Wood leveling platform for driveway - incredibly stupid idea or not?

[NITEHAWK]

First I wedged a string end under the rear outside dual. Then I pulled the string taut up front, directly below the front axle, with a string level on the string. I got the bubble centered and then measured from the string (below the front axle) to the ground/driveway surface. That is the height the leveling ramps need to be.
After making the ramps I drove our coach up on them and then rotated our HWH kickdown leveling jacks to the vertical. I then measured the distance from the jack pads and made "spacers" equal to that distance minus 1".
I added the blue paint to indicate wheel center desired location, and wheels to roll the ramps into the garage when turned upside down. The wheels do not touch the driveway when in the load bearing/leveling position. The red paint denotes edges. The white paint on the driveway lets me reposition the ramps and pads precisely after an outing.

The ramps are built with 2x6s standing on edge and bolted together. Same with the jack pads. unbolt either assembly to change the height by using a common table saw with fence.

[stew1]

I use 2 6 by 6 pressure treated glued together cut 1 foot long under mine

[ledzepdad]

Originally Posted by joes2901

I bolted 4x6s together with 1/2" threaded rods to make sturdy blocks with a 12x14" surface for the jack pads. Handles were added to make positioning them and pulling them out easier. One block is 1.5" taller because the driveway is the lowest at the right front wheel. Rubber chocks are used an both sides of the rear wheels to keep the Bay Star in place on the concrete driveway during Calif's earthquakes. I paid an extra for hydraulic jacks and Newmar used the same ones on both the diesel and gas RVs in 2912. The plastic step stool is placed inside and the door locked for months at a time.

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FYI everybody when I was a service adviser for a RV dealership the factory warranty dept told me that you void the warranty when you use the leveling jacks to raise the tires off of the ground. So be on the safe side and never mention that you do that or have any pictures of tires off of the ground wy the jacks

[Rorytug]

Originally Posted by NXR

My 38' 22,000 lb. motorhome sits at about a 2.2 degree nose-down attitude while parked on our concrete driveway, which is uncomfortably close to the 3-degree limit for a Norcold refrigerator. In addition, the slides are not supposed to be moved unless the motorhome is level. Side-to-side is already level.

I can't use the jacks because it lifts the front wheels off the ground. When I added three 1.5" Quality Plastics blocks it reduced the angle to about half. The three blocks gave me 4.5" of lift under the front tires.

I'm thinking about building a step platform out of 2x12's to get a full 9" of height under the front wheels. In theory it should work because the 2x12's are wider than the 9 3/4" Quality Plastics blocks (and wider than the Michelin XRV tires). This should be far more stable because everything will be deck-screwed together rather than plastic blocks sitting on top of each other.

As you all know, sometimes theory does not work in practice...

So I'm asking anyone with a thought on whether this should work or whether I am missing some basic concept that will spell expensive disaster. I figure I will lower the Lippert (Power Gear) jacks until they just touch the ground for some stability. They will almost be at full extension in the front. I always use wheel chocks on the rear tires in addition to the parking brake.

We always would have a second person watching outside to assure we did not drive off the top of the platform. This is the biggest danger I see but this project is kind of like proofreading your own writing; it rarely works out well.

Thanks,

Ray

I use two set if leveling blocks. I use one set under jacks, lift tires off ground, use other set under tires. Lower onto tire blocks, retract jacks. Reverse to drive. Plastic level blocks are light, easy to store. I don’t have picts but would be happy next time I set up.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Rorytug

I use two set if leveling blocks. I use one set under jacks, lift tires off ground, use other set under tires. Lower onto tire blocks, retract jacks. Reverse to drive. Plastic level blocks are light, easy to store. I don’t have picts but would be happy next time I set up.

I do the same with the Quality Plastics blocks but 7.5" is way too many of those blocks, several hundred dollars worth, and they're not as secure vertically.

Ray

[A Traveler]

I have never, ever worried about jacking the front wheels off the ground. And I have never, ever had a problem with that.





There just isn’t any need to run the front wheels up on a bunch of makeshift blocks. That’s why they’re called “jacks.”

[RVPioneer]

I’ve never, ever been robbed at gun point.

I have seen hydraulics and other mechanical components fail. It happens rather suddenly in most cases.

Some manufacturers caution against lifting the wheels off the ground with the jacks or placing anything under the jacks, even on a level surface.

Some people use jack stands.

Here’s an example of the ramp I described previously.

