Community Forums

"007" · 10-22-2011, 01:15 PM

Evidently these RVers have never visited irv2 or are members of irv2 at least I hope there not.
Sad situations and if you corrected them they would probably say no sweat I do it all the time.

GOLDWINGER2 · 10-22-2011, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRT

Yikes, I wouldn't set foot in an RV that was leveled like the ones in the images.

........and he lives in EARTHQUAKE country!

J

rpasetto · 10-22-2011, 01:31 PM

Well done, Wayne M! I can only ad one thing: never have any wheels off the ground, even the fronts. In addition to parking brake issues, suspension components can be overstressed. Shocks for example aren't designed to hold the weight of the axle off the ground, bushings will become distorted over any significant amount of "hang" time.

96 Wideglide · 10-22-2011, 01:43 PM

I raise mine completely off the ground when I'm changing tires, but thats on level ground.
I dont think my leaf springs will allow the shocks to fully extend.

rpasetto · 10-22-2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide

I raise mine completely off the ground when I'm changing tires, but thats on level ground.
I dont think my leaf springs will allow the shocks to fully extend.

Tires off ground for a short time may not be a problem. I was talking about keeping tires off ground for days while camping. Just as long as you keep in mind that the brakes aren't holding you when changing a tire ... but I think you know that.

Long Island Mac · 10-22-2011, 06:58 PM

This brings up a question I had on my first MH trip a few years ago. After leveling, another RV'r asked if I needed a few blocks to put under the front jacks. Looked O.K. to me, but I asked why. Said that my jacks looked almost fully extended, and that I should put some blocks under them. Left well enough alone, but now carry blocks. Front tires were still on the ground. ???

96 Wideglide · 10-22-2011, 07:33 PM

Depends on the surface for me. Anything my jacks can dig into, and draw dirt up into the seals when I retract them, I put my blocks down.
If it's hot where you are, may want to use your blocks on asphalt.
If your wheels were still on the ground, your jacks probably were'nt fully extended, and I dont believe there's anything wrong with running them up to the top anyway.

Midniteoyl · 10-22-2011, 08:05 PM

Whomever mounted my jacks made it so at least 3.5" of blocking is required just to touch the ground..

96 Wideglide · 10-22-2011, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midniteoyl

Whomever mounted my jacks made it so at least 3.5" of blocking is required just to touch the ground..

Realy

Wayne M · 10-22-2011, 08:52 PM

The recommended jack pad is a 3/4" piece of plywood, 12" square.

Manufacturers have now come out with a plastic jack pad. One side is hexagonal and the other side flat. Flat side down on grass or dirt, and hexagonal down on asphalt or cement. I top that with the 12" piece of 3/4" plywood.

DW stands outside and I ask her to let me know if any wheel comes off the ground. If it does, I put my ramps down.

One also has to consider where they are parked. Right now I'm testing my jack system for a problem. So while it is in storage I have my jacks down. (There are other threads about jacks up/down during storage and I'm not trying to raise that issue here) While the jacks are down in storage I have my square pads under the jack pads. Why? Because I have seen leaks from other units that travel along the cement and could puddle around the jack pads. Those same leaks could puddle around tires. So even if it is a cement surface, some type of barrier that raises the tires a few inches is a way to go. Asphalt can suck the life out of a tire.

Back to the OP, ya'll have given some good reasons also as to why not to level the way the pictures are depicting. I hope we don't run MoHo off.

And MoHo, please just take all of these posts as an educational exercise, and please ask any questions that you want to regarding the RV lifestyle and maintenance issues.

Happy trails.

sdennislee · 10-22-2011, 10:44 PM

I built my pads from 3/4" pressure treated plywood 12" square and recently added 3/8" non conducting material (plastic). The plastic is on the ground side to isolate my metal jacks from any form of electrical ground strike. Probably overkill but better safe than sorry. Damp wood can conduct electricity.

OP, I agree with Wayne, please don't take any of our comments as anything other than educational. We all have much to learn from each other.

w6pea · 10-22-2011, 11:30 PM

Wow.

I think the term "Run Forrest Run" is in order here.

If We Can't Haul It....You Don't It ! Motor-T

IC2 · 10-23-2011, 05:28 AM

As we have 'visited' campgrounds all over the US, it's amazing what folks do to level their TT/MH.

Among the worst things folks do is to use a common 8" concrete block. Those are an accident just waiting to happen to life, limb and your $$ home away from home. While they are great for building a foundation when used with hundreds of others, by their lonesome, just do not have much strength.

I am amazed to see some, especially the larger MH owners, pull in, extend their jacks, often raising the wheels off of the ground - and they are done. No blocking, nothing to prevent the end of the jack from sinking in the ground.

As the avatar shows, we have a 5er (and have had one as early as 1977). Many folks know that they 'wiggle' when there aren't enough ground support points or the jacks are extended too far. We carry at least 8 pieces of 4"x4"x2 feet for the front landing gear which I crib up. Then for the rear jacks there are at least another 6-8 pieces of 2x6 or 2x8. For leveling, even more 2x8's along with two sets of the yellow interlocking blocks.

mrschwarz · 10-23-2011, 06:24 AM

I have auto leveling on my coach. When I store it behind my house, the refrigerator is almost always on so I always level it. The auto level lifts one of the rear wheels about an inch off the ground. With spring brakes, the other rear wheel keeps the coach from moving. Should I be doing something different?

In the last to motor homes I have owned, when the site isn't level, sometimes the front wheels are off the ground. Sometimes by a lot! One rear wheel may be up, but never both. Back when I was new at this, I didn't know that was bad and rolled my first one off the rear jacks. Fortunately there was no damage or injury. The first motor home had a drive shaft parking brake so one rear wheel off the ground meant no parking brake.

I have read the manual and couldn't find anywhere that said no wheels should be off the ground. I may have to go back and reread it.