Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

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Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

May 23, 2022, 06:37:22 pm

Hey all,

Getting ready for our next RV adventure, and while our Big Foot Levelers appear to be fully functional, the front ones are not raising the rig as far as they have in the past. Just a few inches.

Here's what I've done: I've checked the fluid condition and level, and it looks good and seems full per the manual (3/4" from the top).

I've dug two holes and fully extended them and let them sit for a couple hours (read somewhere that would bleed any air out). Then raised and lowered them fully 10 times (same/same on rationale).

They seemed to improve a bit from the initial performance, but still not raising the front wheels off the ground. And when I use blocks under the feet, they deploy less of the ram, and then time-out.

All the electrical connections to the pumps look clean. Power is getting to all the jacks. Batteries are fully charged.

Any thoughts on the likely problem? I'm not an automotive guy, per se, so I don't work on my own brakes, etc. So I'm not familiar with how to "bleed" these if that is the issue -- so would welcome an explanation of someone who has done it on Big Foot Levelers, if that is the likely problem. But welcome any other suggestions as well.

Thanks very much in advance. (I'm also going to post (separately) about external antennae recommendations for my MOFI hot spot.)

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #1 – May 23, 2022, 07:02:43 pm

Have you seen this?

Bigfoot Hydraulic Leveling System Support

They have a phone number for live support, as well as pdf of manuals and troubleshooting docs.

They claim the most common problem is low battery voltage, for whatever that's worth.

Rich

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #2 – May 23, 2022, 07:33:43 pm

Quote from: rich - May 23, 2022, 07:02:43 pm

Have you seen this?

Bigfoot Hydraulic Leveling System Support

They have a phone number for live support, as well as pdf of manuals and troubleshooting docs.

They claim the most common problem is low battery voltage, for whatever that's worth.

Rich

Hi Rich, thanks for the quick response. Yes I have seen that, and do have copies of their manuals -- thanks for that pointer.

I have put a couple calls into their techs, and did receive one e-mail back; I've asked him to call to discuss the specifics.

To you or to anyone else:

I have a Xantrex battery monitor, which says I'm 100% charged and sitting at 13.79V. When I deployed the levelers, the voltage went down to 13.11V. Is that considered a "low voltage" situation? Are there other settings I should check on the battery monitor?

Or would you have a suggestion as to how best for me to measure the battery voltage getting to the levelers? I'm just not sure how to get an accurate measure and to know if it is too low. I welcome suggestions/advice.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #3 – May 23, 2022, 08:13:22 pm

I guess you are at home right now .... can you just use the extention cord to eliminate battery issue?

Quote from: Steve and Carol Crisp - May 23, 2022, 07:33:43 pm

Hi Rich, thanks for the quick response. Yes I have seen that, and do have copies of their manuals -- thanks for that pointer.

I have put a couple calls into their techs, and did receive one e-mail back; I've asked him to call to discuss the specifics.

To you or to anyone else:

I have a Xantrex battery monitor, which says I'm 100% charged and sitting at 13.79V. When I deployed the levelers, the voltage went down to 13.11V. Is that considered a "low voltage" situation? Are there other settings I should check on the battery monitor?

Or would you have a suggestion as to how best for me to measure the battery voltage getting to the levelers? I'm just not sure how to get an accurate measure and to know if it is too low. I welcome suggestions/advice.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #4 – May 24, 2022, 05:33:33 am

Quote from: Muhammad - May 23, 2022, 08:13:22 pm

I guess you are at home right now .... can you just use the extention cord to eliminate battery issue?

Hi Muhammad, that voltage level is pretty normal. I'm sure that the manual mentions that the engine be running. Current required to run the hydraulic pump can be upwards of 150 Amps. RonB

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #5 – May 24, 2022, 08:23:16 am

The Bigfoot system (if installed by them) is wired to operate only with the ignition is off (engine not running) and the power supplied by the coach batteries. 13.11 volts going to the hydraulic pump is adequate and seems to be running the pump okay. Air in the system would only come from a loose hose connection (which would leak oil) or the pump in a low oil situation.
I had a similar problem with our previous LD after about 11-years of use of the Bigfoot jacks. The front right hydraulic cylinder developed a leaking piston head seal not allowing full extension. The oil would leak past the head back into the lower chamber. If that is the problem here the only fix was to ether have a hydraulic cylinder repair center replace the seal or replace the jack cylinder from Bigfoot.
For what's it worth, I re-wired my Bigfoot system on both LD motorhomes I have had to run off the engine battery (or the coach batteries) with the engine running. I never have had a power issue doing it this way even though I had to always be careful not to move the coach with the jacks down. I requested Bigfoot to have the control box installed on an umbilical cable coming from under the drivers seat. To reming me of them being down I always left the control box laying on the drivers seat (see photo).

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #6 – May 24, 2022, 09:54:17 am

Not a direct response to the OP, but alert to other owners with Big Foot -- I have had great experience with factory service on their site. Located at 305 US 131 in White Pigeon, MI, just north of the Ohio/Michigan state line -- close to I-80 -- overnight parking w/ electric service at their lot. My system was installed in 2005, and though I have spent some money keeping it in shape -- I LOVE it, and have used both phone and in person service from BF's parent company Quadra Manufacturing.
Safe travels, all.

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #7 – May 25, 2022, 01:52:02 am

Hi Folks, OP here,

Thanks for the comments, especially Mike Coachman giving his input on my voltage levels looking OK.

Yes, I've been to the Big Foot factory, and concur they are great folks -- however, will stay on the west coast this summer, so need to move forward without their hands-on support.

