Community Forums

IamGadget · 04-29-2010, 07:39 PM

i am working 6 mos in a campground. no concrete pad. i am parked on soil. what should i get to put under my tires and the leveling jacks? for my 38ft Newmar Dutch Star....thank you

Clonetrooper · 04-29-2010, 08:03 PM

I have my 38' Discovery DP in my large backyard and put down large preformed concrete squares then backed onto them. Your Dutch Star might be a little heavier but this worked ok. Six pads total, 1 for each tire. Have not put jacks on pads yet but I will. Pads are like 2' x 2' x 2" thick. Not sure where I got them, Home Depot maybe. Plan on concrete pad as soon as I get caught up on do list.

IamGadget · 04-30-2010, 05:04 AM

thanks..something to consdider. if i should go concrete squares i would need 10. since they are heavy and bulky i would leave them when i left after the 6 mos. the campground said they might have 2x6 or 2x8 boards they can give me and that might work. i am new to all of this and i think i am supposed to take the motorhome for a ride once a month and the boards or plastic squares ( hold 40,000 lbs) might be easier since the plastics are light and easy to slide around to get the uunder the jacks and tires and compact and can take them with me. the boards are long andid they will take the weight might work too. there are several kinds of the plastic type and do notknow which of them are any good or bad. thanks again

JoeandMarcia · 04-30-2010, 05:39 AM

You are right about moving the rig around, sitting for long periods of time allows all the oils to drain to the lowest places letting the upper parts get dry.

Putting wood down on the ground allows for rot (of the wood) and bugs to make a home so I would use pressure treated wood, plastic, concrete, or stone. I would also use a bug spray of some type.

Where you are could be an important factor in deciding what to use also.

bdaball · 04-30-2010, 05:51 AM

Home Depot would cut a 2 x 10 into short pieces for you at no charge. (standard kiln dried-not pressure treated) One 10' would make 10 pieces. One for each wheel and one for each jack. Then leave them behind as kindlin wood for the next workamper! Pretty cheap and you saved a tree.

dsbike · 05-02-2010, 08:07 AM

I used pressure treated 2x6x2'L, I cut a bevel on one end to assist driving up on them. My Class A weighs 21,000lbs.

Spraying for bugs is a good idea also. My wife is alergic to ants, if she gets bit she swells up like a balloon. I always spray the area we are parked at even if we are on a concrete pad I will spray the surrounding area.

GaryKD · 05-02-2010, 10:12 AM

Hi IamGadget,
I'm glad to see you made it to your summer home. Consider the following:
1. Go to Wal-Mart and get some plastic cutting boards (thin plastic). Put them under your tires. They are light, easy to store and are inert. Plastic is what I use.
2. Do not move the coach once a month. To do this properly, you'll need to get the coach up to highway speeds for 30 minutes or more. There is no need to do this. Make sure your fuel tank is full. For peace of mind, put some chemicals in the tank to reduce the chance of mold/mildew.
3. Do run the generator one hour once a month. When running the generator make sure you give it a good workout. Have the A/C, HWH and any other high draw appliances on. When the hour is up, turn off the appliance and let the generator idle with a light load for about 5 minutes maximum.
4. For the jacks, you really don't need to do anything. If you do want to put something under the jacks, I use 2 2X10X15" screwed together for each jack. I drilled a hole in the end of each and tied a clothes line. This is for easy extraction.
4a. When it comes time to retract the jacks, consider spraying Solder/Seal Lubricating/Penetrating oil on the jack cylinders. Do not wipe the cylinders, just spray the penetrating oil and retract the jacks.