BAC Forum
General Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: Uwe Schmalenbach on October 05, 2014, 02:15:34 PM
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The operating manual on my 40' 2007 Contessa says that the slides should be extended first and then do the levelling. When I arrive at a new site it is easier to level first with the engine running and move the slides out after the levelling has been done.
What problems can come up when I indeed do the levelling before slide extension?
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This is to prevent the slides from binding if the frame torques a bit due to leveling. It's best to follow the recommendation. Slides first out last in has been my motto.
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Uwe,
Dick is right about the proper sequence in level your coach. The leveling sequence that you are using will not be a problem if the coach is on a fairly level pad. But if you are on a very unlevel site, the leveling process can torque (twist) the coach so much that serious damage can occur when operating the slides like cutting slide seals or damaging the outside slide wall surface.
Gerald
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Thanks for the comments. They do make sense. Learning all the time with a new piece of equipment.
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I have found that if the slope is mild to moderate, I need to level first, then extend the slides. I started out following the manual to a tee but my bed slide would stop. But if I leveled it, then it resumed. I haven't quite figured this process out yet. I was at a rally this weekend and the site was fairly level but I went ahead and leveled anyway. When I extended the slides they were like they were on ball bearings! They flew out!
One thing I noticed is that in travel mode parked in the street along the curb, my coach is not level.
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Uwe, as Gerald points out, leveling on a very off-level site creates an out-of-whack opening in the body that you are then going to try and shove a relatively square small room through. It's kinda akin to the old square peg/round hole analogy. Monaco has gone against the grain a bit since most other manufacturers tout the opposite routine, but I agree with and follow the instruction I've read from Beaver/Monaco and was given by Beaver Coach Sales/Service: "Slides out first and in last", as Dick mentioned.
Chuck, though they share many components including the control module on the ceiling of your electric bay, the air leveling system (if you use it in lieu of hydraulic leveling) and Travel balancing system are two separately controlled functions. You may occasionally notice the coach seem askew after pulling off the highway, parking, and going outside. It's not uncommon for one airbag to be left inflated more or less than the others at the point it was at in adjusting travel position when the engine was shut off; it has nothing to do with air leveling at a campsite, storage pad, or etc. Also, your bedslide is electric rather than hydraulic like the rest. There can be special issues with that operation, especially regarding its brake. If you're bedslide has become finicky, you should probably have its mechanism and alignment checked sometime by a tech knowledgeable about it, such as at one of the facilities in Bend.
Joel