I've since bled the system, per Kyle's (BF tech support) instructions. Simple enough, but does not seem to have fixed the problem with the front levelers. Mike Coachman's experience with needing to get his seals replaced sounds similar to Kyle's advice that if the bleeding didn't fix the problem, he figures the pumps need to be rebuilt. (I was just surprised it would happen to two pumps at the same time, hence hoping there is another cause that might be simpler to fix.)

Rebuilding the pumps won't help me this year (since I'm not near White Pidgeon, MI), so I may be stuck with only a few inches of lift in the front. That will make leveling a bit more challenging.

Anyways, if there are any other suggestions for things for me to try, I'm all ears. Thanks again for the wonderful inputs from this community.

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #8 – May 25, 2022, 05:12:13 am

Well, the leveler in question will stop extending when it runs out of fluid. So you need to make sure the reservoirs are full for each cylinder, if you have 4 different jacks each with their own reservoir. Easier if you have just one pump and one reservoir.
I don't know if you have switches to stop extension when each jack thinks it is fully extended. You may want to override any automatic program to extend. Or clear/reset the system. Bleeding the cylinders is only necessary if water or air gets in. RonB

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #9 – May 25, 2022, 12:47:29 pm

"I may be stuck with only a few inches of lift in the front."

Get a set of ten Lynx blocks--thirty bucks and change at almost any Walmart. Put a couple under your front levelers until you can get them fixed.

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #10 – May 25, 2022, 04:28:45 pm

Quote from: Andy Baird - May 25, 2022, 12:47:29 pm

"I may be stuck with only a few inches of lift in the front."

Get a set of ten Lynx blocks--thirty bucks and change at almost any Walmart. Put a couple under your front levelers until you can get them fixed.

Hi Andy, thanks for the tip. I may well get some Lynx blocks if I can't get my one remaining left-front leveler to work as it should.

However, adding blocks under the leveler doesn't help. It seems to fail (time-out) after lifting some weight off the suspension, and then it will go no further. If I let the levelers touch the ground, that may be 6 inches of lift or so. If I put 3 2x8 blocks under it, it just lifts the extra inch and a half. So it is failing in being able to lift the increased weight, and certainly cannot lift the front wheel of the ground as it has in the past.

It might be a bad pump motor. At least my right-front is now working after I bled the system (did all 4, and checked the fluid level carefully).

But your suggestion may be a simple (and cheap) way of getting by with one leveler not working well, until I can get back to the Big Foot factory next year.

Wishing you all the best, Andy!

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #11 – May 25, 2022, 04:37:45 pm

Quote from: RonB - May 25, 2022, 05:12:13 am

Well, the leveler in question will stop extending when it runs out of fluid. So you need to make sure the reservoirs are full for each cylinder, if you have 4 different jacks each with their own reservoir. Easier if you have just one pump and one reservoir.
I don't know if you have switches to stop extension when each jack thinks it is fully extended. You may want to override any automatic program to extend. Or clear/reset the system. Bleeding the cylinders is only necessary if water or air gets in. RonB

Hi Ron, thanks for your input.

Yes, mine is the Quadra system, so separate pumps for each leveler. I spoke with Big Foot tech Kyle on the phone to make sure I understood the bleed procedure (which he recommended), and did that for all four. Quite simple and not too messy.

Under load (with levelers deployed), just slightly loosen the lower hydraulic hose until ATF fluid begins to flow, and then tighten back up, repeat for the upper hydraulic hose. Repeat on all 4 levelers. After that I retracted the levelers and checked the fluid levels and topped off a couple of them (none were far off) to 3/4" from the top. I used a disposable chopstick with marks for the top and fluid level line to get the fluid level right.

The good news: that fixed my right front leveler! It now can extend fully under load, just like my rear levelers.
The bad news: it didn't fix my left front leveler 😱. Seems maybe slightly better than before, but not much.

So I figure it might be a bad pump. But I may try to repeat the procedure one more time, just to see if it can somehow fix it.

I'm open to any other suggestions, or any diagnoses people may have based on this description.

Thanks as always for the expertise in this group -- much appreciated!

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #12 – May 25, 2022, 08:28:16 pm

"So it is failing in being able to lift the increased weight"

Ah, I see--then blocks wouldn't help the levelers. But they could still be used to "manually" level the front wheels. Could be any inexpensive temporary workaround.

Re: Big Foot Levelers not raising full extent

Reply #13 – May 25, 2022, 11:14:35 pm

Good chance Mike C.’s suggestion
that the cylinder is leaking internally is the cause, a weak cylinder is a classic example of an internal leak. A hydraulic shop should be able to rebuild it .

Larry
Enjoying a Rocky Mountain spring.

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May 23, 2022, 06:37:22 pm

Reply #1 – May 23, 2022, 07:02:43 pm

Reply #2 – May 23, 2022, 07:33:43 pm

Reply #3 – May 23, 2022, 08:13:22 pm

Reply #4 – May 24, 2022, 05:33:33 am

Reply #5 – May 24, 2022, 08:23:16 am

Reply #6 – May 24, 2022, 09:54:17 am

Reply #7 – May 25, 2022, 01:52:02 am

Reply #8 – May 25, 2022, 05:12:13 am

Reply #9 – May 25, 2022, 12:47:29 pm

Reply #10 – May 25, 2022, 04:28:45 pm

Reply #11 – May 25, 2022, 04:37:45 pm

Reply #12 – May 25, 2022, 08:28:16 pm

Reply #13 – May 25, 2022, 11:14:35 pm

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