Correct way to extend slides Cheetah 2004

[Les Hurdle]

The manual has me confused.

It would appear one must remove all air from the system before deploying the jacks.

[Then deploy slides??]

In another section it is suggested slides must be put out while the system is 'up'..............

If I read correctly.  One must put out the slides when the system is full [meaning air one presumes].

Then release the air followed by deploying the jacks?

This does not seem to be a good idea.

What do you folks who know more than I do?

Also if air is removed and eg; rear wheel is off the ground when jacks are used, is this ok?

Les

[MurrayD]

Les, you will get many opinions on the proper procedure for extending slides. My method is dump air to lower coach so step is not too high, deploy jacks, then extend slides. A level coach will provide the best situation for extending slides. A second note regarding your post, never lift the tires off the ground with the jacks. If the surface is uneven your coach will put too much side force on the extended jack causing it to retract askew. This will damage the guides inside the jack, thus requiring replacing it. I speak from experience as this is exactly what I did my first year of ownership. Dumping air before deploying jacks will usually allow the coach to level without lifting tires. An alternative would be driving onto blocks on the low side before levelling.

[96 EVO]

Slides out while suspension at 'Travel Height', then level.

Leaving site, start engine, press 'Travel Height', shut down engine, retract slides. ( I have to shut down engine to move slides. Whether you do or not, I don't know.)

This is the common procedure for Monaco built DP's.

Edited April 16, 2023 by 96 EVO

[1nolaguy]

Our 2005 S. Cheetah  is likely like your. The owner's manual states slides should be deployed and retracted once the RV suspension is fully aired up. This seems counterintuitive as you have to turn on the engine to air it up and then turn it off to operate the slides. Having done both (aired up and leveled) and having also paid to have the slides readjusted, we now go through the air up before hand. As a side note, I use to not wait for the suspension to air down before leveling. This occasionally left us with wheels off the ground. Our air solenoids do not always work so I always press on the brake to release air until the MH is partly deflated before leveling. Hope that helps.

[Cousin Eddie]

I use the same procedure as Ben (96 evo)…slides out first before dumping air and leveling on arrival, then airing up and retracting the jacks and then pulling in the slide on departure. I broke 2 of the large slide locks on the large hydraulically operated slide before I decided to pull the instruction manual out to read the recommended process for my coach. If I dumped and leveled first, the coach gets torqued slightly out of shape creating an uneven clearance between the slide and the opening which would break the lock. Since I changed the sequence, zero issues. (Two slides, 3 point hydraulic jacks leveling, ‘03 Dynasty).

[96 EVO]

The coach builders reasoning for recommending this way is the coach body was built on the chassis while the bags were aired up. So, that's when everything should be square.