More Fun & Games - Stuck Ground Control Jack

[JohnDar]

So, I dealt with the lack of a black flusher this morning closing up the rig by dumping buckets of hot water down the commode. That also cooled off the water heater tank, since I turned it off before drawing the water from the kitchen faucet. All's good, I think, I'll just fix that at home. Not so fast, Buckwheat. Hitching up the rig, I get it on the hitch, raise the front jacks, stop to check things out and then go to finish raising the jacks. That's when one of my front Ground Control jacks decides it doesn't want to work anymore. Fuses look good, the indicator lights on the controller show red and green when operating the remote, but the motor is silent. Fortunately, the pad was off the ground enough that pulling the retainer pin and lifting the leg up more gave enough clearance for travel. The other jack went up without a problem.

So, I get to the storage yard without any problem. Rig pulled along just fine and there was light traffic on SB I-75. I'm musing along the way about how I might get the rig OFF the hitch. Could maybe stick mu bottle jack under the frame and coax it up off the hitch. Or I could try the manual crank option, using a 3/8" ratchet drive with a 4" extension. Went with the ratchet option since there wasn't enough clearance for the bottle jack. By alternating between lifting the operating jack up about 1/2", until I could drop the dead side to the next pin, then ratcheting down the dead one, I was able to get off the hitch. You have to sit in the garage to do this, and when there is a load on, you better have eaten your Wheaties. But it is doable, getting about two-thirds of a rotation with the ratchet in the close quarters.

Next day or so, I'll swap a motor from the rear jack and see if that works, then call Reico-Titan about buying a replacement or getting a repair on the dead one. Looked at their website and it looks like that may be a possibility. They do mention in a troubleshooting file that it's possible the controller may have a problem, too, so I'll see what they say after trying the motor swap.

Not something I really wanted to do, but if it had been the OEM jack or a hydraulic system, I'd probably still be sitting there stringing expletives into new and fascinating phrases.

 

[JohnDar]

After doing some diagnostics of my own, I determined that the motor quit, not the controller system. Switched the leads to a rear one that I knew worked and still nothing. Connected the rear jack to the front jack terminals and it worked. Checked voltage at the connector on the motor and had correct voltages, so it's definitely the motor. I spoke with Rieco-Titan today and ordered a replacement power head from them. Fortunately, the jack system that R-T still owns uses the same 5000# power heads as the original Ground Control system and they have a reasonable price on it, so I don't have to bother trying to deal with Lippert. From what I was told, Lippert has been reluctant to provide any customer support for us older Ground Control owners (and Rieco-Titan is very unhappy about it).

Once I get the new unit, I may take a stab at getting the old one repaired (if possible) and keep it as a spare.

 

[TravelTiger]

After doing some diagnostics of my own, I determined that the motor quit, not the controller system. Switched the leads to a rear one that I knew worked and still nothing. Connected the rear jack to the front jack terminals and it worked. Checked voltage at the connector on the motor and had correct voltages, so it's definitely the motor. I spoke with Rieco-Titan today and ordered a replacement power head from them. Fortunately, the jack system that R-T still owns uses the same 5000# power heads as the original Ground Control system and they have a reasonable price on it, so I don't have to bother trying to deal with Lippert. From what I was told, Lippert has been reluctant to provide any customer support for us older Ground Control owners (and Rieco-Titan is very unhappy about it).

Once I get the new unit, I may take a stab at getting the old one repaired (if possible) and keep it as a spare.

Thanks for the info. When I misplaced the remote, I didn't bother calling Lippert. Rieco-Titan was able to sell me one, and they even preprogrammed it to work with my controller. Very nice customer service there at R-T!


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[JohnDar]

Yes, dealing with R-T has always been a positive experience for me, even when talking with Sonny about the torque values for the fasteners they supplied.
I'm still very happy with my decision to get the system. This little mishap shows the value of redundant methods of operation.


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[JohnD]

...I'd probably still be sitting there stringing expletives into new and fascinating phrases.

I'd like to hear a few of those new and fascinating phrases . . .

 

[JohnDar]

Just think of inanimate objects having an Oedipus complex and not completing the third grade. And them being scorned by any and all deities.


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[JohnDar]

OK, I replaced the dead motor last week without any difficulty, other than getting at one of the three allen screws. I've cut down a spare allen wrench to get in there and will get it tightened later.

Today, I took apart the old powerhead and motor to see what the problem might have been. Doing continuity checks, it came down to the wiring between the plug and the brushes. Ends up being a loose connection in a butt splice connector inside the powerhead. Doesn't look like it was fully seated when they crimped the connector. So for a couple of dollars, I got a package of the connectors and will put it back together for a spare powerhead.

Did learn how to completely disassemble the motor and the powerhead and put it all back together. A little tricky getting the motor armature fed back between the brushes (real good springs on them), but got it done.

Note to self: it's not necessary to disassemble the motor, just remove the cover to get access to the allen screws that hold the top of the powerhead on.