Level System??

[Ted Carbonaro]

We’re boondocking on uneven ground. Is it okay-safe to have the 4 rear tires off the ground? 06 Monaco Camelot 

[Ray Davis]

No!!!!   Get some boards to drive upon.  The rear wheels are where your parking brake is.  At least chock the front wheels. It could roll off those jacks.

[Ted Carbonaro]

Thank you!

[Dr4Film]

OMG!!! Get those rear wheels BACK on the ground where they belong.

If the site is too unlevel ask for a different site.

Never raise any of the wheels off the ground especially the rear ones. that's an accident waiting to happen.

[LarryB]

Hey Ted, I’m glad ur out n about in ur rig. We camp frequently on uneven gnd. One trick I use is to park facing uphill like ur picture shows. And even dig out under the frt wheels. This allows the exit step to b closer to the gnd, which is good on my old  n newly replaced knees. Also, this may b enough to keep ur rear whls on the gnd. I have read that factory duz not want rear whls off the gnd but we have dun it on occasion. I also believe they want u to set the frt of the coach on jacks first then bring up the rear. 

[Ted Carbonaro]

Thanks All! Rears will stay on the ground. Thank goodness for this forum! 

[DavidL]

Very common discussion.

There will not be any mechanical issue with wheels off ground.  A long time fallacy that there will be.  The suspension system is engineered for MUCH higher loads while driving than hanging the axle off of the limits straps (if equipped) or shocks.

The rear tires are the brakes.  But as soon as an air bag suspension vehicle starts to lift, the great majority of the weight is then on the jacks, not on the tires - which then don't have too much traction.  The jacks are the traction from sliding.

Your picture, if the RV is level, indicates the spot is sloped quite a bit.  I would be cautious of the jacks sliding off those slippery pressure treated blocks, especially if rain and bouncing of the RV takes place.  If the jacks were in ground depressions (from the weight), that helps reduce the sidewards movement.

Looks like your rig has beefy jacks.  Some are less than half the diameter which people then report have bent due to downhill slippage.

If it were me, I would put some blocks under the tires, and better yet, move to a more level spot.

[Chuck B 2004 Windsor]

Your shocks are fully extended holding the rear axle by the shocks.  If a shock mount breaks your in for a real hurt.

Chuck B 2004 Windsor

[Martinvz]

Your parking brakes work on your rear axle. If you raise the rear wheels up, what is keeping your rig from rolling back?

Get some blocking under them to stand on and then you will be safe.

Martin

[Oregon04Windsor]

2 hours ago, Martinvz said:

Your parking brakes work on your rear axle. If you raise the rear wheels up, what is keeping your rig from rolling back?

Get some blocking under them to stand on and then you will be safe.

Martin

So by that theory you can never use a floor jack to lift your coach?  The levelers are providing the fixed contact to the ground, same as a jack stand would do.

[Chargerman]

6 hours ago, Oregon04Windsor said:

So by that theory you can never use a floor jack to lift your coach?  The levelers are providing the fixed contact to the ground, same as a jack stand would do.

Generally if your using a floor Jack you are on stable, level ground and when using the levelers it’s because you are not on level ground and therefore the rear wheels should never be lifted off the ground. Even when using floor jacks to lift the rear extra caution should be used with wheel chocks and adequately rated jack stands/blocking should be used

[Gary 05 AMB DST]

Ted, did you purge the air in the airbags before you leveled the coach? Dump all the air then start leveling. Raise the front jack up some first to get a pivot point on the twisting of the frame, body before raising the rear jacks a little at a time. Twisting the body that much and you could pop or even crack your windshield.

Gary 05 AMB DST

[Dr4Film]

8 hours ago, Oregon04Windsor said:

So by that theory you can never use a floor jack to lift your coach?  The levelers are providing the fixed contact to the ground, same as a jack stand would do.

When using HD floor jacks, it should be under the axle NOT the body of the coach. If under the body, you then have the axle HANGING off the shocks. If you need to raise the body, you can do so without having the wheels leave the ground. Always use strong blocks under the wheels to keep them in contact with the solid ground.

