Level UP automatic retract?

[jfabernathy]

During PDI on my 2014 3402RL, the tech only talked about Auto leveling, manual retraction prior to hitching and manual extending of the front which unhitching. While this works and I'm familiar with it, I read on the instruction sticker about pressing the right and left to have the position return to the level when last unhitched. It also talks about auto retraction. Once I pressed the right and left and the display said this function had been de-featured. Not sure what all this means and other than auto-leveling I don't see an advantage to the other features.

 

[DQDick]

On our rig, once we're hitched and it knows it we just push the auto retract button and walk away. It pulls all the rams in on it's own.

 

[takpak]

During our PDI, our salesman talked about the "memory" feature for hitching/unhitching. He said while it's nice, it is only of value IF you are going to the same place/location each time you hitch/unhitch. It remembers only one level (unless you redo it each time), and if you are in a different place, which is higher/lower, or any number of other things that could change the distance from truck to hitch, then it doesn't work. It only remembers the setting you previously did. With that, he said he just prefers to raise/lower the front for hitching/unhitching manually. If you had a pad at home, or someplace that never changes, you could use it for that.

 

[jfabernathy]

The only place I've had to practice with the leveling so far has been the storage facility I rent. The parking slot slopes down slightly rear to front so if I auto level after unhitching, the front is now too high to hitch up again without lowering the front legs. So my process for hitching from a leveled setup is to retract the rears manually, then lower the front just enough to be in proper position for the TV hitch. Once hitched, I retract the front. I'm not sure automating this would do anything for me but introduce a new way of screwing it up

 

[Carl n Susan]

The Level-up system is very smart (and also very dumb in one way) and is much smarter than the average RV salesperson who likely has never owned it.

Auto-Return to Unhitch Position - The system remembers the position is was at the *LAST* time you unhitched. Actually it remembers the front to rear angle when you hit "Auto Level". Pressing the Left and Right buttons simultaneously returns the RV to "approximately" the same position. I find it to be off a touch and needs to be adjusted (use the remote as you back-in to the hitch) to hit at the proper spot. The key is it remembers the *LAST* unhitch point, not the first or the one place you go to most frequently. The one dumb fault of the Level-up is the Auto Return to Unhitch Position does not work if the front end of the RV had to be raised from the unhitch position. It only works if the front of the RV was lowered. Don't ask me why - that is just the way it is. The indication of this "feature" is the message "feature disabled". Not exactly what you would call self explanatory. The answer to this failure is to simply retract the front jacks manually. Get it close and then use the remote as you hook up to adjust the final height.

There is no need to adjust any of the other jacks prior to raising or lowering the front jacks. Unlike any experiences with the old stabilizers where they had to be raised before raising the front jacks, this system compensates be equalizing the pressure across the jacks. Raising the front lowers the rear jack and adjusts the middle one correspondingly.

The process to hook up is easy. Hit Left/Right to return to the unhook position. If it doesn't cooperate, Retract the Front button to lower the front to the desired height. Back the TV into the hitch (use the remote to fine tune the hitch height) and hook up. Find the Auto-Retract function and hit enter. The system will now retract all six jacks and lower the RV fully onto the TV. Done.

 

[LCBoyer]

Carl explained that much better than the dude who did ny PDI.

 

[jfabernathy]

I'm wondering if the remote and Auto Extract is a feature of the Bkg Sky only? My 3402RL is not Big Sky and didn't come with a remote for the Level-Up system. On the LCI control panel, I see Auto Level, but no Auto extract. Could that be a Menu feature you have to scroll to?

 

[WeBeFulltime-MOC]

There is no "auto retract" button on mine. On mine you use the arrow-up or arrow-down on the left side of the panel to scroll the "auto retract" function to the screen and then press "enter" and all the pads will retract.

 

[HOOK-MOC]

If you want the system to remember " rehitching" , you must raise the nose passed level, or until the digital screen reads + before starting auto level . When rehitching , press the two switches to return to original position. After hooking, even if you must raise or lower nose a little, then press auto retract, and all jacks should retract. The small detail of the + is often overlooked .

 

[DQDick]

Big Sky's have a remote the rest of us have to scroll for the auto retract.

 

[boat391]

I had the same question about the lci level up system boy you guys nailed it for me too thanks for the explanation you did much better than the tech guy that did our pdi thanks again. 1 more thing that happened to us was one of the foot pads fell off bringing it home from the dealer still waiting for the replacement so make sure the bolts are tight as part of you check list I found all of mine loose and 1 missing.

 

[Carl n Susan]

All Montanas, including the Big Sky optioned ones, used to have a remote. It is only recently that Keystone decided the remote was only needed by the Big Sky folks (maybe because they are to lazy to just push one of the other buttons they provided ???). The remote (at least in my case) only raised/lowered the front jacks along with the usual other standard functions (Lights, awnings, slides, etc.). That makes it nice to hook/unhook as you can adjust the pin v. hitch height easily with the remote from the cab of the truck. Anything to do with actually leveling requires you use the control panel on the curb side of the rig.

As WeBeFilltime said, the Auto Retract function doesn't have an externalized button. You have to scroll to it in the left panel and then press Enter when you have found it.