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03-30-2018, 08:20 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,330
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Level with slides in?
My neighbor asked me last evening if I was under the impression that a fifth wheel should be leveled with the slides in or the slides out. We have Generaly leveled with the slides in, but I don’t know if that is standard of the industry. Anybody have anything to add? Is there a right and a wrong?
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03-30-2018, 08:25 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notanlines
My neighbor asked me last evening if I was under the impression that a fifth wheel should be leveled with the slides in or the slides out. We have General Lee love old with the slides in, but I don’t know if that is standard of the industry. Anybody have anything to add? Is there a right and a wrong?
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You got to love auto correct!!
Assume “Generally leveled” not “General Lee love”
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Russ & Paula and Belle the Beagle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW 14,000# GVWR (New TV)
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS 32’ GVWR 12,360
Visit and enjoy Oregon State Parks
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03-30-2018, 09:03 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Central San Joaguin Valley, CA
Posts: 2,117
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Well... If you are leveling with blocks under the wheels, you would level before extending the slides. I wouldn't want the trailer rocking around while climbing up on the blocks with the slides out.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
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Jack & Marty
2018 Laredo 298 SRL
2011 F-250 SB Crew Cab 4x4 6.7L
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03-30-2018, 09:07 AM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,995
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If you go by what Keystone recommends in the owner's manual, they state, on page 65 of the current manual, to be sure the trailer is leveled with stabilizer jacks down before extending the slides.
Whether that's a "hard and fast requirement" or a "generally accepted suggestion" ??? The slides will operate without the stabilizers down, so there's no "factory engineered safety mechanism to prevent slide operation"....
Many of us extend a slide partially to access something while parked at a rest area and some of us extend slides without stabilizer jacks deployed if parking overnight to sleep while travelling. While this probably doesn't cause any problems for 99% of the events, if a cable actuated slide happens to get "off center" from being not level, it may damage a seal or bind and not retract properly.
The owner's manual also suggests that for hydraulic slides, improper slide travel, variations in slide sequence (which opens first) and binding or slide operation stopping because of blown thermal protection can be caused by the trailer not being properly leveled.
I don't notice much difference with the small bedroom slide, but our "ram actuated main slide" which is driven by an electric motor, will "rack to one side" and the ram will scrape the frame where it passes through it if the trailer is not level front to back and the slide movement is extremely slow if the slide is "moving uphill" from the trailer not being level side to side.
So, for me at least, I don't think there's any mandatory requirement, but it makes sense not to deploy the slides if the trailer isn't level and there's always a chance that if things getting "twisted and out of alignment", but that's not a "guarantee it'll happen every time"... It seems like a "good practice" rather than a "requirement".....
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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03-30-2018, 09:55 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Germantown, TN
Posts: 6,330
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Just when I was about to say nice things about voice recognition. I should learn to proofread my posts. By the way thanks for all the answers.
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Jim in Memphis, Wife of 51 years is Brenda
2019 F450 6.7 Powerstroke
2018 Mobile Suites 40RSSA
2021 40' Jayco Eagle
2001 Road king w/matching Harley sidecar
2021 Yamaha X2 Wolverine 1000
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03-30-2018, 12:35 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: "Murvil, TN
Posts: 2,212
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I always level the trailer both side to side and front to back before putting the slides out. The cable operated slides in many of the Keystone trailers seem to function MUCH better when the trailer is level.
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2016 F350 King Ranch Crew Cab Dually Diesel 4x4
2018 Grand Design Momentum 394M
2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+
Excessive payload capacity is a wonderful thing
"If it ain't Fast....It ain't Fun"
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03-30-2018, 03:57 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Monroeville
Posts: 1,549
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xrated
I always level the trailer both side to side and front to back before putting the slides out. The cable operated slides in many of the Keystone trailers seem to function MUCH better when the trailer is level.
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This x 500. I do the same-- mine are cable operated and tend to work much more smoothly when fully level.
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2014 Bullet Premier 29bh in Charocal
2019 Ram 2500 HD 4x4, CC, 6.4L
2011 Passport 2510RB (Sold)
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03-30-2018, 05:59 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,339
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Pretty much all the manufacturers say to level and set stabilizers before extending slides.
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2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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03-30-2018, 06:28 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: "Murvil, TN
Posts: 2,212
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57
Pretty much all the manufacturers say to level and set stabilizers before extending slides.
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But Keystone really means it ^^^^, they've got cables!
__________________
2016 F350 King Ranch Crew Cab Dually Diesel 4x4
2018 Grand Design Momentum 394M
2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+
Excessive payload capacity is a wonderful thing
"If it ain't Fast....It ain't Fun"
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03-31-2018, 06:56 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Lacey, WA
Posts: 503
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How level is OK????
I saw this question come up years ago and always remember my favorite reply: "The TT is level enough when my beer doesn't slide off the table"!!
Lee
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Lee & Christie
1970 F250 Highboy 4x4
2013 Cougar 21RBSWE
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