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Triatik · 03-27-2014, 04:12 PM

Will be bringing home our 33 foot class A and need to park it next to our garage.

The asphalt is maybe 3 inches on crushed stone. I read on another thread to put 3/4 inch plywood under the tires. Should I also lower the leveling jacks and put plywood under them too? Just to take some of the load off the tires. As always your suggestions are warmly welcomed.

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jamesrxx951 · 03-27-2014, 04:16 PM

I would try and spread the load of the tires over a broader area. The plywood would likely be helpful. Warm asphalt will definitely allow the tires to sink in. I am not a big fan of letting the jacks down and holding the weight over long periods of time. Hydraulics are pretty robust but it seems like a lot of pressure on the seals.

FlyingDiver · 03-27-2014, 04:19 PM

I would use heavy plywood or even 2x12s to spread out the load.

Don't worry about leaving the jacks down. We're fulltimers with a 50,000+ lb coach, and we leave the jacks down for months at a time. We've been parked in the same spot right now since the first week of November, and won't move the coach again for another 5 or 6 weeks.

jamesrxx951 · 03-27-2014, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingDiver

I would use heavy plywood or even 2x12s to spread out the load.

Don't worry about leaving the jacks down. We're fulltimers with a 50,000+ lb coach, and we leave the jacks down for months at a time. We've been parked in the same spot right now since the first week of November, and won't move the coach again for another 5 or 6 weeks.

Are your jacks electric or hydraulic? Most of the diesel pusher motorhomes I have seen used electric leveling jacks.

FlyingDiver · 03-27-2014, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesrxx951

Are your jacks electric or hydraulic? Most of the diesel pusher motorhomes I have seen used electric leveling jacks.

Really? Maybe the smaller ones. The big ones like ours mostly all use the HWH hydraulic ones.

jamesrxx951 · 03-27-2014, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingDiver

Really? Maybe the smaller ones. The big ones like ours mostly all use the HWH hydraulic ones.

They are in the 40' range. But as your comment describes, not all use hydraulic levelers.

FlyingDiver · 03-27-2014, 04:54 PM

I just checked - Newmar, Entegra, Tiffin, and American Coach all provide hydraulic levelers on their biggest coaches. I don't know of any units in the 45' range that use electric. Probably no-one makes electrics strong enough for 25 ton units. I added the comment you highlighted because I hadn't specifically checked the manufacturers websites.

Prevost and Newell don't provide any jacks at all, they use the air suspension only.

IOW, long term deployment of hydraulic jacks in a non-issue.

Tom3205 · 03-27-2014, 05:31 PM

Put two by two foot. , 3/4 inch plywood under front tires. Four by four foot under rear, to spread the weight. Putting 2x12 pcs wiil just make 2x12 dents in the blacktop.

FlyingDiver · 03-27-2014, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom3205

Put two by two foot. , 3/4 inch plywood under front tires. Four by four foot under rear, to spread the weight. Putting 2x12 pcs wiil just make 2x12 dents in the blacktop.

Yeah, probably true. I was thinking about maybe running them cross ways, but big squares are better. If it was my (really heavy) coach I'd probably use 1" plywood. Or a couple layers.

HerbZilla · 03-27-2014, 08:16 PM

I leave my hydraulic jacks down also. I usually go about once a month and wipe the rams with a rag with some wd-40 to keep them lubed and clean. This way when you retract them you don't get any surface dirt into the seals and you can make sure that the rams are not pitting.

Triatik · 03-27-2014, 08:35 PM

Thanks guys for the comments. I will get some wood tomorrow so I am ready when we bring her home on Sunday.

FIRE UP · 03-27-2014, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triatik

Thanks guys for the comments. I will get some wood tomorrow so I am ready when we bring her home on Sunday.

Triatik,
I don't know how thick your asphalt is but, unless it's fairly thin, some ply wood would suffice easily. Now, here's another option/idea. There is plywood out there that's both 1" and, 1 1/4" inches thick. It's used for decking and flooring in certain applications. It's great stuff and seriously strong. Normally, it's sold as a "tongue and groove" application. That is, it's got a tongue on one side and a groove on the other. But, this means nothing to you.

But, if you were to procure one sheet of this stuff, and, cut it in the desired size to accommodate the duals and, some for the front, and, put a nice coating of urethane or so on them prior to using them, they'd last for decades. And, with the one sheet, you could cut them to any size larger than the dual or single foot print to spread out the weight more. I've used this stuff in multiple applications and, it's phenomenally better than any 3/4" plywood.

And, you'd be smart to apply your jacks to accommodate SOME of the weight of the coach. You don't want to suspend the tires, just take some weight off of them. And, don't worry about leaving the jack rams exposed to the weather. Unless you live in the middle of ocean waves, you're not going to corrode/rust them any time soon and/or, if at all. Especially if you simply wipe on some ATF every now and then.

This way, you protect your driveway, your tires, and, your jacks all at the same time. And, if you want to get fancy, you can cut some "jack pads" out of the same sheet and really spread the weight out. Good luck on whatever you do.
Scott

wa8yxm · 03-28-2014, 07:39 AM

The major problem with ashphalt is that it gets soft when it gets hot. Some bright corporate penny pincher figured it was cheaper to pave the sites with Ashphalt than Concrete wher eI'm parked, The result.. Several jack-pad holes in the ashphalt where someone's levelers punched right on through.

As for myself, never had that problem, Jacks do not work that well and wheels never punched though (Well not MY wheels, but I do have a story about another poor guy)

One thing I did just do that may help you.. (Actually I'm in the process of doign it).. I just picked up 10 feet of 2x12.. Cut it into 1 foot lengths (had lumber yard do first cut so it would fit in my little car) If you put down jacks you migh want to put one of these blocks under them.

On wheels.. I'd build a stair step out of 1 by at least the width of the tire (Trailer) 2 steps and back onto the higher step, also put a 2x12 under the front jacks.

on a motor home I'd use 2x at least width of tires under all tires. at least a foot long,, perhaps longer.. Spread the load.

Due to malfunctioning levelling jacks and one broken

I have a set of four stair steps, 2 are 3 step 2 are two steps done as below

.=Top
.Middle step
Bottom step is 3 feet long

Top is 1 foot, middle 2 feet

I just figure out which wheels need to be lifted and put the steps behind them and back on.. Work well

The 12x12 blocks will be used under an 8 Ton jack and/or jack stand to replace the broken jack till I get it fixed.. I expect them to work well too when finished

AFChap · 03-28-2014, 08:00 AM

The jacks on my 03 coach have been down most of it's life ...and I have never touched the rams with any lubricant or cloth. They do down and up fine every time I use them ...just like the hydraulics on farm equipment where the rams are much more exposed to weather elements than mine are.

For the op, the asphalt described doesn't sound really hardy. I would definitely use 3/4 to 1" plywood under the tires and jacks, and I would be generous with the soize of the pads. If you find after a couple of summers have gone by that the rig is still sinking in the asphalt you could have a layer of decent sized gravel rock laid over the asphalt and packed into it. That would help stabilize it a bit.