6 point level not working

RLBH2016RL · 02-03-2019, 11:57 AM

I have a 2016 377 RLBH. The auto level has ONLY worked properly if the RV is pretty much level in the first place. Reading through the post on here that mention any issues are more about running out of length of jack. My problem always seems to be power issue. I see folks on here writing about how thier system will pick thier RV tires off the ground!!! Mine will not make level much less lift tires off. The only thing I am thinking is maybe my batteries are not "strong enough". Maybe not a high enough CCA? I am willing to buy new batteries, just wanted to hear thoughts on what yall think......will batteries help, and if so what do you recommend I go with. Thanks in advance for any help

Springhook · 02-03-2019, 01:00 PM

How does it work when connected to shore power?

RLBH2016RL · 02-03-2019, 01:11 PM

Sorry, I should have wrote about that, I'm not good at this forum thing. I have always plugged up shore power before leveling the RV. It is actually my practice to unhook trailer harness and connect shore power before I pull out from King pin.

Magnolia Tom · 02-03-2019, 02:10 PM

I would definitely check your battery voltage. When you go camping are you running the inverter to keep the fridge on? You may not have enough voltage to operate the system as designed. Plugging into shore power helps but the batteries don’t get full charge right away.

RLBH2016RL · 02-03-2019, 03:20 PM

Tom, I notice you post a lot here, I greatly appreciate seeing what you have to say and/or share. Yes, I check the voltage all the time via the digital display for the inverter switch located by the loft stairs. Also, I'd like to add that my TV also "charges" the batteries while in tow. I would like to point out that I believe my batteries do not have an issue, I am just thinking they may not be strong enough (I don't know how to describe what I really want to say) to have lasting power (not just volts, but current) to see the entire leveling process all the way through. Like, maybe the batteries the dealer installed are not "good enough" for the electric leveling system. I purchased this RV and got rid of my 08 big Horn strictly for the auto level system the newer rv's were offering. I have since new been going through the same BS of leveling up with this as I did with the big Horn. Disappointing. We absolutely LOVE this RV. But am wishing it had hydraulic not electric. I was told by the dealer and lippert that aside from being slower this system works just like the hydraulic.......it does.....as long as the Earth is level!!

jtw · 02-03-2019, 03:22 PM

My 4 point leveler has a volt meter incorporated in the menu as I scroll thru the choices of what I want to do, does yours?

RLBH2016RL · 02-03-2019, 03:26 PM

It just shows voltage.

Mopar_Earl · 02-03-2019, 03:34 PM

You definitely have an issue. The system should work like said as the hydraulic does, just slower.
Check all wiring connections from the batteries to the CB to the leveling board. Also the grounds. Also make sure they didn't run undersized wiring. Take voltage drop measurements.

Use blocks under all jacks to prevent out of stroke.

Lower the landing gear a few inches before dropping the legs. Make sure the trailer can dip the front below level when it levels. If it can't, it will act all weird. This takes time to learn how much you need for different situations.

Make sure the rear sensor is secured solid to the frame.

Make sure the module is secured solid. It also houses the front sensor.

Calibrated the system. Very important. Level it manually to where you want it and save the setting. I believe Lippert calls it zeroing. Maybe it's calibrated wrong and thinks the trailer is level when it's not and stops.

Are you getting any alarms/red lights?

Earl

jtw · 02-03-2019, 03:40 PM

How low is the voltage?

RLBH2016RL · 02-03-2019, 03:50 PM

When it does actually make level, it is level. When it fails, it beeps and shuts the control down. When I turn it back on it flashes something along the lines of "right front out of stroke", which it is not. Also, as it's working to make level, the sound of the motors is like turning over a vehicle with a weak battery, and when it reaches a certain point, that's when it beeps and shuts down. It's as if the more weight the Jack's have to take the less power they have, when they are free spinning heading towards the ground they are running fine, as they touch Earth or blocks, they slow and sound weak, and every 1/4 inch past that they get slower and slower, more and more strain, til finally it times out and shuts off

Mopar_Earl · 02-03-2019, 03:53 PM

If the screen is shutting down, that's a sign the CB tripped. The CB could be bad or undersized or your wiring has issues or your voltage is too low. Go through all the wiring and connections. Replace the CB. It should be 50A I believe.

