Landing gear switch relocation ?

by Lograf on 5/22/2010, 8:20 am

Has anyone moved the landing gear switch from the front where it is exposed to another location. I've been thinking of moving mine to inside the the driver side propane compartment so it is not exposed. I've been concerned with kids accidentally or intentionally raising or lowering the fiver. My question is how to cover up the hole in the front left after removing the switch without it looking terrible. I suppose a flat cover painted to match wouldn't look too bad. Anyone done this before?

by bsmall2800 on 5/22/2010, 9:00 am

You could either put another vent cover there just like one for the batteries, or you can attach another light so you would have two lights up front...

by Mopar_Earl on 5/22/2010, 10:33 am

Another trick is mount a toggle or rocker switch in another location to kill power to the landing gear switch to disable it. I believe I've seen a post or two on this forum of people adding this disabling switch.

Earl

by Lograf on 5/22/2010, 12:52 pm

I never thought of that. I'll have to consider using a disabling switch. I was just thinking that moving the whole rocker switch to another location would be the way to go. I know a lot of manufacturers also put it behind a locked access door.

by scottz on 5/22/2010, 6:15 pm

I left the rocker and put a kill switch inside the compartment. I also wired the front light so that it comes on when the kill switch is on; then I won't forget to turn it off. I did not like the idea of having that switch hot all the time. I still like to use the rocker; I have my levels on that corner. The other switch is so I can turn my back up and side lights on for moving around the trailer at night.

I left the rocker and put a kill switch inside the compartment. I also wired the front light so that it comes on when the kill switch is on; then I won't forget to turn it off. I did not like the idea of having that switch hot all the time. I still like to use the rocker; I have my levels on that corner.

by bags24 on 5/23/2010, 3:04 am

I put an weather proof outlet cover over ours it was a perfect fit and now no worrys about the open switch. Im sure i could figure a way to put a small lock on it but havent had any oops since i put the cover on.

by azandy700 on 5/23/2010, 7:33 am

My Dad has an old Terry fiver. It has a key right next to the toggle switch. You have to turn the key on to give the switch power. Then lock it and the switch is dead. Kinda the same as posted eariler but, it is all on the outside. Not sure if this was factory or a mod. He bought it used like that.

by Lograf on 5/23/2010, 5:12 pm

Well here's what I ended up doing. I moved the rocker switch to inside the driver side propane tank compartment. The wiring was long enough so no modifications were required to move it. It is very accessable through the propane compartment door and you are still standing right and the corner as before but you don't have to bend over to reach the toggle switch. I then used a blank electrical cover over the hole on the front and sealed it with expanding foam from inside.

by Admin on 5/23/2010, 6:00 pm

Nice,

by jameseh on 5/24/2010, 12:57 am

nice job guys, I just pull the 20 amp inline fuse when i'm done setting up, put it back when hooking up.

by moo2613 on 5/24/2010, 1:49 am

Looks good. My switch is much higher than that, you don't have to bend over to use it.

by bdaniel on 5/24/2010, 1:54 am

You could leave the existing switch where it is and just disconnect the wires and connect them to a new switch in the storage compartment. There would be no hole to cover and you could restore the switch back to it's original function when you sell the unit at some point.

Here is what I did:

Landing Gear Switch

by MountainMan on 5/24/2010, 3:15 am

Hate to be a "Debbie Downer" here but moving the switch to a sealed propane compartment is definitely not a good idea. There is a reason those propane tanks are isolated from all things electrical.
Especially open switches that arc every time they are activated.

I don't mean to offend in any way but I would move the switch to another location and seal the hole that was cut in the propane compartment.

by moo2613 on 5/24/2010, 3:22 am

Good point.

by Lograf on 5/25/2010, 4:30 pm

That thought actually crossed my mind when I was installing the switch there. After your comment and thinking about it more I ordered a small recessed access hatch that I will be able to lock and will move it back to the original position. This way it will be protected. Thanks for bringing the safety issue up.

by MountainMan on 5/27/2010, 8:21 am

Lograf wrote:That thought actually crossed my mind when I was installing the switch there. After your comment and thinking about it more I ordered a small recessed access hatch that I will be able to lock and will move it back to the original position. This way it will be protected. Thanks for bringing the safety issue up.