[MrGoodwrench]

Originally Posted by NITEHAWK

First I wedged a string end under the rear outside dual. Then I pulled the string taut up front, directly below the front axle, with a string level on the string. I got the bubble centered and then measured from the string (below the front axle) to the ground/driveway surface. That is the height the leveling ramps need to be.
After making the ramps I drove our coach up on them and then rotated our HWH kickdown leveling jacks to the vertical. I then measured the distance from the jack pads and made "spacers" equal to that distance minus 1".
I added the blue paint to indicate wheel center desired location, and wheels to roll the ramps into the garage when turned upside down. The wheels do not touch the driveway when in the load bearing/leveling position. The red paint denotes edges. The white paint on the driveway lets me reposition the ramps and pads precisely after an outing.

The ramps are built with 2x6s standing on edge and bolted together. Same with the jack pads. unbolt either assembly to change the height by using a common table saw with fence.

Nice, “bullet-proof” and convenient ramps!!! The wheels were an added touch that I would have never considered... The 6’ long ramps that had to lift my coach 15” I mentioned earlier in a post were quite heavy, but I was able to easily carry them around. They stood up in a corner of the garage and only had to be carried 30’ to the front of the coach when we arrived home.

Speaking of ramps, I totally forgot about the ones I made from a solid piece of raw timber I found on a firewood stack at Sequoia NP back in the ‘70’s. The wood was about 16” by 12”, made out of some sort of rough sawn, fairly hard wood, and there were a few 3’ lengths in the stack. Campers had been burning them for their campfires, but I grabbed a couple to take back home. Some quick work with a chain saw and belt sander provided smooth ramps that I carried in a frame on the back bumper of our Class C for several years. They were traded in with the rig when we temporarily quit driving a motor home in the ‘80’s...

[Straykat]

Originally Posted by A Traveler

I have never, ever worried about jacking the front wheels off the ground. And I have never, ever had a problem with that.

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There just isn’t any need to run the front wheels up on a bunch of makeshift blocks. That’s why they’re called “jacks.”

Just my 2 cents. Sorry, your never, ever is in the past, but not guaranteed in the future. Just because a problem hasn't happened to you yet doesn't make it safe.

Russian roulette is a game I choose not to play and advise others the same. If it were a card game I might take the gamble but when life is on the line I will pass. I hope your luck holds.

[Jetskier50]

Originally Posted by peggwn

Question - If the coach is being backed into the high end of the drive and backed in toward the house, and the front is away from the house and is being raised, how does one get the back tires over or past the permanently installed ramps that are permanently installed for the front tires?

Exactly
Someone didn't read original post ,

[Pirate]

Originally Posted by A Traveler

I have never, ever worried about jacking the front wheels off the ground. And I have never, ever had a problem with that.

Attachment 255348

Attachment 255349

There just isn’t any need to run the front wheels up on a bunch of makeshift blocks. That’s why they’re called “jacks.”

I cringe when I see stuff like this. Am I missing the see-through jack-stands? They are LEVEL jacks. I was hoisting a huge I-Beam with my tractor when a hose went out. That beam dropped faster than anyone could have gotten out of the way.

[TomRSmith]

I had almost the same exact needs for ramps for my 24,000 Tiffin Motorhome in our driveway. I have attached the plans for the ramps I built and currently use without issue.

The main drawback is the weight of the finished ramps. Weather treated lumber in 2X12 dimensions is very heavy. That is why I added the wheels and handles to the ramps so they could be moved relatively easily. The chains make grabbing the handles a lot easier.

I secured the boards to each other with multiple galvanized wood screws and attached the handles with lag bolts.

I would strongly suggest using work gloves when moving the ramps around and positioning them against the front tires. I just jam the handle under the front tire and then make sure I align the ramps prior to driving up on them. Also, always have a "spotter" watch from a safe spot to get you centered on the top level of the ramp.

I haven't found any need to add any "none-slip" material to the bottom as the ramps don't slip at all due to their weight and from the weight of the motorhome tires driving up on them. There also isn't a need to bevel the edges on each step as the large Class A tires easily climb up each step.

These have worked great for me... probably a bit of overkill in the design, but I don't have no worries about these supporting the 24,000lb weight.

[NXR]

Nice drawing. So there's no problem with the tire squashing the handle at the entry end? I was concerned that may happen or that a metal handle may damage a tire so I put the handles on the side.

Ray

[RM Art]

Originally Posted by Pirate

I cringe when I see stuff like this. Am I missing the see-through jack-stands? They are LEVEL jacks. I was hoisting a huge I-Beam with my tractor when a hose went out. That beam dropped faster than anyone could have gotten out of the way.

OMG - That way to support any weight is crazy! Failure could be just a blink away...