Earl

RLBH2016RL · 02-03-2019, 04:01 PM

When I have checked the voltage it's over 13 as I am either hooked to TV or shore power. Being honest, I have never continually watched voltage during entire process. But if my voltage WAS a problem, wouldn't it give me a code or something be on the display regarding that?

Mopar_Earl · 02-03-2019, 04:05 PM

Not if the CB is popping before the display can give a low voltage alarm. If the screen dyes And comes back on, the CB tripped.

Static voltage isn't what you want to look at. You want to look at load voltage and perform voltage drops. Not at the batteries, at the leveling controller.

Earl

Magnolia Tom · 02-03-2019, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLBH2016RL

Tom, I notice you post a lot here, I greatly appreciate seeing what you have to say and/or share. Yes, I check the voltage all the time via the digital display for the inverter switch located by the loft stairs. Also, I'd like to add that my TV also "charges" the batteries while in tow. I would like to point out that I believe my batteries do not have an issue, I am just thinking they may not be strong enough (I don't know how to describe what I really want to say) to have lasting power (not just volts, but current) to see the entire leveling process all the way through. Like, maybe the batteries the dealer installed are not "good enough" for the electric leveling system. I purchased this RV and got rid of my 08 big Horn strictly for the auto level system the newer rv's were offering. I have since new been going through the same BS of leveling up with this as I did with the big Horn. Disappointing. We absolutely LOVE this RV. But am wishing it had hydraulic not electric. I was told by the dealer and lippert that aside from being slower this system works just like the hydraulic.......it does.....as long as the Earth is level!!

I’ve had my share of issues with the ground control, so I’ve learned a few things.
First and foremost the system needs fully charged batteries. Even though your batteries may show the proper voltage when you begin the auto level, once you put a load on them they may be dropping to too low of a voltage. This would indicate your batteries aren’t functioning properly (maybe they were discharged too low or too many times). I think the first thing I’d do is get the batteries checked out. Deep cycle batteries are a little different than car batteries in that they don’t have a “Cold Cranking Amps” rating, which is what I think you’re asking about when you said the batteries weren’t “strong enough”

Next, as stated before, check your connections and ground.

I had a circuit breaker trip almost every other time I used the leveling system. On my unit, the dealer found I had a CB behind another CB. Took the smaller one off and it seemed to work just fine at the dealership. Once I got to the park, not so much. I often had to manually raise one of my front legs. Eventually it broke. The worm gear was binding and finally gave. After I replaced it, I’ve never had a problem since.
So, all of my problems were due to a bad landing gear leg that was causing high amp loads, which would trip the breaker or cause an error.

I feel the system does work as designed and I don’t feel it’s too slow or weak now. You just don’t have any (or much) tolerance for any component to be out of spec. For instance, on hydraulic system, low fluid level (to a point) can be overcome. On ours, low voltage, binding worm gears, poor grounds, bad connections, etc cannot.

Magnolia Tom · 02-03-2019, 04:23 PM

I just reread your post and it sounds like yours is doing what mine was when I had problems with the bag landing gear leg. It would shut off the controller and say RF error. I would check that leg. Pull the rubber plug and get a ratchet to turn the gear to move the leg up. It shouldn’t be hard to turn. If you need a cheater bar (like I did) you’ve found your problem. Replace that leg and I bet your system will work much better.

Mopar_Earl · 02-03-2019, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnolia Tom

I’ve had my share of issues with the ground control, so I’ve learned a few things.
First and foremost the system needs fully charged batteries. Even though your batteries may show the proper voltage when you begin the auto level, once you put a load on them they may be dropping to too low of a voltage. This would indicate your batteries aren’t functioning properly (maybe they were discharged too low or too many times). I think the first thing I’d do is get the batteries checked out. Deep cycle batteries are a little different than car batteries in that they don’t have a “Cold Cranking Amps” rating, which is what I think you’re asking about when you said the batteries weren’t “strong enough”

Next, as stated before, check your connections and ground.

