Tragic Death Class A

[Executive45]

This, from a friend on another forum. Posted here with permission. Please be careful and ensure your coach is adequately blocked before crawling underneath. DO NOT rely on your LEVELING JACKS.....Dennis



I just got a message from a friend of mine telling me about an owner who was crushed to death under his Dynasty.

I do not know the full particulars of the accident so I am not going to arm chair quarterback or try and surmise what happened.

I did not know the owners but my friend owned the 2015 Dynasty previously and I inspected it at the gathering in 2019 and was helping them chase a leak.

Mark traded it in on a Prevost recently and the new owner picked it up. While staying at a campground they developed an electrical issue

so the guy climbed underneath. The auto leveling dumped its air and the coach crushed him to death.

The point of this post is to remind people that on coaches with auto leveling you have no business being under your coach unless you know

the safety procedures for dealing with the auto leveling system. The big coaches with auto leveling like the Dynastys, Exec's and Sigs have very little ground clearance

underneath to begin with and if that air dumps you WILL get crushed. Stay the hell out from under your coaches unless you know what you are doing and have taken neccessary

safety precautions.

The wife and family of this gentleman will remain in my prayers.

[Gjac]

I have had a line burst once and the MH roll of the jacks several times in unlevel campsites and even in my drive way. I now use wheel chocks to block the wheels and oak blocks under the chassis when working in my driveway. On the road if I have to crawl underneath I will use the hyd jacks to raise the MH several ins only for added clearance. I have had a lot of auto park problems over the years.

[rgatijnet1]

One thing important to remember about jack stands is that high quality and older American made jack stands were rated as EACH. In other words a jack stand that said it had a 3 ton rating would actually hold up 3 tons.
Now, most of the new jack stands, and especially any foreign made jack stands, are rated as PAIRS. This means that when they say 3 ton capacity that means that each jack stand will only support 1 1/2 tons. Be sure that you check to see how your jack stands are rated and it is always a good idea to use stands that are rated at TWICE the capacity that you think your vehicle weighs.

[johnhicks]

And more info:


https://jalopnik.com/dont-trust-your-life-to-these-jack-stands-1843546730

The same stands are sold with other brands at Amazon etc.

[johnhicks]

A couple of years ago a hydraulic hose to a jack on my DP burst; the back end came down hard and bounced. Although one probably wouldn't have been crushed that would definitely have hurt.

[wa8yxm]

Executive wrote:
This, from a friend on another forum. Posted here with permission. Please be careful and ensure your coach is adequately blocked before crawling underneath. DO NOT rely on your LEVELING JACKS.....Dennis

One of the things I love about my Damon Intruder is that other than under the axles there is no place I can not reach (And several where I can sit up) with the jacks fully retracted.. Just wheels on the ground.

Though I will admit 3 or 4.5 inches of lumber under said wheels (2x12's) helps. Still I can shoot lub into the U Joints. all of 'em. without using jacks or lifts of any kind.

My Mechanic uses nothing more than a grease gun and a creeper.

[Executive45]

azdryheat wrote:
Just to clarify, isn't this story about coaches that use airbags for leveling rather than jacks?

Absolutely NOT!!! I had a Tourmaster that had jack levelers. One failed and it dropped like a rock. Anytime you need to go under a coach, any coach, do not rely on mechanical things to protect you. BLOCK IT! Stay safe.....Dennis

[azdryheat]

Just to clarify, isn't this story about coaches that use airbags for leveling rather than jacks?

[Matt_Colie]

Please, do not think that this is a new thing or a high end coach issue. The GMC coaches had total rear air suspension starting in 1973. There have been numerous similar incidents with them during the last forty plus years.

No matter what it is, if it is not solidly blocked up, do not go under it. That is all there is too that.

Matt

[mike_brez]

Jim was a member on here. I only talked to him once.
He was all packed up and ready to leave when he went out to look at something and his Prevost came down on him.

Jim Scoggins

[Executive45]

Mr.Mark wrote:

Good to see that you are still around Dennis!

MM.

Sheltering in place...ugh! I want to go camping! On a good note though, I've finished up about 10 little projects I've been wanting to do but never took the time. But, it's way too hot in Arizona. Even my dog is pestering me to open up the country....Dennis

[Mr_Mark1]

This also happened to a Prevost owner a few years ago. Our systems are 'air leveling' (not hydraulic or electric stands). The guy apparently cut an air line or opened a norgren valve causing the bus to come down. Very sad.

Good to see that you are still around Dennis!

MM.

[Bill_Satellite]

Happens way too often (if you consider it should never happen). This time I was a witness to the aftermath at an FMCA rally in Perry, GA. He had electric or hydraulic levelers and he took a wheel off, slid under the coach and the jack(s) collapsed while his chest was under the differential. End of story. So dangerous and so avoidable.

[mromberg]

How tragic.