Community Forums

Driveby · 01-26-2017, 10:59 AM

We are just starting the pursuit of the next coach. Currently we are used to hydraulic levellers and for the most part can get ourselves level. The next coach may likely have air bags for levelling vs hydraulic. Newmar King Aire or London Aire at the moment for reference.

At home I have to use 3 2x12 board ramps to get level on our driveway. But how much more (or less) range of motion is there with air only?

MisterT · 01-26-2017, 11:08 AM

what coach do you have now?

DeWat · 01-26-2017, 11:11 AM

Since our hydraulic levelers can, and have taken the front wheels off the ground (I do not allow the coach to remain that way), I would certainly say that the hydraulic levelers have far more range than the air leveling. How much more range, I don't know. I was once in a position where the air leveling couldn't level, but the hydraulic system did level without leaving contact with the cement. Again, that has only been one time.

Driveby · 01-26-2017, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterT

what coach do you have now?

right now I have nothing. We sold our Itasca 35J bunk model a couple years back to do some international travel. We are back to planning for more road travel in the next few years.

We had HWH hydraulic levellers if memory serves. It was the Ford F53 gas chassis, 2008.

MisterT · 01-26-2017, 11:45 AM

you must have a very unlevel driveway if you had an RV with hydraulic leveling and still had to use all those boards! were your wheels off the ground?

smlranger · 01-26-2017, 11:50 AM

Maybe 8" max. We have air only leveling on our County Coach and previous coach had hydraulic jacks. Certainly have more leveling range with jacks. However we've had this coach for nearly 4 years and have been coast to coast in it twice and have been in a situation where we could not get level enough for comfort.

smlranger · 01-26-2017, 11:51 AM

[QUOTE=smlranger;3432924]Maybe 8" max. We have air only leveling on our County Coach and previous coach had hydraulic jacks. Certainly have more leveling range with jacks. However we've had this coach for nearly 4 years and have been coast to coast in it twice and have never been in a situation where we could not get level enough for comfort.

Driveby · 01-26-2017, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterT

you must have a very unlevel driveway if you had an RV with hydraulic leveling and still had to use all those boards! were your wheels off the ground?

Mountain living means driveways (even the "level" ones) are not.

to be clear, didn't use the boards under the jacks and I never liked the wheels to leave the ground. I built a 2x12 ramp of 4'/3'/2' lengths and drove the front wheels up onto each ramp so we could put the slides in and out while at home.

Being in Vancouver where the property values (even a few years back) meant that to store inside I had a 40 minute drive each way to and from home to storage. So we needed to have the coach at home before we left to load/unload. Upside is I had a very nice 23*70 warehouse to store in with a 30 amp dedicated power source just for me. I suddenly had lots of buddies with boats that "needed" winter storage

Helped with the rent on the warehouse. They were very disappointed when I sold. My warehouse rented in less than a day (hours actually) so I didn't even have to eat a month's rent or anything.

To get back to the topic of the thread, we mostly stayed in State Parks or Provincial parks where level is a very subjective term. I understand that adding 10' of coach may limit where we go but we expect to take longer road trips this time vs weekending and I want a tag and air ride for those longer days.

cruzbill · 01-26-2017, 12:17 PM

Driveby, We just returned from beautiful BC-had a wonderful time! The only time our hyd jacks couldn't get us 'on the level' was at a very small (8 spaces?) RV park in Oyama, N of Kelowna. Put my jacks down and the park operator pointed out that my front jack pad had sunk into the pea gravel about 6"! He saved the day by bringing out some boards for the front wheels. Would like to go back and see more of the Sunshine Coast...so many places to see!
Bill

Driveby · 01-26-2017, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruzbill

Driveby, We just returned from beautiful BC-had a wonderful time! The only time our hyd jacks couldn't get us 'on the level' was at a very small (8 spaces?) RV park in Oyama, N of Kelowna. Put my jacks down and the park operator pointed out that my front jack pad had sunk into the pea gravel about 6"! He saved the day by bringing out some boards for the front wheels. Would like to go back and see more of the Sunshine Coast...so many places to see!
Bill

I think in the 5 years we had our coach and some 300 nights, we only had to move sites 1x and give up completely on a State Park 1 other time. I know hydraulic works. It's air that I have no experience with. The other thing that I'm moderately concerned with is the extra 10'. But with steering tag and bigger cut I'm hoping I can "bend" the coach into places to fit

MisterT · 01-26-2017, 01:55 PM

Here in the western NC Blueridge and Smokie Mountains, I understand your 'driveway not level, really' comment - we've seen driveways that make me wonder how anything, even an atv or a tractor could muster, yet folks live there and get used to it. I wouldn't... but we lucked up on a small rock cottage with a flat driveway and enough room for the coach, nice. Having beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, a flowing 'shootin creek', shade trees, and 10 acres to ourselves doesn't hurt either!
: )

you'll do fine, travel and enjoy ! you won't know the limits to your coach if you don't - but that's part of the fun!

FIRE UP · 01-26-2017, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driveby

I think in the 5 years we had our coach and some 300 nights, we only had to move sites 1x and give up completely on a State Park 1 other time. I know hydraulic works. It's air that I have no experience with. The other thing that I'm moderately concerned with is the extra 10'. But with steering tag and bigger cut I'm hoping I can "bend" the coach into places to fit

Driveby,
You've obviously got experience at leveling, with and without assistance from lumber under the wheels/tires. You've also most likely seen situations where you "thought" it wouldn't take as much to get your coach level as it actually did. The old argument of whether or not to "Hang" the front wheels, is always a debate on here and other RV forums.

I'm not, never have been and never will be a fan of hanging the front or, any set of wheels for that matter. I carry a small lumber yard just for leveling. It's pretty simple. I drive up to a site, assess the slope and determine if lumber is needed or not. My thought is, one uses the tires/wheels and suspension (even the air ones that dump like ours) to get the coach PRIMARILY level, then the jacks will be used for FINE TUNING and not have to work so hard to take on all the leveling task.

When it's all said and done, you've got 10 points of stability. Now, I really can't comment on air leveling. Never had it. I've camped with folks that did and, it seems that the range of capability is far less than that of hydraulics. At least that's what it appears to me as. Good luck on your new purchase.
Scott

Cranemec · 01-26-2017, 03:08 PM

We have both air and hydraulic and use each just about as much as the other. Each site is different. Sometimes our jacks get us level sometimes air will do a better job.

THenman · 01-26-2017, 03:17 PM

Can not speak for the models you mention but I can tell you on ours.
We have more range to level with hyd. than air. I tend to use the air for quick stop levels like loading at the house or a quick stop in a parking lot where I need to get into back of coach and don't want to climb over bed or need a wider hall. It is nice to have anyplace where pads are required for hyd. esp. if just a quick stop.
For me the air is nice to have but if we could only have one I would have to vote hyd.

Tom