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Hydraulic Jack Maintenance


SWharton

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As mentioned, check the owner's manual first if you have one. You do want the rams and the seals to be clean and free of any sort of grit, since that can cause damage. Most jacks recommend some lubricant and all that I have used called for use of a silicone spray. I have also seen several leveler manuals that state not to use petroleum lubricants and mine specifically said not to use WD-40 or similar products on them. My Big Foot jacks also said to spray the sensors for showing the jack retracted with brake cleaner when preparing to travel after and extended stop.

 

My manual did not call for cycling them when parked at all and I never did so. But the owner's manual should be the rule if you have one.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Ours set for 6 months during the winter. We do not retract them as they are on a 5th wheel and that would require hooking up the

truck We do keep them clean during the winter months by wiping them down with a silicone spray.We do inspect them and wipe them down before retracting.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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We have not been parked for 3 months with our jacks extended. Should we spray them with anything prior to bringing them up? If so, what is recommended?

 

Thanks

I assume you mean we have NOW been parked? If U have HWH jacks all u need to do is take some ATF on a clean rag and wipe the cylinders down and around the seal area

Leaving them extended for 3-6 months is fine no need to so called exercise them at all. Not to say doing that is a waste of time just not a requirement

 

NOTE: don't just wipe the shafts down and leave them extended!!!!! Only do it at time of retraction otherwise they just collect dirt on the oily surface

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I have Lippert. I do not exercise them but I do have to to re-level about once a month. Ours settle a bit but that's another thread. Whenever I am going to retract them I extend them an inch or so to expose clean tubing, Then I wipe them down with a clean rag, spray silicon on them and lightly wipe again. Wiping after spraying may not be necessary, just the way I do it.

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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We will see if we have that manual with us, we should(have about 10" of manuals supplied by mfg). Having to semi-pack up to bring in our jacks once a month we would never do, too lazy. We had also read not to use silicone on them, someplace. ATF sounds like a winner. We feel they should be wiped down and something should be put on them. Thanks for the help.

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We will see if we have that manual with us, we should(have about 10" of manuals supplied by mfg). Having to semi-pack up to bring in our jacks once a month we would never do, too lazy. We had also read not to use silicone on them, someplace. ATF sounds like a winner. We feel they should be wiped down and something should be put on them. Thanks for the help.

 

What brand is your rig? That will tell us about your levelers. Manuals are online if you do not have the hard copy. With the preponderance of Lippert systems, that could be what you have. If so, Lippert advises to use silicon. I have not read anything about ATF on their levelers.

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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I think they are Lippert. LCI is Lippert????

 

Winnebago Gas 2015

 

I wish mfgs. would give us al the manuals on a cd in searchable pdf form. Save them lots of printing, easy to update etc. Easier for all of us to find information. It would save them money also, they should be interested in that.

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LCI is Lippert Components. I did not look up your Winnebago but I have a '13 Montana with the Lippert system. My manual says to use silicon. Again, I have not read anywhere in my manuals to use ATF.

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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WD-40 now makes a silicon spray product and that is what I use on our level up system.

 

Good tip to extend the rams a bit before spraying and wiping down. Thanks Kevin.

Later,

J

2012 Landmark, San Antonio

2013 Silverado CC, 3500HD, Duramax, DRW, 4x4

Backup, side and hitch cameras, Tireminder TPMS

 

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Snippet from the Lippert Level Up owners manual;

 

Maintenance
1. Each month, check that the fluid level is within 1/4" of the fill spout lip while jacks and slide-outs are
fully retracted.
Note: Always fill the reservoir with the jacks and slide-outs in the fully retracted position. Filling reservoir
when jacks and slide-outs are extended will cause reservoir to overflow into its compartment when
jacks and slide-outs are retracted.
2. Inspect and clean all power unit electrical connections prior to the first use of the unit of the season
and prior to storing the unit. If corrosion is evident, clean all corrosion with a wire brush and apply
dielectric grease to the connections.
3. Remove dirt and road debris from jacks as needed.
4. If jacks are down for extended periods, it is recommended to spray exposed leveling jack rods with a
silicone lubricant every three months for protection. If the unit is located in a salty air environment, it is
recommended to spray the rods every 4 to 6 weeks.
Now you have the definitive answer from the manufacturer.
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I have used WD40many times but HWH people told me they suggest ATF if its good enough fro HWH its good for all as there the #1 in Rv hydralics

I think that I would still follow the instructions in the operations manual for the manufacturer. And who decreed that HWH is #1? Mind sharing the source of that information?

