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Old 05-23-2019, 01:29 PM   #15
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You cannot get body twist with hydraulic jacks. They always operate in pairs...both fronts, both sides and both rears. You cannot make just a single jack move, which WOULD twist the chassis.
Yup. That said, the "legs" mount in a different spot than the suspension. In addition the weight transfers to 4 locations instead of 4 for the front and more for the rear, number depending on suspension type.

So, my coach creaks like a Spanish Galleon in a Nor'easter blow when I deploy the levelers. Nothing that will hurt it, but it does change shape somewhat. (Comes into play when deploying slides, but that's another can of worms.)

To the OP...... bring some stepped 3 tiered 2xXxY ramps and bring the lowest tire(s) up (drive on to them) 4.5", a few blocks under the leveler and you'll be OK. May need a step stool to get up the stairs depending on how it all sits.

I would not let a leveling issue get in the way of an otherwise attractive spot. Make it work.
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Old 05-23-2019, 03:04 PM   #16
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You cannot get body twist with hydraulic jacks. They always operate in pairs...both fronts, both sides and both rears. You cannot make just a single jack move, which WOULD twist the chassis.
It's true they move in pairs and you can not move a single jack, but I disagree that you can't twist it, I know because I have done it. If the ground in the front isn't level side to side and you start lifting the rear, it is twisting or if the ground is "twisted" already and you are manually trying to lift on the levelers, it will twist the frame a lot more than when you pulled into the spot and you were just sitting on the suspension and the air bags were supporting the chassis.

It makes lots of noise, windshields pop out and you'll swear you broke every tile on the floor, and doors don't line up etc.
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Old 05-23-2019, 04:23 PM   #17
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It's true they move in pairs and you can not move a single jack, but I disagree that you can't twist it, I know because I have done it. If the ground in the front isn't level side to side and you start lifting the rear, it is twisting or if the ground is "twisted" already and you are manually trying to lift on the levelers, it will twist the frame a lot more than when you pulled into the spot and you were just sitting on the suspension and the air bags were supporting the chassis.

It makes lots of noise, windshields pop out and you'll swear you broke every tile on the floor, and doors don't line up etc.
I am not sure how you got an RV to explode using the levelers, but I have questions about the build quality of said RV. ( I have had a fiver that twisted and Lippert paid a lot of money to have that fixed.....) I don't think there's anything I can do to my Freightliner chassis to do that kind of damage.

Were these electric levelers? Then there may have been something wrong with them. Same with a hydraulic setup. Not only to they move in pairs, but they are a CONNECTED pair when moving. When the first one hits the ground it stops until the second one hits the ground and then they get equal hydraulic pressure. No twisting.

Now if the control circuitry is whacky, all bets are off.
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Old 05-23-2019, 09:05 PM   #18
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You cannot get body twist with hydraulic jacks. They always operate in pairs...both fronts, both sides and both rears. You cannot make just a single jack move, which WOULD twist the chassis.
What happens when one leg compresses the soft grass more than the other corner that is on the gravel?

If the RV never twists when using leveling jacks, then there would be no issue of moving the FWS slides when on the jacks post auto leveling.
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Old 05-23-2019, 09:46 PM   #19
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You cannot get body twist with hydraulic jacks. They always operate in pairs...both fronts, both sides and both rears. You cannot make just a single jack move, which WOULD twist the chassis.
You can twist the chassis, if after auto leveling, you see one wheel off the ground and you let that corner back down.

The other wheels are on the ground and they will resist dropping while you get the high one down.

This would effect spring suspension more then air, but if the low corner air bag bottoms out, the twisting starts.
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Old 05-23-2019, 10:02 PM   #20
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I was at Bull Run Park in Virginia. Was unable to get my 42 foot coach level. There were 5th wheelers in this section that looked to have about 18 inches of boards on one end. We had to move to a different section.

My coach has both air and hydraulic leveling. In either source, I can raise or lower each corner independently.
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Old 05-23-2019, 11:11 PM   #21
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OP, I'm not gonna get into the wheel up or down debate (for once), but I will make a suggestion (and it's free).

Look for the TRUMA app. Among other things it has a leveling app. Once you get your coach leveled as you wish, you enter your wheel base and treadwidth, and set the zero point. If you use a point of reference near the drivers seat, you can see exactly how much you are out of level and how many inches to correct it. Then you can make a decision if you can level, need to use blocks, or use another site.
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Old 05-24-2019, 12:17 PM   #22
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I am not sure how you got an RV to explode using the levelers, but I have questions about the build quality of said RV. ( I have had a fiver that twisted and Lippert paid a lot of money to have that fixed.....) I don't think there's anything I can do to my Freightliner chassis to do that kind of damage.

