Levelup Made Main Slides Deploy! WHY?

TNTBaker · 07-29-2014, 06:12 PM

I fear that this has been discussed elsewhere, but darned if I can find it.

While on vacation recently, after dropping and locking the RW into the hitch I pressed "autoretract" and instead of retracting the landing legs, both main slides came out!

We checked the hydraulic fluid levels to make sure there wasn't some sort of leak or obvious problem, and there was none. It hasn't happened since (about 3 more hitch-ups). Is this very common? Thanks!

**hoosierguy** · 07-29-2014, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TNTBaker

I fear that this has been discussed elsewhere, but darned if I can find it.

While on vacation recently, after dropping and locking the RW into the hitch I pressed "autoretract" and instead of retracting the landing legs, both main slides came out!

We checked the hydraulic fluid levels to make sure there wasn't some sort of leak or obvious problem, and there was none. It hasn't happened since (about 3 more hitch-ups). Is this very common? Thanks!

I have never tried to use the "automatic" operations other than auto-level. Always use the the manual retract operation to lift all of the jacks.

0nTheRoad · 07-29-2014, 09:08 PM

This is a first I believe, I've never heard of that happening. As far as I know the leveling system is independent of the slides [the hydraulics are associated with both] but I am not aware of any correlation between the two systems???

Oriana · 07-30-2014, 04:20 AM

Theresa/Todd - first thing I would check is the valves on the oil distribution box, located above the batteries. They are for manually operating the rear legs and hydraulic slides. They should be closed, unless operating manually. Requires an Allen key to turn. We have 3 on our 36FL and another one at the top of one of the landing legs.

If slightly open some oil can bypass.

RifRaff · 07-30-2014, 06:50 AM

Hi, you got a pic of that setup. Never had issue with slides, but still nice to know about.
Herb

collindo · 07-30-2014, 01:19 PM

I have had the same thing happen to me, but it seems to be intermittent. Every time I take it to my dealer and ask them to watch while I show them it works fine. Lol. In some cases I have to reach in and manually turn off the slide valves that isolate them then retract the landing gear.
Doug.

**Dave&Ginny** · 07-30-2014, 03:42 PM

I've never had this happen but I would suspect a short in the control box. Do you have anything in the basement on the upper shelf that could be touching the control boxes?

TNTBaker · 07-30-2014, 07:10 PM

Thanks everyone. I will have Todd take a look at your suggestions. It only happened the one time, but it likely will happen again. I will be very careful about making sure there is clearance for the slides when operating the landing gear JUST IN CASE! I shudder to think if we were in a tight spot operating the landing gear (like a storage unit!!) and it happened. I don't know if I could have gotten it stopped fast enough, PLUS I Didn't even know it was happening until the passenger-side slide was fully deployed and the driver-side started! Yikes. Thanks again.

atom ant · 08-03-2014, 05:55 PM

May have just been a sticking valve - the slides and gear share the same pump and fluid. There are electric solenoid valves that send pressure where it needs to go.

TNTBaker · 08-03-2014, 06:33 PM

Thanks AA; I think so too. It hasn't happened again <yet> but I WILL make sure there is clearance for something like this happening again. Hopefully just using it will make it not "stick" any more!

mesg · 08-09-2014, 06:33 PM

sticky valves.. had the same issue.. especially below freezing.. put slides out.. (while hooked to tow unit) and the landing legs.. randomly would fully drop.. had all mine replaced twice now.. even with the stiction fluid fix...

..lol.. it occasionly will still deploy the slides while levelling the unit.. (auto level)

TNTBaker · 08-09-2014, 06:36 PM

Thanks mesg. we also have the hydraulic popping problem that will have to be addressed. So this makes sense. Ours happened when it was extremely hot.

Buddy Wallace · 09-17-2014, 06:59 PM

Don't have this problem but when it is cool in the morning around 70 degrees the slides and leveling was hard to pull in. Have to keep pressing the buttons off and on. Tried when we got home just now and it did fine. It is around 85 degrees. Wasn't there some kind of fluid you add to the Levert hydrolic fluid. Do I call Crossroads or Lebert?