How low can you go?

[Art-n-Marge]

My landing gear seems to take forever to raise and lower. It seems to have enough travel since I've not had any problems if I correctly guess what notch in the drop down part to use. The problem is how long it takes for the motorized part to travel - it's so slow in either direction in my rig.

I notice in some member pictures that the landing gear hangs down a little when hitched to the TV and like that idea, to lessen the amount of travel when setting up. I plan that the drop downs with notches would still be raised to the max, but I'm trying to lessen the retraction of the motorized part of the legs (and save some time).

For those with experience doing this, how low would you recommend that I can leave the landing legs down and still not risk snagging something while driving? I'm thinking no lower than the bottom of the TV bumper but would prefer advice and opinion from an experienced consensus just to make sure.

[Bill-N-Donna]

One of the great things I like about the Montana is the fact that it sits so high off the ground and has the clearance that it has. I’ve had other brands where a slight incline would put you into dragging the tail end very easily or scraping the pavement. I wouldn’t consider leaving them down any at all.

[8.1al]

We leave the motorized section down about 4", been doing that for 14 yrs. That still leaves the legs high enough that it would take a really strange situation to snag one of them

[richfaa]

They are Really, really, really,really..SLOW..but..we are in no hurry. They will get down in time.

[farmboy]

I run my extentions all the way to the ground them just lift off the truck with the motor, pull out then level, up or down. Usually up. I travel with everything full up. Take no time at all, Just a minute or so.

[PapaBeav]

We put the legs all the way up but leave the movable section down about 3".

[exav8tr]

Art, Cathy leaves ours down about 4 inches. I don't even want her to get close to the upper stops as I have heard too many stories about blown fuses. Maybe this is why we have had such good luck, (knock on wood), with our fuses and legs. We also drop them as far as possible before extending them to get the trailer off the truck. I don't think our legs move more than about 6 inches at any give time. If our selected spot looks very "unlevel" we will usually pick another spot. I don't like the front end sitting "too" high. Don't know what the "accepted" way is but we like the way we do it....

[CmdrDewey]

We leave ours down about 3". Now I have to be a bit contrary. I was told by someone at Keystone and I don't remember who, that you should MINIMIZE the amount of the extension. Think about it. The extension is much thinner, therefore weaker. Those two little legs are holding up well over 1000 pounds apiece. The thin legs also contribute to trailer movement. Some of that might be helped by the use of a tripod/bipod.

YMM, and probably does,D

[HamRad]

Art,
We run ours all the way up but I see nothing wrong with leaving the power part down a couple of inches. I wouldn't do it but you will probably never have a problem..... Like Charlie.... His 14 years is a good testament. The gears are slow that is for sure but "Hey!" What is a couple of minutes? Take your time and relax.

Dennis

[racerjoe]

we leave ours down about 4-6 inches, think about this,that the rear axle on your truck is only about 8 inches off the ground so you would have to go into a pretty wild dip to ever hit the legs.

[Trailer Trash 2]

Art I also leave mine up almost all the way up but at the third hole from the bottom. I have nightmares of that one gas station aproach way that is a good upward and then the parking lot drops down that would be a leg killer. that place is in Ventura county going north on us101 never forgot that place the whol aperon had the scars of death on it. I never chance a scrunch.