Campground levelling sequence

[TJ-RV]

When you pull into a campsite (campground, wild camping, or other), in what sequence do you do the following:

- Dump air.
- Lower the jacks and level the coach.
- Extend the slideouts.
- Pour yourself a drink.

If you have a gas/petrol motorhome, ignore the air dump. If your motorhome doesn't have levelling jacks, substitute levelling blocks. If it doesn't have slideouts, ignore that bit. If you have no booze on board, go to the pub and don't collect 100 quid for passing GO.

 

[TJ-RV]

If you don't have jacks, how do you level the motorhome?

 

[scotjimland]

Don't have slides or jacks, we look for a resonable level pitch and put the kettle on..

 

[ruffingitsmoothly]

Dump air, slide then jacks as per vehicle manual!

Regards pat

 

[johnsandywhite]

Dump air, slide then jacks as per vehicle manual!

Regards pat

Just about everything I have read on the Tinternet says it should be the Jacks before the slide-outs? Discuss? :thumb:

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[kijana]

We always level with the jacks before extending the slideout.

It just seems more logical - and I would feel sorry for the poor little jacks on the slideout side having to work so much harder than the other two if we didn't!

Bruce

 

[ukrv]

There is a lot of support for the idea that you should (dump air then) extend the slides before levelling the coach, as this will leave it more level (or is that leveller).

After all, if you do the jacks and then extend those heavy slides, the coach will lean toward them.

I'm still not convinced so do the jacks first and then the slides. if there is too much lean I can always adjust the jacks slightly.

Paul

 

[ruffingitsmoothly]

Hi

This subject was on the ARVE forum earlier last year here are a couple of posts

Our suggestion is to run the slides out, dump your air, and then level
the coach with the jacks. If your coach does not have the air bags, then the order is just to run the slides and then level. This is still done to prevent the chassis from tweaking when you run the slides. It's better to run the slides first to already have the weight distributed before leveling. Sorry for all the different information out tI emailed my original question to Holiday Rambler in the US, and here is their reply.here.

Thanks,
Dan
Hr Tech

So there you have it - straight from the horses mouth!
I wonder who will contest this one?

AnotherPost was.

Here we go here we go here we go 5 years ago i was told jacks down slides out .then when i bought the next one i was told slides out jacks down when i questioned this i was told there had been a change and this was correct.when i bought the last one they told me slides out dump air jacks down . This info came from dealers and if you cant believe dealers ???

So who knows?

Regards Pat

 

[Sundowners]

On our 5th wheel, we 1/ put blocks under wheels, to level side to side.
2/unhook truck and use front legs to level back to front,rear
legs down.
3/Pamala goes inside, slide out, kettle on,
4/while I look for a victim to talk to.
Nigel

 

[TJ-RV]

This subject was on the ARVE forum earlier last year here are a couple of posts

Thanks Pat. There are many such discussions on other forums, but that wasn't the point of my message. I know what my procedure is, as well as the one recommended by Monaco. I was asking what folks here do and also trying to turn on a light bulb for the folks who haven't thought about it.

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[TJ-RV]

Don't have slides or jacks, we look for a resonable level pitch and put the kettle on..

I've done that myself many times Jim, both with our prior coach that didn't have jacks and our current one that does. OTOH I've been places where, even if you had jacks, you wouldn't be able to get the coach level.

When we stayed at a friend's house in Belen, New Mexico, I reversed into the sloping driveway, then lowered the front jack. It wasn't long enough, so I retracted the jack, added a couple of wooden blocks and tried again. This time, the right front wheel was off the ground, so I retracted the jack and added a wooden block under that tire.

Success. Went outside and walked around the coach, that's when I saw that the rear of the coach was sitting on the mud flap, which now had a very distinct bend in it.

 

[Jim]

Both my 12 foot slides had considerable damage caused to them by operating when the vehicle was not level. The forces on the slideout gears are very high at the best of times, add a dodgy angle and they can break. Broken slideouts whether stuck in or out definitely ruin your day.

Mine got fixed under warranty, and if were not dead level then the slides do not go out.

 

[TJ-RV]

Another one of those situations where I needed jacks and blocks. This was in our daughter's driveway in Kentucky.

 

[TJ-RV]

Good point re slide damage Jim. When we were at one of Monaco's factory service centres, one of my neighbours with an idetical coach to ours was having his bedroom slideout fixed. He told me quietly that every inch of storage space in cupboards in that slideout was filled with books. He knew he had far too much weight in there, but didn't want to tell Monaco.

 

[TJ-RV]

Every darned site in this campground leaned to one side and front to back. But the view of Monument Valley, Utah was worth it.

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[JayDee]

Phew,
All this slides, air-dump, jacks stuff is waaaay too complicated for me.

