Community Forums

myshaggydog · 06-07-2014, 07:38 AM

IMHO I would not raise the tires above the ground. Use boards or leveling blocks to drive up on and then level your coach or do as someone suggested and move to a more level site. Best of luck.

Happy RV'ing

Rich-n-Linda · 06-07-2014, 07:39 PM

Yet another old wives tale.

What difference does it make to the jacks, frame and chassis if the front wheels are off the ground? None.

When you level up and the front wheels are still on the ground, you might have only 50 pounds on them anyway!

Rich & Linda

Alan_Hepburn · 06-08-2014, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster

I really never understood why not that is the front if your jacks are bolted to the frame and making the frame level and square. It seems like if the frame can support the coach it should support the wheel. I'm not meaning 2 feet in the air but just a inch or so.

One inch or one foot make no difference in how much weight the jack is holding - in fact it could be argued that one inch would be putting more weight on the jack than one foot would. Consider that weight is a measurement of gravity pulling an object toward the center of the Earth, and the force of gravity decreases as the distance from the center increases, so an object one foot above a point on the surface of the Earth is less affected by gravity than an object that is one inch above that same point.

But, we're talking a difference of nano-grams, at most - i suspect!

Robin_M · 06-09-2014, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich-n-Linda

What difference does it make to the jacks, frame and chassis if the front wheels are off the ground? None.

When you level up and the front wheels are still on the ground, you might have only 50 pounds on them anyway!

I agree. I've raised the front wheels off the ground many times. My jacks will not extend far enough to raise them off the ground more than a few inches, and I cannot imagine why that would do any harm. I would agree that the jacks or the frame cannot really tell the difference.

OTOH, I would not raise the back wheels because that would void the effect of the parking brake, which may result in bending the jacks.

With heavy duty Power Gear Jacks I don't carry ramps and lumber for leveling. It's a pain to use and even more of a pain to store that stuff. I seldom run across a campsite where the jacks cannot make the coach reasonably level.

Robin_M · 06-09-2014, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Some MH's onlhy have 3 jacks, 2 back, 1 front. This configuration cannot place undue twist on the frame.

The idea of three jacks is that the front one acts as a "pivot point", making it less likely to place undue twist on the frame, but not impossible. You can still crack a windshield with three jacks, as many Monaco owners will attest to.

Virago-Rider · 06-09-2014, 08:29 AM

Luckily, I have 4 jacks. Just don't really like the way the controls work. If I raise the front or rear too much, I can lower it. If I raise too much on a side, I can not lower a side. Can only lower front/rear. So, if I go too much on a side, only choice is to let all down and start over.

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Robin_M · 06-09-2014, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virago-Rider

Luckily, I have 4 jacks. Just don't really like the way the controls work. If I raise the front or rear too much, I can lower it. If I raise too much on a side, I can not lower a side. Can only lower front/rear. So, if I go too much on a side, only choice is to let all down and start over.

Most power jack systems on motorhomes have individual buttons to raise the jacks, but only one to lower them. That's a safety feature. You could really twist the frame quickly if they lowered one at a time.

The trick is to level front to back first with the coach as low as possible. Then it usually doesn't take much tweaking to get the coach leveled side-to-side. If it does, it's probably best to start over anyway.

Virago-Rider · 06-09-2014, 10:08 AM

Going from a hand cranked 5w to this MH with the power levelers will take me a few times to get the hang of it.

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Tony Lee · 06-09-2014, 10:21 AM

Much safer to be up high on jacks than teetering on an unstable stack of wooden blocks.

I also never fuss about getting back wheels off the ground if I need to because unless the jacks are on ice or very smooth ground and the slope is steep, the jacks aren't going to slide.

BFlinn181 · 06-09-2014, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

Much safer to be up high on jacks than teetering on an unstable stack of wooden blocks.

I also never fuss about getting back wheels off the ground if I need to because unless the jacks are on ice or very smooth ground and the slope is steep, the jacks aren't going to slide.

I don't think the issue is the jacks sliding, it's the fact that your parking brake is no longer holding you in place with rear wheels off the ground. At the very least I chock the front wheels if lifting rears off ground.

The discussion jacks flexing or not supporting weight of RV with wheels off ground would only be true in the case of gross negligence by jack manufacturer or improper installation. Abuse in jacking only one corner is bad, but always using jacks in pairs reduces that risk. Driving RV out of a driveway at an angle also twists frame but doesn't cause major damage except when frame isn't properly designed. If you've got 'em, use 'em - - - - properly.

peggwn · 07-08-2014, 04:56 PM

Hi, guys.

I hope this is related to jacks; it concerns jack safety as well. Our MH is a 2000 Itasca Suncruiser 32V. It has an HWH touch panel-controlled leveling system. I was working under our MH this week and noticed there is a cross-member between the two front jacks and the two rear jacks. This cross-member was bent about 1/2" upward at about 4" from one jack. The other end near the other jack was bent as well in roughly the same spot. I have come to the conclusion that the previous owners, or their designated repair shop, have used this cross-member as a contact point for a floor jack! The weld on the left front side has partially separated from the jack enclosure as a result. The front of the right side is bent inward from the front and upward (as if it had hit something). Otherwise, there have been no issues as yet with extending or retracting, or holding in place. We have used them once on a long weekend trip and in our drive while I continue to go over the mechanicals.

My question and concern is: Does this seriously compromise the integrity of the jacks themselves; and are they still safe to use until we can get funds together to either repair or replace them?

Thanks, one and all.

ScoobyMike · 07-08-2014, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin_M

I agree. I've raised the front wheels off the ground many times. My jacks will not extend far enough to raise them off the ground more than a few inches, and I cannot imagine why that would do any harm. I would agree that the jacks or the frame cannot really tell the difference.

OTOH, I would not raise the back wheels because that would void the effect of the parking brake, which may result in bending the jacks.

With heavy duty Power Gear Jacks I don't carry ramps and lumber for leveling. It's a pain to use and even more of a pain to store that stuff. I seldom run across a campsite where the jacks cannot make the coach reasonably level.

Excellent reply! Especially the middle paragraph, I never thought of that.

I started carrying leveling blocks for my wheels because I cracked my windshield when my left rear jack was over a punky rotted tree stump. Only the right side lifted, twisting the frame and cracking both windshields. Now I pre-level the best I can using 2x12 blocks before I use the jacks.