Problems with new Kodiak Auto-Levelers - Dutchmen Owners
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Old 05-06-2017, 10:42 PM   #1
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Problems with new Kodiak Auto-Levelers

Wow...what a crappy design of Lippert auto-levelers on the new 2017 Kodiak Ultimate. Each of the four levelers has its own small motor that sticks out the side of it. Turns out that these motors are very fragile and break off very easily when bumping something. In my case it was a large boulder at a campground and a cement post anchor at a gas station. Yes, that's two motors broken off on our first camping trip with the new trailer. It's impossible to see the motors since they are underneath the trailers and even though you clear the trailer (in your mirrors), anything that protrudes at a height below bottom of the trailer is a hazard that could break the motor. To make matters worse, you CANNOT replace the motor; you have to replace the entire stabilizer assembly. (Cost me thousands to replace two of them.) The motor housings appear to be made of pot metal.

C'mon Dutchmen and Lippert. You can do better than this. Dutchmen..how about attaching some sort of steel bumper to the frame on either side of the fragile leveler motors. Lippert...how about positioning the motor on the leveler so that it does not stick out the sides that are subject to turning obstacles?

Dutchmen's response was to submit it under warranty through the dealer (which of course is not a warranty-eligible fix). The dealer's response was to try that, but not with them, rather directly with Dutchman. What a joke. This was my second Dutchman...and due to what it has cost me and the dealer and company response, my last.
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Old 05-07-2017, 09:50 PM   #2
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Wow...just imagine how much damage you would have done to the trailer itself if you hadn't been warned by the levelers that you were too close to an obstruction !

Sorry...couldn't resist.

Stuff happens !
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Old 05-07-2017, 11:08 PM   #3
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Do they hang below the axles? Sounds like they could have saved you some money.
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Old 05-07-2017, 11:44 PM   #4
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No worries

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Originally Posted by gotohatteras View Post
Wow...just imagine how much damage you would have done to the trailer itself if you hadn't been warned by the levelers that you were too close to an obstruction !

Sorry...couldn't resist.

Stuff happens !
You're a real "glass half full" guy, aren't you.
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Old 05-08-2017, 12:01 AM   #5
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As in both cases I was slowly maneuvering out of tight spots, if the leveler motors hadn't been there, the obstructions would have bumped into the tire -- much preferable to the thousands I had to spend to replace the darn motors. You can see the positioning of the motors in the attached photo (circled in red). These are attached to each of the four levelers in front and rear of the trailer.
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Old 05-08-2017, 10:10 AM   #6
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That does look like a poor design. What else is new? I have heard rumors that the units are actually designed by the sales team. They decide what they think the consumer wants and away we go. Very few people in the RV industry actually use RV's, especially the lower end stuff. I guess if you spend all day working on them you really don't want to have to deal with them on your time off.

Also I think what you have are actually power stabilizers not levelers, are they automatic or do you have to run them down one at a time?

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Old 05-08-2017, 01:35 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by mindsurge View Post
As in both cases I was slowly maneuvering out of tight spots, if the leveler motors hadn't been there, the obstructions would have bumped into the tire -- much preferable to the thousands I had to spend to replace the darn motors. You can see the positioning of the motors in the attached photo (circled in red). These are attached to each of the four levelers in front and rear of the trailer.
Can't these things be swapped side to side so the motors are inward? Are the motors and legs all one unit?
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Old 05-08-2017, 05:34 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by wahoonc View Post
That does look like a poor design. What else is new? I have heard rumors that the units are actually designed by the sales team. They decide what they think the consumer wants and away we go. Very few people in the RV industry actually use RV's, especially the lower end stuff. I guess if you spend all day working on them you really don't want to have to deal with them on your time off.

Also I think what you have are actually power stabilizers not levelers, are they automatic or do you have to run them down one at a time?

Aaron
I have no doubt that the sales team drives the options. You would think, however, that any good engineer would take into consideration the functionality of the unit on the larger assembly. Guess that's too much to expect, eh? It's kinda depressing that a trailer that costs 42,000+ is considered "lower end." LOL.

In any case, the reason I decided on that model was because it was the only one I could find with auto-levelers (first year they did it I'm told). I was tired of messing around with stabilizers and leveling pads as I had done with my previous two trailers. These levelers are actually so strong it's possible they can lift the wheels off the ground.

