Storage Question

[Bamaman]

In between trips, do you store you motorhome on the leveling jacks on just let it sit on the tires? Why or why not?

What about getting the wheels off the ground via the leveling jacks to keep from getting flat spots on the tires? I know they will round out after a few miles but just asking.

Thanks in advance!

[Groover]

leggy wrote:
I'm confused, my family owns many school buses and they pretty much sit still most of the summer. All weight is on the tires and never noticed flat spots and I would assume we are talking about basically the same tires. Maybe motorhomes weigh more but I think it's a lot of worry about nothing.

School buses are generally stored pretty light and that helps a lot. Also, I like to put out a slide and the first step in my coach is to level it so putting down the jacks is an automatic part of leveling. It has been 20 years but the quality manager at Michelin told me parking an RV with weight on the tires was one of the worst things that you can do to a tire.

dramsey1 wrote:
I'm no expert but I was told not to store my motorhome with the jacks down. Apparently if exposed to the air long enough the jack rods can develop a rust coating which can destroy the seals when they are raised and cause hydraulic fluid leaks. I plan to replace my tires every 5-7 years anyway.

My owners manual says to spray the jacks with light oil from time to time, plus they are well shielded from rain anyway. Interestingly the manual for the brakes says not to park the coach with the parking brake on or they might stick. I have not found a good option and they have stuck a few times.

[dramsey1]

I'm no expert but I was told not to store my motorhome with the jacks down. Apparently if exposed to the air long enough the jack rods can develop a rust coating which can destroy the seals when they are raised and cause hydraulic fluid leaks. I plan to replace my tires every 5-7 years anyway.

[Lancslad]

Sits on the tires on plywood over the concrete. I live near salt water so the jacks are snug in their oily housings!!

[10forty2]

In between trips int eh Summer and during the winter months..... jacks down and tires always on the ground. Never a problem. As was pointed out to me a couple of years ago.... full-timers may sit in the same spot for a couple months at a time, and I doubt they routinely retract stabilizers/levelers. Nor do I believe that they take measures to get the tires off the ground....but I could be wrong....

[DRTDEVL]

Flat-spotting is primarily a thing of the past, from the bias ply tire days. On my C, I had bias plys until this year (they stopped making my size, and the only other comparable size was now radial only and $$$). I changed tires and wheels to a modern LT-Metric LRE. When I drove it to get the tires changed, the tires had obvious flat-spots for a couple miles, but they always became round again after warming up and driving. With the new radial LRE tires, it can sit for weeks to months without flat-spotting (the old ones would have flat spots after a week).

[77rollalong]

I drove 40 foot school buses for a number of years, and never noticed the flat spots, and on one occasion did take a loaded bus up to 90mph on the highway,(Governor disconnected)

[CapriRacer]

leggy wrote:
I'm confused, my family owns many school buses and they pretty much sit still most of the summer. All weight is on the tires and never noticed flat spots and I would assume we are talking about basically the same tires. Maybe motorhomes weigh more but I think it's a lot of worry about nothing.

First, does anyone care about a vibration in a school bus?

Second, vibrations are worse at high speeds - and school buses operate at low speeds.

So while a school bus's tires sitting all summer might develop very large flat spots and vibrate horribly, it isn't likely that anyone will notice or care. Not so with a motorhome.

[leggy]

I'm confused, my family owns many school buses and they pretty much sit still most of the summer. All weight is on the tires and never noticed flat spots and I would assume we are talking about basically the same tires. Maybe motorhomes weigh more but I think it's a lot of worry about nothing.

[cooper841]

When stored .Tires on blocks jacks down to take some weight off tires.

[AllegroD]

MountainAir05 wrote:
Jacks down and tires are on the ground. Take the load off the tires

X2
On edit: For this purpose, "on the ground" means not lifted off contact with something. I use pads under the tires to separate rubber from concrete.

[STBRetired]

Jacks down, tires on the ground. Just like at any campsite. Too much slope on the driveway to run fridge without leveling. Slides out, hooked up to water and electric.

[WAFlowers]

I put the legs down and level it just like when I'm camped somewhere. I didn't once and a tire had a slow leak (loose valve extender). The tire went flat and popped the bead. If I'd had the legs down I wouldn't have needed to spend $225 for a service call!

[MountainAir05]

Jacks down and tires are on the ground. Take the load off the tires

[gbopp]

wolfe10 wrote:
I am assuming this is a trailer and the jacks are mechanical. If so, yes, take most of the weight off the tires.

The OP asked about storing a motorhome.