Hydraulic RV Jack Fail! Four Lessons Learned
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- We've never had a moment of trouble with our HWH hydraulic jacks in over 12 years in this, our second motorhome. But during our recent visit to Zion National Park, we caused our own jack failure!
Check out the video to see what went wrong, how we dealt with it, how we learned four lessons in the process. We actually knew about this issue, but being mostly snowbirds, we forgot about this potential cold-weather camping situation.
Our Utility Blocks are not only the best RV levelers we've ever had, but this time they REALLY saved the day. And don't forget the LevelMate PRO leveling system! Get them both on Amazon here:
FEATURED & RELATED PRODUCTS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:
Utility Blocks - 4 Pack: amzn.to/2EkQ8dY
Utility Blocks - Single: amzn.to/2FpKNkM
LevelMatePRO Bluetooth RV Leveling: amzn.to/2BBWant
RECENT AND RELATED VIDEOS:
Zion National Park Winter Camping: • Zion National Park Win...
21st Century RV Leveling: • LevelMatePRO Wireless ...
How to Level a Motorhome: • How to Level a Motorhome
How to RV in the Winter: • How To RV in the Winte...
RV Buried in 2 Feet of Snow: • RV Buried in 2 Feet of...
Join us at TheRVgeeks.com for more great RVing content!
Full-Time RVers since April, 2003, we share DIY (do it yourself) RV maintenance, repair, travel, upgrade and operational tips & tricks.
Many RVers are eager to learn more about using, maintaining and caring for their rigs. We hope our experience can help others go DIY, saving time & money, plus the satisfaction of a job well done.
We're handy RVers, not professional technicians. We're happy with the techniques and products we use, but be sure to confirm that all methods and materials you use are compatible with your equipment and abilities. Regardless of what we recommend, consult a professional if you're unsure about working on your RV. Any task you perform or product you purchase based on any information we provide is strictly at your own risk.
We sometimes receive products for evaluation at no cost, and The RVgeeks participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. But our opinions are our own, you won’t pay an extra penny, and we only link to products we personally use, love and can recommend to friends with complete confidence.
Comments welcome! Thanks for watching! Don't forget to subscribe! #RVLIFE #RVDIY #RVLIVING #FULLTIMERV #RVREPAIR #RVMAINTENANCE #RVMODS #RVUPGRADES #RVTRAVEL #DIYRV #RVGEEKS
Sir. I am a newbee to motorhoming and this is the very best hydraulic jack fix-em-up I have seen. I am also a retired Broadcast engineer, so I found your voice over narrative very professional. You just raised the bar for U TUBE A/V productions. Thanks.
Thank you so very much! You just made our evening! 😊
Well you've just increased my knowledge about an R/V adventure.
Bless you, I just bought an RV I went to put the jacks down and the right front didn't have the plate on it and went into the ground. I sure want to thank you for showing me how to put the springs on. Thanks again your were a blessing.
Wow, there's something that I never considered happening. It's great that you two showed us how to handle the problem. As always thanks and "Keep on keepin on."
Thanks Charlie. This was one of those things that was in the back of our minds that we just don't generally think about, since we usually do our best to avoid RVing in sub-freezing temps. We'll sure remember it next time!
You've restored by faith in humanity.
Even the RV Geeks can have one of those "Doh!" moments.
We must have been inspired by Jason Wynn's "How Not To" moments! LOL
Thank's for sharedi,
Happened to me today. Mud pulled the pad / spring from the piston. The piston was almost fully extended. Just kept repeating the process and putting in more wood/pads and eventually had the piston far enough up to drive. Not sure yet how to the pad and springs back on there, but today this video saved my bacon!! Thanks so much for publishing. Been an RV'er for 35 years with 7 different motorhomes and today this was a first.
Sorry to hear this happened, but thanks for letting us know we were helpful. Always great to hear! Safe Travels.
Your pads froze to the ground, and when you picked them up, they stuck, causing a spring detachment! Now, I'll watch the video! Great job on your vid's! Thanks,
What a crazy creative solution!! We don't have these style jacks (we have a 2-year old 5th wheel with no springs) but I just love the ingenuity!
Thanks Crystal! We had a long day's drive in front of us the day we left Zion, so we were very relieved to get that jack retracted so we could roll! Everything after that was a little easier, since we had time to plan a bit for the repair.
Now this was a cool tip........... Fantastic!!!!! Painters stir sticks, never would have thought!!!!
Thanks Tim! Nothing better than free tools/supplies (Lowes wouldn't accept any payment for them, even though we weren't buying paint). :)
These videos are the best resource a RV owner could find. I know it’s older but so is my coach being a 2000 DSDP.
