Leveling Blocks vs jack pads

[garmp]

Upgrading to a larger RV with leveling jacks this time. We carried with us leveling blocks like this.
Can I use these blocks as jack pads? Will they hold up? If not how about pads made from a 2x10? need some advice please.
thanks

[Cummins12V98]

dedmiston wrote:
When two kids on the playground behave this way, it usually means they have a crush on each other.

I don't know what y'all's story is, but cut it out.

Maybe you should look at who is constantly hounding me on every thread I post. I have the same issue on the TDR with him.

[dedmiston]

When two kids on the playground behave this way, it usually means they have a crush on each other.

I don't know what y'all's story is, but cut it out.

[cummins2014]

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[Cummins12V98]

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[cummins2014]

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[Cummins12V98]

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[cummins2014]

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[dedmiston]

I haven't seen anyone mention this method, but where we camp in the Mojave Deserts (very remote and unimproved) it's common to use a shovel to dig out on the high side. You dig some holes in front of the tires on the high side and put blocks in front of the tires on the low side, and then when you pull forward, you can see the whole rig twist uphill and level out. It's pretty elegant and a lot more stable than taller stacks of blocks.

Then when you leave camp, you scoop that dirt/sand back and refill your holes before you leave.

[olfarmer]

I use them and they are OK but not as strong as wood. I have never broken one but have kind of warped them a little, since you have them, I would use them until they break.

[down_home]

Tried to reply once gut 504 gateway time out and then it would not send.
There is a lake northeast of Kingman, with tree and other farms occupying what was once under water. There are soem springs alogn the road to the one that intersects the one going to the Skywalk, that flow though the ground and on top and across the road into the lake and from the hills on the hwy 66 side of the lake. Generally it appears there is a flow underground and or upwellings in places. At one time it is apparent, that water flowed from the lake right through Kingman. The lake was many hundreds of feet deep. My BIL got stuck in the gumbo of the shoreline are now farmed or part of it is, above the axles in a lifter 4x4 pickup when he was younger.
The water that flowed above ground, now has some remnant over the hard pan and there are some upwellings or springs too it seems..but feet deep gravel and such you would never know it adn the only signs migh be some trees with deep enough roots.
At one time the whole area was a a lake and an inland sea or part of the ocean as evidenced by all the benches or former shore lines that are most evident going down from the 3300-37000 ft elevation to Bullhead City with fragments of small shells everywhere. Nothing we saw of any size though. A whole lot of mountains have been ground down to pebbles and everything that was in them. Lotos of fold mines seemingly in every hill and one or two or more mines with white tailings from ground quartz a mile long and hundreds of feet high to the north and northwest.
Justwest of Austin in the hills we stayed for a while in an RV resort and the gound looked dry and was but the jacks sank in as far as they would go. The People there rounded up a pieces of plywood and whatknot and we moved the coach slightly and put down on that. it had rained the week before and the water was still running down hill under the gravel over a rock shield about 4 ft down

[Fisherman]

down home wrote:

Well. it looks dry and is dry on the surface. 2 ft down is hard pan and water flowing over it. The 2x12's cracked and the whole shebang sunk a foot. Moved and put long 6' sections of 6x6 across the back under both jacks and across and under the rear jacks and long 6x6s sank.
..

Did you park in the a slightly dried swamp. :B

[down_home]

Our coach parked in Kingman, Az, right now. Put down sections of 2x12 under jacks.
Well. it looks dry and is dry on the surface. 2 ft down is hard pan and water flowing over it. The 2x12's cracked and the whole shebang sunk a foot. Moved and put long 6' sections of 6x6 across the back under both jacks and across and under the rear jacks and long 6x6s sank.
A while back one of many postings on jack pads noted that those leveling blocks will bend and crack and break and sink on even much harder surfaces.
There is two or three mfgs who make pads for those big cranes etc that also make smaller ones, thick heavy rubber and tough urethane and other material pads.
Not cheap and not light. I've about decided on about two layers of glued and screwed treated 1" plywood about two feet or more across and as long that will between the tires...might not sink or break even on soupy ground. Don't know how I would lift it or manuever it....maybe lots of workouts after they fix my back, or maybe adopt a 14 year old body builder..

[garmp]

Thanks for your advice. If I have to do it again I will keep that in mind. But knowing me & my luck I generally try to prepare for the worse case scenario. Warm weather or not.

[Cummins12V98]

garmp wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Nice job but to make a constructive comment the 3/4" holes in the plywood should have been in the 2x10 and then the holes would not be visible!

Problem with that is if the braided twine were to need replacement you couldn't do it with the plywood being glued down. And to drill through the plywood in the same exact spot(s) would be impossible. Besides then you'd have what I have now.

If you ever needed to replace NYLON lines it would be a cold day in HE!!.

Still nice job!

[garmp]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Nice job but to make a constructive comment the 3/4" holes in the plywood should have been in the 2x10 and then the holes would not be visible!

Problem with that is if the braided twine were to need replacement you couldn't do it with the plywood being glued down. And to drill through the plywood in the same exact spot(s) would be impossible. Besides then you'd have what I have now.