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Old 06-19-2015, 08:23 PM   #1
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Correct way to extend / retract slideouts

The orientation that I received at La Mesa RV has much to be desired. One and a half hours to go over everything about an Itasca Meridian 40U. Then when talking to other owners, I tell them what I was told and I get, "they told you to do that?"

Well... Please educate me...

Before extending / retracting the slideouts, should I make sure of the following:

1. Level the MH (auto level the jacks) first - make sure engine is running for max power. BTW: If I am plugged into 50 amp service do I still need to run the engine?
2. Make sure the engine is running when extending or retracting the slideouts so that the motors get max power. BTW: If I am plugged into 50 amp service do I still need to run the engine?
3. Extend the rear slideouts first, then the front passenger, then the front driver side.

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 06-19-2015, 08:51 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by -Grumpy- View Post
The orientation that I received at La Mesa RV has much to be desired. One and a half hours to go over everything about an Itasca Meridian 40U. Then when talking to other owners, I tell them what I was told and I get, "they told you to do that?"

Well... Please educate me...

Before extending / retracting the slideouts, should I make sure of the following:

1. Level the MH (auto level the jacks) first - make sure engine is running for max power. BTW: If I am plugged into 50 amp service do I still need to run the engine?
2. Make sure the engine is running when extending or retracting the slideouts so that the motors get max power. BTW: If I am plugged into 50
amp service do I still need to run the engine?
3. Extend the rear slideouts first, then the front passenger, then the front driver side.

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.


https://lci1.com/assets/content/supp...-schwintek.pdf
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Old 06-19-2015, 08:58 PM   #3
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Grumpy;

Here's my take and I'm sure you will get different versions - that goes with the turf of forums.....

I know you want Winnebago specifics but let me use this example first to demonstrate how different manufacturers need different procedures. Many coaches under the Monaco/Holiday Rambler line-up have a very different method; Our last coach a Holiday Rambler 42' you needed to be at "travel" height (so 10 airbags full), extend the slides, shut the engine off and use the air-only levelling. This procedure goes back to the manufacturing process when on the shop floor the slides where installed, rigged and calibrated based on the coach being on full airbags and avoiding chassis flex.

When we moved over to the Winnebago line-up we ended up with the Schwintek crap. SInce purchasing I have replaced the rollers guides on our full wall slide because the "C" clips were not installed correctly.

I can tell you this about these slides -

Keep the tracks clean
Use a Teflon based Lubricant - NOTHING that attracts dust and dirt
Level the coach - (ensures in theory that the slides are on their rollers)
Engine Running - Select high idle!
Open a window or door. These Winnebago units are quite airtight!
Extend the slide. Do NOT stop the motion until full travel is achieved. If you do stop then bring the slide back in and start over again!!
Continue to hold the button well beyond when it stops moving (count to 5) - dynamic motors.

The slide motors like lots of clean power and I have on numerous occasions seen the slide hesitate with the engine at curb idle, then I set high idle and "presto" slide moves like magic!

You may think this is overkill, but in my humble opinion it is the single most weakest link in these late model units. I doubt if you will ever have an issue with your hydraulic slide.......but baby your Schwinteks!


Lots of others will chime in I'm sure. PS - In my opinion the best slides are a no slide coach but second place goes to Newmar! Their slide systems are second to none.



Regards
Adam
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Old 06-19-2015, 09:02 PM   #4
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-Grumpy- I leave my engine running to lower the jacks and level the coach. While the jacks are lowering I pull the cord out and connect to shore power. Then I turn the engine off . I do the short slides on the passenger side then do the long one on the drivers side. I like to open the door a bit to allow air in when the slides are moving.
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Old 06-19-2015, 09:23 PM   #5
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If you think a motor coach is so airtight to need to open a window before operating a slide you're (Mod edit) hopeful.
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Old 06-20-2015, 12:04 AM   #6
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When in doubt, grab that big bag of Owners Manuals that Winnebago gave you. There is a manual in there that explains exactly how to do it.
Yep, no guessing you did it the way they want or not. You follow the directions and then if something breaks you can confirm that you were actually following the instructs per the manufacture so they will fix it.
What a concept.