Thank you!! And enjoy your life!!
Thanks so much, Ricky!
I would have probably made the same mistake. Learning through "experience" certainly has a longer lasting impact though :) Stir sticks? Who knew. Great tips!
And those sticks were free, too! :) We felt bad asking for them at Lowes, since we weren't buying paint, and offered to pay for them. But the guy said "They're free" so away we went. And you're sure right about "learning through experience" as I won't soon forget that sound that jack foot made when it shot up into the bottom of the RV... like a cannon! You can see in the video the mark and chipped paint just off-center of the mounting hole where it hit the hydraulic cylinder. Good thing that the steel is pretty much impervious. The costly mistakes hurt even more ;-)
My wifes name and pic. Mark here. I have a 2000 Western RV Alpine 36 FDS LE. I remembered seeing this video before thank goodness as today when stowing the jacks I heard a noise, it was the front driver's side jack, one spring broke at the top mount at the springs Hook and the jack stayed down 6 to 8 inches. . I followed your method of opening the solenoid bleed off valve's but it wasn't working, the jack wouldn't budge.. After stressing a bit I tried one more thing. On the HWH controller I hit the store button and bingo the RV dropped. I just kept repeatability raising the RV with the air bags then fit another pad like you use under the Jack and hit the stow button each time shoving the Jack back up until I was ready to go. Thanks again you great Geeks!
It’s always great to hear we’ve been helpful, Mark, so thanks very much for letting us know. 😊
Brilliant!! In every mistake or "doh!" moment, we always have the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. If you thought you made a dumb mistake, you looked 1000x smarter in how you recovered from it. Thanks for sharing and helping the rest of us potentially avoid or recover from the same mistake.
And 2 thumbs up on iRV2! The good folks there helped me center my steering wheel on my Ford F53 platform after the heavy truck alignment shop couldn't figure out how to do it.
Thanks so much, Doc! Much appreciated. And we love iRV2 as well! :)
I would never have thought of the cold weather effect as I usually stay in warmer climates. Thank goodness for RV Geeks! Saving the day in advance! 👍 Really impressive repair as well. Great teamwork!
Thanks Gypsy! We think your technique of staying in warmer climates to avoid this kind of stuff is the best way to go! ;-)
been there, was able to use a hydraulic jack to compress the ram. Good tip on the spring wish I'd had that info.
Using a hydraulic jack (or a car jack) is a great idea for those who don't have air suspension (gas rigs). We'll have to keep that idea in mind. Thanks!
RVgeeks You should have a jack rated for your rigs weight as you never know when it's needed! It doesn't take up that much room in the tool tray.
Nice video..... I have reinstalled jack feet twice with a pry bar and A LOT of choice words.... won't be doing that again now.
Yup.... no fun.
I backed up to a railroad tie in a campground and when I lowed the HWI Jacks the foot only half on the tie. As the cylinder kept lowering the jack foot rotated and came off the cylinder producing the same problem you had . Always check area befor lower jacks.
I don't like having my jacks in dirt even if the dirt is warm and dry. A couple of years ago I went to a lumber store and had a 2" thick, 12" wide, 12' length of lumber cut into 1 foot square sections. Then added anti slip tape to one side.
Whenever I'm parked on dirt I use these squares under my jacks. If the wood is buried more than1/2" in dirt I find a more stable area to park. I have the plastic RV leveling blocks but I find the 2" thick wood pads work just as well maybe better.
As usual great video guys.
Thanks Jack!
Wow, terrific fix, guys. Thanks for passing it on. I don't think the Class C I'm getting in a couple of months has levelers, but these things are always good to know in case I see someone with this problem.
Jon
We haven't seen too many Class C rigs with jacks other than some higher end ones, but good to be able to come to the rescue next time you see a Class A in the frozen tundra! :)
Thanks! That's such a clever way to fix a problem. I hope I never need it, but if I do I know where to look for a refresher. You guys are great!
Thanks Miles! We hope we never need it again either!
Great job guys. Another one for the books. You never seem to disappoint, we all should be thankful you share all these sometimes common and others not so common happenings. Sticks such a great idea. Happy Camping!
Thanks Nancy! The ONLY saving grace about this episode was that we could make a video out of it! LOL So it's great to hear you liked it. :)
Learned on our first trip to put boards under the jack pads. We were camping in the spring and the jack went 6" into the soft ground and would not retract. Had to dig out the jack and use a lever to compress it. Had the jack replaced after this. I now put boards under the jacks unless we are on concrete or hard gravel site.
