Auto leveling

[Doug Whidden]

When I auto level my 2021 High Country, my entry door is difficult to open and close. Feels like the unit may be in a little bit of a bind. Anyone else have this issue and what can you do about it?

[team bradfield]

I never use the auto level, seems quicker to level it manually, i have the bubble levels in front and side (under the level switches) I also found it to twist the frame in some spots resulting in the door jamming

[jsb5717]

Welcome aboard! Glad you found us.

More info would be helpful. Which HC model do you have? Does it have a 4pt or 6pt auto level system? You might need to do a little tweaking in manual mode to see if you can correct the potential binding and reset the controls to accept your new level.

I can see the 6pt potentially being a little out of adjustment in the center leveler. Let us know. You'll find some help here.

[Doug Whidden]

It’s a 385BR with a six point leveling system.

[mhs4771]

Being a Hight Country, is it safe to assume that it's the Electric Leveling System vs the Hydraulic System on the Montana's?

[jsb5717]

Yes, it's an electric system. I have the 4 pt system so don't know for sure but I assume that it's possible to adjust the center legs independently from the others? If so then I would manually bump them up and/or down do see if that relieves the bind at the door.

[boisesmith]

Just don't try auto or manual leveling with the steps down. It will bind and twist the mechanism. (Ask me how I know)

[Doug Whidden]

Thanks. Good advice.

[Trevor]

We have a ‘21 Montana 3761fl with the 6 point hydrolic leveler,and it works perfectly. Sorry I’m not bragging just really really proud of it.

[rohrmann]

The hydraulic 6 point leveling system functions like a three point system because the landing jacks are plumbed together and each side's middle and rear jacks are plumbed together, so it's unlikely to twist the frame. The electric system has six independent jacks, so if something in that system wasn't working correctly, it's possible to stress the frame. We rarely Manual level, and with the hydraulic system, as long as the front of the trailer is a bit above level, the Auto Level will function well. With the electric system, I watched a rig several years ago that the couple that was trying to set it up spent over two hours trying to level it, and I never did find out what the problem was as they were stressed and exhausted when done.

[Doug Whidden]

Mine is definitely the electric system, as it’s leveling I’ve seen each jack being adjusted individually. I need to dive deeper into my system to see how to manually adjust each one separately. Thanks

[Foldbak]

You might try to recalibrate the auto level. If one jack is slightly out of position it will cause a twist. This is my second Lippert auto level and both needed to be calibrated.



https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws...cd-0001518.pdf

[432bartman]

Is it the top of your stairs that is binding against the bottom of your entry/exit door? If so, shorten the legs of your stairs and that will make it flush with the floor and your door will open and close without binding. I'm just throwing out this suggestion. If I missed the mark completely, please forgive me.

[Ram1573]

Make sure it's not the stairs. If you have them set where they aren't allowing them to fully go flat on the entryway, it won't shut properly.

[BobStack]

I find if I don’t use leveling blocks to get my 3781 level first before auto leveling it tends to put more pressure on one side and can cause doors to rub when opening. Just a thought

[Doug Whidden]

It’s not the stairs. I put them in the up position and the door still feels like it’s in a little bit of a bind. When the middle jacks are up the door opens and closes fine but I haven’t found a way to make small adjustments to just the middle jacks.

[jelders25]

I'm not trying to insult your intelligence but are you adjusting the feet on your stairs after your level? If the stairs are to high the bottom of the door drags on the step.

[Doug Whidden]

I’ve closed the stairs inside but door is still in a bind.

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by Doug Whidden

I’ve closed the stairs inside but door is still in a bind.

But, have you checked the floor with a spirit level in both directions and then re-calibrated as suggested?

[firestation12]

Do a careful examination to determine EXACTLY WHERE the door is coming into contact with the frame. Pay close attention to the strike plate (the left side of the frame that receives the spring loaded latch). Since the strike plate is surface mounted, the door often hits the strike plate before it contacts the frame. Understanding where the problem contact area(s) are, is key to solving this issue. If your 385BR doesn't have scissor jacks to stiffen the overhanging frame behind the rear axle, try using a garage floor jack to take up some of the downward frame flex (what you are looking to do is check for an upward flex if front of the 2 axles). Think of a teeter totter effect....frame flexes down behind the axles and up, in front of the axles. Las suggestion I'll make is to use a 6' level to check the accuracy of the auto level's performance. Pay attention to the I-beam frame in front of, and behind the axles on both sides of the camper. You are looking for any twisting or arching of the two parallel I-beam frames. A string running front to back under the frame can be useful to check for frame straightness. A block layer (mason) uses this technique to determine if his wall is true in 3 axis. This is a problem that only perseverance is going to solve.