Don't assume both front landing feet are down

robkathybat · 10-26-2014, 01:46 PM

I am still learning about fifth wheel hitching/un-hitching. I had a near disaster the last time we went camping. It was dark by the time we arrived and when I put the landing gear down I could see the foot on the drivers side and when it made contact I heard the pump noise change and thought I saw the truck lift. When I starting pulling forward my wife yelled stop as the coach was slowly falling. It stopped just as it made contact with the truck. I raised it up and finished pulling out. There was no damage to truck or coach. I verified what happened when we got home and un-hitched. The passenger side foot doesn't extend till pressure from the drivers side sends hydraulic fluid to it. So not knowing the foot wasn't down when I pulled out the pressure equalized between the feet as the coach "fell". This was a valuable lesson to me to 1. make sure both feet are down, and 2. make sure load is really off the truck before I pull forward. Hope no one else ever has this happen to them

0nTheRoad · 10-26-2014, 01:49 PM

Valuable lesson, glad there was no damage!!

rob_fla · 10-26-2014, 02:01 PM

Our previous SOB 5er had a Electric Driven landing gear and both legs were always down together.
On our new Redwood we have the same condition except fortunately as of yet I have not pulled the truck forward with only one leg down.
I have noticed the driver side leg goes down first (the one I can see from the Level Up Panel) then the passenger side leg.
I always have to look and make sure both legs are down and supporting the weight of our 5er before unhitching.

0nTheRoad · 10-26-2014, 02:39 PM

My disconnect procedure is similar BUT I always make sure I can see light between the hitch and the king pin, that way I know the jacks are both down. I can also tell the difference in sound, when I begin the process the hydraulic pump makes a noise, once the driver-side leg is down the pitch changes, once both legs are down the pitch changes again as the full weight of the coach is lifted off the hitch.

Regardless, I still do a visual check to assure BOTH legs are down before releasing the hitch!!

Foxfire · 10-26-2014, 02:46 PM

I think we have all had a really close call with the new rig. We almost have to have it happen to tell us to slow down and check everything. On my first trip out we got to the campsite I put the front legs down pulled up for the pin to clear the hitch. The rig was still over the truck when I hit autolevel. I had no idea it first drops down before it starts to level. Luckily I was able to stop the autolevel before it came down on my truck.

superduty glampers · 10-26-2014, 02:58 PM

I have the trailer saver TS3 with smart air ,you can't unhook till it dumps the air when the weight of the trailer is off the hitch.

johnboytoo · 10-26-2014, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0nTheRoad

...I always make sure I can see light between the hitch and the king pin....

Agree - we usually can't release the lock lever and unhitch unless there is a gap there...

BUT, we do have a pullrite superslider...

rob_fla · 10-26-2014, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxfire

I think we have all had a really close call with the new rig. We almost have to have it happen to tell us to slow down and check everything. On my first trip out we got to the campsite I put the front legs down pulled up for the pin to clear the hitch. The rig was still over the truck when I hit autolevel. I had no idea it first drops down before it starts to level. Luckily I was able to stop the autolevel before it came down on my truck.

That was the first thing the dealer told us during our demo, make sure your truck is well clear of the front your Redwood before hitting the auto level or your Redwood may crash into your truck.

TNTBaker · 10-26-2014, 05:27 PM

This is SO important about moving the truck away, and I think they should have a BIG YELLOW STICKER on the levelup somewhere. They tell you so much at delivery (or not, I know) and I can COMPLETELY picture pulling the truck away enough to clear the hitch in a short campsite, and then pressing "autolevel" with disastrous results. I am surprised we don't hear about more of these incidents.

superduty glampers · 10-26-2014, 06:00 PM

During our pdi he told me I had a nice truck, if I wanted to keep it that way move it before I hit "atuo level" that's all I need to hear.

0nTheRoad · 10-26-2014, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

Agree - we usually can't release the lock lever and unhitch unless there is a gap there...

BUT, we do have a pullrite superslider...

Same on the Reese Elite, the release won't operate if there is any pressure on it, mostly front to back but also up/down. If the pin is too low or too high it won't release.

atom ant · 10-26-2014, 09:19 PM

Soooo close Rob and Kathy - that story made me sit on the edge of the seat! You are lucky it didn't slide down that hitch!

Same lesson for retracting the rear gear - always walk around. On a cold day in auto retract even the pump thought they were all up, but one was still down and my daughter yelled at me before I pulled it out of storage. The cold must have caused too much resistance.

spindrift · 10-27-2014, 02:10 PM

A great point by Rob and Kathy.

I would love to rework the solenoids so that the front passenger leg goes down first and then the driver's side. This way, there should never be an issue...I hope.

almcc · 10-27-2014, 02:40 PM

I second Atom Ant's comments. Our Reese hitch is "particular", it won't allow a detach without having the weight off it, but I've found a curbside leg only partially retracted when the hydraulic system sound changes when preparing for the road.

Our dealer told me not to stress the hydraulics by holding the button for longer periods after the slides or legs reach their end positions (which is probably good advice) so I always do a "circle check", checking the leveling legs and slides before moving the Redwood or after parking it.

atom ant · 10-27-2014, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindrift

A great point by Rob and Kathy.

I would love to rework the solenoids so that the front passenger leg goes down first and then the driver's side. This way, there should never be an issue...I hope.

I think the only way you would be able to do that is move the pump to the passenger side. When the landing gear is selected to raise or lower, both valves are open - the driver side is just the closest to the pump and therefore the least resistance. The only other way might be a proportioning valve, but that would be above my pay grade.

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