Stranded with Jacks Down

I-RV · 07-22-2015, 08:13 PM

In setting up to dry camp over-night, we put the jacks down and when almost complete, they stopped and there is no lights on the control pad. Have 12vdc at the hydraulic pump and notice the fluid very low with the slides in. Put a quart of Dexron in (new that wasn't it), For our two week trip we have been plagued with the lights coming on the control panel intermittently.

We are on our last leg to home and just want to get the jacks up. I thought that I would be able to use a cordless drill to turn the pump motor, but there is an end cap cover on the motor that I cannot get off.

Appreciate any help you can give me.

Mmnsc · 07-22-2015, 08:32 PM

Check the post of 7-18-15. Equalizer jacks There are a lot of suggestions and your problem sounds similiar to the one Dan-Nickie had. Good luck.

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

I-RV · 07-22-2015, 08:33 PM

Thanks, I will give it a try

Paulie Boy · 07-22-2015, 09:26 PM

Had similar problem after CW used the jacks to change the oil on my Berkshire 390BH-60. Big mistake but that is another issue. On the end of the pump motor there is a cap held on by two Philips head screws. Remove the screws, smack the end of the motor with the screwdriver and replace the cap and screws. Sounds crazy but that is what Randy from Equalizer told me to do and it worked. In doing this you have realigned the brushes which are held in by those two screws. Good luck.

dan-nickie · 07-22-2015, 09:33 PM

Hank, if you have the same as our 2014, here is what we found.
I understand that there has been at least one other person with the same issue.

The keypad has 4 wires. Red and black are of course the 12v power. (check for 12v here)
Brown/white and Green/white are the 'control' wires.

Do you know where the Control box is? Back of the storage bays on the ceiling/under the floor.
The Brown/white wire is on the corner of one of the two multi-wire plug connectors.
Mine pulled totally out of the connectors when I pulled on it. It was not crimped well.
IT WAS ON THE CHASSIS SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR.
I just pushed it back in until it made contact and now the jacks work.
I will do a permanent fix later when I get a tool.

Mine keypad was also acting strange for a few days. Lights would not come on when I pushed the power (or any) buttons. If I turned the key on, it would light up and indicate 'key on' but still would not respond to key presses.

I assume the slides are still working?

I-RV · 07-23-2015, 06:21 AM

I am ready to tackle this thing after a sleepless night. Thank you all for the suggestions.

When lowering the jacks yesterday, they stopped practically leveled. and at that point, not lights on the keypad and my most promising clue is no 12V on the heavy cables to the motor relay. I am figuring there is a fuse somewhere for this heavy line and may be in the inverter compartment. Getting ready to also call Equalizer,

I-RV · 07-23-2015, 08:28 AM

Success at least for now. It was the 12V feed to the pump that went dead. Do not know where the break or fuse is. Randy of Equalizer Systems was marvelous. To get home, all I wanted was the jacks up. I used a small Lithium Ion battery pack that can jump start cars. It is called the Power-All. For its size, 4 x 8 x 1.25, it powered the pump and control pad and I was able to raise the jacks.

On last leg home and still have work to do to figure out what went wrong. Thank's again for your support.

dan-nickie · 07-23-2015, 08:56 AM

Great to hear.
After working with Randy the last week, I'll second that he provides some of the best customer support I have ever received.

Since your pump was not working, I assume your slides were not working either?

Paulie Boy · 07-23-2015, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-nickie

Great to hear.
After working with Randy the last week, I'll second that he provides some of the best customer support I have ever received.

Since your pump was not working, I assume your slides were not working either?

X3

boowho · 07-23-2015, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulie Boy

X3

He's the guy that comped my four reinforced jack pads and suggested the quart of Marvel Mystery Oil.

After doing the MMO, ALL my hydraulic problems have disappeared.

The electronic parts still "glitch" once in awhile though, so I may be having those types of problems also, one of these days.

Funny, whenever I setup or get ready to leave a campsite, I always EXPECT that either the slides or jacks will give me problems. Then I'm relieved when everything works.

Boowho??

trekdave42 · 07-23-2015, 11:17 AM

Do you guys have the number for randy at equalizer?

-David

Lfrazee · 07-23-2015, 01:14 PM

had the same thing happen to me---thank goodness was able to call service dept at MHS at Alvarado. Was told to recycle the odd looking circuit breaker located near the batteries. would still be sitting there if the service dept had not been open. NOTHING about this in the motor home manuels
FR3 owner

Paulie Boy · 07-23-2015, 07:43 PM

Just google equalizer. It's an 800 number in Elkhart.

I-RV · 07-23-2015, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-nickie

Great to hear.

Since your pump was not working, I assume your slides were not working either?

Whew! Home at last. That Power-One that my son got me for Father's Day was a life saver. Here is a link to it.

PowerAll Deluxe Series

I was about to do the cordless drill thing to turn the pump. Has anybody ever done that? Now I have to find out why there is no power to the pump and keypad, why the keypad lights go crazy when the ignition is turned on, and why I am losing a lot of hydraulic fluid I do monitor the fluid regularly and it stays good. But all of the sudden I am down about 3-4 qts.

accumack · 07-23-2015, 07:54 PM

My hydraulic pump leaked at the junction of the pump body and the aluminum manifold it turns out it was missing an o-ring. Installed it no problems.

I-RV · 07-23-2015, 08:30 PM

Thanks accumack, I do have a lot of fluid on the shelf. I will have to check that out.

accumack · 07-23-2015, 08:34 PM

Also check your control panel I found a wire that was pushed back into the plug. I corrected that also.
I grew up in Lumberton N.J. next to the Burlington County Airport

Lfrazee · 07-24-2015, 06:37 AM

fr3 owners, you definitely need to find and identify the bar circuit breaker located near you coach batteries-- if it kicks out , controls your jacks and also your refrig. and maybe more. I have had to reset it once to get my jacks to come up and once to get my refrigerator to come on.

I-RV · 07-24-2015, 01:29 PM

This is not a Bingo , but an all-***t. After being back home and parked next to my home, the power came back on to the hydraulic system.

I'd rather have no problem or a totally out problem. Even the professionals have trouble repairing intermittent problems.

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