Community Forums

aiken rver · 04-13-2017, 03:31 AM

I know the rear wheels are the parking break and should not be off the ground. It seems all the places we go are low in the rear. If the front wheels are chocked is it safe to raise the rear off the ground?

mlr1951 · 04-13-2017, 04:52 AM

Put some planks under the rear wheels and get it as close to level as you can and then use the jacks just to stabilize.

D Lindy · 04-13-2017, 04:55 AM

DO NOT DUE IT!!!! Once the rear wheels are off the ground you have no brakes on the ground holding the coach in place. While not an everyday occurrence, if the coach should shift with the rear tires off the ground you'll be hit with a BIG $$$$ to replace all four of your leveling jacks, after you pay someone to get them off the coach at the campground because they won't retract when bent.

twinboat · 04-13-2017, 06:17 AM

Once your levelers are lifting the rear axle a few inchs, the tires are unloaded, and the effect of the brakes are minimized.

Imagine a 4 leg, 40,000 lb table, in that spot. Would it collapse ?

As long as the the jacks are on a firm base, they aren't going to move. They are rated for the weight of the MH and engineered to support it.

The hydraluc system has bypass and relief valves in it, to not overload them.

Belgique · 04-13-2017, 06:28 AM

Camp Freightliner says that wheels off the ground is really hard on the air bags (and dangerous).

Bigd9 · 04-13-2017, 06:44 AM

I carry a selection of leveling boards that I can drive whatever wheel/axle is low so the coach is close to being level before I start leveling. The boards with handles are for the jack pads, and the remainder are long enough for both rear axle tires to be supported.
(the white powder in the picture is talcum powder to keep the boards from sticking together)

FRR2EYW · 04-13-2017, 06:48 AM

Can you do it with chocks? Yep. Will anything go wrong? Probably not. Can you accept the consequences when it does go wrong? Only you can answer that question.

Gary RVRoamer · 04-13-2017, 11:19 AM

Has anybody ever considered that you don't need brakes to keep the coach in place if it is raised up on the jacks? How is it gonna roll anywhere? However, there may a risk of the jack bending or breaking if it is not adequate for the actual weight of the coach. I've seen more than a few that were marginal, e.g. a pair of 10,000 lb jacks on a 20k axle. Others have plenty of reserve capacity.

That said, I agree that some boards should be placed and the wheels driven up on them to get closer to level. Probably need the same amount of boards under the jack leg too, so that it can reach the ground to finish leveling.

MisterT · 04-13-2017, 11:38 AM

I personally think that the discussion of whether to allow your rear tires to 'leave the ground' when leveling is a mute regard... here's why:

-once you've raised your rear axle even one inch, you've removed the 'effectiveness' of the air/wheel brakes.
-raising the rear axle more does nothing, EXCEPT to bring to rear of the coach into a MORE LEVEL stance.
-the more level the coach is, the LESS LIKELY the coach is to move!

while it may seem important, what your coach looks like is not the issue, except to some...

...a house built on the side of a steep hill on pillars will not slide down the hill any more than your coach will while it is on it's own 'pillars' on an uneven site.

Use your leveling system, that's what it's there for - though some may comment otherwise...

dmurdock · 04-13-2017, 12:08 PM

I'm assuming you have air suspension..is it being dumped before you level? I've been in some sketchy parks but have never been in one bad enough to lift the tires off the ground. I personally wouldn't do it..if the tires on the ground they are providing some braking force (not as much as when supporting the coach but it's still there). I don't think any jacks are designed to take a high horizontal load. Definitely don't do it if you have kick down jacks!

Podivin · 04-13-2017, 12:14 PM

Based on the answers here and in other threads similar to this one, I'd say it comes down to this.

Like so many other things;

Do whatever it is that YOU are comfortable with, keeping in mind what could go wrong and the possibility of injury/damage/expense if whatever it is you're doing doesn't work out the way you thought/hoped it would.

Ultimately the choice and the responsibility are yours.
Choose wisely, Grasshopper.

bobbelcher · 04-13-2017, 12:34 PM

The place I live in currently has a driveway that is not level what so ever. it leans fairly decent to the passenger side. My motorhome is parked on that side of the driveway most of its life. we get pretty high winds all the time here and i put my jacks down all except the winter time. I find that the coach being leveled, everything works better. the fridge, doors swing better, im not walking around feeling drunk (well not from a leaning motorhome anyway). When I level my rv my rear passenger tire is ALWAYS lifted off the ground and sometimes the passenger front tire is as well.

I always start out by placing my boards down in the stones. then lower the jacks down until i feel the back jacks start to touch. then lower the front and get it leveled front to back first. (its usually pretty level this way.) then i hit the button to start lifting the right side to level. depending on how level i make it my passenger rear tire can be inches off the ground. heck without the levelers my steps are usually just a few inches off the ground. when i put the levelers down the first step from the ground can sometimes be a foot or so.

I dont worry about it. the jacks are capable of lifting the motorhome clean off the ground. once on the jacks the motorhome isn't going to ROLL anywhere.

As said do what you feel comfortable with.

FRR2EYW · 04-13-2017, 02:25 PM

Jacks are designed to take a vertical load, not horizontal shear. What is not being taken into consideration is that the friction between the tire and the ground is reduced as you take weight off of them. The coach may not be level at this point and the front wheels will roll if the horizontal shear becomes more than the jacks can handle. I have seen this happen first hand. Not figures on a piece of paper, a moving picture indelibly etched into my mind. You will not find my rear wheels raised off the ground. I can't afford the repair bill.

FIRE UP · 04-13-2017, 02:37 PM

Comparing a coach with tires lifted off the ground on an un-level slope to a residence is juusssssssssst a bit misleading. Residences, whether on a slope or not, are ANCHORED into the ground, normally with LOTS of CONCRETE etc. And many have columns that are DEEPLY embedded into the ground, depending on local ordinances, building regs and all that.

But, an RV, if on an un-level slope, is lifted with all the wheels or, just the rear wheels off the ground, is STILL on an un-level slope. Gravity is gravity. And with no ANCHOR, there is still a force that wishes to push that RV, in a "down the slope" direction. Will it actually fall, who knows? All kinds of factors in play here.

Why some folks have a hard time driving on a few boards or leveling blocks to help achieve even primary level is always beyond me. It's just not that hard to place a block or two, some leveling lumber, "leggos", or anything that will allow for ALL THE TIRES to remain on the ground or, at the least, in touch with EARTH, to get your coach at primary level. Then, as has been suggested, all thats needed from that point is, using the jacks for FINE TUNING. A tiny bit here, a tad bit there and, you're level.

And now there's 10 points touching the ground, not four. And, if anything should happen while you're camped, an earth quake, heavy winds, some fierce rains, you've done all you could to make sure you and your family are safely planted while trying to enjoy camping/traveling. And it didn't take all that long.
Scott