Community Forums

GaryKD · 03-23-2014, 01:38 PM

Hi Tom222,
From your profile, I assume you have a diesel powered coach. If the pad is less than 6" of reinforced concrete, it will crack. If the pad is 6" of reinforced concrete it may crack over time. Pads under the jacks may help. However, a diesel has quite a bit of weight on each axle.

Sky_Boss · 03-23-2014, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom222

...If the RV has auto leveling, will the wheels stay on the ground?

Mine can and have done so both front and back. I have never YET seen both sides of my rear wheels come off but I have seen both front ones come off. I don't worry about the fronts but I will readjust as needed to make sure my drive wheels are on the ground. So far I haven't had a problem moving a bit around the site or getting a new one to fix that problem.

I'm not sure that I subscribe to the statements that say auto levelers will cause frame torsion and windshields to pop...at least any more than human controlled leveling. It could be that my powers of observation are off but my auto leveling system appears to do a rough lowering of jacks in pairs pretty much in the order I would have. I do tend to have to follow up raising the driver side up a tad after the system says I'm level but it is consistent in nature.

DA_BUS · 03-23-2014, 08:55 PM

Been there, done that....Two years of leveling on my drive way a couple of days at a time - cracked concrete were the leveler pads sit. 4" is not going to hold it....1ciderdog has the right idea....level with some ramps and adjust with levelers - the less distance you are running the levelers out - the more weight is held by the entire chassis system and wheels. The higher you lift your coach - the more pressure on individual pads.....make sure you put blocking under the leveler pads so it does not run the jack stands out beyond the recommended amounts....

Snomas1 · 03-25-2014, 12:05 PM

I wouldn't put the jacks down. Why would you risk the stress of bending a jack and have trouble with it working in the future? I stored my MH on a 5% grade for several years and the only problem I had was trans fluid leaking. Spartan said it would be OK!!

Tom222 · 03-25-2014, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

Mine can and have done so both front and back. I have never YET seen both sides of my rear wheels come off but I have seen both front ones come off. I don't worry about the fronts but I will readjust as needed to make sure my drive wheels are on the ground. So far I haven't had a problem moving a bit around the site or getting a new one to fix that problem. I'm not sure that I subscribe to the statements that say auto levelers will cause frame torsion and windshields to pop...at least any more than human controlled leveling. It could be that my powers of observation are off but my auto leveling system appears to do a rough lowering of jacks in pairs pretty much in the order I would have. I do tend to have to follow up raising the driver side up a tad after the system says I'm level but it is consistent in nature.

I put them down one time with no problem, for a short period of time. After that I just put the sides out without the jacks down, so far no problems.

Tom

gemini5362 · 03-25-2014, 10:36 PM

Let hope my math is correct. 1 foot in 25 feet will mean that a 40 foot coach will have come up on one end 19.2 inches. That is quite a bit. I am hoping since you just said a minor slope you have not actually measured it. I would get something to put under the jacks. Wood probably will work or get the 12x12 inch concrete pads they use to put piers on for houses. Those would spread the weight out more over more area than a jack base. Then try leveling and see what happens.

Gus68 · 05-15-2014, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackcabby

Be real careful! In fact, I would definitely put out pads to distribute the load.

Depending on how old you driveway is, you can have erosion of the base (subsidence is what my CE buddies would call it). That basically means that there are parts of your pad that may be unsupported, or floating making it much more prone to cracking.

I had this happen with a two year old concrete driveway. Landscapers brought a bobcat down my driveway to access the back yard. In so doing, the bobcat cracked (more like collapsed) a section of the driveway. When we jacked the damaged concrete and prepared to repour, we observed that the gravel and soil base had settled significantly.

Next time you pour a driveway have the guys put in 3/8" rebar in both directions intersecting at 1' intervals. Concrete's strength is in compression and not tension. Steel strength is in tension. When you use rebar the concrete will not crack open, only hairline at best. Steel keeps it together.
Wire mesh is not very good and most of the time the guys forget to pull it up into the concrete.

I've been trying to raise my motorhome on a slight slope and it keeps sliding off. I was raising the front (tires off the ground) and then raising the back and the motorhome jack just falls over and then the motor home goes down and then wheels catch the ground and stop. I guess it's generally not a good idea to have it up on all 4 wheels right?

What does chalking the wheels mean? Does this hold the motorhome from sliding back?

Starsekr · 05-15-2014, 11:59 AM

Gus, most motor homes have the parking brake only acting on the rear wheels. If you look in your owners manual there is probably a caution about lifting the rear wheels off the ground. Chocking the wheels is putting something under the edges of the tire, like a wedge, to keep the tire from rolling. These are also called chocks.

mel s · 05-15-2014, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gus68

I guess it's generally not a good idea to have it up on all 4 wheels right?
What does chalking the wheels mean?

Gus68round, althoughit
It is best not to raise all the tires of the ground, (although it can be done).
Chocking, not chalking, is putting something a "in front of and/or in back of" a tire, and/or tires. to keep it/them from rolling/moving.

These are wheel chocks: https://www.google.com/#q=wheel+chocks

Mel
'96 Safari

wa8yxm · 05-15-2014, 12:46 PM

1 foot in 25 feet is what 2 degrees give or take a bit (ArcTan(1/25)) that should be well within the range of your jacks I'd hope.

IF it takes the wheels off the ground (FRONT only please) then use stacked plank to get closer to level before extending jacks.

I use 2" by tread width planks.. one 3 foot, one 2 foof one 1 foot glued atop each other so you can back up 1-2-3 plank (or drive onto them either way) They work very well.

Gus68 · 05-15-2014, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

1 foot in 25 feet is what 2 degrees give or take a bit (ArcTan(1/25)) that should be well within the range of your jacks I'd hope.

IF it takes the wheels off the ground (FRONT only please) then use stacked plank to get closer to level before extending jacks.

I use 2" by tread width planks.. one 3 foot, one 2 foof one 1 foot glued atop each other so you can back up 1-2-3 plank (or drive onto them either way) They work very well.

Here is what I did...