The campsite was almost perfectly level with very hard-packed soil, so no sinking or leveling issues at all. We only put pads down when the site is very unlevel, or soft. Now we'll add "frozen" to that list.... or stay south! LOL
You guys are so clever.... what a wonderful cheap solution to what could be a nightmare.
Thanks Paul. We felt like Macgyver out there! LOL
Totally good info for us all in cold weather. Love the demonstration with paint sticks. Any of us could just get these sticks anywhere and bring along with our other tools. Don't way anything.
Very true, Anna! We're going to add a handful of them to our toolbox. You know... just in case! ;)
To initially compress the jack use a bottle jack or the scissor jack from your towed vehicle. Use jack pads or lumber to give you enough extension to push the piston back up. Great videos! Been a long time fan!!
+MacTonight50 Yup! Scissor jack from the toad was another option that we thought of after we used the jack dump method. Thanks! 😊
Great bush fix. I have always avoided this problem by simply putting wood blocks underneath each jack. This keeps the jack springs from over extending and also avoids the trouble you had with frozen ground.
Yes indeed. We've added "freezing temperatures" to "soft ground" and "very un-level site" as the third reason to use jack pads. :)
Great solution. I'm sure I would have panicked! You guys work great together. I was wondering if using pads under the jack plates would have prevented this.
+Frank P Thanks Frank. Pads would indeed have prevented the jacks from freezing to the ground (the pads would freeze down instead, but could be pried loose afterward). The reason we didn't use them is because the site was so level and hard-packed that none were needed.
Nice, we kind of had the same thing this winter. But ours stayed all together as it rose, then snap, the pad pulled from the ground bringing snow, ice and gravel with it. Haha, great tip.
Ours sounded like a cannon shot!
who would of thunk it, great tip, definitely keeping this tip in my back pocket in case this happens to us - my husband would call it ingenious. Thanks!
Thanks Deeb! :)
thanks for sharing this tip. I would never have thought to insert wood chips to lengthen the springs.
That's the part we learned from the iRV2 forums! Great resource. :)
Oh thank you X10.... I have the exact same problem with the left rear HWH hydraulic jack on my Kountry Star.. and was wondering how the heck I was going to reseat the pad.. Thanks to this video? I now have the answer....
Brigitte
Great video, I’m having a problem with our jacks, after retracting the jacks the lights say jacks down and won’t stop beeping. Each time I look and all jacks are up.🤔 it’s driving me crazy 😜 if
you have any ideas I would sure appreciate any suggestions. Thanks for all the great video’s.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble. Two of the most common jack types are 1) Those that retract by use of large springs (like ours, shown in this video) and 2) Those that both extend and retract hydraulically. If you have springs like ours, the most likely problem is the springs are stretched out and need to be replaced. If you have hydraulically-retracting jacks, the fluid may be low, or some other mechanical issue. Our guess is that if you look at your jacks when they're retracted, they probably aren't quite all the way in, which is what's leading to the warning. If they are actually completely retracted and you're still getting a warning, it may be a problem with the sensor, leading it to THINK the jacks are still extended when they're not. If you have HWH jacks (like we do), the owners manual should have a troubleshooting section that includes info about what to try.
RVgeeks Thank you so much for the reply, we do have the HWH jacks like you have. I will check all of the jacks when we get ready to leave, it very well could be stretched
springs, after all the coach is a sweet 18 years old. I think we actually still have the owners manual, we just have to find it. If it is bad springs it looks like a easy fix that I can do, thanks to your video. I will let know if the springs was the problem. Safe travels.
Glad you got it fixed safely. It looked like there were opportunities for pinched fingers and flying sticks!
+Lance Harris Thanks Lance! We were very cognizant of the danger to John's fingers, so very careful indeed!
Great video guys. Very novel idea using the paint stir sticks.
Thanks Gene! They were free even. :)
I alway carry a 2by4 with Me. Use my 2by and a chock block does the trick every time. Have had retraction problems for as long as i have had the coac 10 years.
Great Video. I wonder if this could have been avoided by placing a block between the Jack foot and the wet ground? Alos maybe it's just the perspective bot that Jack foot looks terribly close to the inside tire..
Thanks Wes! A block under the jack would indeed have worked, so we've added "freezing temperatures" to "soft ground" and "very un-level site" as the third reason to use jack pads. The jacks are pretty close to the tires... but not that close. They've worked fine for the past 12 years. :)
Great video, only thing I may have tried, is to find some type of cheater bar for the top of the spring? Thanks for the tip.
