ground clearance

The refrigerator (an absorption refrigerator) should not be turned on if the coach is not level.

That is really the only thing really sensitive to coach angle. If you don't turn the refrigerator on in that position, no problem. Certainly would block the wheels, etc if on a slope.

The ground clearance will not help you figure out what you need. The approach and departure angles the coach can handle will be the unknown and will vary with wheel base and construction. My buddies coach dragged it's rear going into his driveway and he had to put those wheels on the rear, mine did not, not even close to dragging. . Yes we both had the same ride height, but different chassis.

We haven't got a rig yet, I am just checking clearances on our own driveway.

Due to the slope of the driveway it will be necessary to construct a method of getting the coach close to level.

I have some thoughts in my head, but one limitation is the clearance of a typical coach to from the body to the ground at normal driving height.

The approach angle is not too bad, no big dips.

Will need to get the back end up approx. 26".

If we end up with a coach I will post my solution, but for now it is in my head.

I was thinking 6" would be a safe number

Thanks for your help, hopefully I'll have this issue to solve soon, but may wait till spring

Doug

Buy a coach with a residential refer and out of level will not be a problem. A rig with jacks will have more travel than air leveling.

Please better define the issue:

Do you have a problem with approach angle?

Departure angle?

High center?

Be aware that some of the above are affected not only by ground clearance, but by wheelbase.

Give us more specifics and we can give you better information.

My coach is equipped with a Hadley Air Leveling system. I can raise it by 6 inches to clear bumps and dips or I can lower it by 6 inches to clear tree limbs or other overhead obstructions. It can only be adjusted while traveling at slow speeds (under 10 MPH)

The ground clearance on my coach varies depending on how close a component is to an axle. For example, the differential is about 5 inches off the ground but since it's between the tires, it's unlikely to hit anything. The average ground clearance ranges from 8-10 inches, but things get interesting around the margins.

My mud guard is only about one inch off the ground and I'm always concerned about my tail pipes.

Dips and curves present special problems and the length of your wheelbase and overall length will come into play here. For example, a long coach with a short wheelbase would have no problems with hills, but would have major problems with dips. Conversely, a short coach with a long wheelbase would have few problems with dips but could have problems with hills.

If it's only your driveway you are concerned about, don't sweat it. As someone mentioned above, you can always adjust with grading, blocks, or planks of wood.

I know that our rig rides lower to the ground than a lot of DP rigs at travel height. If I remember correctly is is about 8" off the ground.

You would be better served to identify the rigs you are interested in and then determine if they meet your height tolerance.

Leveling can be done with onboard jacks, air leveling or blocks under the wheels.

The traveling height will be of greater concern when crossing the dip between driveway and street.

JMHO