The levelers are automatic. There is a computer-controlled pad inside the storage compartment that monitors the leveling. You just push one button and it takes care of adjusting the four individual levelers until the the trailer is level. The function is great; it's just the design that's a pain in the @$$.
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Old 05-08-2017, 05:40 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by sundancer 87 View Post
Can't these things be swapped side to side so the motors are inward? Are the motors and legs all one unit?
The motor housing unit is permanently attached to the leg assembly. You would think they could make the motor housing unit or the motor detachable so you could simply replace the assembly or, even more preferable, the motor; but no. I now have two massive leg assemblies without motors sitting in my garage. I just need to figure out how I can use them manually for some other purpose. Wanna buy them. LOL
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Old 05-08-2017, 06:08 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by mindsurge View Post
I have no doubt that the sales team drives the options. You would think, however, that any good engineer would take into consideration the functionality of the unit on the larger assembly. Guess that's too much to expect, eh? It's kinda depressing that a trailer that costs 42,000+ is considered "lower end." LOL.

In any case, the reason I decided on that model was because it was the only one I could find with auto-levelers (first year they did it I'm told). I was tired of messing around with stabilizers and leveling pads as I had done with my previous two trailers. These levelers are actually so strong it's possible they can lift the wheels off the ground.

The levelers are automatic. There is a computer-controlled pad inside the storage compartment that monitors the leveling. You just push one button and it takes care of adjusting the four individual levelers until the the trailer is level. The function is great; it's just the design that's a pain in the @$$.
With all due respect, there is your first problem: You bought something the first year they did it. Never buy something, especially regarding RV's, the first time they've done it. You know the braintrust in the Dutchmen design department hasn't put down the crayons long enough to really consider if it would work well or not. It's only after they had to pay for several warranty claims that they design something to last so they don't have to pay for it anymore.
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Old 05-08-2017, 06:19 PM   #11
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Good advice.
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Old 05-08-2017, 07:59 PM   #12
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Did you buy the camper sight unseen? I'm the first guy to rip on Dutchman, but this seems like it's not their fault. Sorry, gotta call them like I see them.

It literally takes me 5 minutes to level my camper with an electric drill and a few lynx levelers, kinda glad these weren't an option when I bought mine.
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Old 05-08-2017, 08:11 PM   #13
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With all due respect, there is your first problem: You bought something the first year they did it. Never buy something, especially regarding RV's, the first time they've done it.
Is it up to Dutchman to boulder proof the underside of their campers? Did they fail under under normal use, or were they destroyed by accident? I tried to drive through a car wash and ripped the air conditioner off of my camper, I paid the stupid tax and fixed it myself.
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Old 05-08-2017, 08:28 PM   #14
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The motor housing unit is permanently attached to the leg assembly. You would think they could make the motor housing unit or the motor detachable so you could simply replace the assembly or, even more preferable, the motor; but no. I now have two massive leg assemblies without motors sitting in my garage. I just need to figure out how I can use them manually for some other purpose. Wanna buy them. LOL
What I meant was, couldn't the entire assembly be turned inwards or rotated so the motor is on the inside or parallel to the frame.
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Old 05-08-2017, 08:28 PM   #15
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Did you buy the camper sight unseen? I'm the first guy to rip on Dutchman, but this seems like it's not their fault. Sorry, gotta call them like I see them.

It literally takes me 5 minutes to level my camper with an electric drill and a few lynx levelers, kinda glad these weren't an option when I bought mine.
Nope. Didn't buy it sight unseen. Didn't assume the levelers would be as fragile as they are either. As mentioned in another response, the levelers actually work great; it's just the design with the vulnerable motor placement.

Glad it only takes you 5 minutes; you must be a pro. But, but being handicapped and as I grow older, I don't much like even five minutes leveling when it's cold, raining or both, especially in some campsites that are muddy and difficult to use levelers under the wheels. But, thanks for your input.
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Old 05-08-2017, 09:04 PM   #16
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Is it up to Dutchman to boulder proof the underside of their campers? Did they fail under under normal use, or were they destroyed by accident? I tried to drive through a car wash and ripped the air conditioner off of my camper, I paid the stupid tax and fixed it myself.
Well I was using the trailer for normal intended use, simply turning out of a gas station refueling spot and from a campsite; but competent component designs don't put the components such as these at risk in the first place. Having worked in airplane manufacturing for many, many years, I can tell you that engineers in customer-focused companies consider the use of the components and design them to meet the customer's needs -- including accident prevention.