Arrive and, if not positioned inch perfect by a warden (as per C&CC) or inserted in a military line (others) then drive around until I find a reasonably level bit side to side, then use ramps (usually at the front) and deflate the air-rides if needed;
Plug in;
Put the kettle on, say hello to anyone pitched nearby, wind down the steadies;
Wind out the Fiamma, lay and pin the ground sheet, set out table and chairs, chat to neighbours for a few minutes;
Get the windbreak (privacy screen) out if needed, make derisory comments to each other about other peoples rigs (well they'll be doing the same );
Have cup of tea;
Erect windbreak;
Decide whether we're cooking in or going to the pub (this depends on how far we've travelled and how knackered Pat is - all the navigation you know);
Express disgust that he / she didn't pick up after their dog had crapped on the grass;
Express hope that the little angels three units over continue to be little angels and hate kicking balls around;

That's about it really.

Slides - Pah! Who needs 'em

John

 

[TJ-RV]

LOL John, great list.

 

[TJ-RV]

BTW I should clarify that I don't stress about the coach being level, although I do care that it's level enough for the fridge. If I can walk from the cab to the bedroom without falling over (while sober) and don't roll out of bed, that's usually good enough.

 

[JayDee]

BTW I should clarify that I don't stress about the coach being level, although I do care that it's level enough for the fridge. If I can walk from the cab to the bedroom without falling over (while sober) and don't roll out of bed, that's usually good enough.

Tend to get a few complaints from the chef de cuisine if the hob isn't fairly level, but for the rest - we'll get by.
I don't think I've ever had any trouble with a fridge - I think I've heard (or possibly mis-heard) that Thetford fridges are less pernickety about level than others. Anybody able to confirm or refute this? (Just for interest really - I'm not about to change it )
John

 

[TJ-RV]

...I think I've heard (or possibly mis-heard) that Thetford fridges are less pernickety about level than others.

Here's what Thetford has to say on their web site. Doesn't say much, but does suggest being level front to back and side to side.

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[JayDee]

Here's what Thetford has to say on their web site. Doesn't say much, but does suggest being level front to back and side to side.

You're not wrong - not exactly brimming over with info, but hey, what the hell. It's been working fine (as have all the fridges we've had - including a Groenland coldbox type that we had years ago when we were trailer tenters (an Erka followed by 2 Dandys). Getting posher all the time, see - and no! It's HIGHLY unlikely that we'll get an RV. We'd never get it on the parking stand at home, and have you seen the 'roads' we've got round here???


John

 

[TJ-RV]

...have you seen the 'roads' we've got round here???

Sure have. Used to have an uncle in Cornwall and used to like visiting. A little bit like this road in The Mumbles, near Swansea. But you have many more like this in the West Country. Too narrow for our coach. Heck, Id be afraid to drive a car down there.

 

[JayDee]

Sure have. Used to have an uncle in Cornwall and used to like visiting. A little bit like this road in The Mumbles, near Swansea. But you have many more like this in the West Country. Too narrow for our coach. Heck, Id be afraid to drive a car down there.

Blimey that is extreme

I sometimes like to think that we have road in the middle of the grass

John

 

[TJ-RV]

LOL John, I walked down that road that day. Although we have a few narrow-ish roads here, we've been away long enough that I get claustrophobic on the roads when we visit the homeland.

One time I was visiting my oldest son at his prior house. A typical street of terraced houses with cars parked both sides. I didn't think there was any way I could get the rental car down the street, so I parked elsewhere and walked. My son grabbed the keys, hopped in the car, and parked outside his house in no time.

 

[caz]

Need to know

Being the female half of this team - I like to know what is what and how it works - but I do not have the speak!!!!
What air are you getting rid of - we have air brakes and bags - are we supposed to let the air out of the bags and if so how and why.
Any help gratefully received.

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[Xoxoc]

We are letting the air out of our air bags (Air Suspension) so that the motorhome settles down onto it's chassis thereby making it rock less. We do it using a lever. We switch it form auto to lower.

What sort of motorhome do you have?

 

[scotjimland]

We are letting the air out of our air bags (Air Suspension) so that the motorhome settles down onto it's chassis thereby making it rock less. We do it using a lever. We switch it form auto to lower.

Hi Bryan

I have Granning air suspension, as far as I know thre is no lever to exhaust the air, I always thought air bags were best left inflated tp prevent distortion but maybe that's wrong.. ?

 

[TestPoster]

Hi Jim
I think that you have air ASSIST bags, like the type I am looking for and the manufacturers recommend a minimum of 5 psi being kept in them to prevent them getting pinched and developing a leak. I believe that Bryan's coach does not have springs and rides soley upon air bags (air springs) and these are completely different and can and are fully deflated.
I am certain that someone with more knowledge than I will soon be along with some form of correction though

Keith

 

[johnsandywhite]

:Cool: The Newmar has Air suspension on the TAG axle. It is recommended that the air is exhausted before raising the RV. There is a switch on the dash to enable this operation.

 

[scotjimland]

Hi Jim
I think that you have air ASSIST bags, like the type I am looking for and the manufacturers recommend a minimum of 5 psi being kept in them to prevent them getting pinched and developing a leak. I believe that Bryan's coach does not have springs and rides soley upon air bags (air springs) and these are completely different and can and are fully deflated.
I am certain that someone with more knowledge than I will soon be along with some form of correction though

Keith

Hi Keith

That sounds correct, mine are assist bags which also level the coach, this is achieved by having a feedback arm from the chassis to a control valve that adjusts the air presure in each bag thereby ensuring a level ride .. :thumb:

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