Leveling Jacks Do's and Don'ts

[zach477]

What are some Do's and Don'ts for a newbie to be aware of. What surfaces to put (or not" put them down on? Or any thing else you think of, or mistakes you've made.

[Jim_Norman]

I have 4 20" square pads for soft ground, made from three layers of 3/4" exterior plywood. Only used on rare occasion, but handy when needed. I was at one location where without them I am not sure I could have retracted my jacks, it was SOFT.
Normally in most CGs I have not found a need. There are of course those sites that are just not levelenough for a MH, they work fine for a TT.

[Pop-Pop_C]

imgoin4it wrote:
Your 2x12's will probably crack about the first time you use them. Two under each jack, if they are placed so that the wood grain of the two run opposite directions, will help prevent breaking them. I put plywood on both sides of mine and used gorilla glue and screws to prevent cracking them. Heavy but durable.

X2. Have had my laminated 2x12's for at least. Three years. Work well. Also have some 1/2" plywood laminated also ,

[eadeal55]

Stay out of regular gas station parking lots that are not totally flat. Less likely to drag a jack if you only use the larger stations that have ample turning room and wide areas between the pumps.

Some gas station like Pilot/Flying J have separate pumps for RVs, which are wide, flat areas with plenty of turning room.

[infogeek]

I usually use nothing, but it depends on the campsite and its substrate and also how level it is. I carry cut 2x12s also, enough to go under fronts, rears, and all 4 jacks. I have had to use them on multiple occasions. They are not cracked. I will use them to level on a sloping campsite, or if the ground is soft.

I position the RV, see how level or unlevel it is, adjust if needed, use blocks if needed. Once good, I engage the parking brake, and lower the front levelers, then the rear, then side to side as necessary. I don't have auto-level.

[Bruce_Brown]

wallynm wrote:
Read your manual as some brands tell you jacks down level first and then slides out and other brands tell you slides out and then jacks down and level.

Lots of post will tell you to always have jacks down and level before slides out but they have not look in the manuals that came with the coach.TRUST ME

This is true. For years the Monaco/Holiday Rambler/Beaver family wanted slides out THEN level. Everyone else I know of says level first.

[wallynm]

Read your manual as some brands tell you jacks down level first and then slides out and other brands tell you slides out and then jacks down and level.

Lots of post will tell you to always have jacks down and level before slides out but they have not look in the manuals that came with the coach.TRUST ME

[Bruce_Brown]

First and foremost, before starting any type of leveling, get all 4 jacks on the ground. That gives your frame and house a good base of support to start with. Then always, always, always use them in pairs.

Once all 4 jacks are on the ground level the worst offender first. In other words, if your side-to-side is off the most, level that first. If it's front-to-back then do that first.

No matter what make sure you're always working them in pairs and a little at a time is also a good practice.

Lets say your driver side is low. Get all 4 jacks on the ground, then start to lift the driver side. Once you lift the driver side a little, lower the passenger side a little as well. Continue this until it's level side-to-side.

Also keep in mind sometimes sites are so out of kilter a 100% complete side-to-side - front-to-back level might not be practical. Frames WILL twist and windshields WILL pop. Want to guess how I know that. :B Yeah...when I was a Rookie I never had a leveling lesson or was smart enough to ask.

I also agree with those who do a rough level using blocks under the wheels if needed. I know lifting the front wheels off the ground isn't the end of the world - I'm still not doing it if it can be avoided. Don't ever lift the rear wheels off the ground - that's where your braking comes from.

[AllegroD]

AllegroD wrote:
I always put down a pad. The only time I feel I may not need it is on concrete. All other surfaces are softer and I want the wider weight distribution under my levelers. If I have to drive up on blocks, I add blocks under the levelers.

Let me amend this please. The above is a thought about stays at CG for a few days. If we stay only 1-2 days on packed gravel or asphalt, I may not put down a pad. For an over night, we do not.

[BUTCHPHI]

Make sure you understand how your jacks work then use common sense. Front wheels off the ground is not a big deal if that is what is required. I have only had to use blocks under the jacks or drive onto a ramp (made by using the lego style blocks - I carry two sets of the blocks just in case) less than 10 times. and that is over 15 years, 132,000 miles and more than 675 different campground sites in all 49 states and all Canadian provinces. My jacks are Power Gear and have large base plates.

[willald]

FIRE UP wrote:
...Leveling a coach, almost no matter what size/length/slides/no slides etc. sometimes, requires thought. And, sometimes, it's no brainer. I have always advocated to level your coach, using the tires and wheels, by driving up on, whatever type of lumber you carry. That could be home made ramps, blocks, stacks of plywood etc. If you do it that way, then you're not stressing various parts of the coach, by trying to make the jacks over work themselves and, possibly torqueing the frame/body etc.