OK now that I've said all that, my manual states to level the coach first with the motor running to ensure there is enough power to the hydraulics. Then extend the slides. Now take into account mine is a gasser and does not have air bags to dump
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Old 06-20-2015, 01:27 AM   #7
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My rig is a bit older than yours, being a 2010 model. My slides are powered electric motors, directly from the chassis batteries, not the coach batteries, hence the idea of running the engine to keep the voltage up.


The two smaller slides can be operated without the engine running, but the largest can refuse to move if voltage is slightly down, so running the engine for all just works.


I always level the coach first. Although earlier this year, I had a leaking leveler, so camped several times without using levelers, and slides went out fine.


I have had some sticking slide-toppers occasionally, and found that moving the slides in, or out, in short 3 inch bursts work well. Besides if there is water on them, you have to move them is short bursts, just to get the water off properly.


And these rigs are fairly airtight, when those slides move, there is a lot of air gushing in or out, if no windows or doors are open, you can tell the difference in speed of movement.
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Old 06-20-2015, 07:27 AM   #8
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I have never seen any "official" advice about which slide to extend/retract first or last. We have always moved (in or out) the largest slide first, then the next largest, and so on. Our thinking is that the chassis batteries will need to be at their peak SOC when they power the pump to move the largest/heaviest slide. By the time we get to the two, small bedroom slides there has always been enough "power" available to move them in/out without struggle. To wit:

• Engine on
• Fast idle
• Jacks down
• Coach level
• Driver's side forward slide
• Passenger side forward slide
• Driver's side aft slide
• Passenger side aft slide
• Engine off
• Make connections to pedestal

\ken
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Old 06-20-2015, 09:56 AM   #9
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Lets see, alternator put out 160 amps (more or less), pedestal puts out 50 amps.

Someone at the very least, needs to read the manual(s).
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Old 06-20-2015, 10:15 AM   #10
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IMHO this just seems totally ridiculous to me. These motorhomes should be designed to be on the road. It is clear that the manufacture of these products never tested them in a real world situation -- just a sterile environment of temperature controlled building with a solid floor. It is also apparent that Winnebago failed the customer in this regard by not demanding more rigorous testing before changing systems.

I have a 5th wheel. I have travelled to Alaska, did 900 miles round trip on the Dempster Hwy to Inuvik, NWT on unpaved highways and travelled to Yellowknife and back on unpaved highways. Our slides never failed. I don't think Schwintek would have would have made it. As a matter of fact, of the 21 rigs in our group nobody had a slide failure.

While I don't expect many people will visit the NWT with their rigs, they will be using them in Alaska. I know of two that failed this past summer.

While this is not slide out related, we are looking to purchase a Winnebago Sightseer 33C. I really like Tiffin and IMHO, I believe that have the best quality Class A Gas. Just comparing they two side by side, the fit and finish is better in the Tiffin. Unfortunately, the don't have the 33C floor plan or anything close to it. I can put up with some poor fit and finish, but the mechanicals should not be an issue.

I sure hope Winnie gets it together and resolves this problem quickly. I think the best thing they can do is to come out on this forum, announce they screwed up, that that will make thinks right of all purchased models with this system, and state what they have do to insure future models do not have this problem (at least in these numbers). I know they watch these forums, and why not many manufactures participate in them, a few do and they seem to have happier customers overall.

my two cents
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Old 06-20-2015, 10:22 AM   #11
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On my RV the shore power does not charge the chassis batteries so plugging into shore power does not help when extending slides or jacks. My slides and jacks operate off the chassis batteries. My manual does say to run the engine, level side to side then front to rear. It doesn't indicate which of the three slides should go out or in first. When getting ready to leave I start the engine, bring in the slides then turn the engine off and let the springs retract the jacks.
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Old 06-20-2015, 10:52 AM   #12
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My coach is older than most of yours posting in this thread. I still have the HWH Jack & Slide Hydraulic System. My manual says the engine should not be running to level the system. I put the ignition switch in accessory position and hit the power switch twice on the HWH panel. The unit automatically drops the airbags and than it automatically levels the coach shutting the unit off when the coach is level. The ignition switch does not have to be on to operate any of the 3 slides. The only requirement is the parking brake must be applied. We have never had a power problem leveling or operating the slides whether plugged in or not. We have never had a problem with our HWH system other than replacing the jack springs with updated springs and replacing 1 leaking jack. We have been very happy with our system.