Excellent video once again. Thanks guys.
Gentlemen another of your excellent videos; clear, thorough, creative engineering repair..........just hope I never have to do this one myself. Also wanted to thank you for the winter Zion clip. We are annual visitors to Bryce and have talked of making a winter trip but haven't. You've inspired us! Our Tiffin Allegro RED is in for it's first service and we'll soon be on the road again, hope to see you there.
Thanks Rob! We love Bryce too, but we'll bet it's even colder in the winter due to the high elevation. We were there in October once and damn near froze our buns off! Have a great trip this year.
I have HWH hydraulic jacks also. The problem I encountered was that the while my motorhome was in storage at home, one of the springs broke, while being fully extended on the ground. Afterwards, the 2nd spring broke on the same jack. I was unable to push the jack up into place since the springs were broken and I was unable to drive the motorhome. I went and purchased a low clearance hydraulic jack so I could retract the jack on my motorhome. I put the jack I purchased underneath the foot and raised the jack at the same time I automatically retracted the jack on the motorhome. I then ordered new springs to replace the broken ones. HWH informed me that they could not believe the springs broke on their own, but they did break. I also ordered a spare set of springs and carry them with me in case this occurs again. I also carry the hydraulic jack I purchased.
Wow, Gary! Never heard of the springs just breaking... but we have now. Sounds like you did a great job of self-extrication.
Omg yet another great tip! Which is why we enjoy your channel so much. Thanks guys! Be safe
Thanks so much, Roger! :)
I wouldn't have thought of that, thank you.
Thanks for posting your video! I knocked the feet off my HWH levelers yesterday. I did have blocks of wood with me but the weren't large enough to get full retract on the cylinders
A trip to Wmart for two packs of Lynx Level blocks was just the ticket. Got cylinders stowed, but different method than solenoids. I did multiple stepped air dumps from control panel, shutting off system, then turned & put into "stow" mode. This worked to get jacks UP & green light on for "travel". This HAD to work! Every rv svc place is booked out 4 weeks...
Awesome work, Ethel! Got it done! 👍 Glad we could help.
Great job. I consider myself pretty good, But would never have thought of the paint sticks!!Great video.
could anyone possibly explain to me how there is 2 dislikes? come on people. trolls take it elsewhere. this was classic geeks video, perfect.
Thanks Dave! We appreciate the support against our trolls! LOL
some people are offended by un-natural spring extension. I think it's ingenious.
i hit dislike button when I don't strongly don't like something. This I like and thumbs up
Haters are gonna hate. That's the only explanation I can come up with.
vegasdavetv !
Hi guys. Once again a wonderful "how to get yourself out of trouble" video. Great info. Thanks once again!
Thanks Jack! :)
Great Video, I hope to see this park in my future and will remember your problem/tip!!!!
Hope you get there, too! It's a great place!
Great video guys. I guess if you have a gas rig without air bags, you would have to find an alternative way to compress the cylinder. I was thinking perhaps using the jack in the toad, or in the RV if it had one. Anyway, thanks for the lesson!
Absolutely, David... we think someone else mentioned that same suggestion of using your car jack to push the cylinder back in. Brilliant... and doesn't require any special tools you don't (usually) have handy!
A GOOD reason to have a separate bottle jack and 2X4 planks on-board. The usual toad auto jack is usable ONLY on that model auto!
+1 for Neil's bottle jack suggestion. Cheap, small, powerful.
Another fantastic video. Mike and Lisa are dry camping with us out at the Kofa Wildlife area (just south of Quartzsite). Mike and I watched this video together and both said "BOOM!" when watching the early part of the video. I can imagine that was a disturbing sound. As always, great video, great editing, VERY informative.
Thanks David! When we said that the foot released from the ground like a slingshot, we did not mention that it sounded like a cannon shot! You are right on with the BOOM! Startled the crap out of me! LOL If you look closely at the video, you can see the mark and chipped paint on the top of the foot, just off-center, where it hit the cylinder. Luckily, the steel is pretty impervious, so no harm done. Have a great time in Kofa!
I think it's awesome that you haven't had any of the ubiquitous HWH issues on your coach. I haven't been so lucky on my 2005 model. Quick question...couldn't you have just hit the store button on the pad instead of manually opening the solenoid? Great vid as always, guys.