Were these electric levelers? Then there may have been something wrong with them. Same with a hydraulic setup. Not only to they move in pairs, but they are a CONNECTED pair when moving. When the first one hits the ground it stops until the second one hits the ground and then they get equal hydraulic pressure. No twisting.

Now if the control circuitry is whacky, all bets are off.
It was a Freightliner XC IFS chassis, with HWH Hydraulics under a Mandalay if it matters. I have questions of the build quality of ANY coach.

Let me come and play with yours and I will show you how I did it.
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Old 05-24-2019, 12:28 PM   #23
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What sparked the question, other than general curiosity, is that while making reservations at a campground, they found it important to tell me that the sites weren't level. They estimate that it's 12-15 inches difference from front right to real left on the site. Would that cause issues when leveling a motorhome?
Short answer, YES that would be a problem for most motorhome leveling systems.
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Old 05-24-2019, 12:32 PM   #24
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I am not sure how you got an RV to explode using the levelers, but I have questions about the build quality of said RV. ( I have had a fiver that twisted and Lippert paid a lot of money to have that fixed.....) I don't think there's anything I can do to my Freightliner chassis to do that kind of damage.

Were these electric levelers? Then there may have been something wrong with them. Same with a hydraulic setup. Not only to they move in pairs, but they are a CONNECTED pair when moving. When the first one hits the ground it stops until the second one hits the ground and then they get equal hydraulic pressure. No twisting.

Now if the control circuitry is whacky, all bets are off.
Having a Freightliner Chassis I agree it don't twist at all. It will self adjust if you are on gravel pads rather than concrete and the heavy leg will settle into the ground, pad and all.

The frames are very rigid and tough or the tile floor would truly crack. There are some out there that I have seen twisted but not any of the newer better built coaches.
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Old 05-24-2019, 06:12 PM   #25
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Our coach has HWH air leveling. Much easier than the hyd jacks in the previous coach. Press the 'Air' button on the panel twice and you are done. For sites with more than 4 to 5 inches off level, I carry a half dozen 2 x 10's of various lengths. If still out of level significantly, I will move to another site. I will not risk more than 2 degrees off level with the gas absorption refer (even though the Norcold has a new Amish cooling unit).
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Old 05-24-2019, 08:43 PM   #26
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If you want to know if your level just ask your better half...
I'm now not perfectly leveling mine. It rains almost every day in the midwest, so water runs off better and I get fewer inside leaks around the 3 slides.
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Old 05-25-2019, 11:09 AM   #27
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Having owned them all, a fiver has the most range of capability to level up on uneven ground. We've been in sites where the pin was 6' in the air, or the front legs fully retracted. No motorcoach has enough jack extension to handle that much slope.

Next best are the air suspended coaches with hydraulic jacks. IF the airbags are dumped first (not always the case). Because of the aforementioned lower starting point that enables the jacks to do more.

Worst are the sprung coaches, because the jacks have to start from full ride height. Much of the stroke is used up before the jack even touches ground.

Additionally, the longer a rig is, the less slope it can handle. A 30' and 40' rig have the same jack stroke. A shorter wheelbase can achieve more rotation with the same amount of lift.
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Old 05-25-2019, 06:16 PM   #28
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You cannot get body twist with hydraulic jacks. They always operate in pairs...both fronts, both sides and both rears. You cannot make just a single jack move, which WOULD twist the chassis.
That's not the case with mine, 2016 Forza with Lippert Power Gear. The two front jacks are connected together on same valve, the rear are on their own valves. The control panel has front, left, right, rear buttons. So when you press left or right that controls the respective rear jack (independently), press front that controls the front jacks (same valve in manifold but separate lines), and rear will lift both rear jacks. So when lifting one side it is the rear jack doing all the work and the front pivots. I happen to be having issues with my jacks leaking down (see other thread in this forum), so I have researched this thoroughly and given what my system is doing I likely have a leaky dump valve.

-edit-
Not sure if my system is working properly, but I haven't had much success with auto level function unless the site is practically level to start with. If right/left is off level more than about 4" I get an error after the jacks come down (left right and center level lights flash) have to turn off then on and do manual level. Jacks have plenty of travel and I can level it manually just fine.
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