I had a circuit breaker trip almost every other time I used the leveling system. On my unit, the dealer found I had a CB behind another CB. Took the smaller one off and it seemed to work just fine at the dealership. Once I got to the park, not so much. I often had to manually raise one of my front legs. Eventually it broke. The worm gear was binding and finally gave. After I replaced it, I’ve never had a problem since.
So, all of my problems were due to a bad landing gear leg that was causing high amp loads, which would trip the breaker or cause an error.

I feel the system does work as designed and I don’t feel it’s too slow or weak now. You just don’t have any (or much) tolerance for any component to be out of spec. For instance, on hydraulic system, low fluid level (to a point) can be overcome. On ours, low voltage, binding worm gears, poor grounds, bad connections, etc cannot.

Hydros do not like low voltage or voltage drop either.

Earl

1GreatScouter · 02-04-2019, 04:25 PM

I had problems leveling while my rig (2019 Pinnacle 37MDQS) was in front of my house. It worked perfectly on flat ground but the crown in the road was too much for it. The weird part is despite using leveling blocks, I kept getting "out of stroke" error. The frustrating part is the system doesn't indicate which jack is out of stroke. I began to suspect a voltage issue like so many reported years ago however my local RV tech thought Jayco had fixed that issue by running larger wire to the jacks.

We discovered there were a couple of possible solutions. Extra travel in both the mounting bracket and also the adjustable feet on the jacks. I ended up lowering all bit one jack. The one by the entry door has siding covering the bracket and I didn't feel like messing with it. After lowering, I haven't had any problems leveling even in front of my house!

I thought I took before and after pictures but I don't see them now. Take a look at your brackets, they have mounted too high like mine.

ccsest · 02-23-2019, 01:46 PM

I'm a little late to this thread, but I have had problems with my 377RLBH leveling system that were solved. Here is my experience.

The very first mistake I made was to extent the sliding part of the front levelers to far. I got an error because the system could not lower the front enough. I had to call camping world to figure out how to clear the error, as they did not give me the book for this system.

I also dealt with low voltage problems. The 5th wheel came with two small batteries, which never stayed charged enough to operate the system. I changed out the batteries to 3 large Interstate and installed a solar panel on the roof. I have not had any problems since then, except in a recent trip with no sun and 6" of snow on the solar panel. Even in that condition, the batteries were mostly charged. I am adding another solar panel.

I also had a bad front left jack, which was replaced under warranty.

I would agree that the system is not meant to lift the tires off the ground. I get as level as possible, including driving onto blocks if needed. I also use blocks under the jacks to limit the amount of distance they have to extend, to prevent the out of stroke error.

RVsAndSuch · 02-23-2019, 01:57 PM

I work at a dealership and the early Ground control systems were great...until they stopped working. When they stop working they dont have a way to accurately relay what the actual issue is thats causing it to not work,
The most common issue by far is low voltage. Low voltage will usually cause it to give a specific jack leg error code like "LH front jack error." We usually will plug in the shore power cord while working on them and that makes it hard to recreate these issues sometimes. I would recommend having shore power hooked up when leveling to try and eliminate voltage being an issue. You'll need to do the rehoming procedure to clear the error code. (i'll link below)

The out of stroke issue can be caused by a few things other than the ground being too far away from any of the jacks. Commonly we find the jacks need to be recalibrated. On brand new units, part of our predelivery inspection is to calibrate the jacks before a customer takes delivery. We only do that due to the amount of times we would level a unit out with no issue here for our PDI only to have them not work properly the first time a customer tries to autolevel after they leave.

Here's a link to the Ground control 3.0 service manual which has the procedures for rehoming and recalibrating the leveling system which should get you out of any pickles with the system: https://www.lci1.com/assets/content/...ice_Manual.pdf

LCI also has a really handy app with all of their manuals on it as well as a messaging service for their customer service team which we even use here to help our techs.

It's a really great system once you learn how to work with it when it doesnt work for you. Let me know if you have any questions or reach out to LCI, they'll be happy to help and are easy to work with over the phone.

davolson · 02-23-2019, 02:21 PM

x2 on checking connections. We kept getting a right rear error, until DW found a "not quite connected plug/junction" in the garage. This leads me to have a question... if you are plugged in to shore power, can't the motors draw all the current they need up to the limits of the converter regardless of whether the batteries are at full capacity?

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