How level is level enough?

[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”