Lana Gates
  • Home Page
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Life Speak Blog
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Contact


​​​​Gulliver's Travels

Tagalong Gets Vertigo

10/21/2021

5 Comments

 
Picture
After our run-in with the authorities in northern Arizona, we relocated to the greater Phoenix area so Bob could pitch in on the annual heavy maintenance for the B-25 WWII bomber at the Commemorative Air Force. Being in the Valley of the Sun also provides ample opportunity to catch up with family and friends in the area. 

Normally, when we set up the trailer, we get it situated and then press a button for it to magically auto-level itself. We did that like normal, but we kept getting an error. Tagalong would start to level but would quit before reaching that point. So, we tried again. And again. And again. 

We had stayed at the same RV park last year and not encountered this problem. We couldn’t figure out why Tagalong couldn’t get his equilibrium.

The Doctor Is In

After two hours of the 90-degree sun beating on us, leaving us dehydrated, we finally enlisted the help of a park host. He recommended we give the leveling motors a rest and then slowly raise the trailer’s front legs, a little bit at a time. To do that, we needed to isolate the controls for the six stabilizing jacks. 

Our Lippert Components auto leveling system has buttons for up, down, auto-level, retract all, and hitch height. The up and down buttons only control the front two stabilizers. A phone app lets us control the back and middle sets as well. But we needed even more control in this situation.

Bob crawled inside the storage compartment we affectionately call the cellar and played with the leveling system wires to get the rig to do what we wanted. We used a level to manually bring the trailer to a level state inch by inch. Much to our surprise, it worked.
Picture
Things Aren’t Always as They Appear

Relieved, we considered the job done and set up, connecting to electric, water, and sewer. When we went to open our stairs to get inside the rig, they hit the door frame, indicating we weren’t quite as level as we thought. The slideouts also resisted as we pushed them open. And, from the road, the trailer looked off side to side. 

After the fiasco we had gone through to set up our rig in this location, we decided to leave it. After a few days like that, however, Bob worked on getting Tagalong more accurately level. And he succeeded in less than a half hour’s time — and even reprogrammed the Lippert system to know what level is. Now, the trailer looks and feels level. 

We learned something vital in the process. Apparently, the nose of the trailer is supposed to be higher than the tail before attempting the auto-level feature. This came as news to us as there have been a number of times we didn’t follow that practice. Now we know.

Decisions, Decisions

Wanting our leveling challenges to be completely behind us, we face a dilemma: 

  • Do we get new front jack motors since they sounded like they were really struggling?
  • Do we replace the complete front jack mechanisms — motors and jacks? 
  • Do we stick with what we have and hope it doesn’t leave us in a pickle?

Relocating every week or two makes for a lot of ups and downs for the jacks and their motors. Do we want to risk not being able to get level while boondocking in the middle of nowhere next year? 

Our present location affords us the opportunity to receive a package of parts and the time to do the work to change out the motors and jacks. Bob has the mechanical know-how to complete the job. Perhaps that’s what we should do. The verdict is still out.

For now, we’re happy Tagalong is over his vertigo. 
5 Comments
Betty Schoen
10/21/2021 07:29:45 am

I think that old saying is appropriate here: "If it's not one d&*m thing, it's another." Glad you got it fixed for now, and hope the decision on what's next isn't too onerous.

Reply
Bobby
10/21/2021 08:45:14 am

I say that if you have the funds, replace it now while the timing is good. You must know by now that something always goes wrong at the least opportune time and after that happens, you say to yourself, "I knew I should have fixed that!!!"

Reply
Andrew D Bogan link
10/21/2021 09:16:51 am

Looks like all those hours in space engineers is finally paying off...

Reply
Jan
10/24/2021 06:25:00 pm

Quite a conundrum

Reply
Carole
10/31/2021 08:03:37 am

Off my kilter I say..lol Glad it worked out..Wow..surprised Bob fit in the storage compartment..lol Well I sure could use a reprogramming..lol Welcome home Tagalong..

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    This is the travel blog of Bob and Lana Gates and our truck, Gulliver, and fifth wheel, Tagalong. We live on the road full time, enjoying all the adventures that come our way.

      Subscribe

    Subscribe to Blog

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

    Categories

    All
    Detours
    Lessons/Challenges
    Lists/Rankings
    Preparation
    Q&A
    RV Living
    RV Tips/Tricks
    Sightseeing

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home Page
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Life Speak Blog
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Contact