Once you're "somewhat" level with your drive-on setup, then, I use the jacks to "fine tune" the leveling. And, if I've driven up on some blocks/ramps to help primary leveling operations, then I break out the blocks for the jacks. That way, they don't have to travel so far to help with the leveling and, stabilization. The farther they travel out, the more lateral movement they will have tendency to display.

And, by utilizing lumber and driving up on it, you get the stability of 6 tires on the ground and, also all four jacks too. This is just my thoughts on how it's done. Many will differ. No biggie.
Scott

What Scott said here. This is exactly right. If you don't remember any other advice given here on leveling jacks, remember what Scott said here. Don't be afraid (or too lazy) to use blocks of some kind to do your leveling. The less your jacks have to extend to level, the more stable and solid the MH will be.

Like Scott, I use some wood blocks I made to do most leveling. Jacks are only used to fine-tune it, and usually use blocks under the levelers to minimize how far they have to extend. Only time I won't use blocks at all is when we're on a concrete or paved site that is just about level as it is (not very often).

One thing to remember about using blocks: If you drive the MH up onto blocks, need to make sure you position blocks so that entire tread of the tire is on the block. Having part of the tire tread hanging off the side of a block, is NOT good for the tires at all.

I know some just like to use the auto leveling, and just push one button and forget about it. Not me. I don't like or trust the way it levels when you use auto leveling, so I NEVER use it. It will go through a zillion iterations of raising and lowering various jacks, and more often than not ends up lifting one end of the MH completely off the ground when its completely not necessary. I can level it by using the manual option, much quicker and easier.

[Mr_Mark1]

zach477 wrote:
What are some Do's and Don'ts for a newbie to be aware of. What surfaces to put (or not" put them down on? Or any thing else you think of, or mistakes you've made.

Our previous coach had air leveling (air bags) and hydraulic level legs. Depending on the surface would dictate on which one I would use.

Generally, if the surface was asphalt or somewhat of a soft surface, I would use air leveling. I had punched through a couple of blacktop surfaces with the front leveler. That coach weighed just over 40,000 lbs.

Our new coach has air leveling only and is quite accurate and has plenty of travel on the air bags. I do like the idea of having all eight tires planted firmly on the ground.


Side note: Don't ever go under a coach using the bags or level legs extended to do work. If you accidentally hit a hydraulic line or air line, the coach will come crashing down on you squashing you like a bug. Always secure the chassis with stands.

MM.

[Dutch_12078]

Like rdmike, we typically just park and hit the auto leveler button. The 100 sq. in. pads on our Bigfoot jacks seldom need any pads under them to spread the load, so mostly the pads get used in off-level situations where the auto level might be out of range. As said, always keep the rear wheels on solid ground though.

[imgoin4it]

Your 2x12's will probably crack about the first time you use them. Two under each jack, if they are placed so that the wood grain of the two run opposite directions, will help prevent breaking them. I put plywood on both sides of mine and used gorilla glue and screws to prevent cracking them. Heavy but durable.

[Dale_Traveling]

WyoTraveler wrote:
You may want to read your manual about operation of slides and jacks.

Reading the literature is your first homework assignment. The jacks will be interlocked with various chassis functions such as engine running, e-Brake on and such. Know what you presets are and the sequence of operation the coach builder recommends. Level then extend or extend then level. Same for when it's time to break camp.

The jacks are not maintenance free. Know proper care and feeding. Know how to recalibrate the auto level sensor and find the various fuses and DC circuit breakers providing power. Know what hydraulic oil is used. Add cycling the jacks to your monthly storage maintenance items. Add checking oil level as the next step after checking battery water level to your check list. Before moving the coach always check that the jacks al fully retracted. Include as part of your pre-departure walk around.

Use pads on grass/dirt and asphalt to prevent pads from sinking. Also use pads in cold weather to prevent the pads from freezing to the ground.

Repositioning within the camp site rather than using more jack is always best practice. Lifting both rears off the ground will negate the parking brake and the coach could shift on the jacks. You risk bending the jack cylinders. Left to right partial level is also important. Rise the curb side too much and that last step out the door can be a big drop. Find a new camp site if needed. You don't want the coach looking like it's on stilts.

You don't need a perfect level for proper fridge operation. If you feel comfortable with how close the coach is to level the fridge will be happy also. A little high on the passenger side will help drain any water on the roof, such as the AC condensate, away from the activity side of the campsite and not hurt the fridge.