Ok this might be a stupid question but since we are new to having the fifth wheel, I would rather be safe than sorry.
We are planning our 3 1/2 month workamping trip in the NW next year and there will be a couple nights we will just pull in to sleep. We do not want to unhook at a pull through site, can we put out our slides while still hitched?
Obviously we didn't have this issue with the Airstream, LOL. :)
dianneandsteve said
10:04 AM Jan 4, 2016
There are no stupid questions on this forum. We put our slides out all the time when in transit. Just make sure you're level.
Safe travels!
TRAILERKING said
10:42 AM Jan 4, 2016
........and put them in before you drive off. Hahaha
cejones4210 said
10:25 PM Jan 4, 2016
So next question, we are parked at home with slides in, and jacks down and leveled. Should we lift the jacks and leave the 5er just sit on the tires or is it ok to leave the jacks down? It will be sitting in one place for at least 4 more months. Does leaving the jacks down create any issues?
Terry and Jo said
10:41 AM Jan 5, 2016
We have always "parked" the RV with the jacks down. If nothing else, it stabilizes them in the event of wind, and it might even help if one of your tires went flat.
Terry
Bill and Linda said
11:36 AM Jan 5, 2016
cejones4210 wrote:
Ok this might be a stupid question but since we are new to having the fifth wheel, I would rather be safe than sorry.
We are planning our 3 1/2 month workamping trip in the NW next year and there will be a couple nights we will just pull in to sleep. We do not want to unhook at a pull through site, can we put out our slides while still hitched?
Short answer: Yes. Do it all the time.
cejones4210 said
04:00 PM Jan 5, 2016
Thanks everyone!! I thought yes to both questions (jacks down and slides out, if level) but wanted to make sure. Fifth wheel is VERY different than the Airstream. We are loving it!
pkhalin said
12:30 PM Jan 7, 2016
The 'King' has a point. If you haven't already done so, you may want to make a checklist. I could just be preaching to the choir. But the more you have parts that move, the more that can go wrong. Jacks up, slides in, etc.
We saw some folks leaving the Alb Balloon fest this year that forgot to stow their electrical cord. Looked like a tail wagging behind the trailer. And we knew of some folks in Camp Verde AZ that forgot to pull in their awning as they left. Yep, crunch time!
You'd think that this was all 'no brainer' stuff. But there's so much to do and if you're in a hurry? It's a disaster waiting to happen.
kb0zke said
07:39 PM Jan 7, 2016
Check with your owner's manual about the slides. Most companies tell you to level, then put out the slides, which makes sense. There are a couple of odd-balls, though, that have published the opposite - put out the slides, then level. That doesn't make sense to most people, but if that's what the factory says to do, that's what you should do. If you are going to stay hitched, then you need to be sure that you are level. If you are only a bit nose down your front jacks can probably get you level, but remember that when they raise the front of the coach they will be raising the bed of the truck, too. Unless you have a true hydraulic leveling system (Big Foot, Quadra Foot, etc.) you can't raise the rear of the coach - you can only lower the nose. Just like on your Airstream, the rear jacks are stabilizers only and not meant to raise the coach.
Check with the tire manufacturer about what to do with the tires. Many people recommend that you park on wood or concrete rather than rock. Others say it doesn't make any difference. Some people would take the tires off if they have a hydraulic leveling system, while others leave them on all the time. If you leave your tires on be sure to cover them with those white (not black) tire covers.
Checklists are good things. Most of the things we have on our checklists are because someone forget that item. One family actually had "count kids" as the final item on their checklist because they once drove off minus one of their seven. It wasn't until one of the kids asked permission to move to the empty seat that they realized they were short one. When they got back to the campsite the missing child was waiting for them. He had gotten in the car, then decided to get out and go to the bathroom.
cejones4210 said
07:43 PM Jan 7, 2016
pkhalin wrote:
The 'King' has a point. If you haven't already done so, you may want to make a checklist. I could just be preaching to the choir. But the more you have parts that move, the more that can go wrong. Jacks up, slides in, etc.
We saw some folks leaving the Alb Balloon fest this year that forgot to stow their electrical cord. Looked like a tail wagging behind the trailer. And we knew of some folks in Camp Verde AZ that forgot to pull in their awning as they left. Yep, crunch time!
You'd think that this was all 'no brainer' stuff. But there's so much to do and if you're in a hurry? It's a disaster waiting to happen.
Paul,
totally agree, having a check is very important. We have had a check list for quite a long while with the Airstream. A bit different with the fifth wheel, but many things similar.
Ok this might be a stupid question but since we are new to having the fifth wheel, I would rather be safe than sorry.
We are planning our 3 1/2 month workamping trip in the NW next year and there will be a couple nights we will just pull in to sleep. We do not want to unhook at a pull through site, can we put out our slides while still hitched?
Obviously we didn't have this issue with the Airstream, LOL. :)
There are no stupid questions on this forum. We put our slides out all the time when in transit. Just make sure you're level.
Safe travels!
We have always "parked" the RV with the jacks down. If nothing else, it stabilizes them in the event of wind, and it might even help if one of your tires went flat.
Terry
Short answer: Yes. Do it all the time.
The 'King' has a point. If you haven't already done so, you may want to make a checklist. I could just be preaching to the choir. But the more you have parts that move, the more that can go wrong. Jacks up, slides in, etc.
We saw some folks leaving the Alb Balloon fest this year that forgot to stow their electrical cord. Looked like a tail wagging behind the trailer. And we knew of some folks in Camp Verde AZ that forgot to pull in their awning as they left. Yep, crunch time!
You'd think that this was all 'no brainer' stuff. But there's so much to do and if you're in a hurry? It's a disaster waiting to happen.
Check with your owner's manual about the slides. Most companies tell you to level, then put out the slides, which makes sense. There are a couple of odd-balls, though, that have published the opposite - put out the slides, then level. That doesn't make sense to most people, but if that's what the factory says to do, that's what you should do. If you are going to stay hitched, then you need to be sure that you are level. If you are only a bit nose down your front jacks can probably get you level, but remember that when they raise the front of the coach they will be raising the bed of the truck, too. Unless you have a true hydraulic leveling system (Big Foot, Quadra Foot, etc.) you can't raise the rear of the coach - you can only lower the nose. Just like on your Airstream, the rear jacks are stabilizers only and not meant to raise the coach.
Check with the tire manufacturer about what to do with the tires. Many people recommend that you park on wood or concrete rather than rock. Others say it doesn't make any difference. Some people would take the tires off if they have a hydraulic leveling system, while others leave them on all the time. If you leave your tires on be sure to cover them with those white (not black) tire covers.
Checklists are good things. Most of the things we have on our checklists are because someone forget that item. One family actually had "count kids" as the final item on their checklist because they once drove off minus one of their seven. It wasn't until one of the kids asked permission to move to the empty seat that they realized they were short one. When they got back to the campsite the missing child was waiting for them. He had gotten in the car, then decided to get out and go to the bathroom.
Paul,
totally agree, having a check is very important. We have had a check list for quite a long while with the Airstream. A bit different with the fifth wheel, but many things similar.