Levelers Up Or Down

This topic comes up quite a bit and I always ask the question but never get a straight answer - Why? Why do you want to leave them down? A stored Rv doesn't care one way or another if it's level. There are a few cases where the storage area may prompt you to want to do it, like a sagging section with depleted airbags where your steps may hit etc, but in general - Why? :h

And as always when this topic comes up, it seems pretty split 50/50 as to who does what. Other than what your manufacturer recommends, I think at the end of the day it's whatever floats your boat.

I can, I have, had one freeze to the ground in winter, so I don't anymore. Couldn't really come up with any good reason why wanted to in the first place. I don't anymore and nothing gained or lost by this decision - other than no longer risking one getting stuck

I will offer this - if you store them down, and you have an issue, you are stuck. If you store them up and you have an issue, you still have options.

Why do I leave them down while stored? A few reasons;

Ours is stored inside a nice warm garage. If I want to do any work in the MH over the winter I don't want it rocking about. I have a real issue with motion sickness, I like the jacks down.

Secondly, why not? Much like the MH doesn't care neither do the jacks. With the jacks down they're there to help spread the weigh load around a little. Not a big deal by any stretch but spreading the load around can't hurt - might help.

Back when we stored them outside I don't think I ever put the jacks down, so it's not a big deal either way I guess.

When in storage, always up.

I wonder if full timers are worried about whether or not their leveling jacks are up or down. :B

I short-term and longer-term store with them down. In my driveway between trips, I keep the jacks down since we're typically in and out of it several times per week....sometimes doing "stuff" and sometimes just sitting in ti wishing we were somewhere else. I don't like to run the slide out without the stabilizers down, and when I'm out there just hanging out, I like to have the slide out.

As for storage during winter, I put the jacks down because I wanted to take the weight off the tires to keep the gravel from pressing into the treads too deeply while sitting in the same place for 3-4 months. Although I store indoors, the floor in the facility is gravel.

Up.

Sometimes when they are down. they won't go up.

Well,
Whenever this topic comes up, it's always a presidential debate. Not really sure why but, it happens. I guess it's just like a lot of other topics that are generalities. It's actually quite simple, you either leave your jacks up, or, you put them down. How you justify either way, is of course, up to the individual. Many claim there's value in taking the weight off the tires when in storage by using the jacks.

I'm not a tire builder so, I don't have a clue whether taking any weight off them is of value or not. If it works for them, and, they think it's of value, well, have at it. If you don't put them down because you're the kind that thinks the worse will happen and, you won't be able to get them back up, well, maybe you should NEVER put them down again.

Nobody knows if and when, anything will go wrong with the jack system. If it's going to happen, it will, no matter where and when. There's only a few zillion hydraulic rams being used all over the planet on every kind and piece of machinery there is and, in the worst operating conditions possible and, a massive amount of them are left in the extended position, from day to day, week to week, month after month and, for the most part, they're still kickin'.

I'm certainly not chastising any one here for putting them down during storage or, keeping them up. It's everyone's choice. While there has been some reports of issues with them, here and there, they're not as delicate as some think. The main difference between most of our jack systems on our motor homes and, the rest of industry is, ours are tied to computers. Most of THEIRS are tied to simple hydraulic valves attached to levers, to make them work.

Much of the time when issues are reported on here about jack systems, it's because of the computer/solenoid operations part of it. Sometimes it's weak springs. On rare occasions, it's a bad seal that keeps them from being retracted.

But, unless you live at the oceans edge, where salt air and water are lapping up against the exposed portion of the rams, they're not going to rust out from under your coach anytime soon. And, with just a tiny bit of preventative maintenance, like about 3-4 minutes total of a little spay of something like WD-40 or, whatever you choose and, wipe them down, you're good to go for quite awhile. And even that is only needed about maybe once every couple of months, depending on the environment.

So, again, it's up to the individual to choose, there is no right or wrong. You do it (extend them during storage) for your reasons. Or, leave them up, again, for your reasons.
Scott

RayChez wrote:
I keep the levelers extended when parked. It takes pressure off the tires.

Same here...that's what they are there for...use them.

My RV is parked in my back yard on a nearly perfectly level pad. I put the jacks down in case I want to open the slides. My instructions say do not extend the slides unless the jacks are down.

Pat in Menifee, CA
www.patcarnathan.com

I leave mine up. Pad is nearly level. I have no slides to worry about.