Thor Forums

[FW28z]

My wife wants to go with the Quadra automatic system, but I like the idea of the wireless remote controlled manual system. Just something about being able to walk around the coach with the remote and being able to tweak the level of the rig.

Besides, I really don't trust "automatic" as much as being able to level it while watching the spirit levels on the coach.

The other main difference is the manual system uses one pump, while each cylinder on the automatic system has it's own pump. To me, that means 4 times more of a chance of failure.

Also, the manual system always uses two cylinders in tandem (either both front, both rear, or two each side). That way, it is "self aligning" when it makes initial contact with the ground, in that the lower cylinder will stop until the other cylinder makes ground contact (which establishes equilibrium). At that point, both cylinders move.

So to level using the manual system, you bring the front pair of cylinders into ground contact and stop when you just detect slight lifting of the coach. Then you do the same with the rear. At that point, the system is "aligned" with no stress to the frame. Then you can adjust both front, both rear, or each side pair to level the coach.

This scheme to me would seem to ensure that the frame does not become warped or stressed, as each cylinder pair always finds equilibrium since the selected two cylinder pair is in "series" and uses fluid dynamics to balance the system.

The automatic system with 4 independent pumps must use some other scheme to prevent stressing the frame. I am not sure how it's done. It might work just as good, but I simply don't know how it achieves equilibrium. Perhaps it uses electronics rather than fluid dynamics in achieving balance between the cylinders.

But we'll find out soon enough...