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Old 07-21-2022, 11:51 AM   #1
LHaven
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Releveling Ground Control with slide open

During my last trip, I got the sensation that my rig wasn't actually level, and thought I would run through the releveling procedure at home before our next.

I was considering running the manual leveling procedure with my slide extended, then retracting it before doing the final step that locks the level. I figured that would cause it to level from now on in such a manner that when I extended the slide afterward, it would be truly level.

(Plus, with the slide retracted I don't actually have 2' of clear floor to position my manual level for the procedure.)

Is there any reason not to do this?
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Old 07-21-2022, 12:45 PM   #2
ChuckS
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The owners manual says not to level with slides out.. I have releveled a few times over the last nine years with this Alpine.. All hydraulic slide outs..

Why did I have to relevel? Big heavy rains turned the area I was in from hard pack to mushy..

Had no issues releveling with slides out

That said my normal routine is to always auto level with all slides in and then extend the slides..

I use a cell phone level app with a bubble level among other choices within the leveling app.. It is very precise so I don't bother carrying my 2 footer or 6 foot old style bubble levels.

I reset the zero point calibration back in 2015 on this unit with six point hyd leveling... it has been dead on level since
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Old 07-21-2022, 01:19 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChuckS View Post
The owners manual says not to level with slides out.. I have releveled a few times over the last nine years with this Alpine.. All hydraulic slide outs..

Why did I have to relevel? Big heavy rains turned the area I was in from hard pack to mushy..

Had no issues releveling with slides out

That said my normal routine is to always auto level with all slides in and then extend the slides..

I use a cell phone level app with a bubble level among other choices within the leveling app.. It is very precise so I don't bother carrying my 2 footer or 6 foot old style bubble levels.

I reset the zero point calibration back in 2015 on this unit with six point hyd leveling... it has been dead on level since
Excellent tip on the use of a Cell Phone.
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Old 07-21-2022, 03:20 PM   #4
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Let me reiterate. I don't intend to "level my rig" with the slide out every time I hit a campground, which I agree I don't want to do. I want to SET the zero point level with the slide out, once, at home... so the system will correct for the unextended slide when I level at campgrounds with the slide in.

I do know about the cell phone but I'm not a huge fan of the level app for this application. On the iPhone, it shows you two superimposed circles and a degree number. But it's not obvious which of those circles moves which way when you do what, there's too much hysteresis in the gyro for fine corrections, and when the circles are 45°, good luck figuring out the right way to move without flipping a coin. Add this to the fact that it isn't going to be me reading the thing, it's going to be DW or one of the kids, and then I have to deal with both the poor user interface and constant complaining about it. The bubble level is immediately obvious and hard to get wrong.
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Old 07-21-2022, 03:22 PM   #5
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https://www.campingworld.com/camco-r...5&gclsrc=3p.ds

I didn’t get mine from there, and it was less money about 10 years ago.
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Old 07-21-2022, 09:05 PM   #6
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Turns out the entire project is moot. The trailer is dead level to begin with. Must be my balance continuing to go.

We did end up using an iPhone as a level, since my standard level seems to have gone on walkabout. We were puzzled when the trailer showed 1° off in all four directions depending on how the phone was oriented. The rear camera lens housing caused that much mismeasurement. Oops.
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Old 07-22-2022, 07:55 AM   #7
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I understand what you are trying to do. Before the days of auto level, folks would use a bubble level / carpenter's level to level their trailers. After leveling, they'd extend their slides. The weight of the slides would cause the trailer to tilt with the slides out and now, it was not level any more.

The solution was to level with the slides out. Then affix a bubble slide to the side or end of their campers. The next time they reached a new destination, they would level based on the bubble being centered, even if the trailer was not truly level. But once the slides were deployed, the weight of the slides would rectify and the trailer was now level.

Yes, you can do this with the auto level too. But, before doing it with the slides out, I'd want the trailer as near level as possible before starting the procedure.

The reason it's discouraged to deploy slides and then level, is because the jacks to exert forces on the corners of the trailer frame, and one corner lifting can cause the frame to flex, thus throwing the slides out of square which could cause problems the next time the slides are retracted.

I have seen at different dealerships (yes, more than one), where they were moving around fifth wheels and travel trailers and the slides were out. But I think that's different than actual leveling where corners are being lifted at the corners, not just the tongue or king pin, resting on axles.
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