When to extend slides on a Class A Newmar

[Jim]

The best way to level a Newmar motor home equipped with air suspension, is to:

1. Pull into your site,
2. Level your motor home,
3. Extend the slides.

Prove me wrong.

 

[team bradfield]

that is what we do

 

[DennisT]

In our manual, and what they put out at the Academy class, was slides operated at ride height.

Jacks after that when parking and jacks up, ride height, then slides in before leaving.

 

[Holdmybeer]

The best way to level a Newmar motor home equipped with air suspension, is to:

1. Pull into your site,
2. Level your motor home,
3. Extend the slides.

Prove me wrong.

The best way to level any motorhome is follow the procedures outlined in the owners manual.

 

[Jim]

In our manual, and what they put out at the Academy class, was slides operated at ride height.

Jacks after that when parking and jacks up, ride height, then slides in before leaving.

Quick question, Dennis. What if the front (or rear) of the coach is 10* lower than the apposing end?

 

[Jim]

The best way to level any motorhome is follow the procedures outlined in the owners manual.

Fair enough, but that’s kind of my point. The owner’s manual now says slides first unless the site isn’t level. That leaves a big gray area. How does the average RV’er know when the site crosses from ‘level enough for slides first’ into ‘too uneven, better level first’? Without instrumentation, that’s just guesswork.

So yes, I agree the manual is the guide, but it also leaves the average owner holding the bag on judgment calls it doesn’t define.

 

[Holdmybeer]

Fair enough, but that’s kind of my point. The owner’s manual now says slides first unless the site isn’t level. That leaves a big gray area. How does the average RV’er know when the site crosses from ‘level enough for slides first’ into ‘too uneven, better level first’? Without instrumentation, that’s just guesswork.

So yes, I agree the manual is the guide, but it also leaves the average owner holding the bag on judgment calls it doesn’t define.

I see your point. I'd default to level first in that case.

 

[Jim]

I see your point. I'd default to level first in that case.

I think that’s the safest play too. Level first takes the guesswork out of it, and I’d rather be consistent than gamble on whether the site is ‘flat enough.’

 

[Jim]

That shaking in the ground, and the trimmer in the force, was Admin moving the thread to another forum. Thank you @Neal for keeping me properly oriented.

 

[Neal]

The slides first discussion has come up many many times and I'm not the expert, there may be guidance specific to your coach, but here is my personal opinion and belief:

You typically want the slides going in/out when NOT on jacks. Some will say "at ride height" which means on bags and not jacks. Jacks can cause the chassis frame to twist and with the full wall slide (FWS) this could be problematic. Newmar's guidance is to check the FWS reveal (gap) to make sure it's uniform, i.e. no evidence something is out of whack, I mean, twisted.

I have air leveling like you. I have no problems running my slides air leveled as I'm not on jacks. As long as I'm on bags and not on jacks, my opinion is the slides are safe to run. Your slide is hydraulic, mine is electric. I think yours travels in a cage on a chain link contraption, mine runs on rails. Some hydraulic slides have taken out ceramic floor tiles. So you need to be extremely cautious of this.

Again, just my $.02 but I caution against running slides with jacks deployed, sir!

 

[Jim]

The slides first discussion has come up many many times and I'm not the expert, there may be guidance specific to your coach, but here is my personal opinion and belief:

You typically want the slides going in/out when NOT on jacks. Some will say "at ride height" which means on bags and not jacks. Jacks can cause the chassis frame to twist and with the full wall slide (FWS) this could be problematic. Newmar's guidance is to check the FWS reveal (gap) to make sure it's uniform, i.e. no evidence something is out of whack, I mean, twisted.

I have air leveling like you. I have no problems running my slides air leveled as I'm not on jacks. As long as I'm on bags and not on jacks, my opinion is the slides are safe to run. Your slide is hydraulic, mine is electric. I think yours travels in a cage on a chain link contraption, mine runs on rails. Some hydraulic slides have taken out ceramic floor tiles. So you need to be extremely cautious of this.

Again, just my $.02 but I caution against running slides with jacks deployed, sir!

Great explanation @Neal, and I think you’re right about the risk of chassis twist, especially with a full-wall slide. That’s clearly part of the reason Newmar now leans toward slides-first while aired up.

But hold on a bit, I have to bring a guest into the park and get him situated. I'll be back!

 

[Rosy]

Fair enough, but that’s kind of my point. The owner’s manual now says slides first unless the site isn’t level. That leaves a big gray area. How does the average RV’er know when the site crosses from ‘level enough for slides first’ into ‘too uneven, better level first’? Without instrumentation, that’s just guesswork.

So yes, I agree the manual is the guide, but it also leaves the average owner holding the bag on judgment calls it doesn’t define.

How hard would it be to glue a level to the side of your RV like I did?

 

[J&JD]

I’m pretty much in agreement with @Neal as I, too, can level with air or hydraulic. That being said, I don’t think I have ever tried to level with one end 10” higher or lower than the other. Think I would find another spot. I ALWAYS check the reveal no matter what but have never found the slide to be way out of line prior to leveling.

 

[Richpatty]

I do follow the manual….slides first, then jacks.

When the RV is out of whack when aired up, or the reveal is bad (the reveal is the gap between the frame and the slide…that gap should be even top to bottom before pushing the FWS), I so sometimes will roll the wheels up on jack pads to help level the unit. That usually will get me close enough to push the slides. I then level from there.

My 2 cents.
Rich

 

[Jim]

Well there you go! It is the twisted frame theory that makes the difference.

It took awhile for me to wrap my head around the theory that jacks don't actually square the frame, they just level the floor. So if the frame is twisted during the deployment of jacks, then shoving a slide out through a twisted frame wouldn't be good.

Putting jacks down after the slide is out, may or may not twist the frame as well, but the slide is already out, so the wear and tear on the mechanical mechanisms would probable be less.

To be honest, I've read all the other threads about when to open the slides, but this is the first time I've considered the twisted frame theory, and it makes sense.

 

[Jim]

I’m pretty much in agreement with @Neal as I, too, can level with air or hydraulic. That being said, I don’t think I have ever tried to level with one end 10” higher or lower than the other. Think I would find another spot. I ALWAYS check the reveal no matter what but have never found the slide to be way out of line prior to leveling.

That was 10 degrees, not 10 inches.

 

[thirdtimesacharm]

We full time working in campground across the USA and I have observed it done both ways. Me personally think that if the coach is level there is less strain on the slides especially on a full wall slide.

 

[Jim]

How hard would it be to glue a level to the side of your RV like I did?

Can I just nail it on instead?

 

[team bradfield]

Bought my first RV with slides in 2001, always have leveled first, but what do I know?

 

[J&JD]

That was 10 degrees, not 10 inches.

My bad. Can I blame “old eyes”?