RVA Jacks Leaing / Bleed down?

[BobJones]

Hi Folks!

I noticed one or two of my jacks are leaking. Is this a big deal or just a case of removing the jack, stripping it down, and getting some new O-Rings or something easy like that?

Other then that, functionality is fine. Obviously, I do have to top up the oil on occasion

[BFlinn181]

I'd take them to a local hydraulics shop to have them rebuilt. Call and see if you should remove them from the RV or they'll do it for you. Get them fixed so you don't leave puddles of hydraulic fluid on the pad at campsites.

[BobJones]

I never thought of that and it sounds like a good idea - thank you for that. I would think this should be very easy for them to do.

[wa8yxm]

As I recall RVA uses a manual override type valve (It has a manual override in case things do not work as designed)

Make sure the valves are fully closed before you start tossing money at it.

[Happycarz]

Are the two jacks leaking fluid, or are the jacks just not holding pressure and slowly retracting?

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

As I recall RVA uses a manual override type valve (It has a manual override in case things do not work as designed)

Make sure the valves are fully closed before you start tossing money at it.

Yes, they are closed - good point too

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Are the two jacks leaking fluid, or are the jacks just not holding pressure and slowly retracting?

I believe it's two jacks. I saw a fair amount of fluid on the board I put under them when I relocated to a different pad in the park. As far as bleed down, what I tend to see is that when I first go into the pad I need to level them and then about a week later I need to re-level them again. At first I thought it was just the ground settling but it seems now that I need to check them every month as they will be off a little. It's not much, usually just one quick adjustment and then they are back to level.

I'm wondering if I should just pull one off, strip it down and take a look. I can't imagine there's much to them and if so, it would be nice to just do all three and call it maintenance.

[Happycarz]

OK, sounds like you have a seal leaking. I have the procedure for the PowerGear jacks, but not the RVA jacks. Sorry. And, Roy McBrayer did a super write up, with part numbers, for the PowerGear jacks.

I sure hope someone jumps in here with a procedure or the whereabouts of a knowledgeable hydraulic shop. Maybe you could call the fire department or a crane company to find out who repairs their outrigger jacks. Same hold true with the big wreckers, as they use jacks also.

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by Happycarz

OK, sounds like you have a seal leaking. I have the procedure for the PowerGear jacks, but not the RVA jacks. Sorry. And, Roy McBrayer did a super write up, with part numbers, for the PowerGear jacks.

I sure hope someone jumps in here with a procedure or the whereabouts of a knowledgeable hydraulic shop. Maybe you could call the fire department or a crane company to find out who repairs their outrigger jacks. Same hold true with the big wreckers, as they use jacks also.

Google shows a number of shops, many within Phoenix metro area.

[Happycarz]

I’m not sure if Bob wants to drive all the way to Phoenix to have his jacks repaired.

Google does have listings for shops. But, not all shops are created equally. Google reviews and Yelp can help in finding a good shop, along with my above suggestions.

[HatzicGuy]

I had talked to RVA for a while about my slight leaking jack and they always wanted me to send it to them.I looked up a hydraulic shop in bakersfield Sully and son called them on route made a appointment. They didn't know if they would have parts in stock until they took it off and they said worse case one day to get them in. Turns out was a standard seal and 4 hours later and $300.00 bucks I was on the road fixed. I can't believe I lived with the problem for 2 years. So it does seem a good hydraulic shop locally can take care of it.

[CountryB]

I have not worked on a RVA jack, but I have repacked many hydraulic cylinders for construction equipment. It's not an easy job for a DIYer.

The cylinders I am familiar with have a packing gland nut that takes a special socket to remove. Those nuts are tight and you need a good holding fixture or hd vise. Not only that but the new piston/seals can be tough to reinstall without the proper tools.

If the RVA jacks are similar, this is a job best left to hydraulic repair shop.

Good luck

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by HatzicGuy

I had talked to RVA for a while about my slight leaking jack and they always wanted me to send it to them.I looked up a hydraulic shop in bakersfield Sully and son called them on route made a appointment. They didn't know if they would have parts in stock until they took it off and they said worse case one day to get them in. Turns out was a standard seal and 4 hours later and $300.00 bucks I was on the road fixed. I can't believe I lived with the problem for 2 years. So it does seem a good hydraulic shop locally can take care of it.

Perfect! I can take it off myself and probably save some bucks. Good to know that the seal was of a standard variety. We have several hydraulic shops around here so it should be no big deal to find one.

Originally Posted by CountryB

I have not worked on a RVA jack, but I have repacked many hydraulic cylinders for construction equipment. It's not an easy job for a DIYer.

The cylinders I am familiar with have a packing gland nut that takes a special socket to remove. Those nuts are tight and you need a good holding fixture or hd vise. Not only that but the new piston/seals can be tough to reinstall without the proper tools.

If the RVA jacks are similar, this is a job best left to hydraulic repair shop

Thank you! Sounds like the way forward is I'll take them off and bring them in.

I appreciate everyone's experience with this - that alone makes the decision making much easier to chart a path forward.