How level is level enough?

[cmillsap]

As my signature will show, I owned three Wanderlodges prior to owning my present Prevost. Two of those busses were equipped with slides. The big negative I felt about a Wanderlodge revolved around the operation of the slides. I always felt it was a P.I.A. to extend and retract the slides. Sometimes we camped overnight without opening the slides because it was more trouble than it was worth to go through the process. The Wanderlodge LXi is equipped with a HWH hydraulic slide integrated with the HWH hydraulic leveling jacks. The zero tolerance between the slide body and the bus body made it imperative that the bus be level before extending or retracting the slide. Consequently, the jacks had to be deployed to level the bus before the slide controls allowed the slide to be operated. Therefore, if the jacks were unable to level the bus, there was no ability to operate the slide. So extending the slides was an intimidating multiple process and the steps had to be followed exactly.

Don’t get the wrong impression here because ‘by and large’ two of the 43’ Wanderlodge LXi that I owned were otherwise magnificent machines and certainly as good as any converted Prevost of the same vintage.

My Prevost XLII is equipped with a Level Low system. Switched on, you can level the bus by operating the three leveling valves that direct air to and from the suspension air springs. Surprisingly, it is used to level the bus after the slide is extended. The slide will only function with the Level Low switched off. Once it is switched off, the bus suspension will return to ride height.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the ease of extending or retracting the slide on my bus. It is such a simple procedure. Just park the bus on a relatively level site found in most RV parks. With the park brake engaged, transmission in neutral, engine running (hi-idle) and aux air system pressurized, just push a button to extend or retract the slide. How level should your Prevost be before attempting to extend a slide? My rule of thumb is if the floor is level enough to live comfortably but maybe not perfectly level it’s ok. But I wouldn’t be extending the slide unless the bus was relatively level. I guess my years of owning a Wanderlodge has made me over cautious.

[Hisham Amaral]

(04-14-2016 01:01)cmillsap Wrote:  As my signature will show, I owned three Wanderlodges prior to owning my present Prevost. Two of those busses were equipped with slides. The big negative I felt about a Wanderlodge revolved around the operation of the slides. I always felt it was a P.I.A. to extend and retract the slides. Sometimes we camped overnight without opening the slides because it was more trouble than it was worth to go through the process. The Wanderlodge LXi is equipped with a HWH hydraulic slide integrated with the HWH hydraulic leveling jacks. The zero tolerance between the slide body and the bus body made it imperative that the bus be level before extending or retracting the slide. Consequently, the jacks had to be deployed to level the bus before the slide controls allowed the slide to be operated. Therefore, if the jacks were unable to level the bus, there was no ability to operate the slide. So extending the slides was an intimidating multiple process and the steps had to be followed exactly.

Don’t get the wrong impression here because ‘by and large’ two of the 43’ Wanderlodge LXi that I owned were otherwise magnificent machines and certainly as good as any converted Prevost of the same vintage.

My Prevost XLII is equipped with a Level Low system. Switched on, you can level the bus by operating the three leveling valves that direct air to and from the suspension air springs. Surprisingly, it is used to level the bus after the slide is extended. The slide will only function with the Level Low switched off. Once it is switched off, the bus suspension will return to ride height.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the ease of extending or retracting the slide on my bus. It is such a simple procedure. Just park the bus on a relatively level site found in most RV parks. With the park brake engaged, transmission in neutral, engine running (hi-idle) and aux air system pressurized, just push a button to extend or retract the slide. How level should your Prevost be before attempting to extend a slide? My rule of thumb is if the floor is level enough to live comfortably but maybe not perfectly level it’s ok. But I wouldn’t be extending the slide unless the bus was relatively level. I guess my years of owning a Wanderlodge has made me over cautious.

Chuck
On my 04 Marathon I never had to do any leveling prior to extending the slide. same as my current 03 Liberty h345.

[davidbrady]

Hi Chuck,

My Vantare has Vantare slides, so take this accordingly, but with Prevost factory slides I'm thinking if the locking pins disengage then things are good to go. Binding locking pins is probably the limiting factor. If the chassis is twisted such that torsional loads bind the pins then the pins won't retract and the slide won't deploy and the bus is too unlevel. I guess we can think of binding pins as sort of a built in safety measure.

(For the benefit of some, releasing air from the tag axle takes the sag out of the center of the bus chassis to releasing binding forces on the locking pins. Prevost slides are structural with load paths transferred via the locking pins).

[cmillsap]

Well. I’ll tell you the story of my first time operating the slide on my Prevost. The boys at Marathon had given us a lesson on how to use the Level Low and also how to operate the slide. I just watched them go through the process and figured that was sufficient. No big deal, it was a simple process.

Then came the time to move the bus over the pit where the Techs were waiting to service it. So I jumped in the driver’s seat and proceeded to re-level the bus. I had forgotten everything they had showed us. I had reverted back to my Wanderlodge days and the thought that the bus needs leveling before bringing the slide in.

I used the Level Low and got the level bubble perfectly centered in the “O”. I thought “great” now I’ll close the slide. When I pushed the slide retract button, nothing happened! I fiddled around going through the process a few more times but I could not get the slide to retract. Now all the Techs were standing by the pit bay doors waiting patiently for me to bring them the bus. I’m sure they were wondering what the hell I was doing.

Frustration set in and I was about to go ask for help when Tela came in and asked what was taking so long. I said "I can’t get the damn slide in"! She looked at the dash and saw that the level Low light was lit. She said “Chuck, the Level Low is still switched on, the slide will not operate unless the Level Low is switched off”. Then it hit me, she had listened to the lesson and learned what the boys had told us. Obviously, I had not. I turned the Level Low off, retracted the slide and drove the bus over to the Techs waiting to service it.

As I exited the bus, they asked “what took you so long?" I said “Oh, I was teaching Tela how to retract the slide”

[Hisham Amaral]

(04-15-2016 16:27)cmillsap Wrote:  Well. I’ll tell you the story of my first time operating the slide on my Prevost. The boys at Marathon had given us a lesson on how to use the Level Low and also how to operate the slide. I just watched them go through the process and figured that was sufficient. No big deal, it was a simple process.

Then came the time to move the bus over the pit where the Techs were waiting to service it. So I jumped in the driver’s seat and proceeded to re-level the bus. I had forgotten everything they had showed us. I had reverted back to my Wanderlodge days and the thought that the bus needs leveling before bringing the slide in.

I used the Level Low and got the level bubble perfectly centered in the “O”. I thought “great” now I’ll close the slide. When I pushed the slide retract button, nothing happened! I fiddled around going through the process a few more times but I could not get the slide to retract. Now all the Techs were standing by the pit bay doors waiting patiently for me to bring them the bus. I’m sure they were wondering what the hell I was doing.

Frustration set in and I was about to go ask for help when Tela came in and asked what was taking so long. I said "I can’t get the damn slide in"! She looked at the dash and saw that the level Low light was lit. She said “Chuck, the Level Low is still switched on, the slide will not operate unless the Level Low is switched off”. Then it hit me, she had listened to the lesson and learned what the boys had told us. Obviously, I had not. I turned the Level Low off, retracted the slide and drove the bus over to the Techs waiting to service it.

As I exited the bus, they asked “what took you so long?" I said “Oh, I was teaching Tela how to retract the slide”

Chuck
You hope that Tela will not see this post.

[davidbrady]

LOL Chuck! That reminds me of the time that I helped Suzana when she was lost in NYC, and when I had to sit her down to explain why having children is a good thing, or when I had to teach her about healthy eating and lifestyle... I think you get the picture!