Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Fleet | Keystone RV Models > Toy Haulers
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-22-2019, 10:51 PM   #1
Sandfreak
Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 46
Hydraulic leveling system does not like cold weather

Anyone else have issues with the hydraulic leveling system when the weather turns cold?
If we're camped out when temps drop to 25° at night and all the jack's have trouble retracting. Do they make such a thing as lighter weight hydraulic fluid?
Sandfreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 05:31 AM   #2
chuckster57
Site Team
 
chuckster57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,235
There may be a warning label that describes what your experiencing. Unfortunately there isn’t any “fix” that I’m aware of, maybe one of our members that live in a cold region will have a solution.
__________________

2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.

Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
chuckster57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 06:45 AM   #3
Racebug
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Petersburg, KY
Posts: 276
I put a bigger circuit breaker on mine. old one had several wires hooked to it and was undersized. I don't remember the amperage I used to replace it but it works perfectly now.
__________________

2017 Fuzion 417
2018 Ram 3500 Longhorn
Racebug is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 07:45 AM   #4
travelin texans
Senior Member
 
travelin texans's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
I don't know what fluid is in yours, on mine I pulled out 1 quart of the original fluid & replaced with a 15w motorcycle fork oil, this was recommended by factory service tech, this helped cold weather operation & also stopped the creaking/groaning/popping of the jacks in extreme weather changes. Since then I keep the reservoir topped off the the fork oil. Just FYI, before adding oil to reservoir be sure all jacks are up & slides in or you risk overfilling, fill to 1/4-1/2" below fill opening, then cycle jacks & slides a few times to circulate in the new fluid.
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
travelin texans is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 08:49 AM   #5
ChuckS
Senior Member
 
ChuckS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mountain Home, Idaho
Posts: 2,977
I live in cold weather. Look at Lippert recommended fluid for colder weather and change out the fluid. It will make a world of difference in how much current the hyd pump motor has to draw when operating LG or slides

I’d also recommend substitution 1 qt of their cold weather fluid viscosity with a quart of anti stiction fluid. It will lessons issues with LG making popping sounds when down.

https://www.lci1.com/images/support/lipsheet/0291.pdf

https://www.lci1.com/images/support/lipsheet/0295.pdf
__________________


2007 GMC Classic club cab 4x4 Duramax LBZ
2014 Alpine 3010 RE. 34 foot fifth wheel
ChuckS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 08:53 AM   #6
ChuckS
Senior Member
 
ChuckS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mountain Home, Idaho
Posts: 2,977
Also if you have issue with hyd landing gear or slides stopping during motion upgrade the auto reset DC breaker from battery to the dual polarity solenoid on the pump motor to an 80 amp breaker.

https://www.lci1.com/assets/content/...ulic_Pumps.pdf
__________________


2007 GMC Classic club cab 4x4 Duramax LBZ
2014 Alpine 3010 RE. 34 foot fifth wheel
ChuckS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 09:17 AM   #7
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,841
I blew out two hydraulic coolers on my tractor and my neighbor blew at least 3 hydraulic lines and a cooler on his tractor over the past 10 years during "startup/warmup". Just because it will "start and run" doesn't mean it's not doing damage to seals, valves and piston rings by forcing them to operate on hydraulic fluid that's too thick to flow easily. It's not just "hard on the pump" but can be damaging to the entire system.

If you're having issues, two solutions, drag it somewhere warmer (the ideal solution for cold weather camping) and for a more realistic solution, drain the fluid and replace it with one from the Lippert list that is thinner at colder temperatures.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 09:18 AM   #8
Sandfreak
Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 46
Thanks for the pdfs. Do you think it's necessary to replace all the current fluid or can I remove a quart or two and then add some of the low temp synthetic? I only have issues a few times a year when camping in the fall.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChuckS View Post
I live in cold weather. Look at Lippert recommended fluid for colder weather and change out the fluid. It will make a world of difference in how much current the hyd pump motor has to draw when operating LG or slides

I’d also recommend substitution 1 qt of their cold weather fluid viscosity with a quart of anti stiction fluid. It will lessons issues with LG making popping sounds when down.

https://www.lci1.com/images/support/lipsheet/0291.pdf

https://www.lci1.com/images/support/lipsheet/0295.pdf
Sandfreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 09:23 AM   #9
Sandfreak
Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 46
Being we use our trailer in a wide range of temps are there any issues in using cold climate fluid in hotter temps?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
I blew out two hydraulic coolers on my tractor and my neighbor blew at least 3 hydraulic lines and a cooler on his tractor over the past 10 years during "startup/warmup". Just because it will "start and run" doesn't mean it's not doing damage to seals, valves and piston rings by forcing them to operate on hydraulic fluid that's too thick to flow easily. It's not just "hard on the pump" but can be damaging to the entire system.

If you're having issues, two solutions, drag it somewhere warmer (the ideal solution for cold weather camping) and for a more realistic solution, drain the fluid and replace it with one from the Lippert list that is thinner at colder temperatures.
Sandfreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 10:02 AM   #10
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,841
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandfreak View Post
Being we use our trailer in a wide range of temps are there any issues in using cold climate fluid in hotter temps?
With the limited use a hydraulic system gets in an RV, I don't know of any "downside" to using "cold climate fluids" year round... The only disadvantage I know if is that they typically cost more, so manufacturers don't use them as OEM so they preserve their profit margin....

