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Old 06-03-2013, 01:03 AM   #1
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THOR #234
Lippert leveling, snap, crackle, pop

There's been some discussions throughout the Thor industry of popping noises and movement of the hydraulic rams on the Lippert system.

The days when our fifth wheels used an electric motorized crank for the front landing supports are over if you have the 6 point leveling.

Now we're in the new milleneum with a keypad and hydraulics. Push a button and it self levels. Everything's great...........until the hydraulic rams move and do what small diameter rams do. They move over time.

I've been around hydraulic equipment all my life. Even loader/backhoes have a mechanism to hold the backhoe from moving downward when its not in use. There is nothing as a mechanism to hold the hydraulic ram from moving on the 6 point leveling by Lippert. Thus, snap, crackle, pop.

Somebody may not notice or even experience the snap, crackle, pop if they're just spending several days in a location. Usually, if its a week or more you'll experience some movement in the rams. If I'm in a campground for more than ten days I'll push a button and relevel my coach.

This Lippert hydraulic system ain't perfect but it sure beats the electric crank and hand cranking the rear jacks.

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Old 06-03-2013, 01:22 AM   #2
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THOR #124
I'm somewhat familiar with hydraulics myself, but I don't know a thing about the leveling setup on the new trailers of today. If they are rams like you stated, then the o-rings and seals should hold--- -if they aren't leaking by. The only way to stop the settling, snapping, etc. is to have an absolute shutoff some where in the system when it's not in use.
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Old 05-23-2020, 08:19 PM   #3
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THOR #16769
This is common, I am going to try and post a link to a lippert PDF that addresses this. It involves adding a hydraulic additive. They refer to it as anti stiction. Friend tried the Cat fluid and said it helped.
https://manuals.heartlandowners.org/...ng/Lippert/LIP 0295 - NOISY JACKS - Adding Anti-Stiction Fluid to LCI Hydraulic Systems.pdf
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Old 05-23-2020, 08:21 PM   #4
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Hydraulic

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Here is the unbroken link to the document.
https://manuals.heartlandowners.org/...%20Systems.pdf
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:55 AM   #5
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THOR #12189
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Originally Posted by lhend50 View Post
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Here is the unbroken link to the document.
https://manuals.heartlandowners.org/...%20Systems.pdf
I have these jacks and that's happened on long-term stays in gravel sites. I believe I actually felt the front of the coach drop. Never the same experience on asphalt/concrete. Do you have to completely evacuate the entire system or just the reservoir?
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Old 05-30-2020, 03:53 PM   #6
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I used the additive and still get some popping but seems to be when we have wide temp changes
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Old 05-30-2020, 04:41 PM   #7
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THOR #3610
The factory tech removed 1 quart of fluid from the reservoir, with ALL jacks/slides retracted added 1 quart of 15w motorcycle fork oil (much cheaper than the Cat oil), operated the jacks/slides a few times to mix the oils, retract all & top off the reservoir to within 1/4-1/2" of the fill opening. After this if was very rare, usually in extreme temperature differences day/night, that we ever heard/felt them again & if I needed to top off the reservoir I did so with the fork oil.
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