Community Forums

progers · 09-22-2010, 08:27 AM

Do I need to extend the levelers completely when I clean them? Forgot to ask this before. Thanks!
Paula
2004 Allegro 35DA

bdpreece · 09-22-2010, 11:59 AM

For hydraulic levelers I have always been told to try and never fully extend them as you risk blowing the seals. I usually just wipe off the portion that is extended and spray with silicone.

paz · 09-22-2010, 12:04 PM

The part that's not extended is bathed in hydraulic fluid, and therefore is as clean as it will get. The idea is to clean rain splashes, mud, etc. off the exposed portion.

AFChap · 09-23-2010, 08:01 AM

My leveler legs/pistons have not been cleaned/lubed or otherwise touched by human hands in the 7 years/60k mi I have owned the coach. They are down most of the time, and I've never seen anything on them (or in the manual) that would suggest they need to be "cleaned." If a few dust particles get on them, that is taken care of by the wiper seals next they are retracted for travel. Mine are HWH ...of course, YMMV.

Lakeman1 · 09-23-2010, 08:23 AM

I have Power Gear and have not had a problem. The manual tells you to spray with silicon few weeks that they are down and about every week if you are with in 50 miles of salt water.

JLDHELMS · 09-25-2010, 09:21 PM

Hi, I may be too late to help you on this one, but I just attended an HWH leveling system seminair put on by a factory HWH employee. His statements were: never wipe the ram, may scratch causing leaks; cylinder in their system has several seals that wipe and seal the ram, the bottom one mainly for dirt, thus no wiping; the ram is made to leave extended for long periods of time as it is made of stainless steel; clean ram only when it has dirt or mud splashed on it and then with a water hose; finally, the only periodic maintenance required (mostly after long periods of extension) is squirting WD40 (not silicone) upward at an angle towards the bottom of the cylinder to wash out debris that may have collected there on the bottom seal during nomal use (raising). I found this seminair interesting as I was doing several things wrong (and haveing raising problems). Have had not further problems since following his advice. Jim

progers · 09-27-2010, 02:49 PM

You're not late at all! Thanks for all the good information. I have spent the last couple of days talking with HWH and my dealer's service manager. Everyone has a different opinion on both what could be wrong and how and what to use to clean and lube the levelers. Guess I will draw from their collective wisdom and do it my way. I'll know after next weekend if it works. To those of you who have never checked your hydraulic oil, you might want to do so. Mine was 1.5 quarts low!
Paula
2004 Allegro 35DA