leveling a 2003 Friendship 8408 with Dewald Manual System

[ryananddavina]

Just picked up a new to us 2003 GS Friendship 8408 FS - First RV ever. In the midst of going through all the documentation from the previous owners and manuals I have found the power gear manual on the use of the Dewald Manual System but really want to know how will I know when it is level? Use a level on the counter/fridge? Justtrying to figure this adventure out? What method do you guys use? I looked and cannot find a bubble in the coach to show it is level as I have seen in other models...

Thanks!

[11B]

Just turn on your power gear electronic level pad, then push the auto button on the pad and the coach will level it's self ( one jack at a time). When your ready to move on down the road just push the retract button it will bring up your jack legs for you. Check your fluid level in the reservoir (just use your finger) if its low fill it all the way up with Auto Transmission Fluid. The reservoir will be located in a bay under the coach and will have about 10 hoses running to it. Make sure when you check your fluid level that all the jack legs are in the up position.

[ryananddavina]

I have the Dewald manual system DN12558 there is no automatic button

[Frutza]

There are two bubble mounted in my RV, but I dont trust them, I use an electric level on the tile floor, 1st one way then the other, now, I once lifed the rear only then went to one side, when I was done I noticed only 3 jacks down, so I now lift front and rear then do any side leveling I need. With manual leveling you can leave one side a little lower, if needed, to control the ac water run off. Not right or wrong, just the way I do it. Enjoy your new RV

[ryananddavina]

Hopefully someone with a friendship 8408 can chime in and let me know if it has a leveling bubble somewhere in the coach before I go and buy some..

[RayChez1]

There are no bubbles to level out of the factory that I know off. I installed two level bubbles about two inches long on the left side where the control panel, yellow park brake, retarder switch located. It works pretty good. One for cross, and one for longitudinal.

[ryananddavina]

I think that is what I will do and install a few for sanity sake. The next question is what kind of leveling blocks do you guys use? I know the rear wheels stay on the ground but the manual says to raise the front 3 inches. I looked around at other class a's our size and some folks have the yellow drive up blocks for the front then use the Lego pads for the leveling jacks. Just trying to figure this all out as this is our first coach

[RayChez1]

I do not use any leveling blocks or composition blocks under the wheels. My coach is equipped with the Quadra levelers by Big Foot. So these jacks operate individually if you so desire and the base plate is big to where it gives a good platform.

What I do when I arrive to destination, lets say an RV park. I dump the air on the air bags. I then extend the two front levelers until they make contact with the ground and lift just a couple of inches on each side. I then extend the two rear levelers until they also make contact with the ground. I then look at the bubble devices and see which leveler has to extend more to level the coach. Start with the side leveling, then the longitudinal leveling. Just watch the bubbles. I also check the French door to the bedroom to see that it opens and closes right. That will also tell you if your rear end part of the coach is level or not, how it swings when you open and close it.

It is a very easy process leveling once you get used to it.

The reason why I dump the air off the airbags is because it gives you more travel on the levelers to adjust, and also the step will not be so high for entering and getting off the coach.

Hope that helps you on how to level your coach.
RayChez

[03heritagerider]

I have the Friendship with auto levels. It has never worked right.

I have a two way level that I set on the floor in the middle of the coach and wait until the bubbles are centered. After that I do the "Door check" system. I go into the bathroom and open the shower, toilet and medicine cabinet doors half way. If they stay put...I'm level.

[curlyjoe gulf 03]

We have a 2003 friendship quatro with the dewald levelingsystem on the control panel I have a round refrigerator level this level is a sticky and just fits on the panel. I use this bubble level just to get an idea how far the coach is off when I get close to level and all jacks are down and taking the weight off of the axels. On this coach we have a all extend switchthat move all 4 jacks at the same time. After getting support on all jacks I open the slides. On the kitchen slide In the right hand corner I have two small levels one set cross ways and one set length ways. When these levels are centered the wife hollers out. THEY ARE GOOD. From then on it is A piece of cake GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY YOUR NEW EXPERIANCE.

