Electric Jacks will not operate landing gear

gcheimis

Member
The electric jack has never worked correctly on my Cyclone sine the day I brought it home. Unfortunately the day I picked it up it was high enough that I only had to lower it on my truck. When I got it home it started a "chattering" noise when I tried to lift it off my truck. When I called they said it was just low batteries. As long as I did not lift it too high it just "chattered" a little. About the 4th or 5th time I used it, I had to drop it way down to get it level. When I tried to lift it, the motor just started making a louder chattering and stoped lifting. I used the manual lift and it cranked pretty easy. The dealer replaced the motor and the next time I used it, more loud chattering and manual lift again. I took it back and this time they said it was not attached correctly. Replaced some more stuff and the next time I used it.... Now a thumping noise in addition to the chatter and no lift. Other than this, I really like the unit, and winding it up and down really builds some biceps!

Any ideas? I would like to go back to the normal method of pumping iron at the gym.
 

boxcar1511

Member
having the same problem with 2008 cyclone 4012, the thumping noise is coming from the bolt connecting the motor to the drive shaft put a grade 8 bolt with a torx bit head , that should help clear the motor when it rotates. pull the front panel in your pass thru about 6 screws , that will give you access. I'm not hearing a chattering in mine, try lubing the legs. after hand cranking the jacks 3 seperate times I have figured out that every time it did it i had un chalked the wheels prior to operating the jacks, causing the jacks to bind up, used it 4 times after that keeping wheels locked ,jacks have worked perfect,
 

gcheimis

Member
Thumping gear reduction

Thanks,

I found the loose bolt a while ago and that got rid of one noise. So I looked inside to see if it had fallen off again and this is what I found. I can see that the gear reduction drive is turning and hitting the inside wall of the trailer. Then it goes "pow", the drive stops turning for a second and the reduction swings back to normal. As soon as you see the bar turning agian the reduction swings around and hammers the inside again and starts the cycle all over. The thump is hitting the inside and the chatter is when it swings back. It looks like there are holes in the gear reduction for a "U" clamp to go around the landing gear to hold it in place, but there is no clamp. Does anyone else have a clamp? Maybe mine fell off?

GC
 

gcheimis

Member
Any instructions or tips on the lube operation. I also wondered about the chocking and tried it before and after to check for a difference. It seems to go up pretty good when I am taking it off the truck. It is when I have to lift it to put it back on the truck that I have all the problems.
 

lavadg

Member
I added an upgrade kit that added a 2nd gear box and motor…..no more problems.

Read this:

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php?t=3706
 

Dirt1st

Member
Landing Jack Problems

I had the problem with the bolt that fixes the cross shaft to the landing jack motor. The nut had backed off of the bolt far enough that the nut and bolt head were hitting the motor each revolution of the cross shaft. What I found was that a nyloc type nut had been used, but the bolt was too short for the nyloc portion of the nut to engage the threads on the bolt, so only about three threads in the nut made up to the bolt. I had to make repairs at a campground before I could hitch up again. the more I rumage around behind the cabinets and acess panel the more items of poor quality control and lack of workmanship I find, and it does not make me happy.
 

Country

Well-known member
Heartland has realized that they under powered the front jack motors. They have a fix out now for this problem. If you take your unit to your dealer, Heartland with send a new more powerful Atwood motor with a lower gear reduction. I've had all the problems stated above and this fixed it. They're putting these motors on all the new Cyclones now.

Thanks Heartland!
 
Did you have to purchase the 2nd motor with your dollars, or did Lippert offer it at their expense. We're having the same issues with our 3950 jack system. They have sent a replacement system to our service guy. He kind of laughed and said they sent the same thing that is currently on the Rv, and it would solve nothing. He suggested a hyd. system or 2nd motor. We are now back battling with Lippert & Heartland.
 

Country

Well-known member
Sorry to hear you're having trouble.
The 1st fix was to add a 2nd motor to the other jack leg.
This ended up being revised and the current fix is a heavier duty single motor with a lower gearing. This is what was installed on ours and has solved the problem. (We were told that all the new Cyclone would have this newer motor setup from the factory.) It was not done at our expense and was done during the one year warranty period. I mention the one year warranty because, since ours has run out, we've gotten the cold shoulder on our remaining issues....
 
