Unhitching from truck

[Maggiesclan]

After a longggggg day of driving, I got into my campsite. I connected to power, opened the slides, and turned on the furnace.

After a few minutes of relaxation , I realized I needed to make a short trip with my truck.

Should I close the slides before unhitching? I don’t want to put any stress on the slides or my fifth wheel frame.

Thanks!

[mazboy]

No, you'll be fine.

[mlh]

No, you can actually move your camper with the slides out if you go slow and be careful.
Lynwood

[Maggiesclan]

Thanks for your responses. My brain is fried after a long day of hauling my fifth wheel!

[darrylwt]

Originally Posted by Maggiesclan

After a longggggg day of driving, I got into my campsite. I connected to power, opened the slides, and turned on the furnace.

After a few minutes of relaxation , I realized I needed to make a short trip with my truck.

Should I close the slides before unhitching? I don’t want to put any stress on the slides or my fifth wheel frame.

Thanks!

I was told not to open slides until the trailer is level and stable and not to raise or lower the trailer with the slides open??? But hay maybe the dealer didn't know what they were talking about.

[HiPalm]

I won't take the chance it only take a moment to slide them in and back out.

[MARK A]

Do you normally leave your pickup hooked up when you’re parked? Or was it just a ‘quickie’ stop like WalMart.

Mark

[rohrmann]

When we are traveling, I always drop the trailer before leveling and putting out the slides, because the usual routine after that is to go get fuel and maybe dinner, then back to the rig for the night. The auto level function with the hydraulics always wants to drop and then come back up in the leveling sequence, and unhitching only takes a minute or two. I have jacked up the rig to service the bearings or change a tire with the slides out, and then re-leveled with the slides out, and never had an issue.

[team bradfield]

If we are just overnighting on way to destination, we stay at KOA's mostly. they are very close to level sites, we leave the TV hooked up and drop the landing gear manually. once we are happy with the level, we put the slides out. I never put slides in or out when out of level.

[Docweems]

I have put my ODS out once when the trailer was not level, but will not do it again. It put my largest slide in a bind and actually caused it to stop. I could not figure out what was happening at first, but then after checking both inside and out, I realized that being off level was the cause. I leveled the unit and then everything worked normally. I have not had any similar issues before, but my normal process is to level the unit prior to putting the slides out, and that is what I would recommend.

[simonsrf]

Amazing how much bad information dealers can propagate and how many people follow their wisdom like sheep to the slaughter.

[kdeiss]

Originally Posted by Docweems

I have put my ODS out once when the trailer was not level, but will not do it again. It put my largest slide in a bind and actually caused it to stop. I could not figure out what was happening at first, but then after checking both inside and out, I realized that being off level was the cause. I leveled the unit and then everything worked normally. I have not had any similar issues before, but my normal process is to level the unit prior to putting the slides out, and that is what I would recommend.

Always level first

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by rohrmann

When we are traveling, I always drop the trailer before leveling and putting out the slides, because the usual routine after that is to go get fuel and maybe dinner, then back to the rig for the night. The auto level function with the hydraulics always wants to drop and then come back up in the leveling sequence, and unhitching only takes a minute or two. I have jacked up the rig to service the bearings or change a tire with the slides out, and then re-leveled with the slides out, and never had an issue.

The very first time I went to "camp" around the corner from home while the slab was being poured for the 5r, the auto level kept having an error. Turns out we had the rear very low (was at lakeside with slope) and the auto level needed to lower front below level to set. Had to go to big box store for lumber, go by house to cut, then pull out and park on staggered 2x10 boards. Worked fine after that.

[Recumbent]

Maggiesclan you should be ok to leave slides out if you do not have to raise or lower the front very much to be free of the truck, otherwise I recommend pulling slides in to unhitch. We have unhitched maybe two or three times without pulling slides back in on the current rig over the last 6 years. I have personally watched Montana Dealer making repairs on a rig and move rig around using tow motor lift with all slides out. decreasing the longevity and adjustment of slides are the issues you will face if you do it on a regular basis. The extra step of putting slides back in is the most conservative routine and best practice.

[Maggiesclan]

Thanks for your responses