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01-12-2019, 03:27 PM
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#29
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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All I can say is "wow" ...
I have a much longer chassis but the HWH hydraulic auto leveling system gets it right every time. My first rule is that I don't accept a site (or a position on that site) that is that far out of level. I probably haven't used jacks once out of 20 sites. I always dump the air before leveling .... start leveling with the jacks as close to the ground as possible. When in doubt, move the RV.
__________________
2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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01-12-2019, 04:14 PM
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#30
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Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 83
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I have a bubble on my leveler control, a Home Depot vertical and horizontal lever and an app on my mobile phone. The best way I have found to level my coach is to eyeball it then open my bathroom door half way if the door starts moving forward on it's own raise the front if closing by itself raise the back. For more percise final leveling place a golf ball on the counter if it rolls right raise that side.
__________________
2003 Southwind workhorse with Allison
Seeing the USA in a Chevrolet
Corona California
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01-12-2019, 04:50 PM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,984
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I always use auto-level, but after complete and level, always lower the coach (side to side) a quick button push at a time until it is at a minimum height I am happy with. Usually I can lower it 2"-4" and have no issue after the auto-level is complete and still maintain level. I also use the bathroom door as the final determinant.
I would never be satisfied with even one tire off the ground and will place appropriately sized blocks under the tire('s) to prevent that from happening. I carry eight 1'x2'x3" plywood/2x6/plywood blocks for jacks or tires as needed.
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'04 Newmar Mountain Aire 4016
400ISL/Freightliner
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01-12-2019, 05:49 PM
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#32
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Moderator Emeritus
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Lone Star State
Posts: 19,203
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The OP's Outlaw RV is a gas powered Class A ToyHauler (and a very nice 38BG, by the way)....there's no airbags, folks
Plus, the LCI system (being hydraulics up and down - no springs) it does not allow an operator "bump-drop" for fine tuning level. Going up is easy to bump, but "retract" pulls the whole system up to the stow postion.
Safe travels
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01-12-2019, 09:21 PM
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#33
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 777 Driver
As was previously mentioned, dumping your air bags before you start the auto-level process puts you closer to the ground and generally results in less jack extension to accomplish level.
Also, the auto-level systems typically make some jack extension and then check for level, if not level, another jack extension is made followed by a check for level. That process repeats until the controller senses level. ANY movement inside the coach during that controller check for level can result in the controller not sensing level and consequently making another jack extension to achieve level. It's best to have everyone inside the coach sit quietly during the auto-level process.
Take care,
Stu
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So... How do I dump the air? I don't see anything about that in my manual. My jacks are hydraulic. Do those have air to dump?
Edit: never mind, Scarab confirmed my suspicions that this piece of advice doesn't work for me...
Scarab, so you have any advice? If you've already provided it, I apologize. I'm on the road and only have a brief moment, but will read more thoroughly later.
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01-12-2019, 10:21 PM
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#34
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 698
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Wheels off ground when using auto level jacks. What's the definitive consensus?
The HWH auto-level system on our coach works perfectly all the time. It automatically dumps the air before it starts the jacks down.
I’ve been in many sites where the front wheels ended up off the ground. No big deal. I’ve done it scores of times with no ill effects. In my very UN-level office parking lot, where I kept the coach for weeks at a time in the summer and fall, the front wheels looked like this:
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01-13-2019, 12:08 AM
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#35
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Moderator Emeritus
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Lone Star State
Posts: 19,203
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StarBlocked
So...
Edit: never mind, Scarab confirmed my suspicions that this piece of advice doesn't work for me...
Scarab, so you have any advice? If you've already provided it, I apologize. I'm on the road and only have a brief moment, but will read more thoroughly later.
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Star,
See my post #26:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/whee...ml#post4585867
And, I will add that crazy unlevel CG spots are sometimes unavoidable. So, we carry "dunnage" (odd bits of 2x4's) to avoid lifting a tire. Lumber, DIY cut-up rubber horse-stall pad or store-bought jack pad - doesn't matter.
When it is needed might not even be obvious. But when you find you are stuck with a badly unlevel spot, place the pads in the biggest dip under the tire - plus place some under the jack pad. The point is to keep the jacks from lifting a tire off the ground.
But, like I wrote earlier, these jacks can easily lift the RV off the ground...this is not an instant damage risk. Just be very careful of twisting in the event that two tires on the same axle are off the ground (mostly a front axle risk)
Best luck
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01-13-2019, 04:42 AM
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#36
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Plainwell, MI
Posts: 109
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For this question and many others read and follow your owner’s manual. If the manual states that tires should stay on the ground use leveling pads or 2x10s under the tires that need it. My manual requires all tires on the ground after leveling and the air bags deflated before leveling.
