Heading to Spartan

[Mighty_J]

Hey there!

1) I did not remove the jacks. I left them there. HOWEVER, I have not used them all season. We’ve been out somewhere different almost every weekend since May and just got back from a 2.5 week 3000 km trip and didn’t use them once. The levelling has been rock solid.

2) I had them mount the display panel on the lower dash, to the left of the steering wheel. I can take some pics tomorrow and post.

Couldn’t be happier with it.

[Mighty_J]

Here’s a pic of the control panel. In my Ventana, those couldn’t put it on the side console without taking up one of the cup holders so I was like - ummmm…. Nope!

So the tech and I played with the template a bit to see where else it could go and settled on this spot. It’s out of the way but really easy to get to while in the captain’s chair (you can level, but also raise or lower manually to assist in getting over/under things or stepping out of the coach when parked).

I always have trouble with pics rotating, but here goes!

[revolution1]

Hi,
Thanks for the info and picture. I was thinking about taking out the jacks because I don't like them. They never seem to level out the same. I always have to readjust and reset the null. A real pain in the butt. I was going to put the control where the Equalizer control is.

[Mighty_J]

Originally Posted by revolution1

Hi,
Thanks for the info and picture. I was thinking about taking out the jacks because I don't like them. They never seem to level out the same. I always have to readjust and reset the null. A real pain in the butt. I was going to put the control where the Equalizer control is.

You’re welcome! For me, it was all about having a redundant system - so I’ve got some peace of mind with the two!

[redbaron73]

Originally Posted by revolution1

Hi,
Thanks for the info and picture. I was thinking about taking out the jacks because I don't like them. They never seem to level out the same. I always have to readjust and reset the null. A real pain in the butt. I was going to put the control where the Equalizer control is.

That is a rather drastic approach. I know that the Ventanna doesn't have the HWH jacks like the other levels do, but I would think that having some that remain unused and are available in a pinch or for resale is better than removing equipment that was supposed to be there.


I have never dealt with the jacks on the Ventanna, so I do not know what the level procedures are for reset and correction. I do know that manual is always better than automatic, no matter what brand, and waiting for the air bags to fully deflate before deploying jacks is also preferred.


If you don't have the ability to dump easily, that would be a feature worth looking into adding. I am certain Spartan can do that for you.


I have had air level on my last 3 coaches, and would never be without it. That being said, you cannot beat the stability of hydraulic jacks on the ground. For long term stays (1 week + ), I will use Jacks unless the ground is soft.


Just my $0.02

[Mighty_J]

redbaron73: Couldn’t agree with you more about the resale. With the equalizer levelling system there is no dedicated air dump button, but you can get around it by starting the automatic levelling cycle (the air bags will start to deflate), then cancelling it and waiting (the air bags will continue to deflate). Once deflated you can then run the auto cycle or manually level.

I originally added the air levelling to mine for use on overnights in parking lots or at rest stops. As luck would have it, I ended up with a hydraulic leak on our first trip this spring and equalizer walked me through disabling the one problematic jack and securing it. In the two weeks it took to get me a new jack I just used the air levelling and came to really like it and haven’t switched back!

[revolution1]

Yes it may seem drastic but I am getting tired of having to fix it. Like Mighty_J I had one of my jacks develop a leak (right rear) after about three months of bringing it home. Now a couple of weeks ago I noticed my right front jack is leaking. The Equalizer team has been great and I get wonderful support from them but I am tired of having to fix it.
I have had coaches with air leveling and they were great which is one of the reasons for going this route.
As for resale I am not so concerned about that because we plan on having this coach for a long time.

[revolution1]

I just finished installing the Red Diamond leveling system. It took about 18 hours or so. Not really a tough install. The hardest part was snaking the hoses and cable from the front to the back. So far the system works great. I have tried it several times in the driveway and checked it with my levels and it repeats every time. We are going to stay in it over the weekend in the driveway to see how well it holds level. So far I am impressed with it. It is very simple to operate in both manual and automatic. I will give it a true test when we go to Fort Wilderness in October. I put the control panel in the same spot as you did Mighty_J. Thanks for the pictures they were a big help.

[Mighty_J]

Originally Posted by revolution1

I just finished installing the Red Diamond leveling system. It took about 18 hours or so. Not really a tough install. The hardest part was snaking the hoses and cable from the front to the back. So far the system works great. I have tried it several times in the driveway and checked it with my levels and it repeats every time. We are going to stay in it over the weekend in the driveway to see how well it holds level. So far I am impressed with it. It is very simple to operate in both manual and automatic. I will give it a true test when we go to Fort Wilderness in October. I put the control panel in the same spot as you did Mighty_J. Thanks for the pictures they were a big help.

Glad to hear it was helpful! I hear fort wilderness is a great campground. I hope to get there one day. All the best!