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Old 08-03-2015, 06:05 AM   #1
caroldee2735
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Level up and "bump test"

First trip with our new 3160 and first experience with level up, wow , very awesome. With our old 4point level system we always hitched up , pull rite superglide , and then raised the front legs a couple of inches and did a bump test and trailer brake test before retracting jacks completely. We had heard too many stories of high hitching and dropping the unit on the truck rails.
My question is with the level up there doesn't seem to be a place in all the automatic stuff going on to do a bump test. What do you knowledgeable members do?
 
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Old 08-03-2015, 06:45 AM   #2
davidaf
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I do the same test with the 6 point. Hitch up. Raise the rears, raise the front until both legs are off the ground where one should be higher than the other then lower the front legs again until they are even and about an inch off the ground. The same front leg that goes up first will go back down first.
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Old 08-03-2015, 06:46 AM   #3
1retired06
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Have not experienced any issues. Our Curt hitch gives us a green when jaws are locked properly, do a visual check, raise the jacks, and give a tug. Worst case, we have a bed saver, but we have always been good to go. Biggest lesson for us to learn the hard way was auto level will not work unless the front is elevated higher than the rear.
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Old 08-03-2015, 10:05 AM   #4
DQDick
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On my Reese hitch I just walk under and check visually. I also have a bed saver type devise.
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Old 08-03-2015, 03:49 PM   #5
rames14
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We have a 3160 with a Reese Hitch. We always do a pull test, very similar to David. First I hit the left and right arrows to return to the hitch position. I may have to raise or lower it a little, but it is close. After hitching, I auto retract. Then, I put the front gear down until one leg is touching and the other is 1" off of the ground. Then I retract to match and do the pull test. Then, I pull the wheel chocks. Next, I again do an auto retract and we're ready to go.
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Old 08-03-2015, 03:51 PM   #6
caroldee2735
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Thanks for the replies.
The front should be higher than the rear? I have only done it once, it worked great so I guess the front was higher than the rear. I was told by dealer to just push the left and right button together for hitching, that I didn't have to raise back legs first. ?? I have always raised the back legs first on non auto level.
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Old 08-03-2015, 04:22 PM   #7
davidaf
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Front just needs to be high enough to hitch. I don't raise the rears until it's time for the pull test.

Auto retract? I need to figure out how to do that. I just hold the button until they are all done.
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Old 08-03-2015, 08:51 PM   #8
Artemus Gordon
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I belong to the broken truck bed club. Dropped the fiver on my old truck. Just south of five grand in damage. Totally my fault. We are religious about the pull test. Every single time! David I don't use auto retract. I do it in manual mode. It's just me I guess!!! Lol
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Old 08-04-2015, 03:33 PM   #9
The Bone
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I have a handle on my Companion hitch and it has to be manually closed and i put a pin in the handle. I believe the jaws have to lock if I close the handle and replace the pin to keep it closed? Do I need to do a pull test anyway? Do I have to do a visual of the jaws? Have I been lucky so far?
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Old 08-04-2015, 03:46 PM   #10
1retired06
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Old 08-04-2015, 04:33 PM   #11
Dam Worker
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My hitch has a green indicator that pops out when hitch pin is in the correct position. I also watch the handle move out and then back into the correct position. Usually I will have to put trailer brakes on manually and put transmission into drive and the handle will then pop down the last 1/4" or so. Then it is ready to be padlocked for the trip. I have been very happy with my new hitch although my last one for the previous fifth-wheel worked fairly well and I always had positive kingpin engagement. I will sometimes also look at the hitch from the backside and confirm everything is engaged. I also love my six point level up system for quickly leveling the unit and for the speed in the front landing gear for loading and unloading.

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Old 08-04-2015, 06:02 PM   #12
dieselguy
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Like Dick ... I always put an eye on the clamshell before hitting the road. I have a Curt hitch that won't latch the release arm unless you are hooked up correctly ... I don't pull test due to the Curt.
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