Cardinal RV Club

Yep Im going to get some cylinders and a pump and convert to Hyd.
The front eletric jacks are really the only thing i can complane about on my unit. So I think I will make a kit and change it out.

Diesel Dave 04 wrote:Yep Im going to get some cylinders and a pump and convert to Hyd.
The front eletric jacks are really the only thing i can complane about on my unit. So I think I will make a kit and change it out.

Dave.........you won't regret it!!......glad that I ordered the hydraulic landing gear option on my 34QS.......FAST and quiet.

The factory uses the same pump, but you can add another pump if you would like to keep them seperated and the ease of installing.

I always see the lippert pumps on e-bay at some good prices.

In order to use the same existing pump that operates the slides, you have to install a 12 volt blocking valve on one the slide hyd. hoses and one on the landing gear hyd.hoses to prevent one from working while the other is being used.

George:

I looked at it and I can use the pump that is there But I thought I would be better to use a 2nd pump that way they cant say anything if i have a slide problem

Hello Dave,

You will be better off with the second pump because both systems will then operate independent of each other.

On a one pump system the 12volt block valve needs to be adjusted correct to stop the slides from creeping a little or the landing gear from moving a little while the pump is operated.
I know this for fact, I had to play with the adjustment for a while to get it just right, even the factory does not have a lot of knowledge of this adustment because not many Cardinals are ordered with hyd. landing gear.

I do have a second pump that operates my rear hyd. leveling jacks and that pump is installed in front of the factory pump.

I don't have a picture to post at this time because I am in Houston for a meeting but I know Rob has a picture if he reads this.

Olbird wrote:I don't have a picture to post at this time because I am in Houston for a meeting but I know Rob has a picture if he reads this.

Hi George, I just happen to have a photo of your setup that may help.



Say hi to Julie for us.

Rob

George, Do the Factory Hyd. legs Have the Cylinder built into them?
and you said about a valve you adj. Is that a flow control valve so it lifts the camper evenly? or does it lift it prety even without a valve?
I would think if the slide side is heaver then the other side it would tend to want to lift more causing a tilt.

Hello Dave,

If you install another pump, you will not need the 12 volt block valves with flow adjustments on them.

The hyd. landing gear legs have rams built into them, and work together from the pump. If the ground is not level one leg goes down lower than the other and lifts the unit up and down front to back, if the unit is not level side to side it will stay not level. This is because the two legs or hyd. rams are tied into the same up and down hyd. hoses.l
Just as the electric legs work together, and if side to side is not level you can only go up or down in the front.

If you put each front leg on its own hyd. line and worked left and right independent you would twist the frame on the camper very easy.

The way my system works is you level side to side with its own hyd. leg working independent of each ofter just behind the wheels, once side to side is level you raise or lower the landing gear to level front to rear.

Once all is level I just lower the rear stablizers for support, not leveling.

George,Do you have any issue with drifting or leakdown?
I would think not but there is no leak prof Hyd systum, with weight on any cylinder it will drift over time, I would think in this case With only 3k pounds on 2 cylinders that will do over 7,000 pounds each it wouldnt be an issue But i was wondering if i should build in some type of pin systum so once im set up I could pin it. Like my car haulling trailer it has a set up that you pin the decks once you have them where you want them.
PS thanks for the pic Rob

Oh yeah I did win one of the slidout pumps off Ebay $39.99 couldnt beat that

Instead of using rams in your system, would a hydraulic motor on the present system work instead of the electric motor? You should always pin hydraulics, things fall FAST when a hose fails.

Al

Al, I gave that some thought also But I think I would need a much larger pump to power the HYD. motor, and then I would need to rig up a gear an chain to get the speed and power up where it needs to be.
You are right I think I will make a pin systum into it.

Well I got some cylinders coming, i got the pump It will soon be time to start the fab work.
I got 2 cylinders for the front, and also 2 for behind the rear axle, the way im going to set it up all cylinders will work togeather or indapendent.
I think it should work ok good, I have my last trip on nov.2-4 then I can work on it with out a dead line.
I called about one of them blocks on are slide out pumps It was $700.00 that is just plain crazy

Please post pictures and procedures and pitfalls in doing this. I may be right behind you.

Dave,

I never have any problems with drifting or leakdown, but I do use my front sway cross supports to lock the landing gear in case a hose was to fail

Here are a couple pictures of the rear cylinder mounting brackets I built.
Notice how they lift under the frame just as if you used a jack, they also are mounted close to the rear spring shackles because that is the location the cross braces are welded to the main frame.