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hawkpat's avatar
hawkpat
Explorer
Jun 09, 2016

Landing Gear won't raise or lower.

Hooked up 5th wheel today with no problems. Arrived at campground and the passenger side landing gear would not raise or lower. This has happened once before and I took it to the RV dealer for repair. I would like to fix it myself.

I think it maybe a shear pin? If so, where do I find it and how do I access it. Thanks for any assistance.
  • Usually in the front compartment, you will find the motor on one side, and a long square tube running over to the other side. The pins are in each end of that square tube. Often they are just a bolt and nut, which can loosen and fall out. Sometimes they shear, but in my experience more often they have just loosened up.

    Can also be a pin in the pinion gear.
  • There is typically a rod that connects the left and right leg. The rod is at or near the top of each leg. The rod should telescope closed and reveal a slightly smaller rod on the landing gear leg. The smaller rod will have a hole that aligns with a similar hole in the telescopic rod. You can get replacement shear pins at a hardware store or just use a bolt and nut or cotter pin until you get to the store.

    You can even put a vise grip or pipe wrench on the non-telescoping small rod and turn it (tedious but possible). Do not bugger it with the jaws or you will need to smooth it back down to fit into the telescopic rod end..
  • Your saying you hear the motor running but its not moving? Yes then its the shear pin.
    But if you don't hear the motor running, there's a fuse near the motor that could be blown. I've have blown it a couple times. Good luck, sorry I can't help you with the shear pin.
  • We have lost the bolt/pin connecting the rod mentioned a couple of times...we now carry a few extra replacement bolts and make a point to check the condition of the existing bolt/pin...not surprising that the nut if often loose:-)
  • Thanks for all the help. It was the pin through the telescoping rod on the driver side. I kept looking for the problem on the passenger side that wasn't working. Appreciate it.
  • hawkpat wrote:
    Thanks for all the help. It was the pin through the telescoping rod on the driver side. I kept looking for the problem on the passenger side that wasn't working. Appreciate it.


    Glad you got it fixed.

    I realized a few minutes ago that I have pics of that thing. Too late to help you, but I'll drop them here anyway, in hopes of helping someone in the future.



  • hawkpat wrote:
    Thanks for all the help. It was the pin through the telescoping rod on the driver side. I kept looking for the problem on the passenger side that wasn't working. Appreciate it.

    If your motor is on the street side of the rig then your street side leg will run off the gear reduction. With a sheared pin that will not let the curb side to operate. Glad you found the sheared pin.Just got through putting in new motor and gearbox. (wasn't the motor but I had ordered all parts to be covered.)