I use "cold climate hydraulic fluid" in my tractor year round. Summer fluid temps get "hot enough to burn your hand" but I've never experienced any fluid breakdown from heat.... I have, multiple times, as indicated above, had problems with "summer fluid being too cold"....

My "recommended all season fluid" costs about $45 for a 5 gallon pail. The "cold weather fluid" costs about $90 per pail, so you can see why Keystone/Lippert and the others don't use it for every trailer that leaves the factory.....
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 11:41 AM   #11
MattE303
Senior Member
 
MattE303's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Auburn
Posts: 319
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandfreak View Post
Anyone else have issues with the hydraulic leveling system when the weather turns cold?
If we're camped out when temps drop to 25° at night and all the jack's have trouble retracting. Do they make such a thing as lighter weight hydraulic fluid?
Interesting that yours had trouble retracting. The one time I had problems with mine was picking it up from the dealer service dept in Reno during the winter. I was trying to extend the jacks in order to hook up and they wouldn't budge. One of the service guys showed me that if you retract them a little bit to "get the fluid moving" before trying to extend, you'll have better luck.
__________________

2002 Ford F350 7.3 Super Duty XLT 4x4 CC LB SRW -- Pullrite Super 5th 16K
2017 Keystone Carbon 337
2022 Honda CRF-450R
MattE303 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 11:58 AM   #12
MKGRAHAM
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Goose Creek
Posts: 1
I have a new camper, 2019 Fuzion 369, first time out this past weekend...The same thing happened to me. it would just shutdown after about 10 seconds of retracting, & I would have to wait & start over until all the legs were up.
MKGRAHAM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 01:03 PM   #13
ChuckS
Senior Member
 
ChuckS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mountain Home, Idaho
Posts: 2,977
If your going to swap out the fluid with lower viscosity and also highly recommend adding qt of stiction fluid ...

Retract all gear and slides. Siphon out as much as you can

Fill reservoir ... cycle the LG and slides 3 or 4 times each to mix the fluid

Pause for about 5 minutes after each cycle to let pump motor cool off

This will mix new fluid with old fluid that was in hyd lines and hyd pistons.

All will be fine.
__________________


2007 GMC Classic club cab 4x4 Duramax LBZ
2014 Alpine 3010 RE. 34 foot fifth wheel
ChuckS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 01:45 PM   #14
chuckster57
Site Team
 
chuckster57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,235
You may not need to siphon any fluid out. With everything retracted, see where the fluid level is. Last on I did took the qt and barely made it to the full line.
__________________

2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.

Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
chuckster57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 08:30 PM   #15
Sandfreak
Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 46
Thanks for the tips guys.
Sandfreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2019, 08:45 PM   #16
Old Mustanger
Senior Member
 
Old Mustanger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Rockett, TX
Posts: 480
Quote:
Originally Posted by MKGRAHAM View Post
I have a new camper, 2019 Fuzion 369, first time out this past weekend...The same thing happened to me. it would just shutdown after about 10 seconds of retracting, & I would have to wait & start over until all the legs were up.
There is a sticker on the door of my landing gear control that states if the retract all function will not work correctly in cold weather to put the system in manual mode to completely retract. Worked for me on my trip up north after Christmas.
__________________
Jerry & Debbie
with Fur Babies Sasha & Sam
2018 Alpine 3401RS
2019 Ford F350 SRW
Old Mustanger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2019, 08:17 AM   #17
ChuckS
Senior Member
 
ChuckS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mountain Home, Idaho
Posts: 2,977
Upgrade the auto reset breaker from dual polarity solenoid to battery. Replace fluid with lighter viscosity fluid. The pump and motor will like you for it.

Even a manual retract with hyd system using drill is putting a load on the seals of the entire hyd system in cold weather.
__________________


2007 GMC Classic club cab 4x4 Duramax LBZ
2014 Alpine 3010 RE. 34 foot fifth wheel
ChuckS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2019, 10:50 PM   #18
rsv4pilot
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Montgomery
Posts: 29
What about using a space heater and warming the pump and reservoir before using??
rsv4pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 08:59 PM   #19
Old Mustanger
Senior Member
 
Old Mustanger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Rockett, TX
Posts: 480
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChuckS View Post
Even a manual retract with hyd system using drill is putting a load on the seals of the entire hyd system in cold weather.
If you are referring to my post above, I wasn't referring to an actual manual retraction with a drill but the manual mode of the system as opposed to the auto "retract all" mode. Scroll to manual mode then push the retract button then rear or front to retract.
__________________
Jerry & Debbie
with Fur Babies Sasha & Sam
2018 Alpine 3401RS
2019 Ford F350 SRW
Old Mustanger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2019, 01:54 PM   #20
lonewolftx
Member
 
lonewolftx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Richmond, TX
Posts: 99
Same issue. . .

You are talking about this one correct? Two wires coming off of it: 1 to DC panel in rig and the other to the level up pump. So your saying these are 50amp reset breakers. Only need to upgrade the level up one? Where do you get them?🤔
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	C672E726-9A78-4202-ACEB-59558C51BC12.jpg
Views:	240
Size:	165.7 KB
ID:	20052  
lonewolftx is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
leveling

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:35 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.