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For those without auto leveling, a new solution...
My wife and I are big fans of the Montana High Country series by Keystone. Although, the floor model we really like (313RE) was not made after 2012. Well, the auto leveling for the MHC series did not come on the scene really until last year, so that means I would have to use the power stabilizers instead of leveling jacks.
This is not a big deal, although we are thinking of going full time RV here in about 18 months when I retire from active duty. Auto leveling sure would be nice to have if we were living in the 5th wheel and moving around a lot. If we went with our current favorite, this is not possible.
But wait, there is more.....
I just stumbled onto this at etrailer. It is the same system that Keystone is mounting/installing in their current trailer lines. Lippert made it available to the public with wiring harnesses and everything.
I thought I would share this with my brothers and sisters here on FTE that may be considering a 5th wheel without auto leveling, but would surely like to have it just because we can.
Nice! I just made some timber ramps that will correct for up to 4-5" out of level, side to side, & just use the front legs for front to back. Only adds around 35lbs of weight, it would be nice to just press a button & have it all done though!
Nice find, been looking for something like this. I have the 2014 Keystone, see the newer ones with it and makes me want to get a new one. Will have to look into this.
Nice find, been looking for something like this. I have the 2014 Keystone, see the newer ones with it and makes me want to get a new one. Will have to look into this.
Agreed, this setup broadens our choices incredibly. I definitely want auto leveling, but finding the exact trailer you are looking for used is very difficult at times. Having the ability to add something like auto leveling later after the trailer is yours makes things a lot easier.
I made my own out of 4k tongue Jacks. I cut them down 7" and added a 6" flip foot for faster setup. I used a piece of 6x2x3/16" tubing for the mounts to the I beam. My Wildcat has hydraulic front landing gear so set up is fast. I'm able to lift the entire coach off the ground for bearing and brake service. I think I have about $375 into it.
It looks like you fabricated a bracket to fit inside the I beam horizontal supports on the exterior of the I beam? Did you weld the bracket to the frame or is it bolt on? Do you have any other pictures of the bracket welded to the jack?
Do you simply manually activate the switch?
I have a very similar jack for my 30 ft travel trailer. Although, in order to fabricate something like this I would have to enlist the help of a welder and machine shop for the brackets.
It looks like you fabricated a bracket to fit inside the I beam horizontal supports on the exterior of the I beam? Did you weld the bracket to the frame or is it bolt on? Do you have any other pictures of the bracket welded to the jack?
Do you simply manually activate the switch?
I have a very similar jack for my 30 ft travel trailer. Although, in order to fabricate something like this I would have to enlist the help of a welder and machine shop for the brackets.
The material used for the bracket is listed above. The braclet is welded to the jack tube but bolted through the I-beam with 2- 1/2" bolts. I kept the install simple and ran one 10ga fused hot wire from the battery to the jacks. They are operated by reaching up and using the toggle switch. Later I may add remotes.
I don't know a lot about welding, but I am surprised to see that weld on the tube of the tongue jack is holding. The leverage from the point where the bracket is bolted to the I-beam must be producing a lot of pressure.
It is difficult to see the portion of the bracket that bolts to the frame with the 2 1/2" bolts, but I assume that it has a section of short length to run next to the I-beam to give it more strength?
I assume you do some sort of metal fabrication on the side or full time?
I don't know a lot about welding, but I am surprised to see that weld on the tube of the tongue jack is holding. The leverage from the point where the bracket is bolted to the I-beam must be producing a lot of pressure.
It is difficult to see the portion of the bracket that bolts to the frame with the 2 1/2" bolts, but I assume that it has a section of short length to run next to the I-beam to give it more strength?
I assume you do some sort of metal fabrication on the side or full time?
The weld is full length both sides, and across the bottom. It's all sheer strength up and down. The round tubing leg would bend long before my welds would ever break. The 5"+ of weld would have to sheer for it to break, simply not happening. There's hardly any side load, maybe a couple hundred pounds being it's only a 6" vertical offset. The bracket is also tight to the flanges of the I-beam to help assure the bolts won't sheer either.
And yes, 20+ years fabricating and more years in mechanics. Now it's more so extra money on the side or to help out friends. It's something I enjoy, stepping back at the end of the day and seeing what I built.
Here's a couple more pics. Also note, I angled the flip foot for stability. Once both sides are down it really locks the jacks in place. It took majority of the rocking out of the coach too compared to the old scissor jack stabilizers, so much that I removed them.
I commend you for a job well done sir! The last set of pictures really puts it into perspective now that I can see it is double sided. Thank you for sharing your project with us.
My wife and I are big fans of the Montana High Country series by Keystone. Although, the floor model we really like (313RE) was not made after 2012. Well, the auto leveling for the MHC series did not come on the scene really until last year, so that means I would have to use the power stabilizers instead of leveling jacks.
This is not a big deal, although we are thinking of going full time RV here in about 18 months when I retire from active duty. Auto leveling sure would be nice to have if we were living in the 5th wheel and moving around a lot. If we went with our current favorite, this is not possible.
But wait, there is more.....
I just stumbled onto this at etrailer. It is the same system that Keystone is mounting/installing in their current trailer lines. Lippert made it available to the public with wiring harnesses and everything.
I thought I would share this with my brothers and sisters here on FTE that may be considering a 5th wheel without auto leveling, but would surely like to have it just because we can.
Exact Same system that I have on my fifth wheel , its a nice system, so far the only problem has been operator error. The remote is awesome and mine can also control the slideouts , awning and some of the lights as well.
For those without auto leveling, a new solution...
