Level Up System makes "popping" sounds

[UNDRPSI]

Badtad,
The level up system is a great option to get if your buying a new Redwood RV OR retro fitting and older RV. The "Popping Sound that we all are talking about is minimal In noise and for the most part you don't feel it either. A least in my experience with my popping. I for one am not bothered by this popping sound because I'm pretty sure what is causing it and I'm OK with that because I know my coach is Not going to hit the ground. The sound almost sounds like someone taking the side of their hand and hitting the side of our coach. On mine, the sound by no means is loud at all. With the ease of how the system works and levels your coach it is defiantly worth it. I have had the electric landing legs. And by the time I get the electric landing legs down enough to unhook and pull my truck out, I could be unhooked and leveled and my slides out</span>with the Level up system. Again this is only My opinion of the popping sound of the level up system</span>

[mhs4771]

We did the retrofit on our previous Montana and loved it, and now love it on our Redwood. I wouldn't buy another unit without the system. You can do a lot with the system once you learn all the tricks and secrets of operation. Yes sometimes they make a little noise, but so do the slides sometimes, but nothing to worry about. So would I do if in your shoes, "Yes"

[superdav]

I'm glad I read the Forum.....we picked up our 36FL in April and have made probably 20+/- trips since then. We also have the popping issue sometimes. This last trip we thought maybe it was settling on the gravel surface of the campground. But then it also happened on a concrete pad. Then on a really soft surface it didn't happen at all.....It does happen more if the lifts are really extended, so I thought that could be the problem. Also the heat/cold makes sense. We do notice some leaks on the two middle lifts.



We are finally taking it in today the first time to have our first punch list of warranty things fixed. That is on the list. So we will see what the mechanic thinks. I'll let them know that this is an issue on the forum. I'll let you know what I find out....

[ddurkeeiii]

KR2011 mentioned lubricating the rams of the jacks as required by Lippert in a manual. Would be interested in the name of this manual as I didn't receive one with my FB delivered in March. I do have the popping, lately in the left rear jack.

[John8545]

We had popping too, and we were instructed to spray silicone lube on all jacks once or twice a month, depends where you are located. Its easy and seems that it protects jacks from pitting too.

[DonMac]

Question...we have had the popping sound and vibration very bad in extreme temperature changes. Not so bad when temps do notchange so much. Also have leak. So I called lippert to find out what type of fluid to put in the resviour due to the leak. I was told to use Dextron 3 transmission fluid. I thought this was strange as there is hydraulic fluid in the resevior.I was told this is number 10 hydraulic fluid. I asked if it was ok to mix the two and was told it was ok. I also asked Brian at Crossroads and he also said Dextron 3 transmission fluid. In our last rig we had only Dextron 3 in the resevior and no popping. So my dumb question,because I don't know,is can the hydraulic fluid in the system contracting and expanding due to temperature change be causing the popping? Were as the transmission fluid, use to temp change, may not cause a popping ifthe system was totally filled with the transmission fluid only.Hell,I don't know and it seems the brains at lippert has no idea either. Just a dumb question.

[lillyputz]

Since our level system leak was fixed, the popping sounds are now,from temp. changes. mainly on the sunny side. a lot quiter, since the fix.

Lillyputz

[Tobys Home]

Well next week we move our coach to higher ground for the winter. Will see if after a summer of no popping we join the crowd and our twin 36rl. I intend on using my blocks to shorten the tube extension again. Will report if this works again for us. Our longest extension is seven inches at max. Right rear.

[John Trail]

We have the 38BR 2012, purchaseed it Aug 17 2012. The first 3 sites we stayed at had soft gravel/dirt and pavement for landing the pads on, temps in the 60's to 80's, and no direct sun. We did not have the popping.

We are in AZ with temps in the 90s and 100s, our unit is parked on concreat and in direct sunlight in the after noon. Our unit started poping the day we set up here, sounds like someone is slamming the basement doors, the unit jerks and shakes. This happens in the middle of the night also and wakes us up. I have releveled the unit and went as far as to take it for a ride and back to setup again. Still POPPING.



