Do you crawl under your lifted coach

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Dutch 12078 and those in agreement......

I do HOPE you all have taken into account vehicle bounce if lifting device should fail

Seen where ribs have been cracked when friends car bounced onto his chest when jack hydraulic cylinder seal blew.
He had about 10" of normal clearance........thought he would be OK. Forgot suspension travel/compression from vehicle weight falling.

My coach has much less suspension travel than that. I've never seen or heard of an RV leveling jack cylinder piston seal failing catastrophically enough to allow the free fall needed for suspension travel to be an issue. Leak down, yes, fall down, highly unlikely short of a mechanical failure of the cylinder mounting hardware. Even a blown hose won't cause an instant drop. Is working under a motorhome ever completely safe? Of course not, but there are acceptable levels of risk that we all take every day in everything we do.

"I've never seen or heard of an RV leveling jack cylinder piston seal failing catastrophically enough to allow the free fall needed for suspension travel to be an issue".

Now that there is real comforting, since you have not seen or heard of the above failure. Must mean that it has never or can't ever happen. A blown hose will most definitely cause that cylinder it is connected to drop in a New York nano second plus any others that may be on that hydraulic circuit. Failure is fast, and oil goes everywhere. Damage can be severe up to and including blood and guts.
A cylinder seal failure under load can have the same effect.


Let's all remember; Accidents don't just happen. Accidents are caused. Crawling under an unsupported load of any description will CAUSE an accident. Safety First Always.

FIRE UP wrote:
Well Gang,
I didn't even bother to read all the answers. Whether ours is flat on the ground with full air bags or, lifted via the jacks, I've been under it a zillion times doing work, inspecting, checking things out and a lot more. Not a worry wart.
Scott

thats right

Wood cribbing blocks for me, doubled for wider stance.

It only take one time for a fatality. :(

Well Gang,
I didn't even bother to read all the answers. Whether ours is flat on the ground with full air bags or, lifted via the jacks, I've been under it a zillion times doing work, inspecting, checking things out and a lot more. Not a worry wart.
Scott

There are good levelers with safety features built into them and then there are the cheapo that just depend on hydraulic pressure. Safety features that are built into jacks and levelers are safety valves that will shut down immediately to prevent a sudden drop. On my Quadra levelers it has a valve which looks like a ball bearing which has to be electrically energized in order for the leveler to retract. Other types have a cog that trips as the jack goes up and needs somebody to pull it back or energized electrically to let the jack down.

Now an air bag is a different story, but in my life time I have never seen one blow. I guess it could happen, but that is why a person should draw the air out before crawling under. Odds are an air bag will not blow just at that moment.

Now if you do have a flat tire out on the road and you want to change the tire yourself, you should be cautious and put something to support the weight under the axle in case the footing gives way.

NOPE!!

I put 12 ton jack stands under the frame before I go under the coach to work on it or look at anything.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Dutch 12078 and those in agreement......

I do HOPE you all have taken into account vehicle bounce if lifting device should fail

Seen where ribs have been cracked when friends car bounced onto his chest when jack hydraulic cylinder seal blew.
He had about 10" of normal clearance........thought he would be OK. Forgot suspension travel/compression from vehicle weight falling.

My coach has much less suspension travel than that. I've never seen or heard of an RV leveling jack cylinder piston seal failing catastrophically enough to allow the free fall needed for suspension travel to be an issue. Leak down, yes, fall down, highly unlikely short of a mechanical failure of the cylinder mounting hardware. Even a blown hose won't cause an instant drop. Is working under a motorhome ever completely safe? Of course not, but there are acceptable levels of risk that we all take every day in everything we do.

Son of Norway wrote:
I drive my HR up on Rino Ramps. I have no worries about working under the coach.

Miles

I also use the Rhino ramps but in addition I put 12 ton jack stands under the frame for added protection. My coach is also parked on concrete which gives a good footing for the jack stands.
Between the Rhino ramps, my hydraulic levelers, setting the parking brake, AND my jack stands, I feel pretty comfortable working under the coach to do any work that has to be done.