landing gear in manual mode

[wiredgeorge]

All this talk about landing gear has made me think about what I would do if I needed to raise/lower mine manually to save a camping trip. I have never done it obviouisly.


OK, trailer in still hitched onto truck. Landing gear dead. Does anything in the landing gear get disconnected to use it to extend the gear to unhook and then to lower it to level? I know how to use the crank; took it out yesterday and fitted it inside the propane bay on the driver side of my 5ver. Don't recall seeing anything on manual operation. How hard would it be to raise the trailer with the weight of the trailer on the landing gears in manual mode?

[JRTJH]

It's not as hard you you'd probably imagine, but you will break a sweat on a 90F day in the sun. There are some "modified" tools to connect the slotted crank assembly to a battery powered drill (watch your wrist) or a battery impact wrench (watch your landing gear "gear sets").

If the entire landing gear assembly is "inoperable" and you can't disconnect or hitch, a 6 ton hydraulic jack, a 2x8 to span between the landing gear and some blocks to get the jack in position will work. That eliminates the landing gear completely, but BE CAREFUL because backing the truck into the pin can bump the trailer and knock it off the jack...... It's not a "carefree" technique, but in an emergency you consider the alternatives..... Sort of like laying on the road side of a trailer to change a tire with traffic whizzing by... not ideal, but sometimes you have to take the risk.... YMMV

[wiredgeorge]

I thought perhaps there was a dis-engage gizmo on the Atwood motor to be able to use the manual crank. Guess not? And situations that force the using of a manual crank usually happen when it is 105F or 35F in Texas where we camp. 90F is what we call a cool spring day.

[JRTJH]

Yup, 90F is "comfortable" in Louisiana too. Up here, yesterday it was 20 something below, today it's already 15F, so we're having a "heat wave".... All things relative I suppose....

I don't know of any "disconnect gearing gizmo" on the landing gear motor. It's more or less, "just power through it".... On some slide mechanisms, the back of the motor armature is the "drive point" for attaching the hand crank, so on those, "you" (not electricity) provide the power for the same "mechanical mechanism"....

About your propane tanks, my 20 pound grill tanks expired last year, I just went to WalMart, bought a prefilled replacement and turned in the old one. RHINO will recertify it and it was cheaper than me paying to have it done.... I don't know of anyone who sells "prefilled 30 pounders" so that won't work for most RV propane tanks, but will on the ultralites that use 20 pound tanks....

Enjoy your "Texas camping season"... We're in the midst of our "icebox season".... <sigh>

[mlarryeliz]

This is a great question and I dread the day I need to drag out the flex adapter to drop the landing gear. I recall the first time I had to extend a slide in 95deg with 95%humidity. It was not pretty! Those motors are geared so low requiring hundreds of revolutions to extend a 40" slide.
Good thread on the landing gear. I'm going to spend some time looking over my contingency plan!

[bobbecky]

About a month ago I helped a neighbor who had a failed hydraulic system. I used my heavy duty battery powered electric drill and one of those flex extensions. My biggest recommendation is to make sure you have a good pair of leather gloves and be prepared for the flex extension to want to get twisted when you get torque on it. This method will work, and it does take longer than when the pump is working. Just be very careful.

[JRTJH]

I've found that a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe, PEX water pipe or even gray conduit will work as a guide. Cut it about 6 or 7 inches long, place the flexible shaft through it, hold the pipe and the shaft will rotate inside it without twisting up on itself. As with anything, if you "push the torque too far" it'll come apart in your hands, but if you're careful, it sure beats twisting the skin off your palm when it "lets go".....