My thoughtwas the unit is expanding in the heat and the landing feet are are fixed to the frame and can't move like the screw jacks can. As the unit expands and contracts the feet get tention on them and slide (POP) to a new postion.



When the unit is on "soft ground" and expands you want here the poping. With the unit on hard surfaces with lots of friction you will hear and feel the pops.



With that in mind I put some of theplastic pads under the landing feet. For the last 4 days there has been little to no popping.



I would like to know if some of the things I noticed are happening to others? I read these frames are new in design, would the new design expand and contract over the old designs.



It could be the other way around and the hard surfaces are expanding faster that the unit, and with nooil under the feet, they pop into place as the surface expands.



Our last unit did not pop where we are parked now, it did not have a level up system.



I'm not a engineer, but if you don't lub things, there will loud noices coming from them.



Thanks for letting me run this by everyone, if I am full of it or off track let me know.



We Loveour Redwood



John and Karen,

Full Timmers 2 years now.

[Tobys Home]

<div style=": rgb255, 255, 255; margin-left: 2px; margin-top: 2px; margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb0, 0, 0; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; -: n&#111;ne; ">We have three RW's at our campground. 2-36rl,s and an 31sl. One rl pops like you have mentioned and is on plastic pads mine is up six inches on wooden pads and the sl is on the crushed stone. We moved here thursday and have not popped once. Freezing weather yesterday and mild today. I was wondering if the fluid in the jacks has to be thicker (motor honey) so that it doesn't push back through the flow valves?

[TravelinAnderson]

I think a synthetic hydraulic fluid would work better because it's not as susceptible to fluxuating temptures

[DonMac]

We are in Arizona. Purchased the rig in May. The jacks pop and the rig shakes. Sometime it wakes us out of a sound sleep. No one can answer the question of why this happens. Lippert states that they have no idea why this happens. Can no engineer figure this out. If they do or have can you think what it would cost them to recall or repair this problem. We have three leaking jacks and waiting for Lippert to OK the repair. Lippert should know why this happens. It is strange that even with the popping and shaking the rig stays level. We are full timers and have fixed most of our own problems. Can't fix the jacks.

[Big Kahuna]

The same thing happened to our 36RL. Turns out we were on an unlevel site and tires on one side of rv were slightly off the ground. I releveled manually in a lower position with all 4 tires carring weight and the popping stopped.

[Tobys Home]

DonMac, I made blocks out of LVL's (Building material) alittle bulky and pressure treated 2x8's and they work because you can shim accordingly. Presently I am on an almost level sight and have four blocks under each jack. Approximately eight inches high. Less stress on the jacks and no pops. Our twin 36rl had pops all the time and no shims. Try it and see.

[Rooksfive]

We also had the same problem with wheels off the ground on one side. Once we moved to a level site with all wheels on the ground, the problem went away.

[lillyputz]

If you are camping on a level site, then why do you need the auto level system ? Is the auto level system only good on a level site? Sounds like lippert needs to step up to the plate.



Lillyputz

[mhs4771]

The issue with the Level-Up system is not unique to Redwoods, all the newer rigs using the system are reporting the same problem. It's funny, the orignial systems retrofitted by TrailAir before they sold out to Lippert never seems to suffer this problem. So Lippert must be doing something different.

[John Trail]

If you are camping on a level site, then why do you need the auto level system ? Is the auto level system only good on a level site? Sounds like lippert needs to step up to the plate.



Lillyputz





I totally agree with you, we purchased the Level Up so we did not have to shim the tires, etc, etc. I was told that in the real world that you can push this button, stand back and watch it work.



I have tired the orange PVC pads and still we pop. There are no apparent leaks.



There are holes to lower the cylinders, has anyone tried that?

[mhs4771]

I looked at the possibility of dropping the jacks one bolt hole, but haven't pulled the belly pan to see if there is sufficient slack in the hydraulic lines to all dropping the jacks.

[KWire]

Hi all,

I'm still in the planning stages of getting an RV, so I read this forum and the Heartland forum. There appears to be a solution coming soon from Lippert on the popping from the Level-up system. Several Heartland owners been in contact with Bob Tiedge at Lippert and he stated there would be some news coming this week....

You can read the Heartland thread here.

HTH, Keith