I have a question about our leveling jacks. We haven't used our motorhome this season because we have been busy getting our house ready to sell. I do go over and start it and have taken on the road a few times to give it chance to exercise. This weekend I decided to put the leveling jacks down and the on light lit up but they didn't come down. I was in park with the parking brake on and the ignition in the on position as the manual states. I decided to start the engine and then they did work properly with the engine running. I've never had to start the engine before to make them operate. When I tried it again with the engine off they did start to come down but they didn't retract unless I started the engine again. So I checked to make sure the coach and chassis batteries were in the "on" position and then went to the console and pushed the buttons to read the battery voltages and they were both reading in the 13 plus range. I know that doesn't tell me the amperage available so maybe that is an issue. The chassis battery is new this year and the coach batteries are probably at least 5 years old. Maybe I'm going to answer my own question here but I am assuming that the engine running throws a charge into the coach batteries and perhaps that's why the jacks started to operate with the engine off, if only briefly. So then do the jacks use the coach batteries to operate at least partially?
bjoyce said
01:15 AM Sep 23, 2013
I think you are answering your own question. I know our HWH hydraulic jacks use battery power.
BVC said
04:17 AM Sep 23, 2013
Thanks Bill. It probably is time to replace the coach batteries anyway. I'll see what happens after I do.
Lonney Wade said
05:48 AM Sep 23, 2013
Bruce, it does sound like the coach batteries are going bad, they will hold a charge but do a load test on the batteries and I'll bet the batteries will fail, your jack leveling system will only work if the voltage stays above a certain voltage, under load, voltage will drop very fast with bad batteries, it will stop working unless the motor is running with a good alternator to put the volts back in the batteries, the jack leveling system will pull some serious amps and pull the batteries below 11 volts without the motor running.
Lonney
el Rojo and Pam said
12:28 PM Sep 23, 2013
My first thought was a loose ground wire. Check for tightness and corrosion. Also like Lonney Wade said "do a load test on the batteries". Make sure you have a good charge on the batteries before the test.
BVC said
03:19 PM Sep 23, 2013
Thanks everyone! I did have the all the batteries tested this spring by the Ford dealer when doing the oil change and they said they were all fine. So when I went to pick up the motorhome from Ford the steps came down real slow and of course it wouldn't start (guess they weren't fine). Well they ended up replacing the chassis battery under warranty and its been fine since. So I have to question how well they tested the coach batteries. As I mentioned they are getting older so I will replace them in the spring. I have learned a lot from this forum and I appreciate the help.
I have a question about our leveling jacks. We haven't used our motorhome this season because we have been busy getting our house ready to sell. I do go over and start it and have taken on the road a few times to give it chance to exercise. This weekend I decided to put the leveling jacks down and the on light lit up but they didn't come down. I was in park with the parking brake on and the ignition in the on position as the manual states. I decided to start the engine and then they did work properly with the engine running. I've never had to start the engine before to make them operate. When I tried it again with the engine off they did start to come down but they didn't retract unless I started the engine again. So I checked to make sure the coach and chassis batteries were in the "on" position and then went to the console and pushed the buttons to read the battery voltages and they were both reading in the 13 plus range. I know that doesn't tell me the amperage available so maybe that is an issue. The chassis battery is new this year and the coach batteries are probably at least 5 years old. Maybe I'm going to answer my own question here but I am assuming that the engine running throws a charge into the coach batteries and perhaps that's why the jacks started to operate with the engine off, if only briefly. So then do the jacks use the coach batteries to operate at least partially?
Thanks Bill. It probably is time to replace the coach batteries anyway. I'll see what happens after I do.
Bruce, it does sound like the coach batteries are going bad, they will hold a charge but do a load test on the batteries and I'll bet the batteries will fail, your jack leveling system will only work if the voltage stays above a certain voltage, under load, voltage will drop very fast with bad batteries, it will stop working unless the motor is running with a good alternator to put the volts back in the batteries, the jack leveling system will pull some serious amps and pull the batteries below 11 volts without the motor running.
Lonney
Thanks everyone! I did have the all the batteries tested this spring by the Ford dealer when doing the oil change and they said they were all fine. So when I went to pick up the motorhome from Ford the steps came down real slow and of course it wouldn't start (guess they weren't fine). Well they ended up replacing the chassis battery under warranty and its been fine since. So I have to question how well they tested the coach batteries. As I mentioned they are getting older so I will replace them in the spring. I have learned a lot from this forum and I appreciate the help.