Timer based vehicle leveling and stabilization system and method of manufacture

In a leveling system, a method for automatically deploying a plurality of jacks from a stowed position to an auto-deployed position, said method comprising:

• receiving input from a user indicating that said jacks are to be auto-deployed;
• determining whether all of said jacks are in said stowed position;
• retrieving a time value associated with a first group of said jacks;
• and
• driving said first group of said jacks for a predetermined time period based on said time value, thereby deploying said jacks of said first group from their stowed positions to their auto-deployed positions, the time value depending on the distance between at least one of said jacks and the ground when said at least one of said jacks is in said stowed position;
• and wherein
• said step of driving said first group of said jacks for a predetermined time period includes driving said first group of said jacks without receiving input from a level sensor.

A leveling system for a vehicle, said leveling system comprising:

• a jack adapted to be fixed to said vehicle and extendable from a stowed position to a predetermined auto-deployed position;
• an actuator coupled to said jack and operative to extend and retract said jack;
• a user interface device adapted to receive input from a user;
• and
• a controller responsive to an auto-deploy signal from said user interface and operative to provide control signals to said actuator causing said actuator to continuously extend said jack from said stowed position for a predetermined time period, thereby positioning said jack in said auto-deployed position, said predetermined time period depending on the distance between said jack and the ground when said jack is in said stowed position;
• and wherein
• said controller provides said control signals without input from a level sensor.

A controller for a leveling system of a vehicle, said controller comprising:

• a user interface device adapted to receive input from a user;
• memory for storing data and code, said data including an auto-deploy time value;
• a drive interface for providing control signals to a jack;
• and
• a processing unit operative to process said code and, responsive to an auto-deploy signal from said user interface, operative to provide control signals via said drive interface to continuously extend said jack for a time period corresponding to said auto-deploy time value, said auto-deploy time value depending on the distance between said jack and the ground when said jack is in said stowed position;
• and wherein
• said processing unit provides said control signals without input from a level sensor.