How to for a beginner

A hint about those parking brake pedal switches (or parking brake button switches)

OFTEN there is a dash indicator that shows when the pedal/button is in the "Park" position (Brakes engaged) if the jacks refuse to work.. Check the indicator light. if it's off you have a major HINT as to the problem.

Watch out for that learning curve. Sometimes you find yourself running it pretty quick. Got lucky here. Well over 25 years of boating doing all the maintenance gave a good head start. Of course there was learning about wheel alignment, tire wear, stuff like that was all new.

First a motor home is a combination vehile. One part is a TRUCK and if you find out what chassis you have with the exception of the jacks, you need to find the manual for that model TRUCK or one just like it.. IE: A ford truck with the same engine and transmission if it's a ford. or Chevy for GM product lines (workhorse) or the like. You will be 99% good with that (Workhorse used a proprietary fuel filter.

In some cases you can further break down teh chassis to Engine, (GM in my case) Transmission (Allison) Drive Train (Dana) and rear axle (Also Dana, actually their other name in both cases).

And the house
Now I think you likely know how to tend the inside walls of the house (Same as Sticks and Bricks) and the outside (Same as your car) but then we have "Stuff"
Stuff includes Doors, Miroors (outside) Rear View Camera, Fridge, Water heater, Water pump, HEVAC systems. and so on. Tiffen did not make them. they bought them.

SO you go on line and google: Make, Model, Manual (Make and model are repalced with the make and model IE: Dometic 1122x13x (made up model)
In some cases (my Dometic Microwave) you need the real maker (mine is a Unlucky Goldstar (Well Really Lucky Goldstar (LG) but I've never been lucky enough to have a goldstar product that worked as advertised, Though mine does now,, I had to do some re-engineering on it, replace one part with a GE part and so on).

Then you will have all the manuals

STUFF INCLUDES THE JACKS.

To your question.. Mine say to have engine RUNNING (Try your jacks that way) as the Alternator helps the chassis battery to jack 'er up.

But other than that I suspect the answer to your question is YES.
Transmission in PARK
Parking brake ENGAGED
on mine Engine Running for power
And down they go.

Once you find the make and models of the various appliances and systems in your rig, you might want to check Bryant RV documents for some of the manuals. Chris is a member of our forums and very generously allows people to download the many manuals he has put online.
Barney

Remembered your earlier post saying your moving into the RV soon.
Since your a self proclaimed newbie an idea may be for you to join/attend Escapees for one of their RV boot camps. They are having one in Sedalia Mo in May.
www.escapees.com
or call them at 888 757 2582.
Happy motorin

Weather report says 59 in Kansas City tomorrow so you’ll be able to check. How could a 2007 manual be helpful for a 1996 motorhome...what...so...ever...back..round?

While you lucked out that the instructions for the 2007 worked on your 1996, that is rare. You need to go through your coach, write down the brand, model #, and serial # of each and every appliance and component you can find/get to (A/C, generator, water pump, furnace, water heater, refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, leveling system, TV, stereo, converter/charger, inverter, solar, transfer switch...), as well as the chassis make/model/VIN AND the house model/serial #, and then go online and search for manuals for each and every one. On most items, not only can you acquire owner/operator manuals, but service/parts/troubleshooting manuals as well. Put them all on a USB flash drive, and print the ones you need as you need them.

Simple me, checked and found there is a switch at the e brake peddle, it was making poor contact, after rotating the switch and pushing it several times, the leveling worked like a charm, but there's alot to learn so I'll keep posting

Donn128 thanks for responding, not yet, it's been cold and I haven't recorded all the serial and model numbers yet, soon I'll do that, how ever when reading the 2007 manual it covers the basic about the leveling system, hopefully with troubleshooting, as an old maintenance tech I always started with a manual.

Newby here, I pulled the unit into our driveway, it's all gravel, I turned the engine off, put on E brake {auto Brake is ON}, push the button for the leveling system and a red light comes on saying not in park/brake and the system will not work, it did work for a second or two then everything stopped and from what it appears jacks are up, any thoughts please.