New Guy +1 With another Question-Leveling

[Robin Goffrier]

Thank you for your input on my first question.  Now, if/when you move your MH to a site, say ... S. Calif for a month in the sun, as opposed to the deep freeze of Bend in the winter, and you level your coach, would you leave the leveling system powered up to make adjustments if things shift or bleed off, or would you turn the system off?  And, as a follow-up, when you use the "auto retract"  has your coach ever pressured up on one side, creating a significant list and then slowly righted itself as the other side inflates?  When I have retracted the jacks my port side inflates creating a significant starboard list.  Eventually, the starboard side inflates and rights the coach.  Is this normal?

Thanks.

[Ron Johnson]

I don't leave the leveling system 'powered' .. when it's level I turn it off .. mind you mine is manual. My coach behaves the same way .. port side 1st so there is a 'lean' to the starboard then it levels.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Robin,
I'm pretty sure your Marquis has an automatic leveling system. By leaving it on the system will check the level every 30 minutes or so and adjust when needed.
Steve

[Edward Buker]

Robin,

Just to be clear can you let us know which leveling system your coach has and you are using when you get the list. What you would do to prevent that is different for an air system, vs a hydraulic to ground system, vs a hydraulic to frame leveling system. These coaches had different systems that could be installed based on the year for leveling when you are parked.

Later Ed

[Robin Goffrier]

You bet, should have done that. Mine is hydrolic to frame.
Thanks

[Keith Moffett]

We have the SMC leveling too.  If I level it in the auto position after leveling it will sag to the passanger front over the next few days requiring me to relevel.  If I level and then turn it off it stays pretty level.
The list you mention might be the air ride leveler.  If it is hanging up it will cause the coach to come up on air unevenly.

[Edward Buker]

Robin,

This info is just for the hydraulic SMC hydraulic leveling system that uses the frame as support.

If you drop the coach off of the SMC hydraulic leveling jacks and then build up the air in the over the road air system the coach will rise with a list either by air flow being uneven to the four corners or more likely the difference in weight from side to side and the lighter side rises first.

The best procedure I have been able to come up with for leveling and retracting is to dump the air manually until near zero lbs, then auto level and shut off the hydraulic system. The original program in the auto level system did not allow enough time to do a full air dump so it is more repeatable to get rid of most of the air before enabling the auto level routine.

When I get ready to leave I start the engine and build air, some corners may start to rise with air if the valves are open. When air is fully built up I tap the manual retract for short durations to lower the hydraulics in increments while watching the air gauge. At some point while lowering, the air valves will start to allow air into all or some of the air ride system, so I pause and allow the coach to rise and be supported by the air system as each of those valves open. You do the incremental hydraulic manual drop until you no longer are dropping the coach. When all positions are supported by air you can hold the manual retract down without the hydraulics "dropping" the coach until the light shows "all up" for the jacks.

This seems to be the most gentle method and the least listing method because it allows some hydraulic support of the coach while the air support builds and takes over. Some of the incremental retract bumps can still be a bit sudden but I find this better than the full hydraulic drop with no air support. It is a more gradual handoff from one leveling system to the other.

As and aside...I altered my level plane using some washers under the computer unit in the dash to recalibrate the zero plane, you may or may not need to do that. Mine auto leveled with a repeatable list to one side. Hope this helps.

Later Ed

[Robin Goffrier]

Many Thanks.
RG

[Dick Simonis]

My 2002 Marquis has the BCS manual conversion system installed and the control panel is keyed to the ign switch.  Therefor when I'm done leveling and turn the key off, it powers down.  No problem with it staying level for months at a time.

It's taken a bit of practice but I'm learning to like the SMC system.  Sometimes I level without dumping air and some time I dump than level and also set the overall coach height off the ground.  Regardless of how I level, I always air up the coach first than bring the jacks up slowly to allow the airbags to catch up as the height drops.