Don
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Old 06-20-2015, 11:48 AM   #13
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Lets see, alternator put out 160 amps (more or less), pedestal puts out 50 amps.

Someone at the very least, needs to read the manual(s).


HUMMMMMMMMMM 160/12 = 13.3 50/1 = 50 don't forget 12 volts vs. 120 volts
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Old 06-20-2015, 09:53 PM   #14
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Run the motor home engine. When. Leveling. And when slides go n and out
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Old 06-21-2015, 01:58 AM   #15
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Quote:
Lets see, alternator put out 160 amps (more or less), pedestal puts out 50 amps.

Someone at the very least, needs to read the manual(s).
two-niner: For the avoidance of confusion, our owners manual indicates the HWH hydraulic pump is powered by the chassis battery. And chassis battery is charged by the alternator [and a small solar panel]. Notwithstanding use of the Battery Boost switch, connecting the coach to 50A would have no effect in helping slide movement.

Accordingly, when it comes to slide movement, Winnebagos that are wired this way would do better to have engine running at fast idle than being plugged in to 50A.

Your coach, of course, could be configured differently.

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Old 06-21-2015, 10:04 AM   #16
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I don't think this has been discussed but if you have a Diesel with air bags, you can't use the automatic leveling feature if the engine is running as it dumps the air bags then drops the jacks. If the engine is running, it will re-fill the air bags so you must turn off the engine before leveling your coach.
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Old 06-21-2015, 02:16 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LJowdy View Post
I don't think this has been discussed but if you have a Diesel with air bags, you can't use the automatic leveling feature if the engine is running as it dumps the air bags then drops the jacks. If the engine is running, it will re-fill the air bags so you must turn off the engine before leveling your coach.
Ok I'm not sure how it is on the 2010 models..... but on our 2013 I can in fact level with the engine running. The airbag inflate/deflate cycle is not dependant on whether the engine is running but the selection of the level controller.
The levelling systems does trigger an airbag deflate with selection of "auto level" - then I extend my slides.

When departing, I start the engine, air the system, bring in the slides, select auto retract on the levellers (Which fills the airbags). And the unit is ready to go........

); if the Schwinteks didn't break bringing them in!!!
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Old 06-21-2015, 04:06 PM   #18
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Bumps: You are correct, however our 2012 Tour (Power gear) works just like Adam Hunter's operates. Post #17^. Just as it says to do in the Winnebago manual.
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Old 06-21-2015, 07:07 PM   #19
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Quote:
...on our 2013 I can in fact level with the engine running. The airbag inflate/deflate cycle is not dependant on whether the engine is running but the selection of the level controller. The levelling systems does trigger an airbag deflate with selection of "auto level" - then I extend my slides....
This is how the HWH system works on the 2005. Engine running (or not), once you push the button to deploy the jacks, the air bags will deflate. Our process for setting up camp will look like:

• Engine on
• Fast idle
• Jacks down
• Coach level
• Driver's side forward slide
• Passenger side forward slide
• Driver's side aft slide
• Passenger side aft slide
• Engine off
• Make connections to pedestal

\ken
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Old 06-21-2015, 10:16 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LJowdy View Post
I don't think this has been discussed but if you have a Diesel with air bags, you can't use the automatic leveling feature if the engine is running as it dumps the air bags then drops the jacks. If the engine is running, it will re-fill the air bags so you must turn off the engine before leveling your coach.
This is not true because most systems have a Dump switch just for the Air Bags so you can level the MH.
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