Community Forums

dmctlc · 06-11-2017, 05:23 AM

Being only several months in the Class A still finding lots of questions especially as I wind down from my first camping trip. All the years with my TT I kept blocks of wood to place under my scissor jacks to help on level ground and to provide support when on dirt or grass. Not a great deal of weight sat on them for the most part compared to a MH but now I'm wondering do I need to add plates or blocks for my MH to my arsenal of things to keep with it when traveling? Lot more weight as well as pressure and I would think wood unless really built up would break. Discussed it with my son, the mechanic and I was going to have him weld me some handles on aluminum plates similar to what we use our quint/ladder truck on the Fire Dept. I'm on, for the stabilizers when deployed but start wondering if it's really needed and if so how thick should the plates be...1/4', 3/8", etc.. My rig is the 31L5 Georgetown, weighs in probably around 9 1/2 - 10 tons loaded for camping though that's another step I need to take is get this weighed. Looking for inputs from the experts and more experience folks,
Thxs

pghbob · 06-11-2017, 05:34 AM

depending on the terrain we use heavy duty (thick rubber) leveler pads and/or a piece of 2 X 12 pressure treated wood. Been thinking of installing those permanent pads, but they seem a little pricey to me.

Ramblingpair · 06-11-2017, 05:38 AM

Snap Pad has been a great product for us in our Class A. We have the Snap Pad prime as our coach has the power gear levelers. Once installed, they stay on permanently and never come off. If I remember correctly, they gave us over 300% more surface area contact per foot pad. Hope this helps!

hdzcar · 06-11-2017, 05:39 AM

I use 2" x 12" pressure treated pine blocks that I cut and haven't had one break in the 4yrs I've used them on all kinds of surfaces. I also put a 45 degree cut on both ends so they can easily be used to raise up the tires if needed for leveling.

Sharpspurs · 06-11-2017, 05:49 AM

Congratulations on the new rig! I'm sure you will find lots of feedback on this question. My previous rig was a 37 ft DP with jacks. I cut a 2x12 into one foot sections and screwed two together with grain going opposite directions creating a 4x12x12 pad. I pinched a loop of rope in between for a handle.
Worked perfectly.
Some campgrounds require pads on blacktop. There are a few really cool commercial products out there, lighter and more compact, but these worked for me. I only needed to use them 10 percent of the time. Most of the time the jacks were fine without pads.

vettenuts · 06-11-2017, 06:10 AM

I use the Utility Blocks that were in a video by the RVGeeks. They are stackable, are tapered so you can drive on them and are lightweight. I use them every time I use the jacks. Some of the higher end RV Resorts require pads dues to colored stamped concrete and I am not sure they would allow a metal plate. You can check them out in the RVGeeks video.

hohenwald48 · 06-11-2017, 07:42 AM

For me, a few PT wood 2x10s work just fine and they are cheap. I actually picked mine up for free out of a construction site dumpster. As stated, they are required at some locations but they usually have "loaners" if you aren't carrying any.

pghbob · 06-11-2017, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdzcar

I use 2" x 12" pressure treated pine blocks that I cut and haven't had one break in the 4yrs I've used them on all kinds of surfaces. I also put a 45 degree cut on both ends so they can easily be used to raise up the tires if needed for leveling.

thanks and I love the idea about cutting at the 45 degree angle

1doodadd · 06-11-2017, 08:13 AM

RV Jack Pads | Camper Jack Pads - DICA This is what I use on my 2000 Beaver Marquis. I have worked in the Construction Industry for 30 plus years and use a similar type jack pad on 35 - 40 ton all terrain Cranes. Work well in All types of material, Dirt, Gravel, Concrete, Asphalt, Etc.

Waiter21 · 06-11-2017, 08:33 AM

I bought two 8 ft lengths of pressure treated 2x6. I then cut these to 1 ft lengths. I use four boards per pad, two on the bottom, 2 on the top turned 90 degrees with deck screws holding them together.

Drill a small hole in each of the pads and run an piece of nylon cord looped through the hole.

These provide a 1 sq foot pad, when I get ready to leave, I retract the jacks and reach under their with my awning rod and pull them out by the cord.

Sharpspurs · 06-11-2017, 08:37 AM

This is one of those areas where you can create a economical product (2x12) or pay $$ for high tech solutions. Expensive ones are lighter and more compact. Even though they are cool $30 to $50 seems high to me.

Roger G · 06-11-2017, 08:40 AM

I had a jack pad punch through a asphalt parking lot one time and it took some work to get it back up through the hole so I always use wood blocks under each pad. Mine are three pieces of plywood screwed together with a rope handle, I took a collapsible handle from an old broom and epoxied a hook in the end so I can extend it and reach under the coach and grab the rope without kneeling down. My pads are exactly the size of a milk crate which is their holder when in storage bay. I keep two 10 packs of the interlocking plastic blocks to run the wheels up on if needed but they don't hold up under the Jack pads.

bargeman · 06-11-2017, 08:42 AM

I bought (2) 10-packs of Lynx levelers for my first MH, a class C without leveling system... worked great...

Now in a 35 class A ... still use them as foot pads..: and 5" per jack saves on ram stroke extension...

bargeman · 06-11-2017, 08:45 AM

Only problem I ever had with them was leaving upstate New York in late December... they were frozen into the ice... I could still carry out 16 of them and leave the bottom 4 if I'd wanted...
DW was handy with a pitcher of hot water!!!