Community Forums

jd956jd956 · 12-03-2016, 12:42 PM

Greetings - My last coach had higher ground clearance (1997 Spartan Mountain Master) compared to my new tag axle Freightliner SL Chassis. I just cannot seem to get it high enough using its hydraulic jack stands (and afterward supported).

Has anyone every put wood under their hydraulic jacks then raised their coach high enough to then be able to place layers of 2" x12" boards under the tires in order to get more ground clearance? I currently rent a storage stall, but if I ever build one, I think I would include a pit! Wish there was a place to rent a pit by the hour!

My stall is 50 feet in depth, so do not believe I have enough room for home-made wooden drive-on ramps as think they would have to be quite long so as to have the necessary gradual incline. Suggestions appreciated! Thank you, Jeff...

c92vette · 12-03-2016, 03:54 PM

Is it possible to move your coach forward enough to place wood ramps behind the tires and back up onto it? Placing wood under the jacks and then under the tires will work fine. Just watch the roof to be sure you don't get to high and damage anything on top. When I need to level my coach out in the street (I live on a dead end so no traffic issues) I back the front tires up on wood plates (12"x 24"x 1" staggered) to get it level. I go up 3" and it only takes 24" of travel to get there. I never work under the coach while it is off the ground with the leveling jacks. There is no safety on these jacks to prevent inadvertent retraction. I have jacked aircraft of 250k lbs and less but those jacks have a mechanical stop to prevent it from settling. By all means be safe and take no chances putting the coach up in the air.

"007" · 12-03-2016, 04:00 PM

You need some type of pit, if you lift with jacks to put blocks under wheels you could possibly cause jacks to fall forward and collapses your jack system.
You could raise chassis to place stationary jacks under frame set on plywood boards to get clearance under chassis frame and not cause chassis frame falling on top of you.
We have had others dig a trench to run new heater tubing or other work under DP chassis.
Sorry to say we also had one member have a crushing accident some time back.

vsheetz · 12-03-2016, 05:09 PM

A service pit that could be rented by the hour. A great idea. We have a local auto repair hobby shop where you can rent space, tools, etc. But nothing like a pit or capability to handle large vehicles.

FleetMan · 12-03-2016, 09:41 PM

If you have the overhead clearance when driving into your stall, you should be able to use home made drive on ramps. My ramps are made from 2x12's, four high for a total height of six inches. Planks are 36", 30", 24" and 18" with a stop block at the end. Drive on edges are cut at a 45 degree angle to make the "climb" smoother. Pull into your stall to determine exactly where you want to be after you are up on the ramps. Back up exactly three feet, place a ramp in front of each tire so they touch and are properly positioned so you will have full tire contact when parked. Have a spotter help watch as you pull up onto the ramps. One foot on the throttle, one foot on the ready on the brake and power it on up. That works for me, should work for you too.

If you can find my pictures in the photo section of this forum, you can see my rear tire up on the ramp with the cribbing I place under the jacks for long term storage.

stinespool · 12-03-2016, 10:04 PM

I pull our's up the driveway with the back hanging over the incline. Worked pretty good!

gatorcq · 12-04-2016, 06:08 AM

Example of Hydraulic reliability:
Look as small airports with hangers.
All the hangers use hydraulic cylinders to open and raise a door 30 Ft tall and 20 to 40 ft wide. There is no safety latch.

Planes are parked right underneath the door.
If you have personally seen or read in a reliable newspaper of a leveling system collapse please post it.

I use blocks (12x12x4) under my jacks and the blue or yellow square blocks under the tires for many years.

cruizerEd · 12-04-2016, 07:01 AM

I have 4x6 bolted together that I uses as jack pads. I have stacked them two high one time to raise the front of the coach. It worked but you must put the coach frame down on jack stands and it comes down way to hard for my taste.

Scottybdivin · 12-04-2016, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinespool

I pull our's up the driveway with the back hanging over the incline. Worked pretty good!

Same for me. I also put the jacks down just for safety. I don't like crawing under my rig with just the air bags.

palehorse89 · 12-04-2016, 07:51 AM

I use large hardwood blocks that fit under the "Retracted Jack's" (Suspension at ride height/blocking tight to jack pad's) and the raise the Coach up for ease of maintenance.........if the jack's were to fail, the chassis can only come back down to the the aired up ride height..........and have plenty of height to get out.

ga traveler · 12-04-2016, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatorcq

Example of Hydraulic reliability:
Look as small airports with hangers.
All the hangers use hydraulic cylinders to open and raise a door 30 Ft tall and 20 to 40 ft wide. There is no safety latch.

Planes are parked right underneath the door.
If you have personally seen or read in a reliable newspaper of a leveling system collapse please post it.

I use blocks (12x12x4) under my jacks and the blue or yellow square blocks under the tires for many years.

I am not one of the "sky is falling" types. We move around in the motorhome while driving, We run with propane on, We drive with the refrigerator on gas, etc. However I never, never work under the coach while "only" supported by leveling jacks. I had two jack failures in the fifteen years as a service manager. While the solenoid shutoff is almost fail proof,
there is over a hundred feet of hose that is subject to end fitting failure or hose wearing on a metal surface and bursting. The coach will come down much faster than most people think. Advising someone to work under a motorhome while only supported by leveling jacks is VERY BAD advice.

johnhicks · 12-04-2016, 09:34 AM

A couple of years ago one of my HWH hoses blew and that corner came down instantly. A person under there would have been dead.

The cause was that a frame member wore a hole in the hose.

ladagobago · 12-04-2016, 04:13 PM

get some jack stands. even if they are from harbor freight. set them up under the frame after you use the levelers to lift the MH and then lower the frame on to the jack stands. Cheap investment. NEVER trust air bags or hydraulics to save your life. Dead is Dead.

wa8yxm · 12-04-2016, 05:05 PM

I agree with the safety post. NEVER trust a hydraulic jack or air bag ALWAYS use some solid support. now on my gasser. Tires on the ground, jacks raised the only places I can slip under are the axles... and I'm over 300 pounds.

I have it on jack stands just now cause the hydraulics don't lift any more (Got to get that fixed next spring I hope) So I level with blocks, then pick it up with a portable hydrauic and stabilize by use of solid jack stands.. Survived a Himicane I did (Engine blown so could not move, That too gets fixed next year only BEFORE spring).

Oh my blocks I cut 2x12 to 3,2,1 foot length and then stacked them

1"
2 Feet
And the full 3 feet

Glue on the bottom of the 1 and 2 foot sections and then parked either my car or the motor home on the top pad for overnight to let the wood glue dry, all painted and sealed.. They work great, Just drive to the height needed.

I need to put a stop on the "Tall" end however,, have not gotten to that yet.