Auto Leveling Jacks

[RetArmyMSG]

I have only taken my 369RL out a few times and I have two questions about the auto leveling jacks.

(1) Luckily I have enough room to park it in my backyard but I am wondering what/if any drawbacks there are to leaving it parked with the leveling jacks down? If I bring them up it will be uneven as my backyard has a slant; so if I leave them down are there any drawbacks (strain on the hydraulic system, etc.)?

(2) Although I have only used it a few times I noticed the auto level is not really level. My calibrated eyes (verified by a level...) show the drivers side is always a bit lower after I run the auto level. To correct it I have used the manual mode and given the drivers side a few "bumps". I am located in El Paso so taking it in to have it checked out is really not an option. Does anyone know where the level sensors are located, how it is calibrated, or have any ideas? Thanks.

 

[thompsons 369rl]

I had the same issue with my 369. There is a process outlined in the Level Up manual that allows you to "set" the level position once you get it where you want it.

here is the process:
ZERO SETTING THE CONTROL 1. Turn “ON/OFF” button “OFF” 2. Push “FRONT” button 10 times, 3. Push “REAR” button 10 times 4. Control will flash and beep, LCD says “ZERO POINT CALIBRATE” 5. To memorize this level condition , press “ENTER” 6. LCD says “ZERO POINT STABILITY SUCCESSFULLY SET” 7. The control will then turn off. 8. Turn “ON/OFF” on to commence operation.

 

[jaw3336]

I am also curious if you can leave it on the level jacks for extended periods. Thanks

 

[thompsons 369rl]

I did not see any warnings on the LCI website about leaving jacks extended except as noted below.

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES 1. Change fluid in RESERVOIR ONLY every 36 months. a) Check fluid only when jacks are fully retracted. b) Always fill the reservoir with the jacks in the fully retracted position. Filling reservoir when jacks are extended will cause reservoir to overflow into its compartment when jacks are retracted. c) When checking fluid level, fluid should be within ¼” of fill spout lip. 2. Check the fluid level every month. 3. Inspect and clean all Pump Unit electrical connections every 12 months. If corrosion is evident, spray unit with WD-40 or equivalent 4. Remove dirt and road debris from jacks as needed. 5. If jacks are down for extended periods, it is recommended to spray exposed leveling jack rods with a silicone lubricant every seven days for protection. If your coach is located in a salty environment, it is recommended to spray the rods every 2 to 3 days.

Hope this answers your questions.

 

[RetArmyMSG]

I did not see any warnings on the LCI website about leaving jacks extended except as noted below.

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES 1. Change fluid in RESERVOIR ONLY every 36 months. a) Check fluid only when jacks are fully retracted. b) Always fill the reservoir with the jacks in the fully retracted position. Filling reservoir when jacks are extended will cause reservoir to overflow into its compartment when jacks are retracted. c) When checking fluid level, fluid should be within ¼” of fill spout lip. 2. Check the fluid level every month. 3. Inspect and clean all Pump Unit electrical connections every 12 months. If corrosion is evident, spray unit with WD-40 or equivalent 4. Remove dirt and road debris from jacks as needed. 5. If jacks are down for extended periods, it is recommended to spray exposed leveling jack rods with a silicone lubricant every seven days for protection. If your coach is located in a salty environment, it is recommended to spray the rods every 2 to 3 days.

Hope this answers your questions.

Thank you. It sure does. As you can tell, I really haven't spent the time to go through all the manuals. I'll try to calibrate the system the next time Im on a level site. Thanks again.

 

[thompsons 369rl]

You're welcome. BTW, you don't really need to be on a level site. It only needs to be level enough for the auto level system to do it's job without the jacks being extended beyond their capabilities.

Good luck and happy camping!

 

[GDRV Service]

Hi Scott and Lora (@RetArmyMSG),

Please contact your dealer, or our Customer Service department at (574) 825-8000, if you require further assistance.

Thank you in advance...

Best regards,
~ Janice

 

[RetArmyMSG]

Hi Scott and Lora (@RetArmyMSG),

Please contact your dealer, or our Customer Service department at (574) 825-8000, if you require further assistance.

Thank you in advance...

Best regards,
~ Janice

Thank you. We are setting up at an RV park close by this weekend and I will attempt to recalibrate the level point. If we have any problems I will be contacting you.

 

[G&Jcamping]

Hi all. The first time I did my auto level I was on a small left to right slope. Normally in this spot my tires would be on two of the plastic leveler blocks. I'd did not drive on those with me new solitude. With my new 6 point leveler my left side wheels ended up off the ground 2 inches. I can't find anything in the manuals that state any concerns with this. Is this normal??

