extending slides

New Newmar owners (Bay Star Sport 3008) with a rookie’s question. My owner’s manual says to extend the slides before leveling the coach. This seems counterintuitive and certainly is opposite from what was required on my previous coaches. Seems like leveling would remove any chassis twist that might come from an unlevel site and avoid the slide having to extend “uphill”. Can anyone tell me WHY we would do it this way? Is that how everyone here does it? Thanks!
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Old 01-08-2020, 05:23 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PetesMH View Post
New Newmar owners (Bay Star Sport 3008) with a rookie’s question. My owner’s manual says to extend the slides before leveling the coach. This seems counterintuitive and certainly is opposite from what was required on my previous coaches. Seems like leveling would remove any chassis twist that might come from an unlevel site and avoid the slide having to extend “uphill”. Can anyone tell me WHY we would do it this way? Is that how everyone here does it? Thanks!
We had that explained to us by the dealership when we took delivery. He also told us that it made no sense to him but he had to tell us what Newmar told them. I have run the slider both ways and I have not seen/heard/felt any difference. I do make a point of checking the slider "gaps" to see if there are any that are irregular. My local service center has advised to level the rig first. I have had one retracting problem on our FWS and it was not a leveling issue, it was a sliding wire conduit that was binding. Newmar had never heard of the problem.
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Old 01-08-2020, 07:15 PM   #3
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Leveling and extending slides

PetesMH

You will probably get a lot of responses on this.

I can tell you with 5 years of using our slides including now 3 years of full timing I always level first, check my gaps and then deploy my slides. In addition over the years I have while aired up walked out and check my slide gaps and found my gaps off enough to where I realized there was going to be a problem. I have even checked this several times after parking on a solid level concrete site. Leveling with the jacks on our coach to me is critical. On my 2014 Ventana we have the non hydraulic full wall slide. This slide is not forgiving if deployed wrong. Thankfully I never followed this new advice for deploying any of our slides. The logic of this new process I quit trying to understand.

We did factory pickup at Newmar in 2014 and our technician stressed to me more than once the importance of dumping my airbags, leveling,checking my gaps and then deploying the slides. What is nice on our coach is when we select auto level the function dumps our air bags and then begins the leveling process deploying each hydraulic leveling jack until the coach is level.

5 years not one problem.

So many opinions out there on this topic. Hoping my input helps.
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Old 01-09-2020, 03:36 AM   #4
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When we picked up our new to us coach, it was explained like this: The slides are built level to the tires and chassis. So even if your whole coach is not level, your slides are square with the chassis/tires. If you level using your leveling system, your slides may no longer be square to the tires and chassis. If you use leveling blocks, that's a different story. It made sense, but it's still hard to remember to reverse procedures from all our other coaches.
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Old 01-09-2020, 05:27 AM   #5
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Hi PetesMH,
I level first. Mainly if the coach slants consistently forward the slides make "walk" ever so slightly each time the slides are extended. Eventually, one will loose the forward space on the reveal.

How you will be a success at this is to follow the rule, "However you extend the slides, retract them with the same process in reverse order".
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Old 01-10-2020, 07:54 AM   #6
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Thanks for the comments. I do believe the slides are built level with the frame but frames can twist which is sort of the point of my inquiry. Frankly, I don’t see how the slides could even “know” whether the coach is on the jacks or not. I believe I’m going to level before extending. Might matter in a coach with air suspension but we are not in that group.
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Old 01-10-2020, 09:49 AM   #7
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Thanks for the comments. I do believe the slides are built level with the frame but frames can twist which is sort of the point of my inquiry. Frankly, I don’t see how the slides could even “know” whether the coach is on the jacks or not. I believe I’m going to level before extending. Might matter in a coach with air suspension but we are not in that group.
This gets like an oil thread😂🤣
At our FPU our tech advised us “ several times” to extend slides first while the suspension was fully aired up. Our unit has 2 hydraulic slides and one electric bedroom slide.
I understand that this is different then I have done in my previous DP for 12 years😳
When I inquired at FPU I was told the same as the previous member...Slides are level to the chassis BEFORE it is leveled. Yes this seemed incorrect but knowing that Newmar must have had a reason for changing this procedure from the previous way, I have followed what they told me.
Interesting fact, when we went back to Nappanee for warrantee work we were told that it didn’t matter with the only electric slide ( bedroom).🙃
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Old 01-10-2020, 10:13 AM   #8
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My manual states " extend slides first level second" however in my case I never use auto level and I'm not anal about being 100 % level so I dont find the order of events important . The auto feature is much more likely to twist things up....
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Old 01-10-2020, 12:13 PM   #9
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For my previous motorhome (2007 Damon Astoria 3774) the directions were level first then open the slide-outs. Like others, the directions for my Ventana LE 4037 is open the slide-outs then level the coach. The explanation for this procedure that I received from NIRV in Dallas is the big, electric motor driven, full wall slide-out on the driver's side is installed with the frame at ride-height. During the leveling process it's possible that the frame can twist a small amount which could adversely impact the movement of the full wall slide-out.

