Hydraulic Fluid leaking down left front landing gear...

thomas861 · 06-15-2016, 05:12 PM

Our 38RL has been in storage for about a month and I went by to check on it today. Batteries were dead of course but of more concern was the hydraulic fluid leaking down the front left gear. Is there something simple I can do or is it back to the shop at the dealer ?

travelin' texans · 06-15-2016, 06:28 PM

Is it leaking from the top? If so check the hose fittings. Is leaking from the bottom? If so after hooking up cycle the legs a few times & spray with silicone lubricant while doing so. Also when all slides & legs are retract check fluid in the reservoir, it should be 1/4- 1/2" below the fill opening.

thomas861 · 06-15-2016, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

Is it leaking from the top? If so check the hose fittings. Is leaking from the bottom? If so after hooking up cycle the legs a few times & spray with silicone lubricant while doing so. Also when all slides & legs are retract check fluid in the reservoir, it should be 1/4- 1/2" below the fill opening.

I had to leave for an appointment but I'm going back by later this afternoon to take a closer look. It seemed to only be on the silver or shiny part on the gear where it extends and retracts and on top of the pad of course. I'll try to take a closer look at the fittings that I can get to.

travelin' texans · 06-15-2016, 07:03 PM

If they sit/parked for extended periods of time they will leak a bit. I try to cycle mine at least once a month when parked for extended periods & spray periodically with silicone spray.

thomas861 · 06-15-2016, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

If they sit/parked for extended periods of time they will leak a bit. I try to cycle mine at least once a month when parked for extended periods & spray periodically with silicone spray.

It's a new unit...we've only used twice. It was at the dealer for 5 months various repairs for stuff found in our walk thru and the first time we used it. It's lonely been in storage for 3 weeks. We were putting it there for 2 months until we start full timing in it.

I'm sad to say I've already had more issues with the new Redwood in using it for two shorts trips than I had in 3 years of full timing in our other unit.

travelin' texans · 06-15-2016, 07:58 PM

Sorry to hear about all the problems, but from my experience it seems the longer they sit unused the more problems show up. Been in ours for 3+ years fulltime & there's still some little things show up from time to time, had the blinds over the table on the floor when we stopped yesterday.

thomas861 · 06-15-2016, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

Sorry to hear about all the problems, but from my experience it seems the longer they sit unused the more problems show up. Been in ours for 3+ years fulltime & there's still some little things show up from time to time, had the blinds over the table on the floor when we stopped yesterday.

Yes, you're probably right about that. It's not that we haven't wanted to use it. We bought it in late November last year and out of the 6 1/2 months we've owned it, 5 of them were spent with the dealers service dept. It'll get a workout starting mid August. We are back on the road full time then.

Ok...I checked the fittings at the top and no leak there so it's for sure coming from the bottom. I spoke with the service dept at the dealer and they could offer no simple fix. I expect I'll get more help from you guys than them. His solution was to bring it back in and get back in the service line. Of course I'll have to drive 200 miles to take it to them. We are headed to Hawaii tomorrow so it'll be 2 weeks before I can get back over here to mess with it or pull it back to the dealer.

I'm hoping the silicone lubricant and cycling the jacks will solve the issue. I'm thinking when we return from our trip I'll drive over and do that then spend the night and check the next day for fluid leaking. If it's still leaking I'll hook it up and return it to service. I'd rather let them fix it under warranty.

travelin' texans · 06-16-2016, 02:29 AM

Last fall the mid jack on the street leaked from the bottom, I removed the foot pad & removed the 3 bolt piece on the bottom to find a replacement seal, none found, but when reinstalling I turned it 1 bolt hole different & no leaks since. As far as dealerships, mine has never been to one for repairs, once to the service center, the rest I've done myself, can't let them have it for extended periods unless they want to pay for housing.

slideone · 06-16-2016, 04:23 AM

Thomas, I have experienced what you may be seeing on your jack on 5 of my 6 jacks, but never fear, it is not always bad. I thought the worst when I saw this on my jacks as did you. This showed up this winter while we were in Mesa, Az. when we got back I had it checked at my local dealer and he explained that it is normal for some fluid to get by the seals and most of the time it will stop on its on. He was totally right all of mine have all but stopped anything I see now is very minor and not an issue. Sometimes I think we panic a little when it comes to the hydraulics, but remember they all leak down a little over time, that's why its so nice to be able to push one button and get it right back where it belongs. On another note, any dealer that takes 5months to correct issues doesn't need to call himself a dealer or at the very least a servicing dealer! Good Luck and ENJOY!

Donhutch1800 · 06-18-2016, 01:26 AM

On the top of the Jack there are 3 bolts.The outside bolt is called a banjo bolt.It has a oring seal on it.If it's leaking and running down the body of the Jack that's where it's coming from.I fixed mine myself.You can by the seal at most any auto parts store.You have to take the pressure off the jacks then take the bolt loose.It will shoot out a small amount of fluid until the pressure is off.

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