Lippert Auto Leveling

jtrevill · 03-27-2017, 05:00 AM

Hello!

Well, I'm 25% through my next project - adding the Lippert 4 point auto leveling system to the Raptor.

Any Raptor owners do this upgrade or already have them on their unit?

I'm asking because I as I pulled down the plastic belly cover looking for where I was going to mount the rear jack, I found there weren't many options!

What I've run into is that Lippert recommends approximately 1 foot behind the rear tire. However, 1 foot behind my rear tire has the door on the curb side. After that I have the fuel station on the street side. After that I'm within a few feet of the rear. The jacks are going to stick down within the normal range, but at that far back, they will be too low.

I'm looking at installing them at at location behind the rear wheels. They will be close to a foot behind, but still seems pretty close. I also looked at inside the frame rail vs outside the frame rail. However, the water tank limits the use of inside the frame rail as it doesn't provide enough room. And back further, inside the frame is limited because of the spare tire and fuel station tanks.

Where are your rear jacks? Anyone have pics? I've been scouring profile pics, but they are all pretty small and hard to see.

Thanks!

canesfan · 03-27-2017, 06:31 AM

Mine on the door side is between the rear tire and the rear door. There doesn't even appear to be a foot between the two glancing out the window. So the other side would be between the rear tire and the fuel station.

When they first came out with these I remember they had them near the back of the trailer. My first thought was "I'd tear that off just backing into my driveway". I guess either a lot of people did or they figured out that wasn't the best location and moved them up to a "safer" location behind the tires.

jtrevill · 03-27-2017, 06:55 AM

At this point - that's the spot I'm thinking too - Can't see any other place to put them! And yes, I think it's around 8-10 inches behind the tire. (Pretty sure the manual says they have to be at the same distance on both sides). I'm a little concerned how well they will work with that much trailer behind them - but it'll be better than not having them.

I got the landing gear replaced on Saturday - wow, what a job. Keystone didn't do any favors in making the landing gear easily replaceable.

canesfan · 03-27-2017, 07:09 AM

I have no movement at all jumping up and down anywhere in the rig, front to back, with the jacks down. It's solid as a rock. The only place I can get movement is on the rear patio, but that is because it's suspended from two cables that flex. I don't advise holding wild dance parties back there for sake of the ramp door.

jtrevill · 03-27-2017, 07:16 AM

Sadly I don't have the rear patio door option - mine is simply and entry ramp.

I've heard there are aftermarket kits though - that may be a future project! Well, If I don't kill myself, or blow anything up on Thursday, the back jacks should be done, and I'll report back. For now, I can't even get the trailer high enough to hook it up to the truck and I have a trip in two weeks!

canesfan · 03-27-2017, 08:19 AM

There are kits for the patio ramp door and lots of do it yourself posts. The thing you need to know is the ramp that comes from the factory as part of the patio option is reinforced for this purpose and the ramp on the non patio option is not. There have been several threads about this. So if you "do it yourself" you take the chance of damaging your ramp. Just a heads up. Also, they state that you should never use the patio option without the level up jacks down. I put it out once just for a sec to sweep out the garage without the jacks down and boy is there a "LOT" of bounce back there. I could see how that wouldn't be good for the door.

Why can't you get it high enough to hook up?

jtrevill · 03-27-2017, 08:24 AM

Thanks for the heads up - looking at the door I wondered if it was different than the ones with the patios - seems like it isn't reinforced much!

Can't get the trailer up yet because with only the front legs installed, there isn't any power to them yet. And I didn't have any jacks tall enough to keep it at truck height. So until the leveling jack install is complete, it's not going up any higher in the front

canesfan · 03-27-2017, 08:45 AM

Here's a pic if it helps any more.

jtrevill · 03-27-2017, 08:52 AM

Awesome - thank you very much. That's the exact spot I was looking at.... Glad to see others went to that spot too.

CaptnJohn · 03-27-2017, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canesfan

Here's a pic if it helps any more.

Different model but those look maybe just a couple inches closer to the rear wheel than mine. What caught my eye was the pads look to be closer to the ground than mine. Going to storage this week for a closer look. After many thousands of miles and many uses I've had no problems. Really stable unless one is in the BR at front, the other can notice a little jiggle in the LR at the rear.

bsmith0404 · 03-28-2017, 04:36 AM

It sounds like you are looking for a spot on both sides that is the same. On my Alpine, the rear legs are staggered a bit, one side is further back than the other due to mounting obstacles. They don't have to be the same distance back from the tires on both sides, just close.

canesfan · 03-28-2017, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

Different model but those look maybe just a couple inches closer to the rear wheel than mine. What caught my eye was the pads look to be closer to the ground than mine. Going to storage this week for a closer look. After many thousands of miles and many uses I've had no problems. Really stable unless one is in the BR at front, the other can notice a little jiggle in the LR at the rear.

Also the wheels have sunk into the ground a couple inches in that picture and there is a "patio" block under the jack, too. So they may look closer to the ground then they really are. No problems with clearance after 3 years.

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