Community Forums

ernest917 · 05-07-2017, 11:31 AM

I was on grass/loose fill.... Not a single issue....

Bsqrd · 05-07-2017, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernest917

I bought a 4' X 6' X 3/4" barn stall mat and then cut it into 1' squares.... Ended up with 24 squares - kept 12 and gave 12 to a friend.... Having them in these squares makes them easy to store and handle and can stack them under jacks if needed.....

What did you use to cut it up?

ernest917 · 05-07-2017, 12:53 PM

A carper knife and a straight edge.....

Bsqrd · 05-07-2017, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernest917

A carper knife and a straight edge.....

Thanks.

CARLnJANIS · 05-07-2017, 01:21 PM

I used a pressure treated 2 X 12 cut into 8 pieces the same length as the board width. Clamped two pieces together with the grain crossed. Drilled four holes. Countersunk holes on one side of one piece and hammered in t-nuts on one side of the other. Making sure the grain was crosses I used hex head bolts screwed into the t-nuts. I cut a piece of rope and attached to pad with a barb-wire fence staple as a handle. After two years, with all but a few travel days, the wood pads were under the jacks. None of the two 2 x 12's have split. I do have some wood pads made of a single 2 x 12 as measured above that I use for added height. A few of the single pads have split. Crossing the grain strengthens the wood and helps prevent splitting. Spent less than $20 and have a larger footprint to distribute weight and help prevent sinking into ground or asphalt.

ernest917 · 05-07-2017, 04:22 PM

CARLnJANIS...

My question is - how heavy r they????

CARLnJANIS · 05-07-2017, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernest917

CARLnJANIS...

My question is - how heavy r they????

Not very heavy. About 6 to 7 lbs. each. A gallon of milk is a little less than 9 lbs.

SCVJeff · 05-08-2017, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwmaustin

One thing I haven't understood is why we wouldn't keep jack pads attached to the jacks all of the time. Attaching them is something to look into...clips, bolts, etc. but in many cases (size, etc.) I don't see a problem with permanent attachment. That's what the snap pad guys are selling isn't it?

And BTW the DICA pads and others like that seem to something called UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) as I have looked into it. It seems be expensive wherever you look for it but generally is said to be exactly what's needed for a pad.

i use one or two UHMW pads borrowed from a friend each year in Quartzsite. Those things are indestructible, and I guarantee the surfaces we set up on out there would chip up if not completely break or release a Snap Pad. Nice idea but it won't work on the rocky ground we're on out there.

Given the above info I'll probably buy my own pads now

veraken · 05-08-2017, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bsqrd

What did you use to cut it up?

For those interested, here is a video showing how to make the barn mat jack stands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c2nFUeD6nA

Waiter21 · 05-08-2017, 07:50 AM

I made four pads, cost about $2 each.

I bought 2 each, 8 ft long pressure treated 2x6 wood. Cut to 12 inches, I then screwed four pieces together to make one 12x12 pad. Drilled a small hole in each pad. I cut 4 pieces of nylon cord, 2 ft long, and looped it through the hole The cord forms a loop about a ft long.

I shove the pads under any of the jacks that need them. When its time to leave, I retract the jacks, then reach under with my awning hook, snag the nylon loop and pull the pad out.

ALSO - The pads can be used for other purposes,

* Placing under a hyd jack to change a tire.
* Stack them up to put my breaker bar on to bust lug nuts loose
* Stack them up to use as a safety stand if I'm working on a wheel.
* Wheel chocks
* put two of them side by side to get a little elevated step.
* Stack all four of them, makes a neat little table outside for drinks.
* Worst comes to worst, I can burn them.

DaSvenska · 06-13-2017, 07:53 PM

I carry wooden blocks in my 40' DP for when on the road, I am building a RV Garage now that will have a slab. Looking for a set to leave in the garage for when not on the road. I like the OFL product as it looked like it will distribute the weight a little more outward. Guess I will keep looking at this thread.

jwmaustin · 06-14-2017, 04:53 AM

I followed up someone's idea and tried a piece of Corian. Those seem to work well! I thought they'd be too brittle and would break but they seem to be ok.....who knew.

soonerdave · 06-14-2017, 05:08 AM

I purchased a set of Snap Pads and have since been wondering why someone didn't come up with these sooner! I have carried various pads over the years, 2x12, plywood, leggo blocks, etc, I always hated having to use them, especially when it was raining.

Since the Snap Pads are attached all the time I now just put the jacks down and done. The Pads add 62% more area to the jack foot so even on soft areas I won't have a problem.

Many newer, and some older campgrounds require pads under jacks now to prevent damage to the parking surface, I won't have to worry about having pads anymore.

Snap Pads originally only came in one size, I understand they have two sizes now. One thing I like about their product is they are made from recycled tires. Took less than ten minutes to install with a helper running the jacks. Great product!