[kennithmacer]

curlyjoe gulf wrote:'
We have a 2003 friendship quatro with the dewald levelingsystem on the control panel I have a round refrigerator level this level is a sticky and just fits on the panel. I use this bubble level just to get an idea how far the coach is off when I get close to level and all jacks are down and taking the weight off of the axels."

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[cqwanju]

I think this post write very good!

[darbyjudy]

I have aa 2004 Sunvoyager, it does not have auto. levelers on it so this is the way I do it. I have a small level that I place on the kitchen counter, I look at it to see which way it is out of level. I then move both rear jacks down until they touch, then I move both front jacks down till they touch. If it is low in the back I move rear jacks down until my level is centered. Then I open the bathroom door haft way and see if it swings, if not I am done. Then I move the slides out. This method has worked of me.

[ToddPet]

I have a friendship G7 2004. I have two issues with the levelling system. First if I’m parked at a site where the front of the RV is higher than the back of the RV I can’t seem to get the jacks to lift the backend high enough to level. The front trucks are able to lift the tires off the ground but the back tracks don’t seem to be able to lift too much. Is that normal and due to the weight of the engine?

My second issue is with the auto level. Whenever I use it he drops all the jacks, of course the back went to the left too much. But even if the backend of the RV is lower than the front of the auto level will always love the front even higher. I’m usually left with the front of the RV one for her in the back of the RV. Even if I’m on level ground and I do this the auto levels will continue to raise the front more. I’ve tried using the directions from the manufacture to reset what level is, but the system doesn’t seem to respond to the corrections.

Any help would be appreciated.

[UAHaerospace]

RAYCHEZ1 made some very good points, I echo those comments - and even though I have a different coach, with LCI Lippert Electronic Leveling, I use the 'MANUAL' method all of the time, for the last 4 years and over 80,000 miles of traveling.

Whether your unit has it's own 'level' indicator, or bubble view, or you just use your own methods, such as the 'door swing' indicator(probably the best method), getting the coach 'close' to level is the goal - perfection will probably never happen, there are too many variables.

I use our hall bath door as my final indicator, no matter what my level indicator on the LCI panel says, though it's a good start. The swing of the hall bath door tells me, in the 'real world', that I am level, for my comfort, when the door does not swing in either direction on it's own.
If it swings 'back', away from the doorframe, I know I am low on the driver side.
If it swings toward closing, then I am low on the entry side.

I've also learned, though, to give me a little extra height on the driver side, since once the full wall slide is deployed, I'll probably see that hall bath door change slightly. Sometimes, after the slide is deployed, I'll re-energize the LCI panel and add a little to that side. The full wall slide is 22' long, or more, and contains the kitchen, bunks, and dining booth.

Also, it seems that Manual leveling provides for a much smoother and quicker leveling, and much less 'dramatic', as the auto leveling tends to 'jerk' the coach up and down and winds up sitting at a much higher stance when finished. I feel I can do it much better myself.


Level, and enjoy! You can do it.

[Restorium]

Right, the door thing.
I have to give the left rear side a little extra lift right at the end of leveling and the entrance door works better.

[Restorium]

I have a friendship G7 2004. I have two issues with the levelling system. First if I’m parked at a site where the front of the RV is higher than the back of the RV I can’t seem to get the jacks to lift the backend high enough to level. The front trucks are able to lift the tires off the ground but the back tracks don’t seem to be able to lift too much. Is that normal and due to the weight of the engine?

My second issue is with the auto level. Whenever I use it he drops all the jacks, of course the back went to the left too much. But even if the backend of the RV is lower than the front of the auto level will always love the front even higher. I’m usually left with the front of the RV one for her in the back of the RV. Even if I’m on level ground and I do this the auto levels will continue to raise the front more. I’ve tried using the directions from the manufacture to reset what level is, but the system doesn’t seem to respond to the corrections.

Any help would be appreciated.
The levelers should lift it. But if they can't then try this;
Leave the front all the way down and raise the back manually using both jacks at once. Then bring the front up to match.