Jacks so high the tires are in the air. Really?

[CLIFFTALL]

I would use leveling blocks before I raised the wheels off the ground.

[IMDSailor]

I too raise my fronts off the ground at times. My rig has Leaf springs on the front so I can't see a problem, or am I missing something.
I can see an issue if you have airbags.

[CLIFFTALL]

Originally Posted by IMDSailor

I too raise my fronts off the ground at times. My rig has Leaf springs on the front so I can't see a problem, or am I missing something.
I can see an issue if you have airbags.

There are varying opinions on this. It just doesn't seem right IMO.

[Tom N]

I always lift my front end off the ground when my truck maintenance garage does my lube job. The weight should be taken off the king pins, on a straight axle suspension, when greased.

-Tom, W3TLN

[Rich-n-Linda]

Originally Posted by ernest917

I've been told it puts a tremendous strain on the frame of the coach and should never be done....

Another old wives tale...

Why would the jacks put a strain on the frame when they are supporting the weight of the chassis? Do the wheels put a strain on the frame when they are supporting the chassis? Of course not...and neither do the jacks.

If a site isn't level and the front wheels have to come off the ground to level the coach, so be it. It's no big deal...that's what the jacks are there for!


Rich & Linda
'06 Mandalay 40E
Freightliner XC-R chassis
Cummins 400 HP ISL

[georgetown350]

My concern would be for the jacks because while the front end is up in the air there is
no support from the tires which leaves the coach free to sway back and forth on those wee skinny little jack legs.

[CLIFFTALL]

There has been reports here of popped windshields.

[Tomtall]

I level according to the manufacturers recommendation. Period. No issues and anyone that puts their coach in the air 6" with all four jacks is a maroon.IMO

[Ernie Ekberg]

Originally Posted by Tomtall

I level according to the manufacturers recommendation. Period. No issues and anyone that puts their coach in the air 6" with all four jacks is a maroon.IMO

Tom- moron is the word.

[aboatguy]

Originally Posted by Ernie Ekberg

Tom- moron is the word.

Not if he was quoting Bugs Bunny!

[Tomtall]

Originally Posted by aboatguy

Not if he was quoting Bugs Bunny!

Exactly

[gemini5362]

I personally do not like to jack the wheels off of the ground. I have done it a few times and did not like it. For one small reason if the front tires are off of the ground that makes for a huge last step off of the MH steps. With that being said:

Why would it hurt the air bags to hang the front suspension or even the back suspension off of them. The suspension with tires weighs a few hudred pounds. The front of the motorhome weighs several thousand pounds. The Air bags are taking the pressure from a moving front end weighing thousands of pounds moving up and down when you hit bumps in the road. Not to even talk about the pressure they take if you have to make an emergency stop. The back suspension is the same only more weight to beat it up with. I would never believe you can harm a suspension by just allowing it to hold its own weight off of the ground.

Yes the emergency brake is on the rear tires. I get nervous with them off of the ground. I am not sure that is valid though. I personally do not think that 4 jack stands with 30,000 pounds plus of force on them are going to slide. IF they do slide then you really are on too large a slope to even begin to think about leveling.

if you have a catastrophic hydraulic failure that will be bad I agree. But at least it is a valid reason for not doing it.

Once again I very rarely level with my tires off the ground. I will look for a more level site if possible to avoid that. If I have to park where the back tires would be off the ground I turn the camper around and park the other direction where it is the front tires that are off the ground. That is just my opinion and the way I treat my MH. I was in a campground a while back and the MH had the front tires at least a foot off of the ground. They had wood blocks under the jack to be able to do that. I personally would not have parked there and as a matter of fact. I was originally scheduled to be in the site next to them with the same slope. I checked out the CG and went back to ask for a different site. But the people with the tires a foot off the ground did not have any problems with it evidently

[skater]

We have a 31' ( till our new DP on order comes in!)gasser with auto leveling jacks.
In May we stayed at a campground that had gravel pads. Beautiful spot overlooking the river. Backed in perfectly the first time, but couldn't get it leveled at all the first time. Pulled the MH out, tried to rake the gravel around to get things more level, helped a bit, but still had issues( did this a few times). We did end up putting blocks under a couple of jacks and did a manual level. Still had one tire off but wanted to get to enjoying ourselves! We usually get in hooked up and ready to go in 10 minutes, but this time took us about 45 minutes mostly moving and raking gravel! Would have asked for a different site, but the CG was sold out for sites that we would fit!
If we had just left it to the auto levelers, we would have been suspended in the air on all 4 jacks, so that might be what happens when you see folks with their tires in the air.

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by StevieG

This past weekend I saw four fairly new and large motorhomes so jacked up, that all four tires were at least 6" to a foot off the ground. It looked almost unstable. The sites were all level, so it wasn't a leveling issue. I felt like asking the owners why... But didn't want to get into a debate or be a "Mr. Know it all"... Especially when I am not! Are manufacturers now recommending this or is this the correct way to park the rig for the weekend?

I usually dump the air and then put my rear jacks down until I see the back go up a little in my side-view mirror. Then I put the fronts down to level. None of my tires are ever completely off the ground, but the rig is very stable. Once level, I put the slides out.

What do you all do?

Steve, I do it completely opposite of you. I put the fronts down first and raise the front enough to level front and back. Then put the rears down and level left and right. This is because, at least on my Discovery (Power Gear Hydraulic levelers), the front two jacks are tied together and will allow the coach to pivot or hinge on the front jacks. The rears are independent and they do all the left and right leveling. On my coach by raising the fronts first and creating the hinge I keep from twisting the frame or damaging the windshields.

On the occasion where the rear needs to be raised to make it level front to back I still raise the front first to create the hing or pivot, then raise the rear to level, then left and right.

Just to be sure I checked with Power Gear just now, and unless I screwed up the wording the above is correct. http://support.powergearus.com/techdocs/82-L0379.pdf Again, this is for the hydraulic jacks.