Level with slides in?

[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 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?

[rhagfo]

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?

You got to love auto correct!!
Assume “Generally leveled” not “General Lee love”

[jsmith948]

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.


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[JRTJH]

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".....

[notanlines]

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.

[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.

[Gegrad]

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.

This x 500. I do the same-- mine are cable operated and tend to work much more smoothly when fully level.

[chuckster57]

Pretty much all the manufacturers say to level and set stabilizers before extending slides.

[xrated]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Pretty much all the manufacturers say to level and set stabilizers before extending slides.

But Keystone really means it ^^^^, they've got cables!

[Lee]

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