Thumping auto level jacks

[Rogerfish]

Have a 2015 36RL. The jacks thump or pop occasionally. At first it occurred in the evening as the temp cooled. More recently it does it in the mornings as the temp warms up. Wondering if any harm is being done and if there is anything I can do to help. Seems like it is mostly the front jacks but sometimes appears to be the rear jacks. Anyone else experience this?

[Rosey]

Haven't had thumping issue but I can tell you that I miss the ease of setting up the "old fashioned" way with my prior Cardinsl with front hydraulic landing gear & rear electric stabilizer jacks. Simple & reliable. What's the sense of having this sophisticated, sensitive, equipment if it requires that your site be level to begin with?

[travelin' texans]

This has happened to RWs since the first one off the line I would guess, but I thought RW was correcting it now, silly me! With all slides & jacks retracted use a turkey baster or whatever you choose & remove 1 quart of fluid from the hydraulic reservoir in battery compartment & replace with 1 quart of anti stiction motorcycle fork oil, after cycling hydraulics a few times the popping should be better, if necessary follow the same procedure & add more. Be sure all hydraulics are fully retracted before filling reservoir or you'll have one helluva mess, fill to within 1/4" from fill hole.

[Piper Guy's Gal]

Originally Posted by Rogerfish

Have a 2015 36RL. The jacks thump or pop occasionally. At first it occurred in the evening as the temp cooled. More recently it does it in the mornings as the temp warms up. Wondering if any harm is being done and if there is anything I can do to help. Seems like it is mostly the front jacks but sometimes appears to be the rear jacks. Anyone else experience this?

If it is a sound that somewhat resembles someone hitting a pipe in your basement, I have been told that it is due to temperature changes and I have been assured by DH and Lippert reps that it is harmless.

It is a bit startling and when it happened while I was staying by myself in our RW for a week (a gift from Vaughan), I was convinced the rig was going to fall to the ground. Rest assured, it did not.

[atom ant]

Here is the LCI technical bulletin for that:

[Piper Guy's Gal]

"Failure to follow the preparation and procedure may result in delayed resultion of the audible disturbance." Wow if that is fancy speak for "this may not work and you'll still hear a popping sound."

[Dave&Ginny]

It use to keep us up at night so I went with the Caterpillar additive and it worked well.

Like others have already said.....I would have thought this issue was behind Lippert by now but I guess history tends to repeat itself if you don't change the process.

[sinder]

I used the Cat additive as well a couple of years ago and the popping went away.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Piper Guy's Gal

"Failure to follow the preparation and procedure may result in delayed resultion of the audible disturbance." Wow if that is fancy speak for "this may not work and you'll still hear a popping sound."

They have more lawyers than Engineers

[Enroute]

I have done multiple changes with the fork fluid as directed by LCI and to no avail. In fact I had the neighbors complain to me this year that they are really getting tired of hearing my jacks popping, cracking, banging around all day/night long. Sadly it even happens when I am not there and the coach is empty. I am getting to the point where I am starting to look at other options and trading my beloved Redwood in for something different as a coach with a $130,000 price tag should not so intrusive that your neighbors complain about the noise your coach makes day and night.

Dave - could you please share what CAT additive you used as I am getting desperate to resolve this annoyance. Thank you!!!

[rob_fla]

I had the same popping noise with our Coach, I used a additive we use in the elevator industry for the same thing, we call it "Slip Stick".
It is like when you have two pieces of glass, get them wet and stick them together, they get stuck and do not want to break away.
In the elevator industry the tighter the piston fit and smoother the piston is, the worse the problem is.
If there is a slight texture in the piston finish, (more of a matte finish than a polished finish) the less chance of the popping noise as the piston will not be as prone to sticking.

[Piper Guy's Gal]

Originally Posted by atom ant

They have more lawyers than Engineers

And maybe if Lippert reversed that, they (and we) would have less problems.

[Shane Wood]

I would try replacing your hydraulic fluid with new. Also add a 1/3 of it with the motorcycle fork lube or the additive Rob used. After replacing operate the jacks and the main slides until all air is out of the lines

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Enroute

I have done multiple changes with the fork fluid as directed by LCI and to no avail. In fact I had the neighbors complain to me this year that they are really getting tired of hearing my jacks popping, cracking, banging around all day/night long. Sadly it even happens when I am not there and the coach is empty. I am getting to the point where I am starting to look at other options and trading my beloved Redwood in for something different as a coach with a $130,000 price tag should not so intrusive that your neighbors complain about the noise your coach makes day and night.

Dave - could you please share what CAT additive you used as I am getting desperate to resolve this annoyance. Thank you!!!

If you trade, the choices are slim out there for units without the Lipper Level up. There is another called big-foot, that is electric but I only know of Lifestyle that uses it. Or there are the non-self leveling.

I can say with confidence that I've been too lazy to change my fluid and they pop just as bad now as they did when I bought it. Every time I hear it, I run outside to see if my siding cracked under the bed. Maybe I'll get to it next year.

[travelin' texans]

Just adding the fluid won't work unles you cycle the hydraulics several times to mix in the new fluid. If your parked permanently you need to work the hydraulics occasionally also as expansion/contraction will displace the fluid.

[atom ant]

Do they stay mixed once mixed, or do they separate?

[Shane Wood]

I have had mine fulltime for a year and never had this problem

[Rosey]

[QUOTE=atom ant;55205]If you trade, the choices are slim out there for units without the Lipper Level up. There is another called big-foot, that is electric but I only know of Lifestyle that uses it.

Had the "Bigfoot" system installed on my last 5er....hydraulic system NOT electric Brad. The Bigfoot is a 4 point vs 6point leveling system

[travelin' texans]

It stays mixed as far as I know, haven't noticed it separated in the reservoir.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Rosey

Had the "Bigfoot" system installed on my last 5er....hydraulic system NOT electric Brad. The Bigfoot is a 4 point vs 6point leveling system

Yep I stand corrected - I remember something was different - they have independent electric pumps (at each jack) instead of the common pump, but they are hydraulic.

Looks like they got into to the 6-pt leveling as well.

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