Front Jacks on the 5ver...

[oldeguy]

5ver is now 10 years old...but, new to me...so, looking at doing some PM on her. My front jack on the Designer are electric operated, I assume most are electric. Most of the mechanic's are pretty well hidden. What type of PM should be done? or lubrication point? and how to access?

[VACHZHD]

Personally, I just extend mine as far as possible and pressure wash them once every couple years. Then a light lube spray. Use too much lube and it picks up too much grime and is hard to raise the inside piece by hand.

In any case, here's the instructions from our Atwood landing gear... should be adaptable to yours...

MAINTENANCE

1. Before use, inspect drop tube and inner ram tube. Replace if bent or

damaged.

2.

ONCE EACH YEAR:

a. Extend landing legs as far as possible, clean drop tube and inner

ram tube. Coat exposed surface of tubes with silicone spray lubricant.

b. Coat inside of handle alignment tube with silicone spray lubricant.

c. Oil shaft bushing in gear box and leg gear heads with SAE 30 oil.

d. Lubricate gears in gear box and landing leg gear heads with

extreme pressure grease.

3. For Electric Drive Motor Landing Legs, twice each year, check wiring

connections at battery. Clean terminals with a solution of baking

soda and water. Cover with a thin coat of grease.

NOTE

: Electric Drive Motor is lubricated at factory and requires no

further lubrication.

4. The Electric Drive Motor Landing Leg system is protected by a 30

amp fuse. If replacement is necessary, replace only with a Buss Type

AGC-30 fuse or equivalent, available in automotive supply stores.

5. The 3:1 gear box is not repairable. Do not take it apart. If you have a

problem with the gear box, replace it.

Should problems or questions arise, contact your dealer, the trailer

manufacturer or Atwood’s Service Department at 866-869-3118.

[Maverick50]

Originally Posted by oldeguy

5ver is now 10 years old...but, new to me...so, looking at doing some PM on her. My front jack on the Designer are electric operated, I assume most are electric. Most of the mechanic's are pretty well hidden. What type of PM should be done? or lubrication point? and how to access?

Lubrication points? You have to be joking. OK, OK I apologize. I had a Mountaineer Montana. Kept blowing fuses on front jack. Could hardly crank them. I disconnected the drive shaft that connected them and found the bad jack. I removed the jack (after blocking RV up) and disassembled it. What I found made me discussed. NO GREASE on the screw. Dry as a bone and it was starting to gall. I used a thread file on the screw to clean it up. I greased it with some high pressure grease and assembled it. I then installed it and repeated the process on the other jack. Just a new grease job was needed on that one. They worked like a charm. I then contacted the manufacturer of the jacks and explained what I found and informed them to check their process. WOW... They went on to tell me they have NO process problems and the unit was greased. The grease must have run out sitting in the sun... HO! HO! HO! I told them I was an Engineer and a Certified Tool & Die Maker and they had not greased it, end of conversation. A typical example of a company not taking responsibility for a problem they caused.
So if you want to do a proper maintenance, I suggest you do the same. It should not be that hard to install grease fittings to increase the life and make life just a little easier for RVers.

This is an excerpt from a letter I did receive: Specifically for Steven:
Doug Olson, our VP of Engineering says the following: “As far as lubrication goes... the only good way to do it is to remove the leg from the coach and disassemble it... Use a good EP (extreme pressure) type grease, preferably one with moly (molybdenum disulfide) grade 2”.
If the grease is still looking pretty good it is a good idea to run it slightly above and below your regular pathway so it doesn’t wear a groove and get slow and sluggish. Don’t go beyond the recommended heights or things can break.”

[PhoneDude 8289]

Originally Posted by Maverick50

Lubrication points? You have to be joking. OK, OK I apologize. I had a Mountaineer Montana. Kept blowing fuses on front jack. Could hardly crank them. I disconnected the drive shaft that connected them and found the bad jack. I removed the jack (after blocking RV up) and disassembled it. What I found made me discussed. NO GREASE on the screw. Dry as a bone and it was starting to gall. I used a thread file on the screw to clean it up. I greased it with some high pressure grease and assembled it. I then installed it and repeated the process on the other jack. Just a new grease job was needed on that one. They worked like a charm. I then contacted the manufacturer of the jacks and explained what I found and informed them to check their process. WOW... They went on to tell me they have NO process problems and the unit was greased. The grease must have run out sitting in the sun... HO! HO! HO! I told them I was an Engineer and a Certified Tool & Die Maker and they had not greased it, end of conversation. A typical example of a company not taking responsibility for a problem they caused.
So if you want to do a proper maintenance, I suggest you do the same. It should not be that hard to install grease fittings to increase the life and make life just a little easier for RVers.

This is an excerpt from a letter I did receive: Specifically for Steven:
Doug Olson, our VP of Engineering says the following: “As far as lubrication goes... the only good way to do it is to remove the leg from the coach and disassemble it... Use a good EP (extreme pressure) type grease, preferably one with moly (molybdenum disulfide) grade 2”.
If the grease is still looking pretty good it is a good idea to run it slightly above and below your regular pathway so it doesn’t wear a groove and get slow and sluggish. Don’t go beyond the recommended heights or things can break.”

Good advice, probably should be checked every few years depending on how much they are used.

[oldeguy]

Maverick...I now know you that you'er "Certified", that's good. I'm an engineer also...over think most things...but I'm a glass half full guy! My question is...got a link to an exploded view of this devise? Trying to understand the type of gearing they have? Found Bulldog in a google search, but they only show you a picture. My hand crank has a flat for the driver. found this utube vid...now I understand! Long but has all the info...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL12JJ5Fmis

[Maverick50]

Link to Venture manufacturing. That's the manufacturer of the landing gear I referred to. Look at the 'LG Parts Explosion'.

Standard RV and 5th Wheel Landing Gear Manufacturer - Venture Mfg. Co.