Leveling Side to side

mrsjack

Member
We have always done the same thing when arriving at the campground...back in and I check the level of the trailer from the inside of the back of the rig. Then we add boards to level it side to side. Chock the wheels. Then we lower the landing jacks and unhook. Then we check the front to back and make adjustments that are needed. All good right? Wrong...I have just noticed on our last camping trip that even though the living quarters appear to be level the front of the rig (bedroom) is not level. I am confused...I thought once you got the wheels level that the landing gear would self level. What are we doing wrong?
thanks
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi mrsjack,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

I do the same as your describing, but you do need to make sure the front landing jacks both contact the ground and pickup evenly at the same time. You do not have hydraulic jacks do you?

I'm sure someone else will jump in soon for more help.

Jim M
 

mrsjack

Member
Thanks Jim: We have a Sundance XLT it does have hydraulic landing jaacks...this is why I am perplexed. So when you pull the pins and lower the jacks they need to lock into place. So if they aren't locked into place , once you start using the hydraulic the pin moves into place. Is there something else we should do? Like when you lower the feet, if the pin doesnt activate completely should we put boards under the one that isnt until it does and then activate the hydraulic gear?
 

jimtoo

Moderator
mrsjack, since I don't have hydraulic jacks on my 08 3055 I am going to defer the use and operation to someone that has the hydraulic system. I would think that they would equalize and lift the same, but I don't know for sure.

So,,, someone that has the hydraulic system,,, jump in and give us your answer.

Jim M
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
Hydraulic Jacks on a Sundance??? What system did you have installed??? Is it the levelup??? Sundances come with electric front jacks
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
The Landmarks have Hydraulic landing gear, and we level the tires on one side with boards, then lower the landing gear extensions to about 4-5" from the ground, then extend the landing gear. one side will lower until it touches the ground then the other leg will move until it touches, then both legs will move together.

If both of the legs move together from the start, you would have electric landing gear.

I did not know the Hydraulic LGs were available in the sundance line.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
I have the hydraulic front landing gear. If you do have hydraulic LG the pins should be locked into place before you deploy the hydraulics. Once one leg touches the ground it should wait till the other makes contact and then they should lift together. Just like the rear electric stabilizers.
If after the first leg makes contact with the ground and does not wait for the second one, contact your dealer.
Remember, the pins should be fully engaged before lifting your rig.

Peace
Dave
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
As a few others have mentioned, I always thought the LG on the Sundance was electric (12 volt). We have electric and have added a leg leveler to the off door leg. We lower the gear a few inches, drop both legs and lock the pins. Continue lowering till the door side leg makes contact, adjust the leg leveler to contact, then continue to raise till level. This keeps the frame from doing anything weird like twisting. We're not trying to say you don't have hydraulic LG, it's just that we've not heard of it till now. Thanks for your post.
 

mrsjack

Member
Sorry you are ALL right..they are ELECTRIC jacks not hydraulic. My bad :) So once I lower the legs to the ground, if the ground is uneven and the pin doesnt lock on one side, should I lift it until it does and then activate the electric lift...or is it better to put a board under the leg until locks and then lift with the electric jacks. Or is the same both ways?
Thanks
Andra
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Andra, as I stated before, lock the pins in before lifting. If the pads are not equal distance from the ground, you can then put a leveling board under the high one. I always had to put a 1/4in board under one side. Or you could do as Ray LeTourneau said and get an adjustable foot leveler for one side.

Peace
Dave
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Do like Dave and Ray posted... simple and easy,,,,but I want to add one thing... when you lock your pins in ,,, feel inside the leg and make sure the pin comes all the way through to the inside. It should just come flush to the inside where you can feel it. If not you stand a chance of the pin bending and locking the leg. I speak from experience.

Jim M
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I know everyone has given their method of leveling their trailer. So.... Here is mine. This doesn't mean I am right and others are wrong. It is just my method, which I think is easy and works.

As you said you level side to side with boards. That is good. I used boards and I used the lego blocks. So far you do the same as I would. I have a set of orange pads that are about a foot square. I would place one of them on the ground where my landing gear would go. This would keep your landing gear from sinking into the ground if it is soft. Lower the main gear a few inches. This will give you room to drop the nose if necessary to level the trailer. Once this is done, pull the pin on the leg extensions. This is the ones inside the legs that has all the holes in it. Each one should be lowered to the ground. Depending on the side to side distance needed to level the trailer side to side one will probably descend further than the other. This is OK.. When you put the pin through the leg, what Jimtoo suggested is correct. Make sure the pin goes all the way through the leg. You should feel it on the inside. If not, find out why, because you will bend the tip of the pin if you don't. If one foot is just a little bit off the ground when the pin is inserted, you can do either of two things. Find a board with a thickness of the distance and set it down on it. Or you can raise or lower the legs just enough to get the pin in. You want to raise or lower the leg to adjust the least amount. Now there are some that will tell you this is a no no. It will twist the frame and could cause a problem. If this was true the frame will bend or twist when you go over some really unlevel ground. This is your call. Once you have the landing gear on the ground and the trailer off the TV you will need to raise or lower the front using a level on the on the inside floor, stove, basement floor, inside of the fridge or where ever you want to determine is the place you want level. Then if you have rear stabilizers you can drop them and maybe raise the nose of the trailer a little bit to place a small load on them to help steady the trailer.

Now, this is how I did it. I hope it helps, but it did work for me.

This is what I did.

BC
 

mrsjack

Member
Thank you sao much everyone. I totally see what you mean about the pins. My husband just showed me how you can see the pin on the other side if it is really locked in. I still think it is weird that it can be level in the back but still may be off in the front. I swear last trip i felt like i got Verdigo getting out of bed. :) But this was the trip that the pin wasnt locked in and it slipped as we lifted the rig off the TV. :( no damage though thank goodness.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Looks like that would be imcompatible with a rig having Ultra-Fab or JT stabilizers on the jacks. No way to spin the pad. Not a dig, just an observation.

Using the big wood block pads I made, I lower the legs until one touches, then look at the other to see how much I need to dig in the one that made first contact. Works on soft surfaces, haven't been on a paved site with it. Some 1/2" and 1/4" plywood pads would probably take up the spacing in that case.
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
that is the nice thing about the hydraulic LG, if the wheels are leveled side-to-side, the landing gear will keep the front level side-to-side too, with out the use of leg-levelers or shims.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Yeah, that's what I get for buying Brand X at the RV show:( I'm still planning on getting the Level-Up system next year. Got the wife talked into digging into the savings to do that and maybe upgrade the suspension, pin box and tires, too. What the heck, might as well spend some of it. If I take it with me, it will just burn up.
 
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