Wood under Hyd. Jacks?

[Dan DeBruin]

I remember one of the first times out with the new to us class A. Were at Sampson State Park in Upstate NY. Beautiful fall dog show, did not have a camp site. Parked in the grass. Seemed solid, dry, not problem. Three days later, time to go home on Sunday evening. Push "store" button that always worked before. Front two jacks would not store. During the weekend, they had settled to about 6-8 inches below the surface and wanted to stay there. I spent a few hours digging around the pads, then using a long board to get them started. Was brand new with my MH and lucky to get them out with nothing more than damaged pride. Next weekend I made my pads and always use them except on concrete pads.

[Luckiest Dreamer]

I screwed and glued three 18" square 3/4" green treated plywood squares and made 4 pads. They work well when we are on grass. I also will use them on occasion when one side of the coach needs to be at a different level than the other and will drive on them. I will also stack them to extend the need for the jack to level beyond it's normal travel. Having them available as well as a dozen 12" long pieces of 2x8" will usually handle any situation I find myself in.

[wa8yxm]

I use jack pads if the ground is soft or if there is a danger of the ground freezing while the pads are down.. (Ground may be dirt, gravel, cement, asphalt other surface)

Why if there is danger of freezing... I've had a jack pad stick to frozen dirt,, Major pain in the operating system to get it up. (Success was mine, so are some fairly heavy convincers). Witih the pad the moisture and the jack do not meet and thus the jack comes up.

Pull off and a gentle tap with the 8 pounder and the pad pops off the frozen dirt easily.

[Max Hubrich]

IMHO-
You should always have an insulating buffer between the ground and your jacks-period! This is the route any lightening strike will take, and in the process you can have serious damage without an insulated RV. Ask "Driver" aka Mike Pelchat- he hangs around the Workhorse Chassis forum.

Over the years, I have made all kinds of insulating pads. The best I ever had, which I now use, is 4"x4" treated pieces of wood, about 20-24 inches long. I also feel the rig is more stable with the jacks not being extended near their maximum travel length.

I leave my jacks down for 5-6 months at a time. No "leakdowns" at all.

Good luck,

[TerryO]

Originally Posted by Max Hubrich

IMHO-
You should always have an insulating buffer between the ground and your jacks-period! This is the route any lightening strike will take, and in the process you can have serious damage without an insulated RV. Ask "Driver" aka Mike Pelchat- he hangs around the Workhorse Chassis forum.

Over the years, I have made all kinds of insulating pads. The best I ever had, which I now use, is 4"x4" treated pieces of wood, about 20-24 inches long. I also feel the rig is more stable with the jacks not being extended near their maximum travel length.

I leave my jacks down for 5-6 months at a time. No "leakdowns" at all.

Good luck,

I understand the theory about insulating against a lightning strike but I think that's kind of been abandoned. The same thinking about your tires insulating you in a car from lightning. If that voltage was able to jump a mile or better thru air why can't it jump 3 1/2" thru or around a 4x4? Myth busters did a segment on it awhile back.

[HD4Mark]

Originally Posted by TerryO

I understand the theory about insulating against a lightning strike but I think that's kind of been abandoned. The same thinking about your tires insulating you in a car from lightning. If that voltage was able to jump a mile or better thru air why can't it jump 3 1/2" thru or around a 4x4? Myth busters did a segment on it awhile back.

I'm no expert but the difference might be that your MH may be connected to shore power providing another path to ground either coming from the pedestal to the earth or vice versa. A surge guard is a good investment. That said we use scrap lumber courtesy of a friend that is a carpenter and Lynx levelers when needed. The lumber breaks eventually but he provides an almost never ending supply.

[Max Hubrich]

Again, IMHO- I'm not an electrical wiz--

I've flown airplanes most of my life, both military and civilian- more than 50 years.

I've flown above, next to, and also directly through thunderstorms (not by choice). When turbine engines are turning 30,000 + RPM's and you take a "strike" you thank the aircraft mfg's for these little hummers-

Aircraft static wick eliminaters,



I understand the term "Static".
But when you have a strike in an airplane the discharge will come out the wings, wing tips, the top of the vertical stablizer, wing roots, etc, and these static wicks. The big fear is, the moment of the strike, is that the engine oil in the bearings (30,000+rpm's) is vaporized and you have just sustained major engine damage. The flash in the cockpit gets your attention enough- You immediately look at your engine instruments and check out your radio's and other avionic equipment.
These static wicks are a "go, no go" decision maker on your pre-flight inspection. Every little thing helps. All aircraft "inflight strikes" require an inspection upon landing and an signed aircraft release by a certified repair station or a mechanic before the aircraft can fly again. I will say, I've also had inflight strikes and didn't even know it (daytime). A mechanic noticed some small burn holes in a wing tip after landing.
A similiar argument is given for "Lighting rods" on structures- do you need them or not?

When I see storm front's coming through my area, I do immediately disconnect shore power from the "pole" and "dry camp". I have even retracted the jacks on occasion if the forecast is really bad.

I know another fellow RV'er that had one during "Katrina" while dry camped with his jacks down and no insulators. He needed a new Converter/inverter (HR DP), new fridge, TV's, etc.

Why give lighting an unimpeded "direct course" to ground?

Good luck,

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by Max Hubrich

IMHO-
You should always have an insulating buffer between the ground and your jacks-period! This is the route any lightening strike will take, and in the process you can have serious damage without an insulated RV. Ask "Driver" aka Mike Pelchat- he hangs around the Workhorse Chassis forum.

Let's see. A lightening bolt has traveled through miles of air to reach the ground (Actually it goes the other way as I seem to recall) and you think a couple inches of wood will slow it down.

I don't know where you went to school.. but I suggest you go back and study physics.

[Max Hubrich]

I also said IMHO (in my humble opinion)-

Your certainly welcome to yours--

This little note comes from the folks that installed my EMS (Progressive)-



I also like the weight spread the 4x4's give on wet, soggy ground or loose (gravel). Some RV campgrounts won't let you use jacks on asphalt because of summer temps causing softening of the material.

[wa8yxm]

In this (Weight and asphalt) we do agree.

In the campground I'm parked in just now some bright accountant type got the idea to PAVE some of the sites with ashphalt. Many of those blacktop sites have nice big holes in them where some good size Class A dropped his or her jacks and they punched through.

I do have jack pads for those occasions.

I was on one site (These are paved with millings, millings are what you get when they chew up an ashphalt road) and I pushed a 4x4 2 foot long right down into the stuff. That was under the wheels though, My jacks are not pushing as hard as they should.. They are on my "Repair" list.. Not sure when but hopefully early next year. (Summer more than likely)

[RonNBama]

Originally Posted by vsheetz

Never ran into this. What is the reason for no plastic?

Not sure what that means but we had some of the stackable plastic squares. First time I put a jack down on then they crushed like a soda can.

[Sutler]

Originally Posted by vsheetz

Never ran into this. What is the reason for no plastic?

Kind of curious myself about this .

[WH347]

I have six 2x10 squares for this purpose. Use them for everything except concrete. I am using them for winter storage over gravel so that the jack plates wont try to freeze to the ground.