Levelers--Up or down?

[RJEV]

Is it better when parked for extended periods (3-6 weeks) to put the levelers down. We park on a fairly level spot at our home and the tires are on concrete pads. Does extending the levelers put undo pressure on them?

Thanks,
Robert

[RJEV]

Is it better when parked for extended periods (3-6 weeks) to put the levelers down. We park on a fairly level spot at our home and the tires are on concrete pads. Does extending the levelers put undo pressure on them?

Thanks,
Robert

[blacktie.shooter]

If you're extended parking with jacks down is in consideration of your tires, I'm told blacktop is the problem, not concrete. Some people park on wood pads to avoid the problem. I've heard that it is not a good idea to park long term with the jacks down, and have never had anyone tell me that is wrong. I personally leave my jacks up. When parked long term, being level is not critical, anyway. Not sure if this helps, but maybe you'll get some other opinions to bounce it off of.
Good luck,
Ken

[LVJ58]

We have our coach parked in our driveway with a slight incline, I've been leaving our rear jacks down for sometimes several months at a time with no problem. Been doing this for the past 8 years.

Jim

[tmitchell]

I always have my jacks down when the MH is parked next to the house. I figure it takes some of the weight off the tires, when the MH sits for an extended time. No problems in the last 4 1/2 years.
Tom

[AFChap]

I'm sure if you do a search on the forum, you will find this one discussed many, many times!

HWH (mfg of leveling jacks & hydraulic slide rooms) says to put the levelers down (quote: "That is what they are designed for!") -- I've read the same many other places. We're fulltimers and ours are down far more than they are up -- for anywhere from a few days to a month or more at a time. Some sources I have seen suggest not actually leveling when just storing the rig, but manually putting the jacks just enough to take some pressure off the tires. Seems to me that just complicates the issue, so when I used to store my coach the leveling jacks were always down with the coach leveled.

And when parking the tires on concrete, you should put a vapor barrier under the tires (plastic, wood, etc) -- concrete is more damaging to tires than asphalt is. To complete the job, cover the tires to protect them from UV. And for the same reason that you cover the tires, the rig should not be parked adjacent to a large electrical transformer or an electric welder that is being used.

I know, more than you wanted to know ...

[blacktie.shooter]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AFChap:
I'm sure if you do a search on the forum, you will find this one discussed many, many times!

HWH (mfg of leveling jacks & hydraulic slide rooms) says to put the levelers down (quote: "That is what they are designed for!") -- I've read the same many other places. We're fulltimers and ours are down far more than they are up -- for anywhere from a few days to a month or more at a time. Some sources I have seen suggest not actually leveling when just storing the rig, but manually putting the jacks just enough to take some pressure off the tires. Seems to me that just complicates the issue, so when I used to store my coach the leveling jacks were always down with the coach leveled.

And when parking the tires on concrete, you should put a vapor barrier under the tires (plastic, wood, etc) -- concrete is more damaging to tires than asphalt is. To complete the job, cover the tires to protect them from UV. And for the same reason that you cover the tires, the rig should not be parked adjacent to a large electrical transformer or an electric welder that is being used.

I know, more than you wanted to know ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, NOT more than I wanted to know. Good information, some things I didn't know or hadn't heard before. Thanks much.

[David K]

I do the same as Paul. I extend my levelers and level the coach (each wheel has wood under it to break the tires from the concrete driveway it is parked on. I also cover the tires from the UV light. I have the levelers down from a few weeks to months at a time. Never had a problem. Also with the MH level and I am plugged in to shore power at my house, I usually have my refigerator operating -- that way when we get ready to go, cold items can go straight into the refrig. and off we go.

[historyljc]

I use the David K method. It has worked well for me.

[N8XV]

We put our levelers down when the RV is in the storage mode. I figure it takes the weight off the tires and suspension. If it sits like this for several weeks before we hit the road I always wipe the rams down with a rag damp with transmission fluid to remove dust, dirt and lubricate the dry ram before retracting. I think it prolongs the life of the seals.

[David K]

I did leave out in my post that if I have had the levelers down for a few weeks, I do spray them with silicone and wipe down before I raise them -- to remove dust, etc and it will lub the seals some. I know that a lot of people say "no lube" to the cylinders but, when they have been exposed for an extended period of time (more than a week or so) I feel better about using the silicone and the jacks seems to retract easier, faster, and more complete.

JMHO

[paz]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RJEV:
Does extending the levelers put undo pressure on them?

Thanks,
Robert </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I hope not. We're full-timers and our levelers are extended almost all the time. We probably average only about 4-6 hours of travel a week and that's the only time the jacks are retracted.

[tmitchell]

I use to always level my MH on the pad at home. Now I try and take some of the weight off the tires, but purposely leave it a little out of level. With get quite a bit of rain in SW Florida and this lets it drain off the roof rather then puddle in some spots. When we pack for a trip I level it for the refrigerator.
Tom

[AFChap]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I did leave out in my post </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I also didn't raise the lube/don't lube the rams issue, but since others have now raised it...

I have followed the recommendation of the mfg (HWH in my case) and have never lubed, wiped down or done anything else to my ram shafts other than use them. The only times I have even touched the leveler assempblies was to remove gravel from the foot pad. They work fine every time I use them!