Thanks Southbound (which is where we should have been!) ;-) In the step where we used the weight of the RV to compress the disabled jack, we had no choice except to open the solenoid because of the way we did it. If we'd used a 2x4, or a scissor or bottle (pin) jack, to compress the extended jack cylinder (instead of using the weight of the RV) we absolutely could have just pushed the store button to allow the fluid to go back into the reservoir. But because we had to push the "dump" button to drop the RV, that button keeps the solenoid closed, preventing the cylinders from retracting, even under the weight of the RV. The "dump" and "store" buttons are basically mutually exclusive. Hope I understood your question correctly and answered it clearly. :)
RVgeeks great points, and you understood my question perfectly. I completely missed the significance of your need to use the dump function, and I didn't realize the mutual exclusivity. Learn something every day.
This is a awesome video, thanks for sharing
Guys, excellent video, although just one thought... have you considered rather than using the parking pads or feet and lowering the jack onto them, you might be able to use a scissors hydraulic jack about 2 tons to raise the parking jack and then hang the expanded springs. You can purchase a scissors jack pretty cheaply at Harbor Freight or Pep Boys and they're small enough to stash in a compartment and could be used for a variety of purposes. They come with an extended crank arm.
Hi Rick! Thanks for the great comment. You are absolutely right! We actually have a scissor jack in our Honda (the one that came with it). But we had already retracted the disabled jack cylinder by dumping the air bags when we realized that the jack would have been a perfectly viable option too. And of course that technique would be THE choice for a gas RV (no air suspension), so looks like we might need a follow-up video. ;-)
Very important information, thanks for sharing I will be sure to check jacks during cold weather nights. 👍
We'll check ours from now on, too.... or just stay where it's warm from now on. LOL
Glad I'll know what to do when something like that happens to my parents Newmar. Thanks guys.
Tell them to stay where it's warm! LOL
Dad hates the cold, that's why the parents are hanging out in AZ until spring.
An absolutely brilliant method of re-installing jack springs! Thanks for sharing that guys!!
Two comments though... First, why hadn't you put those blocks under the jack feet before hand so they didn't get stuck to ground in the first place? I always block my jack feet.
Second, shouldn't the springs be reversed from each other? One hook facing outboard one hook facing inboard?
Keep up the great work. Absolutely love watching your stuff!
Thanks Brian! We only use jack pads when we're too off-level for the jacks to extend far enough, or when we're on very soft ground, to help prevent sinking in. This was a very level site, and quite solidly packed, so no pads needed. Replacing the springs, we simply replicated the way it is on the other side, with both hooks facing inward, and figured that was the way they'd been on the left rear before we sprung them loose!
VERY ingenious and well executed !
Thanks Jay! :)
Love your vids/channel: we just got back from Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Nat'l park: our trailer tire equalizer blocks (Lynx Levelers) got frozen deep into the mud: thankfully, the Lynx system has open spaces within the square blocks: i brought ice melt, and after spreading the ice melt into the spaces within the blocks, poured hot water onto the ice melt: within 1-2 mins, i was able to pry out the blocks. In the future, i will put a layer of ice melt on the ground BEFORE laying the leveling blocks...RnMT
Great to hear that you were able to extricate yourself and your levelers! We only use pads for very un-level sites, or soft ground. Now we'll be adding a 3rd reason to use them: potential freezing ground.
Every problem is an opportunity to learn. I smiled when you pulled out the paint sticks. Over the years I have kept a supply of them. I have found so many uses for them Every time I buy paint I get an extra stick, and I never discard a paint stick. Oh, and let me not forget popsicle sticks. They come in handy as well. Can't say often enough, necessity is the mother of invention.
You guys can figure out anything, you're methodical in your approach to everything. I feel any problem can be surmounted by investing enough brain power. You guys have mountains of brain power.Drive safely and enjoy.
Thanks so much Vincent. It sounds like you've got a great brain going there, too! Having limited space as a full-timer, I'm always extra happy to realize that I have some obscure little part on board that I can Macgyver into a solution and head off a crisis! Especially when it's something that should surely be useless that I didn't even know why I was keeping around. ;-)
I watch you guys do this all the time I have hydraulic on my trailer I made wooden blocks to spread the weight on the ground or pavement
Hi John. Good idea... and we use blocks to distribute the weight when on soft soil, too. In this case, it wasn't so much that the soil was soft (it was actually very had-packed and sandy), it was the fact that it was wet... and because the temperature dropped dramatically overnight (AND we were leaving very early the next morning), the jack landing pads were frozen to the ground. First time anything like this has ever happened to us in 16+ years of being full-time on the road, though! 😉
An excellent video & editing!!! I really enjoyed your video. It showed what someone would need to do if theirs failed. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and for the nice comment! :)
What a smart repair!!!!! Thanks for taking the time to show the details. I had already mentally spent $200 for the fix. You should re-brand under RV Resourceful Geeks.
