Self Leveling Jacks

[Hadders]

I have been told NEVER to use grease on the hydraulic ram because this attracts dirt and grit and when retracted can ruin the ram/seal,if the rams are sticking you can clean them with a fine wire wool or wipe on a thin smear of auto trans fluid and then remove most of it so no dust /grit can remain.
The best way to lubricate them is to give them a good silicon spray regularly every week when extended this is best because it is a dry lubricant and nothing sticks to it..

Hi Colin that's the same advice that I have always been given

Regards Pat

Hi Guys
Think I'll be spraying some silicon on the rams the weekend to to ensure that they are kept rust free.

Anyway this started with: wheels off the ground or on the ground with a 4 ram system - are we saying ''hang em high'' or ''knock em down''????
Thanks again

[Damon3272]

Hi Hadders the general advice is do not raise the wheels off the ground,drive onto leveling blocks and use spacer jack pads.
I tend to find that when I use the one touch auto jacking (as opposed to manual jacking) it tends to over jack it and sometimes raise the wheels off the ground,in this case I retract and level it manually.
Olley I agree your jacks are powered down and a return spring retracts them but the hydraulic ram can be damaged by greasing them as it attracts debris over a period of time, when I had HWH swing downs on my previous RV it was the owners manual that said do not grease the rams and if you need to clean lubricate use Auto fluid the same as in the reservoir.

[olley]

Hi Colin I am not going to argue with the manufacturers, silicon sounds fine only speaking from my experience, one of the bits of equipment I worked on where dock side tugs, they have two single acting hydraulic rams to lift the 5th wheel up and down, the rams are in the middle of the chassis exposed to all the crap you can imagine, but rarely gave any trouble, and there was around 100+ tugs. My experience was that the dust seals prevented any crap getting past them.

Olley

[Damon3272]

I agree the dust seals should scrape the debris off but some minute particles might get through and I find its best to stick to the advice of the manufacturer.
I used WD40 on the rams but also read in the HWH manual that WD40 can damage the seals and they specified not to use it.

[redsocks]

Hi to all
Just to come back to leveling jack. I was told by Lazy Days R V of Florida,not to use enything but hydraulic fluid on all rams
Regards
Bob and Hilary

[Lulu300404]

Hi Guys,
just to add my own example of leveling jacks.... Day one of owning American Eagle, leveled coach on excessive slope then having front axle off the the ground, this causing the air bags to be supporting the axle from above and snapping the bags base plate!

Spoke to Fleetwood who say the system was never intended to support the weight of the axle "swinging" below, hence why they write in there manual and have a warning on the controls...... Should have read it first, but keen to sleep!

Yours a few hundred pounds lighter!

Lulu300404

[Hadders]

Hi Guys,
just to add my own example of leveling jacks.... Day one of owning American Eagle, leveled coach on excessive slope then having front axle off the the ground, this causing the air bags to be supporting the axle from above and snapping the bags base plate!

Spoke to Fleetwood who say the system was never intended to support the weight of the axle "swinging" below, hence why they write in there manual and have a warning on the controls...... Should have read it first, but keen to sleep!

Yours a few hundred pounds lighter!

Lulu300404

Wow thats nasty, it does seem daft in practical terms if the jacks can extended further than the suspension travel the axel will lift off the ground. Wouldn't it be obvious to provide a brace or strap which limits the drop of the axel when lifted to stop damage to the air suspension bags? Anyway shouldn't levelling be able to level on a minor slope and allow for axel lift?!? Obviously there will be extremes!

[Lulu300404]

Hi Hadders!
I agree totaly, though a electric cut-out would work maybe has the rams able to pick these things up would find something else to break.

New Eagle due this week, intresting to see what happens in this one.

Lulu300404

[Damon3272]

I agree suspension supporting straps would be a good Idea,but the American Technology would not think like just look at their designs and constructions whatever the manufacturer.
English and other manufacturers tend to go fo more innovative well thought design,American thinking is don't worry about design just make it bigger or stronger.
As said previously these are levellers not jacks as we know them,even though they are more than adequate to lift the RV off the ground.
The best way to level the RV is level as usual, if it looks as though your wheels are going to be off the ground,withdraw the jacks and drive the RV onto levelling ramps and put jack spacer pads down(so you won't run out of jack travel)and level as normal.

[Hadders]

Hi Hadders!
I agree totaly, though a electric cut-out would work maybe has the rams able to pick these things up would find something else to break.

New Eagle due this week, intresting to see what happens in this one.

Lulu300404

Fantastic - new RV - Like Christmas Day for adults!
Let me know what the de-struction book mentions regarding the jacks to see if they have thought of a solution.
Andy