Which checks should I make on the levelling system before setting off?
The one-touch Retract Legs function on the KTS200 brings all four legs to the fully retracted position at once. But before setting off, do not simply trust the indicator in the app: check every leg by eye, collect the plates you put under the legs, make sure the cables are not hanging loose, and remove the chocks last.
Departure checklist:
- Give the Retract Legs command from the app and wait for the operation to complete.
- Walk around the vehicle and verify all four legs by eye. A single leg left half retracted causes serious damage on the road.
- Collect the plates, blocks or ramps you put under the legs; a forgotten plate is both a loss and a hazard.
- Check that the cables running to the legs are not hanging loose and are not caught on anything.
- Look at the state of the service battery; retracting the legs also takes energy.
- Remove the chocks last. Chocks are not removed before the legs are retracted.
Why is a visual check essential? The app shows you the state the system believes it is in; a leg 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.
Apply this habit before every departure; on vehicles with a levelling system the most frequent damage comes from setting off with a leg that was assumed to be retracted.
The full topic: How to choose levelling leg capacity