On our first shakedown cruise of our RV, we found that the front wheels of the coach were off the ground after using the auto-jacks.We put a couple of nice jack pads under the front jacks to keep the jacks from being fully extended (suggested by RV service tech). We also put a couple of 12x12x2 PT redwood blocks under the front wheels.After all that work, we noticed light or gaps between the hanging front wheels and blocks. RV Service Tech told me that was bad for the axles and the jacks. Trying to figure out how to solve this problem.Should I use shims to wedge the tires front and back of wheels? or do something else. Seems strange to drive up on blocks when I have jacks, but I am new to Class A RVs, and perhaps naive. Moving the RV to a better spot is not always possible if the CG is full and due to a tree we could not fully use the 40' pad we were given (our coach is 31').On our Winnebago Vista, we have a manual button for the jacks, but have not figured out how to use the manual button to raise/lower the coach. There is a auto-lower button but I assume that fully retracts all four jacks (have contacted Winnebago Tech Support given the manual was not helpful at all).For those RV veterans out there, this might be a really naive posting but I really do not want to damage or coach or have a safety issue for my family.

Was the site so off level that the front had to go up that high? If not I think in the instructions for the jacks it tells you how to reset the auto level. It may just need to be recalibrate. If it still goes to full extension try using the manual method.

Welcome to the forum. No, it is not hard on the axels, front or rear, to be off the ground. As John said, if the system is out of cal. your information packet should have instructions on how to recalibrate it.

The level in the coach indicated that we were level after the auto-jacks finished. The front left wheel was about 2-3" off the ground and the front right wheel was about 4-6" off the ground.Unfortunately, the best or flat part of the 40' pad was blocked by a tree limb that was the same height as the A/C unit.The manual jack instructions imply that I can lower the jacks front, back, left or right. See no instructions for manually retracting (raising) one set of jacks. The 'retract' button says 'all jacks'.I guess I have to be prepared to move sites if I cannot get the front tires lowered onto the blocks. Could be a major problem if CG is full.

I will Drive up on blocks to get close to level then manually level the rig using the jacks.I find that if there are any wheels off the ground, the rig is less stable. Therefore I always try to keep all wheels in contact with the ground.

It's really not a problem to have the front wheels off the ground except for it is a bigger step to get in the RV. Now if the rear wheels are off the ground it is not good, you need the rear wheels to be on the ground because they keep you from rolling forward or backward on unlevel sites. Your parking brake and trans. park position is on the rear.

Front wheels of ground after using auto-jacks | Good Sam Community

John_Wayne
Explorer II
Aug 21, 2017
Was the site so off level that the front had to go up that high? If not I think in the instructions for the jacks it tells you how to reset the auto level. It may just need to be recalibrate. If it still goes to full extension try using the manual method.
wildmanbaker
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
Welcome to the forum. No, it is not hard on the axels, front or rear, to be off the ground. As John said, if the system is out of cal. your information packet should have instructions on how to recalibrate it.
jschmelzer
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
The level in the coach indicated that we were level after the auto-jacks finished. The front left wheel was about 2-3" off the ground and the front right wheel was about 4-6" off the ground.

Unfortunately, the best or flat part of the 40' pad was blocked by a tree limb that was the same height as the A/C unit.

The manual jack instructions imply that I can lower the jacks front, back, left or right. See no instructions for manually retracting (raising) one set of jacks. The 'retract' button says 'all jacks'.

I guess I have to be prepared to move sites if I cannot get the front tires lowered onto the blocks. Could be a major problem if CG is full.
fyrflie
Explorer III
Aug 21, 2017
I will Drive up on blocks to get close to level then manually level the rig using the jacks.

I find that if there are any wheels off the ground, the rig is less stable. Therefore I always try to keep all wheels in contact with the ground.
jules6
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
It's really not a problem to have the front wheels off the ground except for it is a bigger step to get in the RV. Now if the rear wheels are off the ground it is not good, you need the rear wheels to be on the ground because they keep you from rolling forward or backward on unlevel sites. Your parking brake and trans. park position is on the rear.
malexander
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
I try to get my MH as level as I can using blocks before engaging the auto levelers. I also place blocks under the jacks so they don't have to extend as far. I just don't like them to be at the far end of the stroke.
K_Charles
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
We have had the front wheels off the ground before. If your staying put for a while drive the front wheels onto blocks and put a block under the two jacks, no big deal.
Don't have the rear wheels come off the ground.
Mandalay_Parr
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
I would now retract all jacks. Then manually level best you can keeping all tires on the ground.
It does not have to be perfectly level.
gsf35099
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
jschmelzer wrote:
The level in the coach indicated that we were level after the auto-jacks finished. The front left wheel was about 2-3" off the ground and the front right wheel was about 4-6" off the ground.

Unfortunately, the best or flat part of the 40' pad was blocked by a tree limb that was the same height as the A/C unit.

The manual jack instructions imply that I can lower the jacks front, back, left or right. See no instructions for manually retracting (raising) one set of jacks. The 'retract' button says 'all jacks'.

I guess I have to be prepared to move sites if I cannot get the front tires lowered onto the blocks. Could be a major problem if CG is full.

What leveling system do you have?
If it's Power Gear, retract the jacks, turn the system off then back on, then hold down the manual button until the LED is on (usually 3-5 sec). From here you can extend them as you like using the touch pad. I've never found how to retract only one.
tropical36
Explorer
Aug 21, 2017
jschmelzer wrote:
On our first shakedown cruise of our RV, we found that the front wheels of the coach were off the ground after using the auto-jacks.

We put a couple of nice jack pads under the front jacks to keep the jacks from being fully extended (suggested by RV service tech). We also put a couple of 12x12x2 PT redwood blocks under the front wheels.

After all that work, we noticed light or gaps between the hanging front wheels and blocks. RV Service Tech told me that was bad for the axles and the jacks. Trying to figure out how to solve this problem.

Should I use shims to wedge the tires front and back of wheels? or do something else. Seems strange to drive up on blocks when I have jacks, but I am new to Class A RVs, and perhaps naive. Moving the RV to a better spot is not always possible if the CG is full and due to a tree we could not fully use the 40' pad we were given (our coach is 31').

On our Winnebago Vista, we have a manual button for the jacks, but have not figured out how to use the manual button to raise/lower the coach. There is a auto-lower button but I assume that fully retracts all four jacks (have contacted Winnebago Tech Support given the manual was not helpful at all).

For those RV veterans out there, this might be a really naive posting but I really do not want to damage or coach or have a safety issue for my family.

Main thing is, that you don't raise the rear off the ground and lose your parking brake function.
We've had the front wheels off the ground, many a time, with two different coaches over the last 10yrs, without issue.
If you have some concern, you might want to just put some blocks under the jacks, so they won't extend so far and not worry about the wheels hanging on the suspension. Still fail to see the harm in that over short stays, if any.
To engage manual operation, you'll have to hold down on the button for a bit and until the light comes on. Then engage the front first and probably like the auto mode does, until they make contact with the ground and before shifting to the rear control. Once down and level front to rear, you can rock it to one side or the other.
We use manual on the front, to dump water off the slides on occasion. Then lower with the master (that's all there is), until it looks level from the outside, before pulling in the slides. Seems that the front is all that immediately retracts, when in manual like this and stops when released.
Some with manual who don't do things right, have popped the windshield on some coaches, but even with our old National and bouncing it all over, we never had such an occurrence.