Rear Leveling Jacks pulling 119 Amps - 80 Amp CB does not reset

[Hoopy Frood]

Different solenoid between slide and jacks..but I'm just trying to make a best guess. Without the schematic I really don't know exactly how it's plumbed...I'm guessing at it being pretty simple hydraulics (being an RV).
Jack pairs do need to be able to act individually to some extent in order to level a trailer.

To a certain degree perhaps, but if you notice, one of the pair usually stops when touching the ground, then the other one comes down and they raise the trailer together. The pressure is equalized between the pair, which leads me to think they act as a interconnected pair. But I could be wrong, it happens.

[ajg617]

Per LCI, each set (front, mid, rear) are dasiy-chained hydraulically and the 'intelligent' controller determines which valves to open/close.

[Hoopy Frood]

Seems like the "intelligent" controller might be a bit of a misnomer.

[ajg617]

Seems like the "intelligent" controller might be a bit of a misnomer.

Well, I just went out and did some additional testing with Victron app on one phone and Compass Connect working leveling on another. The big draw is retraction of the middle two jacks - that bumped it up over 80 Amps and when the rear two joined in, we were up to 120+ again. Just raising to hitch height set my BMV alarm off at below 12.5V so that was a drop of over 1 volt from a start of 13.6V. The hitch height procedure stopped and without the battery voltage recovering, wouldn't continue. Which means that on a normal morning going to hitch height while dry camping, I'm going to have a problem unless I have shore power or the generator running.

Interestingly, I raised each side to max manually and then dropped each and amperage topped out at 35Amps when retracting all three on either side. So separately, the three jacks on each side come nowhere close to 80Amp CB.

Over to GD and LCI to figure this one out.

[Hoopy Frood]

Sounds like using Hitch Height is off the table until LCI figures out the problem. But at least you do have a Plan B: using the leveling legs in manual.

[huntindog]

To a certain degree perhaps, but if you notice, one of the pair usually stops when touching the ground, then the other one comes down and they raise the trailer together. The pressure is equalized between the pair, which leads me to think they act as a interconnected pair. But I could be wrong, it happens.

They are interconnected part of the time. When they go into the leveling mode that are individually controled. On a related note: My unit has two hydraulic slides that are interconnected.Sometimes one will stop partway and the other one moves.

[Hoopy Frood]

I think they're interconnected all the time, one will drop until it contacts the ground, then the buildup of pressure will cause the second leg to come down, or if the pressure is even, both will come down at once. When the pressure equalizes, then both legs will move together, and lift the trailer. Pretty sure they work just like the slides in that respect.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I think they're interconnected all the time, one will drop until it contacts the ground, then the buildup of pressure will cause the second leg to come down, or if the pressure is even, both will come down at once. When the pressure equalizes, then both legs will move together, and lift the trailer. Pretty sure they work just like the slides in that respect.

Makes sense to me.
But there must be some explanation of the increased amperage on retraction. Which...to me...means there is some form blockage/restriction to flow when emptying the top half of the levelling jack cylinders. The pump is pressurizing the cylinders on the one side to retract and the other side is not seeing a clear relief path for the fluid to go back to tank. Causing...the pump to work harder...causing high amperage.

[Hoopy Frood]

Oh, I absolutely agree with the blockage/restriction theory too. There is no issue with two cylinders retracting, but when all four are retracting all heck breaks loose. Got to be some kind of restriction.

Just thinking, I wonder if there's an issue with one cylinder leaking fluid/pressure past the inner seal. If that were the case, the pump would be basically building pressure against itself. Just a thought.

[ajg617]

Oh, I absolutely agree with the blockage/restriction theory too. There is no issue with two cylinders retracting, but when all four are retracting all heck breaks loose. Got to be some kind of restriction.

Actually, there is an issue with only both the middle jacks retracting - that puts them over the 80Amp CB by themselves. Was approaching 90 Amps with just the two middles retracting and should have caused the CB to reset but didn't. Going down is not a problem. Retracting either side separately (that's all three jacks) is in the 30Amp range. That implies to me that each on their own free flow back to the reservoir OK but only when the two middles retract do the Amps exceed CB values. I'm more and more leaning to a malfunction in the control box not opening a valve correctly or an issue in what Lippert refers to as the brain box (different from the control box). I believe I've located the control box but not the brain box.