Ya this really sucks. I have had the thumping noise when I first bought the unit. the unit was burning up the stock fuses every time I would use the jacks. The dealer didn't see anything wrong with the jacks said the clunking was normal. They put in a relay instead of the fuse so then the jacks would overheat and cut out when raising the unit over 5" or so. Finally last weekend we were finished camping and were raising the jacks after the cyclone was hooked up to the truck and as the jacks were going up one whole jack fell down as I was raising the unit! God, what if that would of happened while it was standing on it's own?!? So I took it back to the dealer and he said that now the warranty was expired and they can't do anything. I call it a crock of crap! I could understand on a "budget" unit but this 2009 has been the most expensive pile of crap I have ever signed for!

Now I can't take the unit off the truck and the dealer said we have no room for it since they would not be able to move it either. I'm stuck with a unit now that I can't take off the truck and no one seems to be able to fix.

Today I tried to level the truck so I could open the glides and the broken leg fell while I was moving and it now cracked the assembly when doing so. Needless to say I'm super ****ed.

My brother has the Wildcat and that 5th wheel comes standard with hydraulic landing gear. It rocks! Up and down in seconds with little effort. I'm amazed that my heavy cyclone has such wimpy landing gear. I'm floored that I paid such a high price for this thing and stuff is breaking all over the place. I'm going to make a video of all the problems so others know about this thing. When this thing is fixed I'm going to trade it in right away!
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Getting the 5th off of your truck

Virturock:
I had some landing gear problems early on with my Bighorn, although this was due to my stupidity in hitching up and trying to drive off before retracting my gear. I was on the road at the time, but fortunately carry a bottle jack with me. I suggest you get 2 bottle jacks, wood to shim up the jacks, 2 jackstands, and wheel chocks. With the wood fit the jacks as tightly under your frame as possible, because you need all the lifting length these jacks have to get the weight off your hitch to pull your truck away.
There is a lot to be said for the electro-hydraulic landing gear that is standard on the Landmarks.
 

mountainlovers76

Mississippi Chapter Leaders
.... the more I rumage around behind the cabinets and acess panel the more items of poor quality control and lack of workmanship I find, and it does not make me happy.

I am finding the same thing. The more mods I do to my coach the more I find some very poor quality control issues in those unseen areas that many people never access. Some are simply poor workmanship while some are very alarming and dangerous also, like black tank flush line spraying water all over the transfer box, converter and electircal fuse and breaker panels. :eek: Just one of many issues.
 
Rick, do you know what the model # is for the Atwood Motor that was installed. I have a 2008 Cyclone model 3912 that is out of warranty and need to do upgrade myself.

Thanks
Cyclone Joe
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi Cyclone Joe,

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. Looks like you have been a member of the forum for quite a while...great to see you joining in
.
Enjoy the forum.

Jim M
 
Called Heartland today, and they can't come up with the number for the Atwood motor to replace this one that won't lift the rig. Called Lippert and they gave a part number for a Tucson motor, didn't have info on an Atwood. But said that's what Heartland is putting in new units. Called Ventura (mfg of my legs) and they only recommed second jack and motor. What's the best solution...after 3 years of fighting this I just want it fixed.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Puddlerduc, welcome to the forum. Lots of good information here.
I did the dual motor conversion on my last rig. Pretty easy job.
It increased the lifting power a lot, although the speed is minimally faster.

Peace
Dave
 

caissiel

Senior Member
If I have right my venture jacks are good for 6k lbs. Last year the front jacks were turning hard so I took one appart. The centering plate was moving sideways enough that the pinion gear on the motoring shaft was climbing on the warm gear on the jack shaft. I made and installed clamps to keep the centering plate aligned and now it runs easy up and down. I was looking at my friends SOB 5er last summer and did noticed that his jacks are held to the frame with a clamp ligned up with the centering plate. Lippert should be smart enough and aware of this, but the SOB was not a lippert frame. This is not new to me. I have done it to all my 2 previous 5ersince 1993.
I posted my mods before , and one rver commented that pipe /hose clamp might be the easiest fix. The pics are in my album. Hard for me to post pic with the Android phone.
 
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