Thanks Anthony! Glad we didn't cost you (or us) anything. ;-)
Very interesting problem and solution!
The primary lesson for us was adding a third occasion to use jack pads (adding "freezing conditions" to "very off-level" and "soft ground." Of course the REAL lesson for us is be true to our Snowbird selves and steer clear of freezing temps year-round. ;-)
Thank you for yet "Another" great solution. You guys are great!
Thanks so much, Stephen! :)
Pete, recall the springs on Moms garage door???? Whatta memory!!!! Took an eight foot cheater bar to install, and they were outlawed in the 1980s as they killed folks!!!! Seem to think you would have shot that base plate with Rustoleum flat black when it was off. Anudder day!! Thank you!!
I had to use two monkey wrenches to help my Dad adjust our garage doors when I was a kid. I'll bet we would indeed have been killed it one had let loose! We did indeed think about painting the base plate while it was off.... for about a second. John gave me a dirty look when I even mentioned it (did you notice his winter coat in the spring-installation section of the video?). He REALLY hates the cold! LOL And it was probably too cold for spray paint anyway, so yes, another day!
Perfect! I couldn't have done it without you!
So glad we could be of help, Peter! Thanks for letting us know.
This an amazing video, as I am going to replace a broken spring here in a few days the video was very helpful. Thank you.
I did the exact same thing in ND on my way back to Saskatchewan Canada.
I used the car jack in the toad to compress the hydraulic cylinder.
Bin there done that and it is no fun with 6 inches of snow everywhere
Afterward, we realized that we could also have used the scissor jack in our toad. Of course for anyone with a gas rig (no air bags), that would be the best option. Looks like we'll need a follow-up video :)
Thanks for the reply
dont feel bad .. did the same thing 2 years ago . set in the cold for a week then tryed to drive off with out looking . yeah they did not come off the ground lintel i starting to move the RV
Yikes! They were REALLY frozen to the ground! Hope they didn't get damaged!
Nice field fix with the blocks.
Thanks, Jim. It was one of those moments of inspiration. We just hope our experience can help someone else somewhere down the road!
When I lived in Alaska, and parked an airplane on skis on fresh snow for any period of time, I always did so on plastic trash bags. Nothing sticks to them...I think this would help in this situation, too...
+Valeriya Quinn Great tip! Thanks for sharing. 😊
guy,s, Could use your expertise. I have bought a older camper which the old couple who have previously owned appear to have applied a lot of wax. I have had it three years now and have got it looking quite a bit better but there is still spots were the wax is still smeared on.What can I use to strip off the wax and not hurt the fibreglass/clear coat. I value you opinions as RUclips can be a double edged sword when you look for how to videos .
Keep up the great videos. Always look forward when you post anew one.
Wax and Grease Remover only available at automotive paint stores. It is pricey though.
That's a tough one, Tom. We've never had that problem to deal with, so we don't have any first-hand experience to draw on for advice. If it was us, we'd try using a clay bar, to see if it would lift off any excess wax. But we'd bet that it wouldn't have much effect. If you can find some, you might want to try Zymöl HD-Cleanse... it's a pre-wax finish cleaner that always worked well for us in the past. Might do the trick. Or, if you can't find that anywhere, you could try something like Meguiar's SwirlX ( amzn.to/2lgp5ai ). Might be strong enough to remove the excess wax, but it should be gentle enough not to damage the gelcoat/clear coat.
Sorry we can't be of more help... but if you find something that works, let us know!
Nice job, and great presentation, another way would be to have 1/2 Plywood Pieces to put under the jacks in the cold weather! thanks, Rick/Arizona
Yup! We've added "freezing temperatures" to "soft ground" and "very un-level site" as the third reason to use jack pads. :)
Would the jack from your tow vehicle fit under the leveling jack? Probably easier to come by than a 2x4.
Hi Martin! The scissor jack from our Honda would have done the job, too. But we'd already used the air dump method when we thought of it! LOL Thanks for mentioning another good alternative.
Once retracted, will the piston extend from road vibrations ?
Not on our HWH system. We drove from Utah to northern Washington state with no springs in place, and it didn’t move at all.
@RVgeeks so once retracted the springs are not essential to keeping piston out of harms way ? I ask as often when I cross railroad tracks the dash alarm goes off indicating jacks lowering, I stop and hammer jack piston a bit and alarm goes off !
