Leveling Adjustment For Front Landing Gear -Key Largo

[MaxOwner]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

Sorry for the hi jack of this thread. Maybe in a week or so, a mod can delete the irrelevant posts.........(all the leveling posts in the Landmark Designs Thread moved here).

Tried a chain up area on the way home. Asphalt was about the same level. Took weight off truck and the drivers side ram had less length showing from bottom of cylinder.

 

[porthole]

Leveling Adjustment For Fron Landing Gear -Key Largo

When are you going to post pictures of your concerns - you have us all guessing???

 

[MaxOwner]

If I can figure out how to post a picture, can't hurt.

Called Heartland Customer Service (always a live voice so far....) and spoke with a fella who suggested the manual. Scanned all 92 pages on line. Found out tire torque is 120 ft/lbs.

No info about the hydraulic system other than read manual; provided.

So will try the old fashioned "read some paper" stuff. When I find where the wife stashed it................

 

[TedS]

MaxOwner,
Maybe this question was asked and answered, but I will ask anyhow.
How do you know you are level side-to-side before you unhitch from the truck?

 

[MaxOwner]

Spirit level side to side in the kitchen area about 2' inside the door on the floor.

Hafta come up with an idea to do something in the front some how before disconecting from the truck.......

 

[danemayer]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

Have you checked to see how level the coach is while on a level surface and still hitched up? If it's off-level before and after unhitching, it would point to the suspension rather than the landing gear.

 

[MaxOwner]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

No I have not, Dan. Nothing looks to be outta wack.

I have pictures and tried to post three but I am stiking out. Have it sitting across our drive way. One of the landing gear up close and two more to show the lay of the drive way.

Technology sucks...................

 

[MaxOwner]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac201/MaxOwner22/P1010433.jpg
http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/P1010431.jpg
http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/P1010427.jpg

 

[MaxOwner]

Think I got em posted.............

The one on the right is shorter than than the left.

Other 2 show the lay of the driveway for orientation.

 

[porthole]

I know you probably don't want to hear this but, I think you really need to try this on a level spot.
Although it does look like you have some kind of an issue, the trailer parked on an angle like that with the driveway slope is deceiving.


What happens if you extend the jacks all the way? Run them until they stop?

 

[danemayer]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

MaxOwner, I'm trying to think this through logically, but I don't have this type of landing jack, so I'm only 90% sure how they work. But maybe someone with this type can correct any misunderstanding I may have.

I thought the standard hydraulic landing gear, like these, have a single valve that opens to allow both jacks to extend or retract at the same time. If that's right, the hydraulic fluid will always take the path of least resistance. So one jack will move until it contacts the ground. The other jack will then move into contact with the ground. At that point, they haven't lifted anything yet; they've just extended to touch the ground.

They'll both then move to lift the weight of the front end. If the back of the rig is level, the frame should be keeping the front level as well. The fluid pressure should be distributed to both jacks.

So if that's all correct, then maybe the difference in how far the jacks extend might be a function of any (or all) of 4 things:

1) The ground in front is sloped left-to-right
2) The back of the trailer is not level, forcing the front to follow
3) There's a bind in the short jack, or a restriction in the hose, that makes it significantly harder to extend, causing fluid to go to the other jack
4) The landing jacks are not mounted at the same height on the frame.

I'm dubious about #3 because hydraulic pressure is pretty significant. I think it would have to be a really serious bind or restriction. I'm also dubiouis about #4. On my rig, the jacks are welded to the frame and I think it'd be hard to get this wrong.

I would suggest:
1) while hitched (not using the landing jacks) check the left-to-right level of the ground by the rear axles.
2) while hitched, check the level of the interior, above the axles

If there's a discrepancy, it has nothing to do with the landing jacks. (That discrepancy will also show up on the front-end when unhitched.)

3) while hitched, check the left-to-right level of the ground under the landing jacks
4) extend the landing jacks until they both just touch the ground, but don't lift the trailer at all

If the ground in front is level, and the rear end of the trailer is level, inside and out, the jacks should be extended the same.

If everything is good so far, extend the front jacks to unhitch. The jacks should still be extended about the same. If not, I think you might have a bind or hose problem, or maybe the jacks are mounted at different heights.

If you check these things, I think you can isolate the problem, which will help if you have to get a service tech involved.

 

[TedS]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

After thinking about this, I would pick Dan's #3. There is some excess restriction in the feed to the driver side landing leg preventing enough hydraulic fluid from flowing into that cylinder. The restriction causes too much pressure and the path of least resistance is to the left landing leg.
My rig has the hydraulic landing legs. The legs advance separately until both are touching the ground, then they lift the trailer. One leg may be extended more than the other but they lift equally together keeping the trailer at whatever side-to-side level I set before lifting.
I have a big level mounted to my pin box so I can check side-to-side level as I park.

on edit: The hose to the cylinder may be kinked.

 

[kakampers]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

One question...in the pics is your trailer level?

 

[MaxOwner]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

Sorry for the hi jack of this thread. Maybe in a week or so, a mod can delete the irrelevant posts.........(all the leveling posts in the Landmark Designs Thread moved here).

Tried a chain up area on the way home. Asphalt was about the same level. Took weight off truck and the drivers side ram had less length showing from bottom of cylinder.

Tried using asphalt on Monday and still seemed to be outta wack.

The service manager for the parent dealership (we bought from a satelite dealership 6 hours away....) said there is a plate about 4" long that may need to be adjusted. So far I haven't found this plate. There is no tech at our home dealership right now, so I'm trying to do what I can. May call Heartland and see about taking it to another dealer up here that used to sell Landmarks and see if they can look at.

 

[MaxOwner]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

One question...in the pics is your trailer level?

No. Due to slope of driveway. But I would expect it all to be uniform.

Every place I have had the trailer parked so far, the drivers side leg is always shorter.

While tracing hydraulic lines in the fron cabinet, I didn't see any lines that looked "outta place" for kinks.

Thank you to all who are giving opinions on my issue. The time you guys are taking is appreciated and gives me stuff to look for.

Sean.

 

[MaxOwner]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

So I got a tape measure out.

Measured from the frame to the driveway, between the axles on both sides. Not quite half an inch difference.

Measured the legs on the landing gear and there is almost 3" difference in length between the two.

 

[TedS]

Re: Give Heartland your feedback on the 2012 Landmark - what do you want?

Just for grins extend the landing legs fully down, then retract fully up. Do this a few times. This would be to purge any trapped air from the problem cylinder. Don't forget to raise the rear stabilizing legs first.
If nothing else, the neighbors will think you are having fun with your trailer.

 

[MaxOwner]

Not a good idea to run up and down. Cylinders are canted. So as you run up and down it changes width of the feet causing allot of creaking and groaning.

Lippert builds the hydraulic system so I will try and do some Google ing and or contact them.

 

[jnbhobe]

Have you checked the length of the cylinders ?? There may be two different ones installed by mistake. Stick a piece of plywood under the feet when you cycle them to purge the air they won't creek as much.

 

[porthole]

Not a good idea to run up and down. Cylinders are canted. So as you run up and down it changes width of the feet causing allot of creaking and groaning.

Exactly as designed too.

Have you checked the length of the cylinders ?? There may be two different ones installed by mistake. Stick a piece of plywood under the feet when you cycle them to purge the air they won't creek as much.

Back to my idea of extending the jacks all the way.