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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HWH Tech at a seminar I want to several years ago said they don't need anything unless there is some kind pf problem. I have never lubed my rams or wiped them down. I keep the jacks down whenever parked/stored/etc. After 13 years & over 100k miles they still work fine.

Paul (KE5LXU), former fulltimer, now sometimer...

'03 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage 40E

'05 Honda Odyssey

Escapees, FMCA, WIT, SMART

http://www.pjrider.com

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HWH Tech at a seminar I want to several years ago said they don't need anything unless there is some kind pf problem. I have never lubed my rams or wiped them down. I keep the jacks down whenever parked/stored/etc. After 13 years & over 100k miles they still work fine.

you are 100% correct. I only brought up ATF because HWH said in certain situations where cleaning may be absolute needed situation use ATF but they did say not to worry about any of these so called 3 or 6 month maintenance issues

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I have some silicone spray made by the same folks that make WD40, Comes with a really nice spray tube so I don't have to crawl all the way under the rig. As for spraying, I've done it twice - both while in Oregon. First time was in Coos Bay after a month up on the jacks at the beach. Lots of salt in the air. 2nd time was near Brookings where jacks were down for about a week and we caught salt spray daily where we were at. Both times I was using the spray as a cleaner and a dispersal agent for the salt rather than for lubrication.

Berkshire XL 40QL

Camphosting and touring


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I have some silicone spray made by the same folks that make WD40, Comes with a really nice spray tube so I don't have to crawl all the way under the rig. As for spraying, I've done it twice - both while in Oregon. First time was in Coos Bay after a month up on the jacks at the beach. Lots of salt in the air. 2nd time was near Brookings where jacks were down for about a week and we caught salt spray daily where we were at. Both times I was using the spray as a cleaner and a dispersal agent for the salt rather than for lubrication.

that's makes sense for sure and a great example of one of the few times a person may need this deal. There is no call to ever do this for lubrication that iam aware of

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The reason for keeping the chrome legs clean is not for lubrication but to prevent rust and to ensure that any dirt on the legs is not drawn into the seals of the hydraulic ram. The seals are only rubber and can be damaged by dragging a rough corrosion spot across the surface. With a hairline scratch on the seal and a coupla thousand PSI the fluid will find its way out and you will mark your spot with a puddle of oil.

2004 Freightliner m2 106  2015 DRV lx450 Fullhouse  2019 Indian Springfield 2014 Yamaha 950 V-Star

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We are currently in the Yuma Foothills and last week there were high winds that turned the air brown with wind blown dust. Everything became covered with this fine gritty sandy dust. If you are in Yuma check your landing gear as I could feel it on ours. I used my WD-40 silicone and sprayed off the landing gear. Did this help? I don't know but the legs were shiner afterwards than before I did it.

Later,

J

2012 Landmark, San Antonio

2013 Silverado CC, 3500HD, Duramax, DRW, 4x4

Backup, side and hitch cameras, Tireminder TPMS

 

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HWH Maintenance: http://www.hwhcorp.com/ml47149.pdf

 

To cut to the chase, WD-40.

X 2

 

It has been my observation with our HWH jacks that the biggest concern is not necessarily keeping the jack rams clean, but keeping the leading edge of the seal soft and pliable. With only spring tension to retract the jacks a dry seal can slow retraction times, and thus the solenoid is open longer, and that leads to shorter solenoid life. So every two or three months with the jacks deployed, I spray the seal liberally with WD-40, and wipe of the excess. My jacks retract in two minutes or less, and I havent had to replace a solenoid since I started this procedure.

2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J

 

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