Power Gear Auto Level Lifts Too High

[InTheDogHouse]

'05 Holiday Rambler Admiral SE 30PDD with a Power Gear Auto-Leveling system. I noticed last year that when leveling using the auto-level button, we'd end up out of level every time. It wasn't terribly out of level, but it was enough to cause doors to refuse to stay where I put them and enough to bother me and make me feel like I was sleeping with my head down in bed.  I Googled the problem and found a whole lot of information regarding the issue and how to re-calibrate it so it's level. (Tip Sheet #153)

Another thing it was doing however, and still is, that pretty much means I never use the auto-leveler, is that it ends up lifting us so high, I typically ended up with a wheel or two in the air, even when we're just barely out of level to start with! Googling wasn't so helpful this time... I manually level now using a couple of levels inside the coach, but would like to be able to just push the single button and be done with it.

Fuses, fluid condition and fluid level are all good, as are all the connections I've checked as part of the previous exercise. 

UPDATE:  Mine is a Ford V10 (Gas) on a Ford Chassis with no air bags / dump option...

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[dickandlois]

Bill, Does the leveling system have ground contact sensors?  The leveling systems with this feature lower the jacks in a sequence.

Left front, right front, Right rear and Left rear. This tells the system when each jack makes ground contact.

Rich.

[InTheDogHouse]

Good question Rich!  I don't know how it determines when it first makes contact.  I've always assumed it would sense this somehow, but don't "know" it to be the case.

It does go through a sequence when lowering the jacks...  It seems to go through several sequences of raising each end/side/corner before finally determining it's level.  

I prefer to just have the jacks raise the coach enough to level and provide a little stability, not to lift us into the clouds so that our last step out the door involves... stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door, jump right out and count to four...

 

[dickandlois]

Bill, The Sequence is important !    

       So if you can watch the jacks as a helper starts the system and see if the first jack stops as soon as it its the ground(give or take a little) --Then the next jack should do the same thing.

Do you have the owners manual for the system? If not then more information is needed = A call to Rev Group to get the information sent to you in the PDF format. Hopefully there will be some info on testing the ground sensors, where they are set mechanically and a re-calibration sequence.

The system then goes through a dance sequence that the system considers level - from info sent to the control board from the level sensor.

Rich. 

[InTheDogHouse]

My research last year resulted in downloading the Operations Manual, Parts and Service Manual and Tips Sheet #153 (Calibration), which helped getting the unit to level automatically, but it still lifts us ridiculously high.

I'll take a look at the sequence the next time I setup.  I don't want to bring the slides in to come down off the jacks just to watch them, since there isn't really any urgency.  I've always assumed the came down two at a time, but your comments and some things I've read in the past couple of days make me wonder if that's not the case...  I'll followup once I get a chance to watch them cycle.

Thanks Rich!  

[hermanmullins]

Rich, 

I have air leveler only. I always dump the air, then start the auto level. With our last coach I had jacks but would also dump the air then start the auto leveling.  In doing this the Jacks don't have so far to level.

Just the way I did it.

Herman

[kaypsmith]

2 hours ago, hermanmullins said:

With our last coach I had jacks but would also dump the air then start the auto leveling.

This is an important step to take into consideration and follow for the lowest possible lift with an auto level system.

[InTheDogHouse]

I've updated the original post to clarify that I don't have air bags or an air dump option...

Thanks for the suggestions though!

 

[hermanmullins]

Sorry ITDH,

I am not up on my Holiday Ramblers.

Herman

[InTheDogHouse]

No worries Herman, your suggestion might help someone else!

[InTheDogHouse]

On 6/12/2018 at 8:18 AM, DickandLois said:

Bill, The Sequence is important !    

       So if you can watch the jacks as a helper starts the system and see if the first jack stops as soon as it its the ground(give or take a little) --Then the next jack should do the same thing.

Do you have the owners manual for the system? If not then more information is needed = A call to Rev Group to get the information sent to you in the PDF format. Hopefully there will be some info on testing the ground sensors, where they are set mechanically and a re-calibration sequence.

The system then goes through a dance sequence that the system considers level - from info sent to the control board from the level sensor.

Rich. 

Hi Rich,

I finally had the opportunity to cycle the levelers a couple times and when pressing the auto-leveler button, the front two jacks come down first until hitting the ground, then there is a pause for a few seconds until the rear levelers come down.  Interestingly, when the rear ones came down, the right one hit the ground first and they both stopped.  They came down at what seemed to be the same speed.  (The hydraulic pump sounds like it kicks into a second gear of some sorts, or a second pump engages, after it runs for about two seconds, but I can't see any noticeable difference in the speed of the jacks coming down...)  Then the coach raised slightly on the right side, then the left side and the panel indicated it was level.  (It was not, but I can re-calibrate easily enough with the TIPS sheet I used last year for that...)  Surprisingly, it did not continue to "bump" the height front to rear and side to side, resulting in the wheels being off the ground this time!  I cycled it twice and the steps and results were identical.  BTW, my parking pad is nearly level, with the front and right sides being only slightly higher, causing a bubble level to be "on the line" indicating those levels.  Many people would be fine with this.... level of level...  

Retracting the jacks caused the front two jacks to retract first, followed by the rear two, after the front were fully retracted.  It takes the rear a lot longer to retract than the front, but the entire process, until the "wait" and "jacks down" light on the panel went out, takes about 40 seconds from when the "retract all" button is pushed.

I didn't have time at the moment to re-calibrate the auto level setting, but will do so and see if it lifts me to the clouds or keeps me at a reasonable lift level and report back.

Thanks for your help!