Slides out or autolevelers down first?

way2roll wrote:
So we just brought home our new MH and my perspective has changed a bit. The new one the MBS chassis requires the engine to be running to put the slides out, but requires the engine to be off to put down the jacks. This literally forces me to put the slides out first - something I have never done on any RV I have owned. granted this is a C but wanted to note that the process really is unique to the unit.

way2roll,

That is interesting. Is that what the procedure states in the manual, or is that the way the system operates as it's wired?

On my rig, the slides are electrically "locked out" from going out if the engine is running at the slide controller module. I'm assuming this is to make sure they don't extend while travelling down the road. I always liked that safety feature as we usually had a good collection of kiddos buckled into the slide. :) But the slides WILL retract with the engine running and that's what I usually do because my main slide has to lift and then slide in, and the extra couple of volts on the battery with the engine running allows that slide motor to work with much less strain. At least audibly.

As for the jacks, they will extend or retract with the engine running, BUT there is this ear-piercing alarm that goes off as a warning as soon as any jack is no longer fully raised and the ignition is turned on. It gets my attention, for sure. Again, to give the motors a slightly easier time of it, I often keep the engine running while extending the jacks lifting the rig. Once leveled, I shut off the engine and extend the slides. Extending is less work for the motors because they just slide straight out and then drop down.

When we pack up, I start the engine to bring in the slides, tolerate the "jacks down" alarm for a short while, then raise the jacks.

When the rig was newer, I didn't need to run the engine to do all of that, but after 15 years or so, I noticed a few extra volts for the motors seems to help.

Anyway, I was wondering if on your rig, someone mis-wired the slide controller so it will extend with the engine running instead of the engine being shut off? It just seems a bit odd for them to be able to deploy while trucking down the road.

As to the other posts, it seems like the majority of rigs which say to extend slides first THEN put the jacks down have airbags. So perhaps, that's the difference? Just guessing. My rig doesn't have air bags and the manual states "Level first, then extend the slides.".

~Rick