Lippert Level-Up Tires Off Ground

swbouton · 02-01-2017, 03:18 PM

I just picked up my camper which had the Lippert Controller replaced. When I got home and leveled it I found the two tires on the "back" side off the ground with about an inch of clearance. It could be the parking area is not perfectly level.

It seems wrong to me, but what do you think? Am I damaging something?

Thanks for your help.

BandJCarm · 02-01-2017, 03:32 PM

I am monitoring the answers here.

On my FIRST camping trip last year with my new trailer, I did the same thing. The site actually looked fairly level. It wasn't. Both passenger side tires were off the ground.

I had already unhooked, set up, etc etc etc. Tearing all that down was an option, but ugh..........so I got some blocks and messed with the manual left and right leveling buttons till I got SOME weight off of the lifted side and onto blocks, AND it was tolerably level.

When I got home I A) made some blocks out of 2X8's in case I encountered that again and B) promised myself to check left/right level BEFORE I unhook and set up.

But I do wonder how much weight those 6 legs can hold. It bothered me, I know that........but I do not know if the stress is meaningful or not.

swbouton · 02-01-2017, 04:19 PM

I contacted the people who installed the controller for me. They said it was just fine that those two tires were off the ground. I am very skeptical, so I contacted Lippert and this is what they said:

"You will need to retract all the jacks. Put the system into manual mode and the manually level it out. Once it is leveled out, turn the touch pad off. While the touch pad is off, press the front button 10x followed by the rear button 10x. This process is very speed sensitive. If you did this correct, the touch pad should turn back on and say zero point calibration, press enter. After it resets the zero, the touch pad will turn off. If after you do this, and you still have an issue, take it back to the service shop and tell them it is not fixed."

Now I question Lippert telling me to retract all jacks. How will the 5th wheeler stay upright? So I asked them "Thank you very much but I am confused about the beginning of the procedure. This is a 5th wheeler. If I retract all the jacks I assume I have to keep the camper on the truck."

To which they responded "No you do not have to. You can retract all the jacks and it will be fine. The front of the coach will be low, but will not touch the ground. Just make sure you do not have anything in front of or under the coach when you retract all the jacks".

Right now I am very uncomfortable with this. I am NOT about to raise all 6 jacks without support until I hear from others who have done this successfully.

hbillsmith · 02-01-2017, 04:40 PM

I have Lipperts 4*point level system. It was same process for me to calibrate. I did exactly what they said. I was unhooked and all legs*up. then did manual extending each legs a little at a time with frequent bubble measures all around until the coach was level. Did*the reset and haven't had to do it again since.

swbouton · 02-01-2017, 04:58 PM

So, just to be sure I understand, you had your camper off the truck and you raised all the legs, and the front didn't hit the ground?

BTW, Lippert says the OEM's do that all the time. I had no idea that was safe to do.

hbillsmith · 02-01-2017, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swbouton

So, just to be sure I understand, you had your camper off the truck and you raised all the legs, and the front didn't hit the ground?

Yes sir. That's exactly what I did.

swbouton · 02-01-2017, 05:19 PM

Thank you. It is my turn tomorrow.

BandJCarm · 02-01-2017, 05:20 PM

Two topics here.........getting mixed.......

Calibrating back to zero is not under discussion from the OP. The procedure to calibrate to zero shouldn't be discussed here, unless I'm missing something.

The question is "Is it safe, and does it cause undue stress, when Auto Level results in one side being off the ground?".......

And I guess I'm nuts but I am not going to lower my fifth wheel to the ground and HOPE I can get it back up. No way. I also see absolutely no reason to do this. Why would that be necessary at all????

ScottBrownstein · 02-01-2017, 05:33 PM

Personally, I don't think it needs to be done that way. Go through a manual level and turn off the system. Then do the magic 10x here and 10x there. All that is doing is getting the microprocessor into a calibrate mode. Presumably it then looks at its level sensor and calibrates itself that the current settings are "level." I would bet that the important thing is that you had retracted the jacks, turned it on, manually levelled it and then turned it off before getting it into the calibrate mode.

After all, isn't that what yo do when you level it manually?

swbouton · 02-01-2017, 06:50 PM

Thank you. I hope to figure it all out tomorrow.

swbouton · 02-01-2017, 06:55 PM

My first effort will be to move the camper a bit and re-level it. Maybe the pad is not level where I placed it.

djeirlessr · 02-01-2017, 07:41 PM

X2 what ScottBrownstein said.

swbouton · 02-02-2017, 01:49 PM

I just want to complete this thread by saying the instructions from Lippert were right on the money! When all jacks were retracted the camper was very safe and the front only went down a couple of inches. Who knew? Well, hbillsmith, ScottBrownstein, and djeirlessr did. Thanks to all.

DKRITTER · 02-02-2017, 03:32 PM

My trailer has the same system and issue.

I personally do not like a set of tires being off the ground so when I get to a sight I go back to the old level in the trailer. If it's pretty close I let it go, if not we drive it up on blocks. Once we are close I unhitch and hit the auto level.

swbouton · 02-02-2017, 04:31 PM

The Lippert controller was damaged when I bought it last July from Camping World Myrtle Beach. The guy who gave us the "walk-thru" said the controller was working normally. Now I know better and what he told me was not true. This is the first time I can operate the control panel and actually get the result I want. It's a whole new world!

To your point, I don't like tires off the ground and I'll be using the same manual method that you use.

extremebike · 02-02-2017, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swbouton

I just picked up my camper which had the Lippert Controller replaced. When I got home and leveled it I found the two tires on the "back" side off the ground with about an inch of clearance. It could be the parking area is not perfectly level.

It seems wrong to me, but what do you think? Am I damaging something?

Thanks for your help.

I have camped many times on unlevel ground with tires off the ground. I use leveller board 10x 12s to help the high side so the legs are not extended to the max. I level the boards as best I can.

I have not had any issues in 5 years.

KFX450RXC · 02-02-2017, 04:48 PM

Last year at Kerr Lake, the only way we could get level was to raise all three right side tires well off the ground. It sat like that from Friday until Sunday. Very stable and no problems at all.

But as extremebike said, you have to have some blocks for support. The Level-Up legs are only so long.

grumpyoldman · 02-02-2017, 05:42 PM

I had my 5th wheel at a seasonal site last season and all 4 tires were off the ground for the whole season. No issues. What is wrong with having the tires off the ground?

BandJCarm · 02-02-2017, 05:47 PM

Nothing if the tires are on blocks. But with the level system down, AND the tires down on the ground, you have 10 points of support under the trailer. With the tires in the air and NOT on blocks, just dangling, you have only 6 and each one of the 6 is under hydraulic stress.

Similar to the difference in doing a one armed pushup, vs. a two armed pushup.

Not something I'll do by choice.

spock123 · 02-02-2017, 06:16 PM

You know really the level-up doesn't know the tires are off the ground or not, all that matters is the camper is level. I take wood and plastic blocks but sometimes it still doesn't work and tires come off the ground. It doesn't bother me if the tires are off the ground or not. If I was to have a flat tire the wheels would come off the ground.

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