Hydraulic Leveling Jacks stopped working

[Stripe]

  ARGH!  Mine stopped working!  Went to storage to check up on my rig and the left front tire was flat. Was going to use the leveling jack to get the rigs weight off the tire until I got a jack  to swap on the spare and the hydraulic jacks failed.  Stopped extending and at one point I had to get under rig to push them in to retract them!!

Will post what I can if and when I find out what happened first chance I get.

EDIT:

Ok, remembered something that happened during jack operation.  I had to run the engine because I had accidentally left the ignition on accessory to power the jack motor/pump.  So at one point when actuating one of the extender handles, the engine bogged down big time as if it were about to die. At that point the jacks seem to have failed one at a time.

Any ideas as to what may cause this? 

The pump is powered by a electric motor not the engine, so am very curious as to why engine may have bogged down.

[M & J]

I"m thinking the battery power was so low the pump couldn't produce enough pressure to operate the rams properly. Maybe with a full charge they'll be ok?

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Bogging down most likely because the the alternator was heavily loaded down.  It does take power to make power.

Dave

[Stripe]

Hmm, ok, things to think on.  Maybe I should pull chassis battery bring it home and charge it.. Then go from there..

Fredric

[M & J]

Thats the cheapest and easiest thing to do kemo sabe'.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Most information I have read has always indicated you should always have the engine running when using jacks or slideouts because they pull so much current.  Internal battery resistance causes the battery voltage to drop under heavy load so that also helps keep the voltage up.

BTW, what system do you have?

Dave

[tiinytina]

agreed on having motor running.. even the big shiny beasts level out with the engine still running, that motor pulls power and its gotta come from somewhere...  (our jacks are powered by our 18v battery drive drill  ).

Tina

[Stripe]

Dave, I have the HWH model AP-2461.  I will be posting the Operator's - Service - Parts Manual first chance I get.  I finally got my printer/scanner working again. (was out of ink, so for some reason that keeps the scanner from working  ? )

T, that's funny you say that, because I was actually looking into getting jacks at one point with the other rig I have and the jacks I found were manual, and was researching a way to adapt a drill to operate them..

Fredric

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Before you go through a scanning hassle, is the manual already up at the HWH site (http://www.hwhcorp.com/custserv3.html)?  They have most everything already there.

Dave

[M & J]

I went through thier site Dave. Impressive list of documentation.

I also saw where Visone has a new - never installed system for sale (granted - lists for a Class C unit) for $1900.
Plus they have a myriad of bits from jacks to pumps to controllers should this be worst case scenario Fredric.

[Stripe]

Dave, they do list the 2000 series listed under Holiday Rambler, however, they all say computerized.  Mine is non computerized.  I will look to see if any of them are similar though..
In the meantime I am going to look into this..  http://www.hwhcorp.com/onlineschool.html

Fredric

[Stripe]

Thanks everyone for all your info and input.  Charged batteries did the trick.. 

Oh, and on a side note, I got to the rv and the outside side of the left front tire had slipped off the rim.  So, thinking like a tire installer, after jacking the whole front end up, I clamped the air hose to the valve stem, pulled the tire towards me so that it was touching the rim and viola! it inflated.  Got it up to just above 60 psi and left the gauge on for a while, then I sprayed it with soapy water to see if there were any slow leaks and found none.  It stayed at that pressure the entire time I was working on other stuff..
So tomorrow we will see how things go.

CMM500

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

You did soap the tire valve? 

[Stripe]

I did. And no bubbles there either. And this afternoon (it's 12:08 right now) the tire is still holding air. 
Best I can figure is if I rubbed a curb or hit a bump too hard it may have caused a breach between the rim and tire lip.
On a related note, although I have 60 psi in there now. The tire recommends 110 at 3500 lbs. Am I at a good pressure??

Fredric

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Tire valve may have stuck allowing air to escape.  When you put air back in you freed it up.  Happened to me last year.

Dave

[Elandan2]

I have a tire on ours that goes flat when the temperature goes down below -25º C.  I have had it off and back to the tire shop, they can't find anything wrong.  It will hold 70 psi, for months on end, as long as the temperature doesn't drop below the magic -25.  Then one cold night and it is flat. (Cue theme from the Twilight Zone) Rick

[Stripe]

Serious? Am I readin ghtis right?  NEGATIVE 25??

BRRRRRRR!!

[Elandan2]

Gets down to -40º C here regularly.  Of course we're about 600 miles north of Seattle. (and nowhere near the ocean)  Rick

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

The AP-2461 system manual is in the members area under HWH leveling systems.  Includes a parts list breakdown.

The original jack, AP-1206, has been superseded by AP7001 (high $)

4 lever Control valve is RAP1118

You need the parts list in order to see if HWH still carries the part or has a substitute.  HWH still lists many parts if you know the P/N.  They just do not have the original system manual listed on their site.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I don't want to talk about leveling jacks.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...



Kev

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Why Kevin, they are not that hard to fix, just a little expensive maybe.

[HandyDan]

You notice, Kevin, that I didn't say a thing, although I was thinking it! LOL

[ClydesdaleKevin]

LOL Dan!!!  And Dave...they are very hard to fix when the original owner of your Holiday Rambler elected to get every available bell and whistle option...except leveling jacks...grrrrrrrr.

Kev

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Well golly gee willikers, it's only $$   

[ClydesdaleKevin]

LOL!  Hey.  Has anyone heard from Frederic?  I really liked that guy!

Kev