Community Forums

Renipladlo · 11-02-2011, 02:35 AM

All - In the Las Vegas Thousand Trails Park, and it's real full. The sights are pointing uphill and downhill, and the upper part of the park the roads are kind of narrow, so big rigs usually are in the lower half of the park, and true to form, I'm assigned a sight which has the back of my coach lower than the front.

So outcome my trusty leveling ramps and I raise the back of the coach on 4 ramps (one ramp for each wheel) and then lower the jacks. Now under my jacks I put my jack pads I purchased, and they are 3/4" thick. The coach never gets level, as "excess slope" warning came on the display. Now I know I'm not off the ground with the rear wheels, so the issue must be the jacks reached the "warning for extend length", place and that is why the warning.

A friend is here, so I borrowed from him extra leveling blocks to put under the jacks, and now I'm level and no warning. I double checked to make sure the wheels are well on the ramps and the coach wont roll. From now on, I want the front wheels lower than the back; it's easier to pull up onto the ramps. But if you get the above warning message when leveling, and you have the wheels on the ground, putting more blocks under the jacks will overcome this problem. I'm no higher here than other sights I have leveled in, it's just the angle of the rear end on the ramps, it allows the jacks to have too much down travel. Hope this makes sense. Alpine does not recommend any wheels hang out in the air; they must be supported so that does not happen.

dgerstel · 11-02-2011, 11:49 AM

Monty,

A few points, I would mention.

The Excess slope warning is for when the coach can't level due to running out of jack length.

I usually try to start with the rear of coach lower than the front, so that there is not too much of a step into the coach. This is only safe is the rear wheels are firmly on the ground.

I would be leery of having the rear wheels on ramps and jacks. The rear wheels are the main source of braking power, to keep the coach from moving.

As long as the coach is only a little out of level, after leveling, I just use at is. In fact if I am in a rainy area, I level with the front lower than the rear, to keep the front slide out draining right.

Renipladlo · 11-02-2011, 11:56 AM

Dale, thank you for your comments. I agree with everything you said. I am thinking about moving from this site and getting one pointing down hill. I checked this morning and I'm firmly on the ramps, but like you don't like the rear wheels up on them. The front on the other hand is not big deal to me. I do have each wheel on one 10K rated ramp, so each wheel is supported.

Algoma · 11-02-2011, 09:15 PM

"Excess slope" comes on before the jacks are fully extended. You can turn off the HWH panel, turn it back on and then use the manual leveling buttons to get a little more height.

Mr_D · 11-02-2011, 09:22 PM

At one campground the sites slope to the back. To level completely I have to put blocks under each tire and then under the rear jacks, plus dump the air to lower the front to the max. The campground was supposed to bring in gravel and level the sites more but didn't do it this year, maybe next year?
As long as the tires are solidly on the blocks there is no problem with them staying in place.

Jeff and Cheryl · 11-03-2011, 12:03 AM

I second what Algoma said.

Renipladlo · 11-03-2011, 02:53 PM

All - I requested to move out of the site I was in, and now i'm in a site which I am low in the front, so I pulled the front wheels up on the ramps and I'm in better shape. I don't like to over extend the jacks, so once the warning came up, I stored them. I think I already have a DS/Front jack seeping as it is, and I don't want it getting any worse.

Renipladlo · 11-04-2011, 12:17 AM

All - as an aside to this story. Today an Avalanche pulled into the park in the same spot I tried first, his rear wheels are off the ground at least 6 inches, although I did not see his jacks, they must be extended over the limit, and I'm waiting for it to collapse and roll into the brick wall at the end of the spot. I have tried to see them, but they have been gone all day. I stopped looking at 8PM tonight. I will try tomorrow and if it's not down, will tell them how it should be done.

I firmly believe the DOT should require a special license to drive an RV, that you need to take at least two days of driving training, and pass a writen and driving test before you are allowed to license one of these rigs. If that were the case, stupid people would not own them, nor drive them, nor possibly hurt other poeple who use the same road as us "trained folks" do. And before you blast me, I was required to take and pass a CDL training class for my work position, pass a driving test, and I logged thousands of miles over the pacific NW driving medium to large diesel trucks, so I know how to safely drive a 40' Motorhome. I can tell you horror stories of poeple who routinely pull into one of these parks, and don't have a clue, and I firmly believe, breathing for some of them is a chore.

Jeff and Cheryl · 11-04-2011, 11:29 AM

Monty,
Training and education will help the uninformed, there is no answer for stupidity or bad judgement.

wa8yxm · 11-04-2011, 03:00 PM

WOW.. I recall when I was in TT Las Vegas and I had no issues at all with leveling.

now the "Hidden Village" I think it was called (It's 2 doors south the other side of the hotel and shares a back fence for half a block with TT) I commented to one camper there "Clean Level Sites" She had a stack of Leggo blocks 14 inches thick under one corner of her trailer.

But I only used my Jacks in TT. Nice park, well located.. A good spot if your towed is dead since the bus stops... Right at the side of the driveway and LV has very good bus service. If you plan on staying there a while check with Main St Casino for your week out.. They used to have an RV park there.. Positive, low cost, (20/night when I was there plus tax) Walking distance to Freemont St. Expierence (2 blocks).
Negatives: Location, not the best, And just over the back fence is a small parking lot (Which used to be part of it I'm told) and the central bus terminal and a Fire or EMS station with sirens going off frequently and that parking lot is UNDER a freeway off ramp (Traffic noise) but an Air conditioner running on HIGH FAN (or HIGH COOL) will block most of it. If you return to your rig at night, on foot a very nice gentelman with radios and other "hardware" will escort you back to your rig, to insure your safe arrival therein.