E&P Levelling jacks

[Lanerboy]

Hi all

Does anyone who has the E&P levelling jacks have the hand brake auto retract mechanism disconnected.

I know what you are thinking that this would be silly as you may forget to lift them before trying to drive away.

I agree this is a possibility but I am thinking regards a security feature if I do not have the fixed operating panel installed and do not have the hand brake switch fitted then if I take my remote out the vehicle it is going to make it very difficult to steal it if the jacks are down.

I realise the risks regards leaving the jacks down without a safety uplift and the problems of not having the extra fitted operating panel fitted so totally relying on the remote working.

What are your thoughts on this.

 

[Speve]

I had them on our Exsis but I’m not sure that you could have them without the handbrake switch as the system probably wouldn’t work without it.
Unless you have been told differently.

 

[Lanerboy]

No not been told anything
I have just had it removed off my rapido and will be having it re fitted on my carthago In March and was thinking of using it as a extra security device

 

[Speve]

No not been told anything
I have just had it removed off my rapido and will be having it re fitted on my carthago In March and was thinking of using it as a extra security device

Yes they are good as security could you not just leave handbrake off after levelling as if I remember correctly the engine won’t start until it is put on?
I had done that when stopped at an aire and had to retract the jacks manually before resetting the control box by disconnecting the power.

 

[dpsuk999]

Yes they are good as security could you not just leave handbrake off after levelling as if I remember correctly the engine won’t start until it is put on?

If you have deployed the jacks and switch off ignition then you can release the handbrake, no problem but as soon as you switch the ignition on without the handbrake on then the jacks immediately retract

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[Lanerboy]

If you have deployed the jacks and switch off ignition then you can release the handbrake, no problem but as soon as you switch the ignition on without the handbrake on then the jacks immediately retract

That's correct that's why I wanted to do away with the hand brake switch so I have to manually retract the Jack's which must be done with the remote so no remote in vehicle means jacks can't be lifted

 

[Steve and Denise]

That's correct that's why I wanted to do away with the hand brake switch so I have to manually retract the Jack's which must be done with the remote so no remote in vehicle means jacks can't be lifted

There is always a manual control fitted to your van as well as a remote, even if in a locker or some other inaccessible place.
But a good thought.

 

[Lanerboy]

There is always a manual control fitted to your van as well as a remote, even if in a locker or some other inaccessible place.
But a good thought.

Yes I understand that but I am thinking that is a lot of effort and they would need to know how to do it and I don't think it's a 2 minute job to do that

I am thinking about trying to stop the opertunist thief and it's very little effort my end and a lot of effort for a thief it's just another thing to get past along with locking the seat in the reverse position etc etc

 

[Lanerboy]

Sorry just read your post again and you are on about the wired in control panel that looks the same as the remote I think are you ????

If so I am thinking of not having this fitted again I need to ask Mick at sap if this is even possible

I was thinking you were on about the Allen key way of manually winding the legs up

 

[Speve]

If you have deployed the jacks and switch off ignition then you can release the handbrake, no problem but as soon as you switch the ignition on without the handbrake on then the jacks immediately retract

Well that’s where mine did the opposite and the system needed a reset before I could retract the jacks. Wish I New how to do it as that’s the answer to OP question. And I could patent it

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[Theonlysue]

Mick did say not to rely on handbreak to retract the legs and to use the remote.
Possibility of confusing the system.

 

[Two on Tour]

Sound like a VERY expensive accident just waiting to happen to me.

First off, how are you going to lower the jacks because if the handbrake is not applied the you can't lower the jacks.

Within the housing for the pump is a 20 amp fuse. A better idea might be to wire a remote switch across the fuse holder with the fuse in the cable to the switch and locate the switch in a cupboard within the hab area so it bears no logical relationship to the levelling system and you can leave the handbrake as is.

 

[Speve]

You can lower jacks with handbrake on and then release the handbrake when ignition is turned off

 

[Two on Tour]

You can lower jacks with handbrake on and then release the handbrake when ignition is turned off

Yes, but if he has disconnected the E&P wiring to the handbrake hows what you say going to work then because the system says handbrake not on, I don't lower jacks.

 

[Speve]

Yes, but if he has disconnected the E&P wiring to the handbrake hows what you say going to work then because the system says handbrake not on, I don't lower jack.

Yes I do realise that and raised the question in post #2 and if you read post #10 I had jacks stuck and would not retract due to handbrake being off.

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[funflair]

There is an app coming out to run the jacks via a phone app, I believe that on the Goldschmidt app you can lock the jacks for security so wonder if this is a feature that E&P are building in, I can't find the instructions but Michael @sallylillian might be able to shed more light, OK you have to keep the fixed control panel to add the W-Fi unit to but the keypad could be hidden.

Martin

 

[Two on Tour]

Yes I do realise that and raised the question in post #2 and if you read post #10 I had jacks stuck and would not retract due to handbrake being off.

Sorry, I'm losing where you are coming from here.