I think your making a good decision Lograf. I'm glad you didn't take it the wrong as well. I started not to say anything especially after you completed the work. (Good looking work too.)

I'm a self employed electrical contractor of 20+ years. I've seen about everything go wrong through the years. I've been fortunate to work in everything from residential, commercial, industrial, marine and the mining industry. I can tell you nothing makes us more careful/nervous than working in a class 1 hazardous location with flammable gasses or vapors present.

by volfirefighter on 5/30/2010, 3:49 pm

I have also mounted a toggle switch right by the hydraulic pump to disable the switch from the kids playing with it. My next thing is to mount two more switches to be able to select indivdually which slides to slide out. My reason for that is, I have a slide on each side of my trailer and where I store it, I can't open the dinette slide out all the way but would like the bedroom slide out. I should be able to shut off a switch which would keep that particular hydraulic valve closed vice opeing them both when the slideout switch is engaged. Does this sound possible? My reason for thinking this way is because I disconnected the wrong wire when first installing the toggle cut-off switch for the landing gear. When I tested it, the landing gear switch turned on the hydraulic pump but the landing gear did not move.

by Mopar_Earl on 5/30/2010, 5:50 pm

volfirefighter wrote:I have also mounted a toggle switch right by the hydraulic pump to disable the switch from the kids playing with it. My next thing is to mount two more switches to be able to select indivdually which slides to slide out. My reason for that is, I have a slide on each side of my trailer and where I store it, I can't open the dinette slide out all the way but would like the bedroom slide out. I should be able to shut off a switch which would keep that particular hydraulic valve closed vice opeing them both when the slideout switch is engaged. Does this sound possible? My reason for thinking this way is because I disconnected the wrong wire when first installing the toggle cut-off switch for the landing gear. When I tested it, the landing gear switch turned on the hydraulic pump but the landing gear did not move.

If your cat is like mine, there are only two sol valves, one for the landing gear and one for the slide(s). Trailers that have separate switches for each slide are plumbed differently and have more sol valves. It could be done, but would be expensive and a lot of work. You'd have to have a sol valve and switch for each slide and each slide would need to be plumbed separately. From the factory they are plumbed together on the push and return side of the cylinders. You don't see separate slide room switches until you get into the higher end models due to the added expense and labor.

Earl

by volfirefighter on 5/31/2010, 2:29 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:If your cat is like mine, there are only two sol valves, one for the landing gear and one for the slide(s). Trailers that have separate switches for each slide are plumbed differently and have more sol valves. It could be done, but would be expensive and a lot of work. You'd have to have a sol valve and switch for each slide and each slide would need to be plumbed separately. From the factory they are plumbed together on the push and return side of the cylinders. You don't see separate slide room switches until you get into the higher end models due to the added expense and labor.

Earl

Thanks Earl for raining on my plans, lol. I thought the slides would have different sol valves located with each cylinder used to push the individual slide outslide out. I'm going to double check as I thought my Wildcat was a higher end model... ok so its not that high end but it still looks good :) Thanks again for the heads up!!

by btaylor0 on 7/13/2010, 2:10 am

Rather than removing the switch on my Cat i've thought about installing another switch inside the storage area where the battery is stored that way i can kill the power to the outside switch and lock the door so no one can get to it. Right now i disconnect the red wire on the battery to the landing gear so no one can operate the landing gear.

by volfirefighter on 7/13/2010, 3:19 am

Exactly what I did. Install a toggle or disconnect the red wire does the same thing and no one like my kids can play with the outside switch.

by kcnielsen on 7/13/2010, 3:46 pm

I installed a lockable door over the switch. The lock is also a good reminder so that I don't try to raise or lower the landing gear with the Plug-It-Right stabilizers secured. When ever the door is unlocked the stabilizers are released first.

by onetonford on 10/31/2010, 3:44 pm

Here was my solution. That is a Three Phase Heavy duty Toggle Switch Controlling the landing gear and also my rear drops.I just cut into the existing wiring for both and now I just shut them down when I want them tamper proof.

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Landing gear switch relocation ?

Landing gear switch relocation ?

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Landing gear switch relocation ?

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