@@VideoByPatrick Not sure if our pistons might have begun to lower a bit after an extended period without the springs, but with them in place as usual, we have seen a very occasional behavior similar to what you’re describing. The good news is that the alarm letting you know that the jacks aren’t fully retracted goes off very quickly with only a small amount of the piston showing. That allows an opportunity to pull over and inspect the situation. The few times we’ve had that happen, we simply stop the rig, push the store button on the jacks again, and they fully retract. We’ve never had them come down any more than an inch or so, which is not enough to cause a problem. But it is enough to make the light come on, and that makes us uncomfortable continuing without inspecting the situation.
@RVgeeks my '05 rv 26 footer dynaquest has an intermittent ground issue at the hwh hydraulic solenoid panel near driver side rear tires; at this time the ground fault disables my inside house hwh leveling control panel and the store button doesn't work or even turn on. Once the inside control turned on the store button killed the siren. Most of the time the hammering resolves the issue. Currently only the dash red warning light works as I disconnected the siren ground wire. Soon I need rear axle bearing work as well as bad abs melted sensors on rear as rear calipers froze and ate rotors due tp sticking caliper 66mm pistons ! I'll get that fixed with upgraded 73mm caliper pistons (stock is 66mm) but will as well ask shop how much to remove all 4 levelers, as too dangerous trusting those springs.
Did you consider using the spare tire scissors jack from your toad car to raise/ retract the hydraulic cylinder? Great explanations and video work. Thank you.
Nevermind, I see it was asked and answered.
+micglobal Glad you got it! 😊
Awesome guys! Gonna remember that trick!
It's one we're not likely to forget anytime soon, either! ;)
Yeah, we had an instance once where the jack panel just died. And with jacks down, we weren't going anywhere. Thankfully discovered those t valves. Cranked 'em open and voila...jacks up. Turns out it was a loose connection in the panel. After talking with HWH (whose customer service is amazing) we narrowed it down to a wire that was loose/corroded.
Fantastically simple and economical. Thanks you for making this video. I hope I never have to use this information . :)
You could grease/lard your pads. You could use a hydraulic jack to life your cylinders or re-kneel your rig and have a block underneath to push them back up.
Great video, I hope I never have to do what you guys had to do BUT now I know what to do thanks to this video. You guys rock!
Thanks John! You just made our day. :)
Well done!
you guys are amazeing. I havnt needed this, hope I never do, but if it happens...everyone's going to think I'm a genius :)
Thanks so much! We hope you never need it either! ;-)
When I first purchased my DSDP when I made a sharp turn it would sometimes cause one of the front jack pads to come off. Turns out it was because the previous owner had installed Michelin XZA3 tires which have a slightly higher profile than the OEM tires. During a sharp turn the tire would rub on the jack pad and knock it off. This happened a few times until I finally figured out the cause and trimmed a bit off the inside corners of each front pad so the tire would not come in contact.
However, in the meantime, I was faced with putting the pad back on several times. I tried the stick idea and found it was not a one person show and for one person it was flat out dangerous. Not to mention very time consuming. So I decided to rethink the whole process.
I put the pad in place hanging by one spring. Then I used a 24" long pinch bar through the end of the 2nd spring and the pointed end of the bar poked into the spring hole on the pad. Now just pull down on the bar, slide the spring along the bar and insert the tip of the spring into the hole.
Done. Takes about 30 seconds all by myself.
Fortunately I have not had a problem since I trimmed a bit off the pads but thought I would add this to the comments here. Too bad I didn't make a video.
Thanks for the great tip, Dennis! Just goes to show how tight the tolerances can be, that the jacks were designed that close to the tires. Wish you had made a video. ;-)
Fascinating!! Thanks for posting this with great video and detailed explanation!!
Ready for another Trucker tip?
Next time it freezes like this start the Jack's up then stop and inspect to see if one is frozen. If so use the ball pean hammer you should have in the tool box and hit it sideways and it will break free.
Also good if you didn't dry your brakes after a drive in rain or snow in freezing weather and you park. Tap the pads to release a frozen brake pad.
After a few frozen brakes I learned to dry them just like it's recommended in many drivers handbooks for when you drive through a puddle in the roadway. Apply brakes with a little gas. When you are about to pull into your spot put some break pressure while applying gas to the engine to heat them up which will dry them out.
Some drivers will argue you'll wear them out but unless you stand on them and drive like a fool you'll not do any wearing out of the system just heat the water up so it everoprates. Park with no fear of freezing the brakes.
I have more to pass on but I won't hijack your channel! ;)
Blue Sky's and Safe Journeys!
