Community Forums

redmechanic · 12-06-2023, 09:18 AM

Have a 23 view with hyd leveling jacks.Should I use the jacks while storing over the winter to keep some weight off tires. Or is that a waste of time

Gooma · 12-06-2023, 09:39 AM

Why would you want to take weight off the tires? Thats what they are made for.
The fluid might leak off the jacks, then you have something else to worry about.

Mudfrog · 12-06-2023, 10:00 AM

I have always stored ours smaller class A with jacks retracted, full weight on the tires. My reasoning is that it alleviates me having to get under to clean dust and debris off the rams after a long storage period. Over 20 years and no problems.

Of course there are a lot of fulltime rigs that sit on jacks for months at a time. I don't believe there is a "right" answer.

You'd probably want to level with the jacks and keep them extended if you're gonna leave a slide extended for some reason.

twinboat · 12-06-2023, 10:20 AM

I stay at a campground for 3 months and use the jacks as designed, down supporting the RV, and no problems.

If they leak, they need fixing.

TonyMac · 12-06-2023, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

I stay at a campground for 3 months and use the jacks as designed, down supporting the RV, and no problems.

If they leak, they need fixing.

Wise words. I like to raise mine up on its jacks. It makes maintenance easier.
I always wipe the rams before I retract the jacks.

Old Scout · 12-06-2023, 10:29 AM

In my opinion--leveling is different from "taking the weight off the tires." I think it should be rare to need to raise tires off the ground to level a rig. If leveling your coach means raising your tires off the ground, you need to consider a more level parking spot or use some blocking under the tires.

AFChap · 12-06-2023, 10:38 AM

I always stored my class A w/jacks down ... they were hwh. Never wiped or lubed the rams. Worked fine for the 20 years I owned it.

Winemaker2 · 12-06-2023, 10:59 AM

HWH advises that storing with jacks either deployed or retracted are acceptable... so IMO the correct answer is either way - owners choice.

For long term storage - multi months - I fabricated blocks that will slip under the retracted jacks and when my air suspension settles the weight is on retracted jacks and does in fact remove some of the weight from the tires.
I also "over inflate" my tires from my normal running pressure to / close to the max pressure indicated on the side wall to minimize deflection / flat spots.

Sort of the best of both choices IMO.
I agree tires are meant to support the vehicle weight but IMO storing w/ weight and not being driven periodically has the potential to cause a "flat spot" that may take some time to return to normal after being driven. This may result in some abnormal wear until the flat spot works itself out.

I don't believe others not following my practices will experience any catastrophic consequences... I do think minimizing deflections for extended storage is a good practice that has no downside.

dvspl · 12-06-2023, 04:47 PM

Tires usually age out due to sun exposure long before they need to be replaced for mileage. I guess supporting some of the weight with jacks may reduce the possibility of flat spots, but I'm not sure that it will make any significant difference in tire life. My jack manufacturer (LCI) says to spray the exposed jack rods with dry silicone spray if they're extended for long periods (>3 months). So I agree that extending them or not during storage is a personal preference. I don't extend mine unless I want to level the coach and run the fridge.