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Old 04-29-2017, 02:12 PM   #1
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Model: Four Winds 31W
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THOR #1414
Manual leveling process on slanted site?

Hi all,

Like many I quickly gave up on the automatic leveler on my Four Winds 31W. I've gotten pretty good at using the manual leveler, but when I'm at a site that is not level both front to back and side to side...say sloping down to the front and low on the passenger side... I struggle a bit. What's your strategy for making that work?

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Old 05-16-2017, 04:31 AM   #2
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:04 AM   #3
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Model: Hurricane 32A
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THOR #2829
On last rig (manual control only) - the procedure the dealer showed me was to lower front jacks till they both touch... lower rear jacks till they both touch... then start adjusting from there - starting with direction furthest out of level.

On current rig - which has an auto setting - when in manual will tell me what button to hit (furthest out of level)... Hold that button until something else lights up... When level - green center light comes on.
i have found at times this can result in one jack up... DW notices that pretty quickly as that corner moves as we go in and out of rig or walk around.

I've really had no problems with the auto leveling... Did the manual more to be sure I could if needed
I'm sure other methods work as well...
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Old 05-16-2017, 08:19 AM   #4
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THOR #6277
gmc has stated the correct procedure for manual leveling. I have attached the relevant page from the Lippert manual (LCI-Level-Up-Motorhome-Leveling-(2013-Present).pdf).
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File Type: pdf LCI-Level-Up-Motorhome-Leveling-(2013-Present).pdf (29.9 KB, 216 views)
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Old 05-16-2017, 11:51 AM   #5
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Model: Four winds 35SF Super C
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THOR #4425
How we manual level

Quote:
Originally Posted by doubravsky View Post
Hi all,

Like many I quickly gave up on the automatic leveler on my Four Winds 31W. I've gotten pretty good at using the manual leveler, but when I'm at a site that is not level both front to back and side to side...say sloping down to the front and low on the passenger side... I struggle a bit. What's your strategy for making that work?
We have a 36 ft Four Winds and never auto level anymore either.......I always take a look to see if I am nose down or nose up first.....and yes, while I am sitting in my drivers seat I use the LevelUP app and leveler via bluetooth.
Since I want the rear to be really stable while we are living at our site and my front tires NOT off the ground, I sometimes lower the rear jacks first to touch firmly and set...then I do the front to the best thing next to level.....if I have to raise the back a bit so she can "squat" I do ...then I usually do the left to right thing. I usually leave the big slide side a 1 inch difference so that when we deploy it, we are sitting pretty close to perfect.
I do not worry about the perfect "0" bullseye because I want rain water or condensation from A/C to have somewhere to run to. But I would rather it was a bit towards the back and that my front wheels and springs were not stressed to the max while we are stationary. That app and little box we put in the middle of the coach on the full slide pantry has saved us many a man hour just getting the best advantage when we arrive at the site and sometimes jockey a bit for the best spot to land!!!
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:07 PM   #6
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I use Manual mode exclusively... here's what I've found:

- the leveler 'legs' only work in pairs - whenever you press a directional button, say the right arrow button, BOTH the front and rear Passenger side legs start to be deployed (this becomes your HIGH side/end)

- as these legs deploy, and as soon as you feel the first one hit the ground, it will PAUSE until the other leg also hits the ground, then only press the button for a second longer(the legs sense pressure between each other in order to stay in TUNE)...

- then move to the Opposite arrow button(this becomes your FOUNDATION side/end), pressing it until both legs have contacted the ground, and then only a second more to raise that side/end only slightly

- What does the lighted Arrows on the panel tell you now?
...if you have only the HIGH side still lit, then continue pressing it's button, raising that side/end until either it's light goes off, or the middle 'Level' light comes on.
...if you still have two lights, go back and forth with each one, only raising the coach a second or two between each... when only ONE directional light is left, press that button until either it's light goes off, or the middle 'Level' light comes on.