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01-13-2019, 06:25 AM
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#37
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StarBlocked
So... How do I dump the air? I don't see anything about that in my manual. My jacks are hydraulic. Do those have air to dump?
Edit: never mind, Scarab confirmed my suspicions that this piece of advice doesn't work for me...
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Hi StarBlocked,
I apologize for my erroneous restatement of bad advice from a previous post. I presumed that the previous poster was familiar with your coach's equipment (air bag suspension).
However, this suggestion is still valid:
Also, the auto-level systems typically make some jack extension and then check for level, if not level, another jack extension is made followed by a check for level. That process repeats until the controller senses level. ANY movement inside the coach during that controller check for level can result in the controller not sensing level and consequently making another jack extension to achieve level. It's best to have everyone inside the coach sit quietly during the auto-level process.
Take care,
Stu
__________________
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned."
2018 Anthem 42DEQ
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01-13-2019, 06:58 AM
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#38
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Western NY
Posts: 6,143
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This is one of those topics that if you are looking for 100% consensus it will be that there is excellent agreement that there are different practices and disagreement.
Some do others don't...
I think it's fair to say many have raised a wheel some short some longer term w/o issue.
Also fair to say it increases risk of side load on jack that is not the best practice and CAN cause damage... you get to decide what level of risk you are comfortable with and what practices you use on unlevel sites.
__________________
Don & Marge
'13 Newmar Ventana 3433 - '14 CR-V TOAD
'03 Winnebago Adventurer 31Y - SOLD
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01-13-2019, 08:39 AM
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#39
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,345
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Traveler
The HWH auto-level system on our coach works perfectly all the time. It automatically dumps the air before it starts the jacks down.
I’ve been in many sites where the front wheels ended up off the ground. No big deal. I’ve done it scores of times with no ill effects. In my very UN-level office parking lot, where I kept the coach for weeks at a time in the summer and fall, the front wheels looked like this:
Attachment 231808
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With all that weight, I'm surprised the wood hasn't tried to crack. There may be a pretty big jolt that could cause damage to the jacks, maybe the suspension, if it does. Tires off the ground are one thing but your image shows, in my opinion, too precarious a situation.
__________________
03 Itasca Sunova, Workhorse P32 with the 8.1 and 4L85-E
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01-13-2019, 09:10 AM
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#40
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Lake Havasu, Az
Posts: 162
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If you have an iPhone check out LevelMatePRO as an app
__________________
Jim and Alice
2023 CS 45D
2016 Anthem 44B sold
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01-13-2019, 11:37 PM
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#41
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,931
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"StarBlocked".....Many are referring to lowering the air in your coach, but that only applies to DP's. I believe all of the Thor Outlaws are gassers.
You'll get a lot of opinions on lifting the tires off the ground and many do it regularly. The simple fact, never lift either of the rears off the ground...period! I won't argue either way about lifting the fronts off the ground, but I will say I prefer not to. If the wheel lifts that high, I will often lift it some more, slide a block under it and lower it.
You don't say what brand jacks you have, but you've identified an issue that all jacks have. They correct, then correct and then over correct and don't have the "brains" to correct by dropping a side they already lifted too high.
Here is something to try. Next time you auto level and the coach ends up with a wheel off the ground, but you think it lifted one side too high unnecessarily, lower the side down that lifted too high and make any other minor corrections manually. Then hit auto level again. Often it will correct the height from a more level position and not make the drastic lifts it did previously.
My coach uses HWH jacks. When it auto levels and can't get the coach level, it will quit and illuminate a red LED that says "Excessive Slope". I make some manual adjustments and then hit Auto Level again. The majority of the time, the coach levels correctly, without excessive lifting. Give it a try.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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01-14-2019, 10:25 AM
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#42
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Moderator Emeritus
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Lone Star State
Posts: 19,203
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Not all Outlaws have been gassers...from 2009-2011, there were many made on the Freightline ML Front Engine Diesel (FRED - 6.7L Cummins/Allison). A very nice option that still holds extra value at resale, but still no air suspension.
Regardless, the OP's Outlaw is a post 2011 - so a Ford F53. And unlike a DP, the Front jacks should be the primary concern for lifting a tire.
First, the front axle can actually be carrying weigh more than the rear when the garage is unloaded and if overall the RV is loaded lightly, due to the entire drive-line weight being totally on the front axle.
And, the rear jacks have almost twice the bracket pieces since there is no transmission, crossmember, drive-line, and exhaust bits to deconflict.
The system is a very robust Lippert Componenets Inc (LCI) Equalizer system with electric driven hydraulics. The manual does not prohibit lifting a tire, because the system can easily do it. And if you do lift a tire, the coach can still be very stable.
Have we lifted a tire? - sure. Do we like to do it routinely? - no.
Best luck to the OP!
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