Which do you do first - slider or jacks ?

wilco wrote:
Wow, it's amazing the diversity of opinion on this issue...including folks who don't think the LEVELLING jacks are for levelling, folks who think the manual that came with the coach is probably wrong etc.!

My last coach had air suspension and an HWH hydraulic levelling system. The manufacturer insisted that the coach be levelled with the jacks before slides were extended and that they be retracted before the jacks were stored. A warning label to this effect was located beside the slide out switch and the slide out would not move unless the jacks were extended. (You could actually trick the system by extending the jacks slightly, then extend the room). The one time I tried to "trick" the system like this because I was in a hurry and wanted the slide out just to get access to a cabinet, the slide out bound up about halfway out...lesson learned!

My current coach has air suspension and air levelling. The manufacturer wants the slide outs deployed with the coach at ride height (i.e. suspension fully inflated) then levelled with the air system. I think the reason for this might be twofold: Once a Jack-based system is level, the coach is firmly supported on the ground and putting out the slides will likely not change the level very much. Not so on an air-levelled coach that might go slightly off-level with the weight-shift caused by slide deployment. So they want the weight distribution to be established before the attempt to level. My jack-based system dumped the air then attempted to level by raising the LOWER end/side. My air system attempts to level first by lowering the HIGHER end/side by dumping air out of the appropriate bag, so they want to start with the suspension fully inflated.

Different systems with different procedures, both fully outlined in the manual and both of which I follow, having learned the lesson above.

Air leveling system is a completely different animal. I saw a coach at the TT RV park in Morgan Hill, California where the spot he wanted to park was not level. His air system could not level the coach without us adding boards under the rear wheels. His coach did not have the extending type jacks. He wished he had the leveling jacks instead of the self air leveling system. At first I could not figure why he could not level his coach being that it was so new. That is when I found out he had air self leveling system.