Thanks for the great additional tips! We do indeed have a ball-peen hammer in our tool kit, so we'll be ready. :)
Yeah, absolutely no one is immune to accidents and embarrassment, and awkward moments like you 2 ended up in. I honestly do believe that - like I just said -that absolutely no one is immune to accidents and embarrassment, and awkward moments, whether one is willing to accept their actions and mistakes as their own, and step up and show that they understand that they are human and that they make mistakes. I accept that idea, I accept the fact that I am human and can make mistakes, and make errors.
Hey! Something I can afford! Lol I have the round plate-like feet on my Power Gear jacks and one of them is all "jacked" up (get it?) . Always wanted to know how to get it off and hammer it flat again. Thanks guys!
Genius I would have never thought of that
Have you ever used SnapPads on your jacks? If not, could you explain why? This might have saved you from this situation as the SnapPad would have frozen to the ground and the jack would have pulled out of it (at least in theory). Thank you.
Great question, Wil! We looked into SnapPads, and there's only one reason that we don't have them - the size and shape of our jacks' feet/landing gear is unusual enough that they don't offer one that will fit. We have friends who have them, and love them, so if we could use them, we would!
@@RVgeeks that makes perfect sense. I now see that you jack feet are different. Thank you both for the marvelous resource you have accumulated here. Safe travels.
Excellent Job Good advice. Thank you.
Thanks. The best DIY video I’ve seen in a while..
Great video and Info as always. Thanks for all the time you put into making your great videos
Thanks Ken! :)
Excellent video!!! Thanks for the share.
Hey guys, Why didn't you use the jack that came with your Honda? I bet is would have been faster and easier.
Great question! We tried using the jack, but it actually wasn't as easy as dumping the air bags, mostly because of the limited space down under the rig between drive & tag axle tires and how far in the jacks are from the edge. It doesn't look too bad in the video because we shot it so close up in super wide angle, but it's tight down there! In retrospect, we should have included that in the video, because it's definitely a viable option... and of course for anyone without air bags, it's the only option.
Thanks!
If you were parked on dirt, why weren't you using you utility blocks under the jacks? I was told I should use them on every surface except asphalt or concrete.
+Roy Davis Great question Roy! It's very common to park on very hard-packed dirt surfaces in established campsites. It those situations, there's no reason to use blocks/pads under the jacks unless the site is so off-level that you can't get level before the jacks reach their maximum limit. That was the situation in Zion... very hard-packed well-used, level surface. These types of surfaces are so common in places we typically RV (the ground in many parts of the Desert SW is both very hard-packed and very level, even when not in an established campsite) that we don't need our Utility Blocks all that often, even when boondocking. Obviously the freezing ground issue added another element to our Zion stay! 😉
Great video with a good tip if I am truthful I don't think I would have thought of that thanks keep up the good work
Could you have used one of the other Jacks to put the sticks in?
Are you asking if we could attach the springs to one of the other jacks and use it to expand the coils instead of flexing the spring? We don't think it would be possible to put the loose springs on one of the other jacks with their own springs in place already, as they would be in the way.
You did give us an idea though. What if we were to hang the springs from their hooks without adding in any wood blocks. They of course would be too short to reach the lower hooks, but what if we then used a couple of strong stainless steel quick links (this type of thing: amzn.to/2lsBbQh ) to make up for the lack of length. Then we could extend the jack, thereby spreading the coils, like we showed in step #4 in the video, and insert the wood spacers. Then retract the jacks as far as they'll go on their own, then use a 2x4 to lever them in the rest of the way (since the springs are now too long to retract them fully). Then remove the springs, remove the quick links, re-install the springs, extend the jacks and remove the loose wood spacers. There's more than one way to skin a cat! :)
You would have to do 4 Springs at one time. As you outlined . Setting them up with wood spacers. Then reinstalling all 4.
You could always use a car jack to compress the hydraulic cylinder, if you don't have air ride suspension. I don't mean aa scissor jack" although that might work. I mean a small 2 ton hydraulic jack you pick up at any auto parts store, Harbor Freight or Northern Tools.
This shows work smarter not harder is real and safer.
I am wondering if you could have used a bottle jack to retract the hydraulic cylinder.
You are absolutely right, George! We actually have a scissor jack in our Honda (the one that came with it). But we had already retracted the disabled jack cylinder by dumping the air bags when we realized that that jack, or a bottle jack, would have been a perfectly viable option too. And of course that technique would be THE choice for a gas RV (no air suspension), so looks like we might need a follow-up video. ;-)
Great information and very useful.
What a excellent video, thanks again guys!
Thanks James! Great to hear. :)