Your post #10 was due to the handbrake being off when the system was initiated with ignition being turn on and confusing the CAN bus system which then requires the 20 amp fuse near the pump being removed to power down the system and then being replace into the holder. As I said, a switch across the 20 amp fuse holder will do what the OP requires will it not.

 

[Two on Tour]

There is an app coming out to run the jacks via a phone app, I believe that on the Goldschmidt app you can lock the jacks for security so wonder if this is a feature that E&P are building in, I can't find the instructions but Michael @sallylillian might be able to shed more light, OK you have to keep the fixed control panel to add the W-Fi unit to but the keypad could be hidden.

Martin

When I was at SAP the last time in September last year they were going to be starting to fit the new touch screen remote control panel the following week which I was told could also be operated via a phone app. I could have had it retro fitted on my van but was not keen on the touch screen panel on the wall mounting being popped out to become the remote as you have to replace it back into the wall mount to recharge it and I could see problems with the contacts if it was in and out all the time although you could just use the phone app but there is a time delay while it connects and initiates.

 

[Speve]

OP requires will it not

If you say so I’m not disputing that at all in my case the pump etc was in a box under the skirt a right bugger to get at and a switch situated on the outside of the box would have been great.

 

[Two on Tour]

If you say so I’m not disputing that at all in my case the pump etc was in a box under the skirt a right bugger to get at and a switch situated on the outside of the box would have been great.

My pump box is mounted on the inside of the chassis rail and is a crawl underneath to the centre of the van job to get to it.

When I had our system fitted at SAP, I was told at the handover about the likely problem and warned with using the handbrake to raise the jacks, and as by chance a few days later I noticed a Dutch registered motorhome parked up on the verge at the end of our lane with the Dutch guy on his hands and knees by the hab door. Being a nosey git I wandered over to see if he was ok.
It transpired that it was their second day of a 3 week trip around the UK and when they left their overnight stop his E&P jack stopped half up and half down and control panel showed an error and nothing would operate.
To cut a long story short he had the system on his van for 3 years and always released the handbrake to retract the jacks and had not been warned that it could confuse the system. His pump unit was mounted by the back axle and after 20 minutes or so with the fuse out for half a minute and back in again the system was all up and running again.
Now what were the chances of his stopping within 30 yards of someone knowing what his problem was and being able to rectify it.

Our neighbour had their E&P levellers fitted locally to us and he was not made aware of the potential misuse of the handbrake or how to reset the system with the fuse removal.

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[Ninjabob]

I think it was a great pity they did not incorporate a security code such as a sequence of key presses before you could operate the system.

 

[jongood]

What a faff. I really dislike over complicated things, our gliderite legs have a wander lead and buttons, I can set it anyway I choose, regardless of handbrake. Why on earth would I need an app?

 

[funflair]

Hi @jonegood are you saying that you don't need the handbrake on to deploy the legs and likewise there is no interlock to stop you trying to drive away with them down?

Martin

 

[Two on Tour]

What a faff. I really dislike over complicated things, our gliderite legs have a wander lead and buttons, I can set it anyway I choose, regardless of handbrake. Why on earth would I need an app?

Not keen on the small feet pads on the Glide-Rite system and the E&P cordless remote is a lot less faff that having to coil up and stow the Glide-Rite remote.

 

[Southampton]

When I had the E&P system on mine if I was leaving the van on the drive I just pulled the fuse by the hydraulics and kept it inside the house. The chances of anybody finding the fuse holder and replacing it was slim. The people at E&P told me that this was another little security feature to use if needed.

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[Ninjabob]

Not keen on the small feet pads on the Glide-Rite system and the E&P cordless remote is a lot less faff that having to coil up and stow the Glide-Rite remote.

Gliderite don't sell it anymore - they are MA-VE agents now.

 

[Ninjabob]

When I had the E&P system on mine if I was leaving the van on the drive I just pulled the fuse by the hydraulics and kept it inside the house. The chances of anybody finding the fuse holder and replacing it was slim. The people at E&P told me that this was another little security feature to use if needed.

Interesting - where is that fuse located? Does it lose it's calibration with that fuse removed?

 

[jongood]

Hi @jonegood are you saying that you don't need the handbrake on to deploy the legs and likewise there is no interlock to stop you trying to drive away with them down?

Martin

No switch on the handbrake, the thing that stops you driving away is the buzzer. Nice and simply fairly light and worked perfectly for 7 years, only issue I had was when a stone got caught between the one of the feet and the switch - soon rectified. Yes bigger plates would be nice but not often an issue.

 

[jongood]

I struggle to understand why E & P front legs are behind the engine, not at each end like the Gliderite, surely the latter gives more stability.

 

[funflair]

No switch on the handbrake, the thing that stops you driving away is the buzzer. Nice and simply fairly light and worked perfectly for 7 years, only issue I had was when a stone got caught between the one of the feet and the switch - soon rectified. Yes bigger plates would be nice but not often an issue.

A switch on each leg ? the fact that you know you shouldn't do it is usually enough to stop you, I put the remote in front of the speedo to remind me I certainly don't rely on the handbrake but it saved me once

Martin

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