Now, whether they should boulder-proof the undercarriage of is up to debate, but at the cost of these things, that certainly would be nice! In any case, as much as they charge for these things, I think they should at least design against making accidental damage likely through normal use. Design features should be based on the intended use of the product they're selling, whether a trailer or vehicle (that's why pick-up trucks have skid plates protecting their undersides).

If you own a fairly long trailer, you know that maneuvering in and out of tight campsites, and in most cases tight gas pump stations normally available along highways, can be tricky. In the past, this may not have been an issue because these levelers are new this year. However, in this case, the design puts the leveler motors at risk during normal intended use of the trailer. Hopefully, they will fix this issue during the next model year.
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Old 05-08-2017, 09:11 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by sundancer 87 View Post
What I meant was, couldn't the entire assembly be turned inwards or rotated so the motor is on the inside or parallel to the frame.
I've been thinking about that myself, but I think the optimum solution would be for Lippert to place the motors on the inside of the assembly rather than on the outside. I suppose you could turn the assembly in its current configuration around, but it would have to be done at the factory since the six-bolt attachment configuration on the frame would have to be reversed and the electrical connections to the motor would have to be rerouted. It would also likely shift the weight to more of the center of the trailer rather than to the outside corners, which could be a concern for stabilization; I don't know.
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Old 05-08-2017, 09:27 PM   #18
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[QUOTE=mindsurge;51327]Well I was using the trailer for normal intended use, simply turning out of a gas station refueling spot and from a campsite; but competent component designs don't put the components such as these at risk in the first place./QUOTE]

I may not be understanding the problem, how far do they actually stick out from the frame? The pics may be misleading, and if so, I apologize...
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Old 05-08-2017, 10:32 PM   #19
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I've been thinking about that myself, but I think the optimum solution would be for Lippert to place the motors on the inside of the assembly rather than on the outside. I suppose you could turn the assembly in its current configuration around, but it would have to be done at the factory since the six-bolt attachment configuration on the frame would have to be reversed and the electrical connections to the motor would have to be rerouted. It would also likely shift the weight to more of the center of the trailer rather than to the outside corners, which could be a concern for stabilization; I don't know.
I tend to concur. LCI's been around long enough to know better.
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Old 05-09-2017, 01:29 PM   #20
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Wow...what a crappy design of Lippert auto-levelers on the new 2017 Kodiak Ultimate. Each of the four levelers has its own small motor that sticks out the side of it. Turns out that these motors are very fragile and break off very easily when bumping something. In my case it was a large boulder at a campground and a cement post anchor at a gas station. Yes, that's two motors broken off on our first camping trip with the new trailer. It's impossible to see the motors since they are underneath the trailers and even though you clear the trailer (in your mirrors), anything that protrudes at a height below bottom of the trailer is a hazard that could break the motor. To make matters worse, you CANNOT replace the motor; you have to replace the entire stabilizer assembly. (Cost me thousands to replace two of them.) The motor housings appear to be made of pot metal.

C'mon Dutchmen and Lippert. You can do better than this. Dutchmen..how about attaching some sort of steel bumper to the frame on either side of the fragile leveler motors. Lippert...how about positioning the motor on the leveler so that it does not stick out the sides that are subject to turning obstacles?

Dutchmen's response was to submit it under warranty through the dealer (which of course is not a warranty-eligible fix). The dealer's response was to try that, but not with them, rather directly with Dutchman. What a joke. This was my second Dutchman...and due to what it has cost me and the dealer and company response, my last.


I purchased my 2017 291RESL, about a month later they came out with auto level update. I was really upset. Sorry for the problems your having but I think maybe I'm better off without
On a happier note another upgrade was the aluminum steps, my dealer was nice enough to have LCI ship them to me at no charge
Great dealer I use BANKSTON MOTOR HOMES


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