...or, if you're like me, I use my bathroom door swing to also let me know my 'true' level, even if the panel doesn't yet have the middle 'Level' indicator lit. I would rather FEEL level, than be 'exactly' level by what some indicator tells me. A door swing is generally your best, and easiest, indicator.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I've learned is that the Legs work in tandem, meaning that a PAIR of legs must operate together whenever you press a directional button.
The DRAWBACK to this is when you have one side already raised, then you raise the legs on either of the connected corner(Front versus Left or Right, Left versus Front or Rear, etc)...
what happens then is that the already Raised leg at the connected corner will fall back in line with the other lower leg, causing the coach to 'fall', or 'jump' down. This happens because the legs always work TOGETHER, even if one was ALReADY raised!

...confusing: it can be, but if you are attentive and don't allow too much pressure difference between connecting legs/corners, you won't have this issue.
When two directions need Leveling, there is always a corner involved - you want to make sure to keep each pair with relative pressure as you are raising them. You'll also never see two OPPOSITE sides, or OPPOSITE ends, both be out-of-level at the same time, only connected CORNERS.

clear as mud, hunh?!!
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Old 05-16-2017, 01:01 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TurnerFam View Post
I use Manual mode exclusively... here's what I've found:

- the leveler 'legs' only work in pairs - whenever you press a directional button, say the right arrow button, BOTH the front and rear Passenger side legs start to be deployed (this becomes your HIGH side/end)

- as these legs deploy, and as soon as you feel the first one hit the ground, it will PAUSE until the other leg also hits the ground, then only press the button for a second longer(the legs sense pressure between each other in order to stay in TUNE)...

- then move to the Opposite arrow button(this becomes your FOUNDATION side/end), pressing it until both legs have contacted the ground, and then only a second more to raise that side/end only slightly

- What does the lighted Arrows on the panel tell you now?
...if you have only the HIGH side still lit, then continue pressing it's button, raising that side/end until either it's light goes off, or the middle 'Level' light comes on.
...if you still have two lights, go back and forth with each one, only raising the coach a second or two between each... when only ONE directional light is left, press that button until either it's light goes off, or the middle 'Level' light comes on.

...or, if you're like me, I use my bathroom door swing to also let me know my 'true' level, even if the panel doesn't yet have the middle 'Level' indicator lit. I would rather FEEL level, than be 'exactly' level by what some indicator tells me. A door swing is generally your best, and easiest, indicator.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I've learned is that the Legs work in tandem, meaning that a PAIR of legs must operate together whenever you press a directional button.
The DRAWBACK to this is when you have one side already raised, then you raise the legs on either of the connected corner(Front versus Left or Right, Left versus Front or Rear, etc)...
what happens then is that the already Raised leg at the connected corner will fall back in line with the other lower leg, causing the coach to 'fall', or 'jump' down. This happens because the legs always work TOGETHER, even if one was ALReADY raised!

...confusing: it can be, but if you are attentive and don't allow too much pressure difference between connecting legs/corners, you won't have this issue.
When two directions need Leveling, there is always a corner involved - you want to make sure to keep each pair with relative pressure as you are raising them. You'll also never see two OPPOSITE sides, or OPPOSITE ends, both be out-of-level at the same time, only connected CORNERS.

clear as mud, hunh?!!
I wouldn't be so inclined to use "bathroom door swing", in a motor home for leveling. The idea is to get the rig level, not the door plumb and there can be huge differences.
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Old 05-17-2017, 04:16 PM   #8
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THOR #1414
Ok.... thanks all. Sounds like I've been doing it a bit wrong. Example... last campsite was low to the rear and left. I would lower the rear jacks down, raising the rear until almost level. Then I would lower the front until they touch, then raise the left side to get it from side to side.

I've also tried using the orange blocks in the rear to limit some jack travel... this last time I used one more block on the left side than the right, thinking that would make it easier on the jacks.... because I've found that when they extend too far, it pops the external breaker.

I'll try following the directions next time....
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