setup sequence phantom slides air leveling & no jacks

[batpilot7300]

This is our first coach with slides and I'm having a little trouble understanding the setup sequence, we have phantom slides and air leveling, no jacks. The manual states, don't put the slides in or out unless the coach is at ride height, also recommends keeping the engine running when leveling so do you pull in to your site, extend the slides, level the coach then shut down the engine? seems like running the engine that long could upset some folks around me.
Lee Brown
98DS45L
Granbury TX

[afrench45]

Lee,
I understand where you are coming from about disturbing people around you. I usually like to turn of the engine after arriving to try to not be a nuisance to surrounding neighbors. Newell told me to run the rooms in and out in travel mode because thats level the coach is at when it is built. Once having the rooms run out, I then level because it is much faster to level with the coach running instead of relying on your 110V. compressor to do it, if you are on a big slope, it can take quite some time to bring the coach up. So I do agree and follow what the manual says because not only does it say in the owners manual to do so, but my service advisor at Newell has told me the same.
- Andrew

[batpilot7300]

thanks Andrew, I do have a 110v compressor as well as a 12v, would that make a difference for leveling after the slides are out?
Lee Brown
98DS45L
Granbury TX

[fulltiming]

Lee, I think you will find that the 120 volt compressor and leveling on anything other than a almost level pad will be an exercise in frustration. The leveling system uses A LOT of air to raise an end up significantly. The poor like 120 volt compressor just isn't made for that kind of air delivery. When I am raising the coach, either end or either side, with the 120 volt compressor running it still reduces the pressure in the auxilary tank about a psi per second.

[Richard and Rhonda]

Lee, you will find the 120 compressor is a slow go if you need to raise one side of the coach. Obviously if you are just dumping air to lower one side, you don't need much of a compressor. On the other hand if you need to raise one side more than an inch or two, the engine driven compressor is the best choice.

After a couple of practice sessions, I find I can have the coach level in less than five minutes. I usually do it first thing before I shut the rig down so as to minimize the disturbance on the neighbors.

I think my 5 am departures are probably worse on the neighbors :-)

[batpilot7300]

thanks all, we pick up the coach tomorow morning and if all goes well we are planning a three day trip to San Antonio to get confortable with all the systems before heading out for the summer, I'm sure I'll have many more questions as this all falls in place.
Lee & Patsy Brown
98DS45L #476
Granbury TX

[HoosierDaddy]

Hmmm if I remember correctly my "travel light" comes on whenever the engine is running. I thought that it would not level with the travel light on. How do I take advantage of the engine compressor?

[encantotom]

hey richard, when you left at 5am from austin texas and we were next to you, i was still in full rem sleep. didnt hear a thing.

dean, when your engine is running, your engine compressor is running and supplying air to the tanks. if you have the hwh leveling system (i have a manual system with toggle switches for each corner), you should still be able to level with the engine running. in fact, you have to have it running to fully level like the other guys are saying.

later

tom

[fulltiming]

Dean, assuming that you have the HWH autoleveling keypad, turning on the ignition key will send it to travel mode. Immediately press level and it will stay where it is. You can then either manually level through the use of the front/rear/left/right up and down buttons or press the level button twice in rapid succession for auto level to occur. Autolevel automatically takes the high side or end of the coach and dumps it. If that doesn't level the coach, it then begins to add air to the still low side/end of the coach. If it is out of level both side to side and front to back it will deal with the front to back level first then the side to side. I don't know if the programmed logic changed in later years but that is the way it worked back in the early '90's.