 

[GDRV Service]

Hi all. The first time I did my auto level I was on a small left to right slope. Normally in this spot my tires would be on two of the plastic leveler blocks. I'd did not drive on those with me new solitude. With my new 6 point leveler my left side wheels ended up off the ground 2 inches. I can't find anything in the manuals that state any concerns with this. Is this normal??

Hi Gary and Jo (@G&Jcamping),

The leveling system will extend the jacks to the point where the unit is level, or the cylinder extends to its maximum stroke. To avoid over-extension, it is recommended that the unit be positioned on blocks on the low side whenever camped on a slope or unlevel grade, and that blocks be placed under the jack pads to compensate for the block height under the tires.

Best regards,
~ Janice

 

[G&Jcamping]

Thanks Janice, I was a bit unclear if I should have rolled up on a block in this case. We are loading the unit for its maiden trip in the moutians near Julian Ca. I will send a review of our new Solitude next week. PS--my wife loves the pantry more than anything else!!!!

Gary

 

[laffman]

Something interesting I found out this weekend. My unit stays on a seasonal site and never moves. I wanted to put boards under the tires so they weren't sitting on the ground. I lifted the whole unit off the ground with the leveling system. The dealer's tech told me this was OK because the system is designed to lift something like 30K pounds, but not to leave it this way for any extended period of time. So I put my boards under the tires and went to auto level again, thinking the system would drop the unit to the ground and start the auto level sequence. Nope, it auto leveled with the tires off the ground. It even lifted the unit further off the ground. When the auto level was complete, the tires were about 4" above the boards. Of course I dropped it back down and auto leveled again.

 

[imjustdave]

The dealer's tech told me this was OK because the system is designed to lift something like 30K pounds, but not to leave it this way for any extended period of time. .

So on one sentence its ok but then it isn't? Hate to say I call BS on that. I guess the seals on the valves might have a workout sitting there... but the front will always be down. I can't think of a reason why a piston would care being up or down. I would advice cycling the ram every year or so to keep the seals lubricated but mechanically it can hold the 5th wheel or it can't. I know if I buy a 5th wheel with this option "still deciding" I know it will sit in my yard level on the jacks, I would almost argue that it would be better for the tires.

 

[Rizzles]

We had bit of a workout last night with our auto leveling system and learned a few things. The site we are on is not level and has a gradual front to back slope combined with a high drivers side (DS). I thought we would give the auto level a chance to work its magic so we simply chalked, unhooked and hit auto level on the panel. The front end dropped all the way down and after a few more attempts we received a time out failure on the panel. So I went into manual mode, leveled front to back and then attempted to manually adjust left to right. Well, the DS tires came off the ground and the rear most DS jack reached its full out position and to my surprise was off the ground! So, we placed blocks under the DS tires, retracted the rear jacks, added blocks for the rear jack to rest on and hit auto level. The system ran through its process and the trailer ended up level with the tires (and jack) resting firmly on the blocks.
Lessons learned:
1) Do not solely rely on the leveling system when parked on uneven terrain.
2) The use of blocks under low side tires is a must.
3) The use of blocks under jacks that have a long way to travel is a must.

Good luck!

 

[GDRV Service]

We had bit of a workout last night with our auto leveling system and learned a few things. The site we are on is not level and has a gradual front to back slope combined with a high drivers side (DS). I thought we would give the auto level a chance to work its magic so we simply chalked, unhooked and hit auto level on the panel. The front end dropped all the way down and after a few more attempts we received a time out failure on the panel. So I went into manual mode, leveled front to back and then attempted to manually adjust left to right. Well, the DS tires came off the ground and the rear most DS jack reached its full out position and to my surprise was off the ground! So, we placed blocks under the DS tires, retracted the rear jacks, added blocks for the rear jack to rest on and hit auto level. The system ran through its process and the trailer ended up level with the tires (and jack) resting firmly on the blocks.
Lessons learned:
1) Do not solely rely on the leveling system when parked on uneven terrain.
2) The use of blocks under low side tires is a must.
3) The use of blocks under jacks that have a long way to travel is a must.

Good luck!

Hi Jay and Bobbie (@Rizzles),

When unhooking your unit, always be sure the nose is level or above level. The Level-Up establishes a "zero-point" each time. To do so the nose has to be level or higher, or else the front jack will drop all the way down to the lowest point as it starts to search to establish the "zero point."

Best regards,
~ Janice