hydraulic leveling jacks

[angie]

i am having a problem. Leveled rv for fluid checks. All jacks worked. went to retract jacks and rt front jack wont retract. both rear jacks are up left front works. rv is currently on two front jacks - called for help - instructed to "force" left front up. went out to do this and it started retracting without any help but left front jack would not work while the rt front was working, so I alternated back and forth and the rt front stopped working again. Could this be stuck vavles - as the home was stored for about 1 1/2 years before we bought it about 2 months ago. First problem we have had. If it is stuck valves how do i unstick them???? I appreciate any possible solutions. We rented our first Rv in june and loved it, so we looked and found one to buy right after we returned home. suppossed to go out of town with it fri. but if i cant get the jacks up we will just be spinnin our wheels. lol thanks again

[angie]

i am having a problem. Leveled rv for fluid checks. All jacks worked. went to retract jacks and rt front jack wont retract. both rear jacks are up left front works. rv is currently on two front jacks - called for help - instructed to "force" left front up. went out to do this and it started retracting without any help but left front jack would not work while the rt front was working, so I alternated back and forth and the rt front stopped working again. Could this be stuck vavles - as the home was stored for about 1 1/2 years before we bought it about 2 months ago. First problem we have had. If it is stuck valves how do i unstick them???? I appreciate any possible solutions. We rented our first Rv in june and loved it, so we looked and found one to buy right after we returned home. suppossed to go out of town with it fri. but if i cant get the jacks up we will just be spinnin our wheels. lol thanks again

[The Clock Meister]

You don't say what type of MH you have, or what make jacks you have so I am only guessing for what I am familiar with - HWH

If there is some debris in the valve body, often it can be dislodged by fully extending the jacks and then lowering. I had this happen when we first got our rig, and I have heard of many others with similar problems.

It seems that often manufacturing debris gets in the reservoir tank and lines during production and finds its way to the valve body.

I'm sure many others more knowledgeable than I will jump in and give you more and possibly better advice.

Chris

[RV Wizard]

Angie, welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences. I am sure you will enjoy the forum. You will find we are a group of fun loving RVers that like to help each other where we can. Any questions you have, just ask. You may also try cleaning the pistons of the jacks and lubricating them; use a silicone spray. Good luck and stay safe.

[GaryKD]

Hi Angie,
Your profile mentions you have a 1993 Damon 33ft. I am assuming this is a gas powered coach with spring suspension (no air bags).

Not knowing the Brand of jacks you have, the generic way to get a stubborn jack up is to pry it up by wedging something (crow bar/long board) under the pad and manually lifting the jack. Then place more boards under your lever and keep on lifting until the jack is fully raised. Before doing this, I would do what RV Wizard suggested and clean/lubricate the piston. To lubricate, I use Lithuim grease. It comes in a spray can and you can get it at Lowes or Home Depot. What ever lubrication you use, it will take several cycles before it begins to work. Consider lubricating each cycle for the next few cycles. If the jacks are retracted by external springs, consider replacing them.

My words are for hydraulic jacks. If you have electric jacks, I have no experience with them.

[bldrbob]

One of my jacks would not retract.The solenoid coil was bad.Switching with a good coil allowed me to raise the jack.Powerjack wanted to sell me a complete valve for $160. I found a replacement coil for $15.May not be your problem.
BOB

[DSouthw524]

Be careful about the lubricating of the piston! HWH does not recomend putting anything on their pistons as it attracts dirt and grime and then grinds it into the seals when one retracts.

The problem if this is HWH jacks will probably be fixed by excersizing the jack several times and possibly replacing the springs if they are tired. Contact HWH for the replacements.

[Gary RVRoamer]

If it is a Power Gear jack, there is a grease fitting on the fixed part of the jack, where the piston slides in. Get a grease gun and inject some grease and chances are the stubborn jack will move nicely after that. These grease fittings need to be lubed periodically, generally whenever you have the rest of the chassis lubricated.

[abarkl]

Not all Power Gear systems have piston grease zerks; including my 2001.

[Paulin]

What type of grease is proper for the Power Gear jack?

[angie]

thanks to everyone who responded as it turns out i didn't have enough power in the one battery to work the jacks properly so once i jumped them together - they worked perfectly.

Keepin it rollin (barely) lol

[psyflyjohn]

If you do have grease zerks on the jack, use lithium grease. The manufacturer suggests this because it is lightweight and won't impede the jack retracting.