Troubleshooting 2004 Forest River Cardinal 33LX Landing Gear Not Working with Power
Updated 02/17/2026 | Published 06/14/2024
Question:
Hi, I’ve got a 2004 Forest River Cardinal 33LX. I’ve changed out the landing gear motor and gear box. Like some of the others above it will go up and down fine with no load. Once on the ground it may lift an inch or so and then the motor begins to click and not want to move the landing gear up further and I’ll have to resort to hydraulic jack or scissor jack to get off truck. I’ve also snapped several bolts in the cross bar on both ends. Replaced with stronger shear bolts. Both legs are at the same distance from bottom of jack tube. Battery is brand new as well and RV rated. It doesn’t matter whether it’s plugged into 50amp or just battery power. Thank you
asked by: Robert I
Expert Reply:
Thanks for reaching out, Robert!
It sounds like you've taken the correct steps to troubleshoot everything. The only thing left is to try manually operating the jacks with the manual override tool. If you've already done that, or you try that it it's still not working, then there is something internally wrong with your landing gear and you either need to replace the internal screw (I'll need your landing gear part number for that) or you'll need to replace the whole landing gear kit altogether.
To replace your landing gear I recommend going with the etrailer Landing Gear Set w/ Handle # RVLG-8HDL which is rated for 8,000 lbs tongue weight and offers a 36-1/2" lift. This doesn't come with new mounting brackets, but it does fit with the standard ones that have the weld stops distanced 15-1/2" apart inside to inside.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Landing Gear Set w/ Handle - 36-1/2" Lift - 8,000 lbs
- Camper Jacks
- 5th Wheel Camper
- Landing Gear
- Steel
- 7001 - 8000 lbs
- Manual Jack
- 36 Inch Lift
- Weld-On
- 2 Jacks
- etrailer
more information >
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on Camper Jacks
Brooke M.
2/17/2026
Hey Robert, how did things turn out with the landing gear on your Cardinal after trying the manual override? Your update could make it easier for others dealing with the same lifting issue.