Noisy landing gear

**John612** · 07-28-2015, 09:43 PM

Just returned from awesome five day trip at bodega bay, no problems.
Parked our 303 in the gently sloping driveway, set the front landing gear and pulled the truck out.
While extending the gear, at ~3' high, right gear started making a ratcheting sound, never heard before.
Although I greased them a month ago, I put it back on the truck, greased all four zerts again.
Same sound as before, not real loud but nonetheless disconcerting.
Plan on contacting GD in the morning, but has anyone else experienced this?

Thx, John

**Retread68** · 07-29-2015, 07:50 PM

Yes, I have heard the same ratcheting sound and have held my breath a couple times. I'll be interested in knowing what information you obtain. Thanks in advance for posting.

**Cate&Rob** · 07-29-2015, 08:05 PM

Hi John,

Is this "racheting sound" before the landing gear makes contact with the ground ? If so, ours does the same thing for a section of the run down. This has worried me too, but once the landing gear takes the load, it seems to work quietly and properly.

Rob

**John612** · 07-29-2015, 10:14 PM

Thanks Rob, ours makes the noise after contact with the ground.

Noise started at 9-10" of travel and I stopped it at 24" (not 3' as mentioned above)
Because our driveway slopes down, i run it a little higher than normal to achieve level.

Jerry thought it might be a low battery, but battery showed full first time I heard it and I'm plugged into shore power and it still makes it now.
Just tried it again and it made almost the same sound as it went down.

Retread68 - I hear you on the breath holding, been going around instead of under since I heard it.

Thanks,
John

PS Rob - Thanks for the recommendation on the tire minder, easy to install and feel alot better seeing temperature and pressure.
Added bonus came while I was reading latest Camping World circular and noticed they're giving a free $50 DC air compressor with each purchase, which I didn't receive when I purchased mine. Called 'em up and they're shipping it to me, no shipping charges.

**TucsonJim** · 07-29-2015, 10:39 PM

On my last FW (Keystone Cougar) it made a clicking noise everytime I raised or lowered the landing gear. I had the dealer look at it while under warranty. They said it was okay. Two months after the warranty expired the landing gear failed while I was boondocking. I couldn't raise or lower the landing gear either manually or with the motor. I had to use a hydraulic jack and some stacks of wood to lift the rig up high enough to hitch up.

If it doesn't sound right, don't trust it. Find out what is causing the noise and get it taken care of before you get stranded.

Jim

**Retread68** · 07-30-2015, 06:04 AM

Jim,
That's what has me holding my breath! Best I recall mine does it when there is a load on the landing gear. Makes no difference whether it is being extended or retracted - there will be a ratcheting on one side like teeth skipping on a cog. I gave both sides some grease and have heard no change. I'm thinking it will be another learning experience in the future.

**John612** · 07-30-2015, 10:40 PM

Sent Jerry @ GD a photo and he told me 24" is too far to extend the outer leg and I should use more of the inner leg before engaging the motor. Will try that and see how it goes.
I was thinking it would be more stable using more of the outer leg before lowering the inner leg but I see his point because the further you lower the outer leg, the less is held in the housing in the bay.

**RetiredVagabond** · 08-01-2015, 04:45 AM

Check the bolt locking the drive to the motor. It's on the drivers side near the motor. Mine made that noise and after several months it sheared off. I bought a new bolt and nut at Lowes. Fixed it myself in just a few minutes.

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**Retread68** · 08-10-2015, 10:29 AM

Gary,
Are you referring to the bolt that connects the square tube to the motor? Since the chatter seems to be on the curb side I looked at both connections. The square tube is approx 3/4" on the curb side and seemed to move up and down on the bolt that secures it to the curb side landing gear. Since I had some 1/2" square tube I cut a 3" section, inserted it into the larger tube and then had to place two shims inside between them to get the inside diameter to equal (slightly larger) than the coupler shaft on the curb side landing gear. Also put a shim inside the 1/2" tube to take away slack on the driver side connection. Now neither ends of the synchronize rod rattle on the connection bolts.

This may or may not be the source of my chatter. Will have to wait until I hook up to the truck to find out.

I always keep 2 of those 1/4" dia bolts in the trailer because that is the identical setup that runs the slide-outs. Several years ago a bolt sheared on a slide-out and it took a while to figure out why only 1 side of the slide-out was moving. (Not a Grand Design RV unit)

Thanks for the thought.
Rich

**RetiredVagabond** · 08-11-2015, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Retread68

Gary,
Are you referring to the bolt that connects the square tube to the motor? Since the chatter seems to be on the curb side I looked at both connections. The square tube is approx 3/4" on the curb side and seemed to move up and down on the bolt that secures it to the curb side landing gear. Since I had some 1/2" square tube I cut a 3" section, inserted it into the larger tube and then had to place two shims inside between them to get the inside diameter to equal (slightly larger) than the coupler shaft on the curb side landing gear. Also put a shim inside the 1/2" tube to take away slack on the driver side connection. Now neither ends of the synchronize rod rattle on the connection bolts.

This may or may not be the source of my chatter. Will have to wait until I hook up to the truck to find out.

I always keep 2 of those 1/4" dia bolts in the trailer because that is the identical setup that runs the slide-outs. Several years ago a bolt sheared on a slide-out and it took a while to figure out why only 1 side of the slide-out was moving. (Not a Grand Design RV unit)

Thanks for the thought.
Rich

Hope it works for you. I was able to put the bolt through on drivers side by the motor and it worked so far. I may have a slightly different setup though, Reflection 293res.

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