Which checks should I make on the levelling system before setting off?
Retract Jacks pulls all four in at once; even so, verify each jack by eye, pick up the plates, check the cables and take the chocks out last of all.
The one-touch Retract Jacks function on the KTS200 brings all four jacks to the fully retracted position at once. But do not simply trust the indicator in the app before you set off: check each jack by eye, collect the plates you put under them, make sure the cables are not hanging loose, and take the chocks out last.
Departure checklist
- Give the Retract Jacks command from the app and wait for the operation to complete.
- Walk around the vehicle and verify all four jacks by eye. A single jack left half retracted causes serious damage on the road.
- Collect the plates, blocks or ramps you put under the jacks; a forgotten plate is both a loss and a hazard.
- Check that the cables running to the jacks are not hanging loose and are not caught on anything.
- Look at the state of the leisure battery; retracting the jacks also takes energy.
- Remove the chocks last. Chocks are not removed before the jacks are retracted.
Why a visual check is essential
The app shows you the state the system believes it is in; a jack that is mechanically jammed, packed with mud or frozen may not have reached the expected position. The timeout check of the GRV485 stops the movement, but it is no substitute for physical verification. When the protection steps in, the aim is not to rescue the jack but to protect the motor and the mechanism; the jack can be left half way at that moment and the app can look as though the operation is complete.
A jack left half way hangs below the road clearance. At the first speed hump, ramp entrance or kerb contact both the jack and its chassis attachment are damaged; the damage mostly occurs not on the jack itself but at the point where it is attached to the chassis, and repairing it is disproportionately expensive.
What to do by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | First step |
|---|---|---|
| One jack stayed half retracted | Jamming, ice or mud | Trying short bursts with a single manual command |
| The jacks retract more slowly than normal | Weak battery | Starting the vehicle to raise the voltage |
| The app will not connect to the device | Connection or supply | Checking the supply and the fuse |
| No jack moves at all | Supply broken | Starting from the fuse at the battery terminal |
Where the list is not enough
If a jack is mechanically jammed, repeating the list will not help; forcing it damages the mechanism permanently. At this point you move to the procedure for the emergency in which the jacks will not retract. On a system with a flat battery the energy problem is solved first; with a weak battery the jacks slow down or do not rise at all. On a jack frozen in winter, waiting for the ice to thaw is better than forcing it. Another common situation is the base plate sticking to the ground even though the jack has retracted; if you forget to pick the plate up you both lose the equipment and leave an obstacle in front of the vehicle behind you.
Make it a habit
Apply this list before every departure; on vehicles with a levelling system the most frequent damage comes from setting off with a jack that was assumed to be retracted. Do the check by walking around the vehicle always in the same direction - a fixed order makes it easier to notice a step you have skipped. Do not break the order at the end either: the wheel chock is the last part to leave the vehicle.
Always carry the plates, blocks and ramps in the same locker and know how many there are; collecting them by counting is far more reliable than looking for them by eye. When you check the cables, look not only for slack but for chafe marks: a mark that repeats at the same point says the routing is wrong and needs correcting before the cable breaks.
The full topic: How to choose levelling jack capacity