How to level without popping a windshield???

My 1998 Beaver had both hydraulic jacks and air levelling through the air suspension. After reading the manuals and speaking to the previous owner, I decided to always use the air levelling, as the hydraulic jacks were associated with just too many broken windshields (14). It always worked great for me!

But I did have an issue with the windshield running up I-81 in Pa and NY one year. The road was so rough that a 2" gap opened up on one side between the corner post and the glass. Luckily I found a talented backyard glass guy in Petawawa. ON who reset it for me on Easter morning and didn't want to take anything for his trouble.

MitchF150 wrote:
Not sure if this guy popped a window, but it's pretty scary!

That is scary. Campsites like that one are what worries me!

Not sure if this guy popped a window, but it's pretty scary!

I have Quadra by Big Foot and I would have to rate them the best because you can work them one at a time or all four at a time. It takes me about a minute to level my coach. Dump the airbags first then lower the levelers until each one touches the ground. Then just push the button on the one or two levelers at a time. Just watch the bubble and you are set.

I used to have HWH before on another coach and it was a nightmare with them.

OP here...I had the glass company guy check everything over. He said it looked like the right side had shifted a little bit too, although it had not popped out. He aligned and reset both sides without removing the glass.

He did mention that there was very little glue behind the weatherstrip, which might have made it easier for the glass to shift and/or pop out. He glued underneath the weather strip on both sides and said he didn't think I will have any more problems with it as long as I level properly!!!

Normally, I do use the automatic leveling, but since the coach was level front to rear and only off level on the left, I decided to just use the left jacks. A $150 mistake wasn't too bad, I guess.

The glass guy did say that he has reset over a hundred motorhome windshields that have popped out, and no particular brand was more susceptible than others. Lake Havasu is a snowbird community with lots of RV parks, so I don't doubt that he has done lots of them. He also said that more often than not, the windshield cracks, so I guess I was lucky in that respect.

It seems the general consensus on here is that the front jacks need to be firmly planted FIRST to keep the front from twisting before leveling side to side. I positively will be doing that from now on.

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments....Don

Bruce Brown wrote:

tinkerer wrote:
On my coach I just let the jacks do their job on the automatic leveling setting.

Me too. Push the button, grab a beer, coach leveled. :B

This is why I want a Class A motorhome! Recently got to a park and it was raining. Got out of the truck, unhooked the trailer. Put the jacks down, hooked up electric, etc. Was soaking wet by the time I finished.

During this time, a class A parked next to me, put his levelers down, and fired up his generator. 30 minutes later the rain stopped and he came outside (beer in hand) to hook up water and electric. I knew right then that a Class A was in my future!

tinkerer wrote:
On my coach I just let the jacks do their job on the automatic leveling setting.

Me too. Push the button, grab a beer, coach leveled. :B

On my coach I just let the jacks do their job on the automatic leveling setting. Since I have full slide on one side, that side always seems to be a little low when I extent the full slide. Then I set the jacks to manual and raise the left side up a little more. I never had a problem. This in on a Fleetwood.

consumeratlarge wrote:
I don't think you should be too hard on yourself. Sure seems like leveling jacks should level within their range of motion without breaking things.

I seem to remember being advised to do the front and rear first, starting with whichever is lower, then doing the sides. The reason being to make contact with the ground before doing the sides, because having only one side contact the ground can start a twisting force on the frame and structure. Maybe the front and rear pairs to equalize to push down with the same force. Anybody know for sure?

Sorry that happened, and it seems like if the jacks went in pairs, that they should start initially with an equalizer valve, so that they actually do push in pairs. As opposed to moving in pairs, but the first one that hits the ground continues lifting while the other one is not quite there.

I don't see how the front or rear first would make any difference, though, just remember being told that.

Did you get the windshield back in the frame ok?

One should ALWAYS do the front first....that stabilizes the frame under the windshield before proceeding with the rest.

There is a recommended process for leveling a motor home manually. It would seem most people posting here are not aware of it. Here is that recommended process as published by Monaco:

( Sorry for the poor format of this copy and paste below ) --- the latter part is extremely important to read - please do so.

Manual Operation-
·
Planting the Jacks: The jacks will be extended in pairs Fronts or Rears or Left or Right Using the DOWN
?
extend the jacks until they
contact the ground (this is referred to as “planting” the jacks). As you extend each pair of jacks the corresponding LED ja
ck status lights will come on to indicate jack(s) are out
of the “stowed” position. Jacks will be operated
in pairs.Extend and plant the front jacks first
Then extend and plant the rear jacks. Only after planting the fronts and then the rears, should side to side corrections (level
ing) be attempted. This process will stabilize
all four corners and minimize twist prior to the leveling process.