Community Forums

TomBr · 08-24-2015, 08:00 PM

I have a 1999 gasser with Power Gear Manual Jacks, and am very unskilled in using them. According to the manual I am to run front Jacks down to touch, run rear jacks down to touch, level front to rear and then side to side. Apparently the front jacks are hooked together and the rear jacks operate separately for side to side leveling. Since this does not seem to flex the frame, I presume one front goes up and one down just from being connected together when one rear jack moves for side to side leveling. The other day I felt the front jacks touch down, then ran the rears down until I thought I felt them touch, found I was essentially perfectly level, and stopped. Later I found that one rear jack was touching on a high spot but the other was about an inch off the ground. What should I have done then (I just stuck a piece of tree limb tightly under it and left it)? What advice would you offer to better be able to level quickly and properly? I often have to retract and try a couple of times because the jacks seem to reach their limits.

donhoward49 · 08-25-2015, 06:37 AM

I think you just need more practice. Front down, back down, level left to right, then front to back. then check if they are all touching. If you are taking the front up, then the back up, then the front up, you are overworking it. You dont need to be perfect just livable. I like the tree limb idea, sounds like you can fix anything

Old Bounder · 08-25-2015, 08:34 AM

You will probably have better luck getting level on the first try if you :

First, lower the front jacks until the coach raises about two inches. Don't stop just because the jacks touched the ground. This gives the front a chance to pivot on those jacks when major side-to-side leveling with the rear jacks is necessary.

After the front is raised, you can lower each rear jack, individually, until each touches the ground.

Side-to-side, and front-to-back, leveling can then be done using front or rear buttons.

It's not unusual to have to tweak the process a little.

I use a two inch thick block of wood under each jack to help protect the ground surface and to limit the required jack shaft travel.

carlsojr · 08-26-2015, 12:08 PM

I had similar unfamiliarity-caused problems, then I noticed the many motorhomes with added supports like this:
http://www.irv2.com/attachments/phot...lerSupport.jpg
which is what I then made, using 2x4s. I just cut each piece shorter to wrap around toward the inside, creating a very strong box supporting that corner along the strong axis of the 2x4, so these are 3 1/2 " high. The plain drawer handle eases carrying and adjustment. Painted wood with exterior latex.

donhoward49 & Old Bounder are correct about the need for practice and tweaking. I occasionally have been in a site unlevel enough that I put my old leveler blocks under the wheels on the downhill side or end because I don't want the tires dangling, which Power Gear instructions also say not to do. Especially the rears, because they're where the parking brake is engaged.

TomBr · 09-01-2015, 06:22 PM

Thank you, gentlemen. I think I will make me some blocks. And Practice!

beamisl · 09-05-2015, 09:32 AM

TomBr,

Thanks for asking this question. Newbie on owning a rig and still leaning here.

I have also struggled with getting things level. I have been just letting the front jacks touch and then after I get the only rear one that works down, use scissor jacks on the other side. Lot of movement when getting in and out. I wondered if I was not putting the jacks down far enough and this answered that question.

Will see next time how the adjustment works. Lynne