Originally Posted by TurnerFam
I've used the MANUAL mode exclusively since early on after I also realized that the AUTO leveling feature tends to ultimately set the coach up way higher than it really needs to, and jerks and jumps as it's doing it's job...
I took a look at 'how' the system works, and found that each 'pair' of jacks operate in tandem, never one by itself, and never all four at the same time, when leveling. So, when you go into MANUAL mode, you must think about how each SIDE, or each END, will be impacted as you press either of the FOUR buttons - Front, Pass side, Rear, Driver side.
For instance, with all jacks in the UP position, and you press the FRONT arrow button, both FRONT jacks will start to move Down, until they touch the ground, which is when you'll 'feel' the coach move slightly. If you continue holding down the button, the jacks will continue to raise, both TOGETHER, until you release the button.
That would seem obvious, maybe, to most....o.k.....BUT....
What happens, though, when a pair of jacks, such as the front, are already down, and have raised the rig slightly, and then you decide to raise one of the SIDES, maybe the Passenger SIDE, such as if you are on a driver to passenger side slanted site?
What you'll find is the BUMP or 'crash' of the rig DROPPING down! WHY ???
What's happening is this: the Front jacks are down and touching the ground, but you are also on a 'slanted' RV site, toward the passenger side. You now want to put the Passenger SIDE jacks down to take care of the slant, but remember, the jacks ALWAYS work in Pairs, so when you press the Right PASSENGER side arrow button, the front jack that you already let down, now moves back UP to coincide with the right rear jack that has yet to even start moving DOWN - the rig then 'falls' down toward the slant!
The reason this happens is that no pair of jacks move independently DOWN, but, a jack CAN be raised by itself, but ONLY in this situation, and ONLY because the system realizes that it is not in 'line' with the right rear jack, and must do that FIRST before the right rear jack can start down.
This is also why your rig can jump and jerk while the AUTO mode is trying to level it.
How do you overcome this?
Well, the good news is that this only really happens when you are on a fairly slanted site. If you are going to use MANUAL mode, take note of the lowest part of the site that you are going to deal with... let's say the right passenger side, where both right jacks, front and rear, are going to have to be raised HIGHER than the other two on the opposite side.
You first raise the RIGHT pair of jacks, but ONLY a few seconds.
Then, press and raise the LEFT pair of jacks, but again, only for a few seconds.
Neither of these pairs will yet be touching the ground, which is by design.
Do this back and forth until you feel the LEFT side finally touch down, and leave it right there.
Then, go back to the RIGHT set of jacks, and lower them until they touch the ground, then continue until the rig is LEVEL - if you have an LCI Lippert Level-up or similar panel, it should have a green 'LEVEL' indicator that will light up and automatically stop the Jacks when you are level, EVEN if you are in Manual mode.
In this case, you'll have no jerking, or jumping, or falling of the rig. You've successfully lowered your jacks, yourself, in manual mode, and performed a flawless 'leveling' of your rig.
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once you do this at several different sites, with different slants and issues, you'll quickly start to understand how to best diagnose the situation, and realize which pair to lower first, etc., etc.,...
BUT, you want to also be cognizant of how the system RAISES your jacks when you get ready to leave.
ALL Jacks move at the SAME TIME, not in pairs, not individually! Crazy, I know.
So, when you get ready to leave, remember that your 'slant' to the right side is going to have your right side jacks much more extended than your left side jacks, and therefore they will have much farther to 'move' when you press the 'Auto Retract' button.
If you do this in AUTO mode, the system is going to take over, raising ALL the jacks at once, and you are going to go for a RIDE!!! You may even feel as though the rig is going to 'fall over' to the passenger side!
It probably won't, but it can sometimes be a nasty revelation to those not 'expecting' this when it happens - especially if your dishes come falling out of the cabinet!
So, how to remedy this?
Yes, you can - but in MANUAL mode ONLY.
But, alas, there is only the 'Auto Retract' button...so how do I 'manually' raise the jacks?
You go into MANUAL mode, and you still press the 'Auto Retract' button, but ONLY for a slight second. Then release. Do this slowly and over a period of time that it takes to carefully allow your rig to lower itself down, without near as much bounce, or 'falling' as would otherwise happen if you hold the button down continuously.
For DIESEL coaches with air bags, there is an additional option, to make this even better and more comfortable - allow your bags to inflate when you start the coach. But, before you go to 'Auto Retract', whether in auto mode, or manual, deflate your bags for a few seconds - this will provide a 'buffer' between you coach frame(chassis), and your House frame, so that the movement of the gravity of 'falling' while the jacks raise is not as evident. Not near the 'bouncing', or 'jerking' down as you might otherwise have.
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