[cbr046]

Having front wheels above hill from front and rear jacks puts a side load on the jacks.  The jacks aren't made for side loads.  Not having wheels chocked or rear wheels grounded could be disastrous. 

And then there's the hanging of the rear axle, really really heavy rear axle, off the shocks . . . .

That said, I've done it (didn't know better at the time) when it was absolutely necessary and another site wasn't available.  Now that I know better I'll be more diligent. 

Be careful, expect the worst.

- bob

 

[Ted Carbonaro]

Thanks to all for your experience and wisdom. I now have wood blocks under the tires and we won’t be staying long. 
 

Ted C

[Cubflyer]

10 hours ago, Ted Carbonaro said:

Thanks to all for your experience and wisdom. I now have wood blocks under the tires and we won’t be staying long

Ted,

I noticed in your photo that it appears you have the beginning of slide floor failure where the bedroom slide rollers ride... aft ones only at this time.... This is a good time to catch this, and install stainless steel plates from Talon.  

Ken

[DavidL]

14 hours ago, Dr4Film said:

When using HD floor jacks, it should be under the axle NOT the body of the coach. If under the body, you then have the axle HANGING off the shocks. If you need to raise the body, you can do so without having the wheels leave the ground. Always use strong blocks under the wheels to keep them in contact with the solid ground.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with hanging an axle by the shocks.   You use a jack under the chassis if you are trying to service something inbetween the axle and the chassis.  Like shock replacement.  You lift by the axle if you are trying to service something on the axle (like a tire or brakes).  You can lift from the frame for most all reasons to get underneath the rig.  Just ensure you have rated jack stands under the frame and on solid ground / board before getting under the rig.

Since this is an air bag vehicle, when the jacks start to lift the chassis, most all of the weight is then off the axle / tires.  The leveling jacks are actually what is holding it in place, not the tires.

But you shouldn't lift an RV by any means if on a slippery hill.  Gravity wins.

[Dr4Film]

David,

"And there is absolutely nothing wrong with hanging an axle by the shocks." This might be true until you rip one of the upper shock mounts when you do which has happened to some members here.

My warning is simply that. Everyone has to make their own choices with their coaches and then deal with the consequences.

[Tom Whitlow]

I did this a few days after we bought our first coach more than twenty years ago.  It rolled back off the jack stands and the rear leveler jacks punched completely through the asphalt pavement.  It broke one leveler and two springs on the other. 

[Ted Carbonaro]

13 hours ago, Cubflyer said:

Ted,

I noticed in your photo that it appears you have the beginning of slide floor failure where the bedroom slide rollers ride... aft ones only at this time.... This is a good time to catch this, and install stainless steel plates from Talon.  

Ken

Ken, please tell me more about this issue. I noticed the marks on the rear bedroom slide floor the other day. It does squeal a lot during extending and retracting. Is this a DIY replacement and where do I get them? Please advise. 
Thanks Ted

[Cubflyer]

 

I believe there are many posts about that common problem....if not there should be.....  (I had the name wrong, not "TALON", but "Talin" )

 

Here is a link to a company that sells a kit, (it can be either owner installed or they can install them at their FL service center)

http://talinman.com/how-to-purchase/

Chris and Bethany.... they were major contributors at our February Gathering in Seffner, FL..... Good People!

Ken

Edited March 4, 2022 by Cubflyer

[DavidL]

On 3/4/2022 at 8:35 AM, Dr4Film said:

David,

"And there is absolutely nothing wrong with hanging an axle by the shocks." This might be true until you rip one of the upper shock mounts when you do which has happened to some members here.

My warning is simply that. Everyone has to make their own choices with their coaches and then deal with the consequences.

and how did that member know it was from hanging the axle?  And not from driving?  When you show me a picture of a shock damaged on an RV that was never driven, ok, that's worthy of research.

This is an age old story propagated on forums.  Like Big Foot running by the campfire late at night...

This is not to say it makes good sense to get a better view of the campsite by jacking your RV up as high as it will go because there are other real reasons not to do that.  But damaging the shocks isn't one of them.

Again, if you have some mechanical / engineering reasons, lets discuss facts and not tales of lore.

Edited March 5, 2022 by DavidL