Can jacks be installed?

[Hudsoner]

I am interested in buying a 2001 Four Winds Hurricane. The MH is build on a Ford chassis. It has no leveling jacks installed. How importand is ist to have these things? Can they be installed as aftermarket parts? Do you have any idea how expensive those jacks would be and how involved/costly the installation would be?

[Midniteoyl]

Motorhome Levelers, Motorhome Jacks, Motor Home Stabilizers, Motor Home Leveling Systems

[Wizard]

To me they are very important, especially if you will be set up for anything more than a day. Without them down, when one person is in bed you can feel the MH move around when someone else walks around.

Yes, they can be installed by any competant shop but I believe they are a lot more expensive than factory installed.

[Mafiaman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midniteoyl Motorhome Levelers, Motorhome Jacks, Motor Home Stabilizers, Motor Home Leveling Systems

I reviewed that link and I'm sorry, But they are crazy!
$3750 DOLLARS! Crazy

With 4 of these, Amazon.com: 1 Ton Electric Scissor 12v Auto Car Jack Lift - 2200lb: Automotive
A little creativity and 4 push and release buttons (The type that stop when you take your finger off) You can have the exact same thing for $400. A minor savings.

[BZam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudsoner I am interested in buying a 2001 Four Winds Hurricane. The MH is build on a Ford chassis. It has no leveling jacks installed. How importand is ist to have these things? Can they be installed as aftermarket parts? Do you have any idea how expensive those jacks would be and how involved/costly the installation would be?

Probably yes and need to shop around. I went through this with my Fleetwood. I bought the jacks at Camping World and they were to install them. Then they said they could not be installed on that chassis. Well went to another place and they called Fleetwood and Fleetwood assured them they could be as it as a factory option and the chassis has predrilled holes! So need to check with factory and ask if the holes were predrilled.

I ended up buying the jacks at Camping World and the other place installed them.

As an aside as a rookie RVer I went to pickup the HWH jacks and they came out in big wooden crate. You should have seen the look on my face as I stood by my Honda Sedan! Anyway the guy and I pryed the box open and put then in trunk and back seat and off I went with my Honda dragging bottom!!!

All worked out fine for next 9 years I had the RV.

[Midniteoyl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mafiaman I reviewed that link and I'm sorry, But they are crazy! $3750 DOLLARS! Crazy With 4 of these, Amazon.com: 1 Ton Electric Scissor 12v Auto Car Jack Lift - 2200lb: Automotive A little creativity and 4 push and release buttons (The type that stop when you take your finger off) You can have the exact same thing for $400. A minor savings.

Was just a starting point... but ya, as said, it could get expensive real quick.

[popsuscdds]

Hudsoner:
We have had jacks on some rigs and not used them. We had hand operated jacks on a TT and used them once and really liked them so I installed electric over hydraulic jacks on our TT. The costs for parts and Kit was $2600.00. It took me four days. Strictly a bolt on affair. It turned out fine. Anybody can do it. The only hard part was paying a welder to remove the scissor jacks. I would never have any other RV without jacks . Great for stabilizing and leveling.
Have fun!
Milt

[Hudsoner]

Could one achieve the same effect if one would use four bottle jacks? I know that would be very manual, but not to much work as long as it is rather easy to get to the frame.

[JMonroe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudsoner Could one achieve the same effect if one would use four bottle jacks? I know that would be very manual, but not to much work as long as it is rather easy to get to the frame.

Not really. All manual jacks do is help stabilize the rig (keep it from rocking). They will not help you with leveling.

If it were me, and I thought I'd be keeping the coach for a number of years (to help recover the cost of the install) I'd have them installed (I'm sure they'll add to resale value, but nothing adds the full 'dollar for dollar' cost to resale). If the site is reasonably level, all you do is park it where you want it (put pads under the jacks, if necessary), hit a switch, and the jacks take over. They'll automatically level the rig and stabilize it at the same time.

You may still be able to purchase non-automatic leveling power jacks, but I'd go the extra and get the auto levelers.

[Mafiaman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMonroe Not really. All manual jacks do is help stabilize the rig (keep it from rocking). They will not help you with leveling.

Why not? if they can lift a tire off the ground you can level with them.
I see a bigger issue with a bottle jack and people in the coach.
Having the coach rock and fall off of a jack.

[Hudsoner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mafiaman Why not? if they can lift a tire off the ground you can level with them. I see a bigger issue with a bottle jack and people in the coach. Having the coach rock and fall off of a jack.

What if I would weld a U-shaped profile to the top of the jacks. This profile would fit over the frame rails to prevent slipping. Would that sound reasonable?

[Midniteoyl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudsoner What if I would weld a U-shaped profile to the top of the jacks. This profile would fit over the frame rails to prevent slipping. Would that sound reasonable?

You would nee to find a way to pin it to the frame... A U shaped bracket could still slide along the frame... Another thing to consider is the small foot pad of the bottle/scissor jack - it'll sink deeper in the soil and is prone to tipping. They do have proper trailer scissor jacks with large pads and are bolted to the frame... prolly cheapest, safest way to go.

[Hudsoner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midniteoyl You would nee to find a way to pin it to the frame... A U shaped bracket could still slide along the frame... Another thing to consider is the small foot pad of the bottle/scissor jack - it'll sink deeper in the soil and is prone to tipping. They do have proper trailer scissor jacks with large pads and are bolted to the frame... prolly cheapest, safest way to go.

I used to have these on my 24 foot trailer. One can't raise the weight with them. With the trailer I used a bottle jack to lift the corner and after that I cold put the scissors jack down to stabilize it.

That's why I thought to go fully with bottle jacks. I just can't see me putting 3k ++ dollars jacks onto a vehicle that was bought for about 20k.

[george henry]

Just go ahead and have the Quadra Big Foot leverals installed each leg can lift 24 inch and each corner can lift 17,000 . and it has a pad of 12 square , best money I spent on my 2006 Hurricane 30Q only one week after I bought the unit brand new from dealership. The installer show me that just the front driver side and rear passenger was able to lift the whole motorhome off the ground and all 6 tires were hanging 8 inches off the ground that was all I needed to see. of course i will never do that , i will use all 4 automatic.