Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

I am new a new owner of a used 24' rear bath model and I am considering putting a HWH leveling system on it does anyone know if this is possible. And I would consider other systems, I just started researching. THANK YOU RON

We have an HWH leveling system on our 2005 24RB and it works just fine and is very easy to level. I can usually level the coach in less than a minute.
Steve

The HWH system that came with the 2004 26RB I purchased last year had a problem with the driver side front jack not wanting to kick down. After trouble shooting the system by switching the control wiring to the solenoids, it was discovered I had one lazy relay in the control box. I exercised the relay on the bench till it would energize reliably and put it back together. It has not failed since and works very well. Since we live in and do most of our RV'ing in the Colorado Rockies (and there is not a level parking place in the entire state) the jacks make setup very easy. If you are going to do most of your parking in RV parks or developed areas, it may not be worth the expense, but if you boondock or back country camp, the jacks are very handy.

I will take another tack. I was talking with HWH while I was there for some service on my FT. I asked about putting Jacks on the BF and the service person suggested if it was his unit he would not. They hang down and they hang up and they add weight too. In my experience, it has only taken a couple mins to get level most anyplace I have been.

Well the HWH jacks are great, especially when you set up camp in the rain! We have not had any problems with the jacks hanging down too far, must be how they install them in the first place. They do add more weight but then we don't have to carry a bunch of leveling blocks either.
Steve

We have a 2007 24RB and I find the HWH jacks mostly useless, they won't go down if the unit is off level more than a little bit.
Why do I need them if they won't work when the unit isn't level. I still have to carry wood blocks to level the unit enough to allow the jacks to go down.... A very expensive stabilizer is all they are good for.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have never spent the $, ditto for the King Dome system, just more dead weight to haul around.
Your mileage may vary. :(

What problems are you having with the King Dome sat dish?
Steve

The King Dome worked ok until Dish Network decided to change the bird that some of the channels were on, then the dish would search,but not fast enough causing the receiver to lose the signal and thus we had to reset the receiver all the time. I think it would have worked ok if we would have had Direct.
Not my idea of fun, I finally gave up in discust.
We now have digital off the air and find we can live without all the other useless channels of commercials....

Tom :D

We also have Dish network but are using a Moto-Sat controller and dish, when Dish makes changes moto-sat releases a firmware update for the controller and I "flash" the controller to make it work again. I have done this probably 10 times since I installed the moto-sat in 2006. My controller is an older type than you might purchase today and it uses a serial port to upload the updated software to. I wonder if KingDome uses the same procedure. I talked with Moto-Sat tech support last week (since I have a new laptop with no serial port ) and they now have a new controller that uses an SD card or I could purchase a new "device" that supports the older Nomad 2 controller with an SD card and the cost of that is $85.00 so maybe when we get home I'll order one. We are on our way to the Best of Michigan caravan.
Another possibility is a KingDome repair center might be able to update your unit.
Steve

We also have a worthless Kingdome on our 2004 BFT which was installed on the rig when we bought it. We were advised when we went to hook up to a satellite to get the Discover system because it was higher in the sky and would not give us as much interference with the trees. The system was a "show -on-the-go system and was a pain to program, and then the network always wanted us to call the 800 number every time we moved.

Net results: A useless dome sits on the top of the unit acting only as a source of wind resistance. We just take along more condoms,books and magazines. The books and magazines are well used, but Lois is 79 and I am 88 so the rest of the stock of entertainment supplies accumulates due to disuse.
Bill

We have the jacks on our 27 ft rear bath and find them quite helpful. However, we also find we need to carry two sets of leveling blocks (what I call giant legos) for the following reason: we have Super Springs installed.

These springs raise the rear of the coach by three inches or so. As a result, the coach is always tipped forward. In other words, if you are parked on a perfectly level camp site, the coach will be off level and the jacks will have to raise the front wheels three inches. When you are at a site that is off level (back of site higher than the front), we are find ourselves in a situation where the front wheels are literally off the ground after leveling with the jacks. As a result, we have to lower the coach, drive up on the leveling blocks, and level again. So if you are installing Super Springs (search other posts on this web site for the reasons to do so), be sure to take some leveling blocks, boards with you. And yes, the jacks do add extra weight. I'm just not sure how much.

Just wanted to "weigh" in on the discussion about the HWH jacks, blocks and Super Springs.
I have a 24RB and love my Super Springs, the very best addition to the coach. Now I can drive up an incline into a shopping center, gas station,etc. and not drag my rear end (never a good thing for a woman nor RV). It does make the coach tip a bit to the front when I'm in a RV site, but seemingly not the 3" that David N. has on his. There are hardly any perfectly level RV sites anyway, so I am used to putting at least one board under a front tire , especially out West, and when I use forest service (dirt) sites. The Springs have been worth every penny.

In fact, I like them so much, I went back to Henderson's Lineup in Grants Pass,OR and had them install Koni shocks front and rear, plus a Roadmaster anti-sway bar, and a rear trac bar. Really makes a difference on the highway when those dastardly giant trucks try to blow me off the road. Or when big gusts of wind do their tricks.
I would rather put my RV money into these products than into leveling jacks on the Born Free. And I remember reading that the top 3 RV repair problems are slideouts, jacks, and electric steps..none of which are standard on the BF. Hmmm.

So that's what's worked for me.

You folks are making me a bit concerned. We have a 2001 23RK and have been very happy with HWH jacks using joy stick control. Our unit had the rear air bags which I have always kept at minimum pressure because rear is a little high.
Don't know why BF went from air bags to the "Super Springs". We will shortly be taking delivery on a 2011 24RB and I had fully intended to add the HWH jacks just like current. After talking to HWH, they indicated no problem with the installation. Any advice and or comfort about my prospects with the 2011 will be most appreciated.
Ralph

We love our leveling jacks. Sorry if my postings have been misleading. Simply put, get the leveling jacks, but also buy two sets of the giant "Lego" blocks for the front tires. You will need them!

We, also, are happy with ours. Once in a while we have to put a piece of plywood under foot if the ground is mushy.