So, not wanting to take any chances, I open the slide-outs while the MH is at ride height then hit the auto level button. Thus far the "gaps" on the full wall slide out(and other slide outs) have remained nearly perfect following Newmar's procedure.
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Old 01-10-2020, 01:48 PM   #10
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I see you have a BSS with a full wall slide. Newmar sent out a service bulletin a few years back regarding Newmar specifically with full wall slides, so the letter does not deal with Newmar’s without FWS’s or non Newmar rigs. I can’t find my copy at the moment but what follows is the gist of it.

It does not matter in which order you extend the slides AS LONG AS you first get out of the motorhome and check what they call the reveal on the FWS primarily and other slides for good measure. The Reveal is the vertical gap between the edges of the slide and the body. There should be a gap, no pinching or touching at the top or bottom corners at both ends. If there is no gap DO NOT touch the button. If the gap looks good before leveling then you can extend the slides. Newmar indicated later in the letter, more times than not it will be fine extending the slides before leveling unless you have a real out of level condition. You can extend then level at this point, OR go ahead and level but before you push the button, get out and check again. I have had several instances where the leveling caused the gap to disappear so had to de-level and start again. Key here is to remember what steps you took, and do the reverse when you want to bring them in. I have had one of the pointed corner pieces pop off when I failed to check.

You should call your Newmar service rep and ask for a copy of the service bulletin dealing with full wall slides issued a couple of years ago.

Do not get complacent on this checking routine, and you will have good service out of the slides.

My personal procedure is to level first, get out check the reveal on ALL slides (I have three) as I have had reveal issues on our smaller kitchen slide. If all looks good, I extend the slides. If not I’ll go back to square one and if all looks good, extend then level.
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Old 01-10-2020, 03:10 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wildtoad View Post
I see you have a BSS with a full wall slide. Newmar sent out a service bulletin a few years back regarding Newmar specifically with full wall slides, so the letter does not deal with Newmar’s without FWS’s or non Newmar rigs. I can’t find my copy at the moment but what follows is the gist of it.

It does not matter in which order you extend the slides AS LONG AS you first get out of the motorhome and check what they call the reveal on the FWS primarily and other slides for good measure. The Reveal is the vertical gap between the edges of the slide and the body. There should be a gap, no pinching or touching at the top or bottom corners at both ends. If there is no gap DO NOT touch the button. If the gap looks good before leveling then you can extend the slides. Newmar indicated later in the letter, more times than not it will be fine extending the slides before leveling unless you have a real out of level condition. You can extend then level at this point, OR go ahead and level but before you push the button, get out and check again. I have had several instances where the leveling caused the gap to disappear so had to de-level and start again. Key here is to remember what steps you took, and do the reverse when you want to bring them in. I have had one of the pointed corner pieces pop off when I failed to check.

You should call your Newmar service rep and ask for a copy of the service bulletin dealing with full wall slides issued a couple of years ago.

Do not get complacent on this checking routine, and you will have good service out of the slides.

My personal procedure is to level first, get out check the reveal on ALL slides (I have three) as I have had reveal issues on our smaller kitchen slide. If all looks good, I extend the slides. If not I’ll go back to square one and if all looks good, extend then level.
Very good information by wildtoad, the reveal is the key word, if your also on a uneven pad level manually not by AUTO LEVEL.
You will find a link to all different slide info in this link.
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Old 01-10-2020, 03:16 PM   #12
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I was told to extend slides then level for some of the same reason as above. I was also told that with jack down their very little flex when extending the slides and its more likely to jammed the slide. Setting on the are bags there still enough flex to prevent the slide from jamming. This was told to me by a dealer during PDI.
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Old 01-10-2020, 04:42 PM   #13
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Pick up and 5 pound weight with your hand beside your leg as you raise the weight. The extend your are and raise the same weight. It takes more effort.
That is my rationale for leveling with slides in. It does not put nearly as much effort on the jack lifting the coach with the slide in as is does with it out.
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Old 01-11-2020, 09:33 AM   #14
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Found the letter...

I have no knowledge of this letter being superseded or if it applies to the newer HWH slides in the DP’s.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Full Slide Letter.pdf (301.4 KB, 49 views)
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