Here's a little RV 101 (and one of the many things I've learned over the last few months). Most larger RVs (trailers, fifth wheels and MHs) have a hydraulic system that powers the jacks and slides.
The jacks come down from the underside of the MH and provide stability and balance. If you're on an uneven site, they will automatically level you out.
Over the last couple weeks in NM we were having some trouble with our slides and jacks, but didn't give it a whole lot of thought.
When we arrived here the jacks wouldn't go down. We did get the slides out (would have been disastrous if we hadn't).
Without the jacks to stabilize the MH, we were pretty wobbly. Think about when you've been in a van or bus and someone moves around and rocks things. That's what it was like for us every time one of us moved, including rolling over in bed. It was like living on a waterbed.
It did not deter us from our frequent dancing (more like wrestling to music) but I'm sure the neighbors wondered why our MH was rocking (and rolling. Har-har).
In addition, because the slides wouldn't go in, we couldn't leave if we wanted/needed to. You can't travel down the highway with the slides out. I guess there is a way to manually retract them. Fortunately it didn't come to that.
I had images of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel with us stuck here at this campground forever.
We finally got someone out to do the repairs (after ordering parts and waiting for them). What a relief. Now we are level and not wobbly.
The repairman was a gregarious fellow in coveralls. When he finished and I asked about the slides working he said, in his booming Tennessee voice "Yep, you were stuck like Chuck, but you're all set now."
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Love the phrase, stuck like chuck. - Robin
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