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06-04-2014, 01:33 AM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Madison
Posts: 1,239
M.O.C. #5906
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My auto level education
Our current campsite in Outdoor World in Williamsburg, VA is not level. When the auto level button was pushed the readout said something like angle to steep and would not level. After scratching my so-called head for a few, I figured my only alternative was to level manually, which is almost as easy as the auto level. After manually reducing the angle on both settings, side to side and front to back near level, we pushed the auto level to see what would happen. It worked. Now we know that all we have to do is get near level for the auto level to work.
We didn't realize how uneven the site was until we did a walk around after leveling. The jacks on the high side were extended less than a foot. On the low side they are almost fully extended and the tires are about a half a foot off the ground. We blocked up the tires and settled in.
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06-04-2014, 02:10 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Harford
Posts: 948
M.O.C. #7122
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Don - you may have to place blocks under the feet of the low side to "trick" into thinking that it hit solid ground if this ever happens again. Only thing is to be sure that it doesn't raise up too far to take the wheels off the ground. If you need to do that, keep it attached to the truck.
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06-04-2014, 02:25 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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I don't know, maybe we were just lucky, but we spent the whole winter of 2012 with the door side wheels completely off the ground and have done it several times in campgrounds. That's how we discovered one of our IS's had failed.
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Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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06-04-2014, 02:27 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Arroyo City
Posts: 3,110
M.O.C. #13395
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John, why would attaching the truck help if one side has wheels off the ground?
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06-04-2014, 03:48 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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We still carry a bag of those plastic blocks around and if we note on side is really not level we use the blocks under the leveling legs. It does not happen very often.
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06-04-2014, 04:57 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chilliwack
Posts: 1,520
M.O.C. #12935
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In uneven campsites, block the pads on low side, block the wheels and chock them front and back... Do not attempt to auto level while hooked up to the truck, even manually I do not see how you could accomplish leveling while hooked up, if it is that out of level.
I am one who would always want some weight on the tires, but as DQDick indicated they can support for longer periods, just not what I would do.
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06-04-2014, 05:22 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New Bern
Posts: 4,294
M.O.C. #311
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by DonandBonnie
Our current campsite in Outdoor World in Williamsburg, VA is not level. When the auto level button was pushed the readout said something like angle to steep and would not level. After scratching my so-called head for a few, I figured my only alternative was to level manually, which is almost as easy as the auto level. After manually reducing the angle on both settings, side to side and front to back near level, we pushed the auto level to see what would happen. It worked. Now we know that all we have to do is get near level for the auto level to work.
We didn't realize how uneven the site was until we did a walk around after leveling. The jacks on the high side were extended less than a foot. On the low side they are almost fully extended and the tires are about a half a foot off the ground. We blocked up the tires and settled in.
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Don and Bonnie,
Be sure to manually retract the rear legs before you try to raise the nose for hook up. If the side with the wheels off the ground has the cylinders fully extended there is no way the can accept nose raising. One MOC member had to replace a rear cylinder because he bent it under your situation.
Safe travels.
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06-04-2014, 05:35 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 3,335
M.O.C. #10496
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All good info for newbies and experienced Level Up equipped RV owners. We get ours this coming May.
__________________
2010 3150RL
LevelUp, Dual 6 volt batteries, Progressive Industries EMS HW50C, Honda EU2000i Generator, Bridgestone Duravis R250 tires, Torklift Glowstep Revolution Stairs, LED Tail lights
2015 RAM 3500 Laramie SRW LB CC Cummins 6.7L Aisin Trans B&W RVK3600
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06-04-2014, 05:53 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Harford
Posts: 948
M.O.C. #7122
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by K0LCB
John, why would attaching the truck help if one side has wheels off the ground?
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Safety and stability I would think. Maybe I am just too afraid of something happening. As I think about it, you should not auto-level while attached to the truck. The only time I had this happen was when we were swapping out the tires and we used the system to lift the tires to remove them. It gave me the "tilt" error when raising them MANUALLY not auto level. We placed blocks under the low side and problem solved.
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06-04-2014, 05:55 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Harford
Posts: 948
M.O.C. #7122
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by K0LCB
John, why would attaching the truck help if one side has wheels off the ground?
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Safety and stability I would think. Maybe I am just too cautious. I see that others have had the wheels off the ground. Maybe it is ok.
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06-04-2014, 06:05 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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I do not c are for wheels off the ground although Lippert s aid it would cause no problem. I also do not care for the jacks being extended to far.the unit seems more stable if they are not fully extended. We do leave the truck attached to the Montana on overnight stays but do not extend any jacks.
It is wise to get the truck out from under the Montana when doing any auto leveling. Bad things can happen.
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06-04-2014, 06:17 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Washington Coast
Posts: 2,688
M.O.C. #10696
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I'm with Rich on that one, being a fulltimer I have had my wheels off the ground on one side many times with no problems but prefer not too as like Rich said the jacks up too high makes for a less stable 5er now I block up the Low side
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06-04-2014, 06:38 AM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Madison
Posts: 1,239
M.O.C. #5906
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Once we saw that the wheels were raised, we did block them. When its time to hook up the wheels will remain blocked up, the rear jacks raised, and then the front lowered to match up with the hitch.
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06-04-2014, 06:56 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Madison
Posts: 1,239
M.O.C. #5906
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Also, you can't auto level with the truck hitched. In most cases the auto level tries to lower the front before starting to level. Hitched up it can't lower and will raise the front jacks off the ground and will give an error message. You also run the risk of falling off the hitch if the front jacks lift off the ground while your jaws are open.
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06-04-2014, 10:20 AM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location:
Posts: 608
M.O.C. #12894
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I would never have the wheel or wheels off the ground for any extended length of time. There's no telling what damage can happen to the suspension and parts over the long haul.
If you had absolutely no choice, I would try and take some of weight off the suspension from hanging down by jacking up the axles and using supports. JMHO
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06-04-2014, 12:56 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
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We have MANUALLY leveled our 5er many, many times while still hooked to our TV. The key is to watch your king pin and how it relates to your hitch. If the king pin started to bind against the hitch, meaning that the 5er was raising the rear of our TV, then I would stop and lower.
As for one side or the other being off the ground, we have been in places where this happened and did not experience negative effects.
As a caution, when we have leveled and were still hooked up to our TV, I put this photo in front of the instrument cluster so I wouldn't pull out with the jacks down.
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