Pinnacle Leveling System on slope..

[Rustic Eagle]

My sister has a 2013 Pinnacle with the automatic four-point leveling system. Yesterday she was setting up her FW on a State Park campsite with an asphalt pad (not level)...., unhitched the TV/FW, and started the leveling system. The end result was that on one side both tires were approximately 3" off the ground, and do to the pitch (for/aft) of the campsite pad the pin end of the FW was raised considerably.

Campsite pad: Aggressive pitch for/aft, and not level side to side.

Questions: With both tires raised off the ground and away from the tire blocks on one side, tires now blocked on only the opposite side, and the FW leveled off a pitched surface (for/aft), wouldn't there be a stability issue do to the inability to block the tires that are raised off the ground when parked on a pitched surface (for/aft)? Wouldn't there be considerable weight transfered to the one leg of the landing gear and compounded by the pitched surface?

Being a little concerned with the way the FW was setting, I had her re-hitch the TV/FW and put some wood under the tires that were initially raised off the ground, now all tires could remain blocked upon completion of the auto leveling process. The aggressive pitch of the campsite pad was my main concern.

NOTE: Once the TV/FW was re-hitched, upon raising the front landing gear the leg skid plate on the side of the FW that had the raised tires "snapped" off the hard surface. It was apparent that there was a shifting of the FW weight on this particular landing gear leg during the initial set-up.

Your thoughts?

Bob

[Panhead]

We have the Reico Titan system on our Eagle Superlite and there have been times when leveling that I have had the wheels on one side or the other off the ground a bit. I don't worry about it. I just set the Steady fast stabilizers and enjoy the stay. Since ours is a 4 point system I still run down the factory rear stabilizers for a total of 6 points of contact to keep the trailer pretty much rock solid. When I was at the tire shop having some work done I ran the jacks down so that the whole trailer was off the ground, real handy to have that ability.

Steve

[Rob_Fla]

Originally Posted by Panhead

We have the Reico Titan system on our Eagle Superlite and there have been times when leveling that I have had the wheels on one side or the other off the ground a bit. I don't worry about it. I just set the Steady fast stabilizers and enjoy the stay. Since ours is a 4 point system I still run down the factory rear stabilizers for a total of 6 points of contact to keep the trailer pretty much rock solid. When I was at the tire shop having some work done I ran the jacks down so that the whole trailer was off the ground, real handy to have that ability.

Steve

X2, We have the Reico Titan System too with the rear stabilizer's.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Panhead

We have the Reico Titan system on our Eagle Superlite and there have been times when leveling that I have had the wheels on one side or the other off the ground a bit. I don't worry about it.....snip

Steve, Bob..,

First, thanks for the feedback.

I agree, with an uneven side-to-side campsite pad auto leveling and having a side-pair of tires off the ground is a no brainer..., but my question was adding in the condition that the entire FW camping pad also had an aggressive "for & aft" slope. What keeps the FW from wanting to "slide" (or shift position) on it's auto leg leveling base plates if the tires can't be blocked (on a slope)?

It was very apparent (when retracting the landing gear) with my sister's FW that the street side landing gear leg (street side tires off the ground, not blocked) there wasn't just the vertical static load of the FW, but also a "forward" load force against the same landing gear leg do to the aggressive slope in the camping pad. As the landing gear leg base plate came off the asphalt camping pad surface it made a snapping noise and moved laterally about an inch. The curb side landing gear leg retracted fine, but the tires on this side of the FW were on the ground and blocked.

I'll check and confirm what OEM brand auto leveling system Jayco provided with my sister's Pinnacle.

Thanks in advance,

Bob

[Larry G.]

Ours works fine.

[Rustic Eagle]

I believe I found my answer......,

Jayco provides an Atwood Electro/Mechanical automatic leveling system with the newer Pinnacles. I went to the Atwood web site, found what I believe is the correct Installation/Operation Manual for the product.., and there is a warning in bold type: "WARNING RV CAN MOVE OR COLLAPSE...., Levers are not be used as jacks. Do not use levelers to lift the vehicle during tire changes, axle work or other servicing. The tires must stay on the ground."

Reference document: http://www.atwoodmobile.com/manuals/...%20Rev%20B.pdf

Also, an Atwood product video demonstration taken at Jayco with a Pinnacle, the Atwood representative states "keep from putting any type of stress on the frame, keep the tires on the ground where they belong for structural integrity of the frame, and also for keeping a contact point for better stabilization".

Reference Video: http://youtu.be/ec4SJJZzQ8Q

Guess for now I'll tell my sister to keep all four tires on the ground at a campsite.

Bob

[Panhead]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

I believe I found my answer......,

Jayco provides an Atwood Electro/Mechanical automatic leveling system with the newer Pinnacles. I went to the Atwood web site, found what I believe is the correct Installation/Operation Manual for the product.., and there is a warning in bold type: "WARNING RV CAN MOVE OR COLLAPSE...., Levers are not be used as jacks. Do not use levelers to lift the vehicle during tire changes, axle work or other servicing. The tires must stay on the ground."

Reference document: http://www.atwoodmobile.com/manuals/...%20Rev%20B.pdf

Also, an Atwood product video demonstration taken at Jayco with a Pinnacle, the Atwood representative states "keep from putting any type of stress on the frame, keep the tires on the ground where they belong for structural integrity of the frame, and also for keeping a contact point for better stabilization".

Reference Video: http://youtu.be/ec4SJJZzQ8Q

Guess for now I'll tell my sister to keep all four tires on the ground at a campsite.

Bob

Well if the trailer can't be lifted off the ground then the levelers aren't worth a dam. Jayco shouldn't install these on any trailer if there is potential for inadvertent damage just by pushing a button. Reico Titan and Lippert both show how you can raise the trailer off the ground to change a tire.