airbags jacks parking

[Les Hurdle]

I'm sure to be doing something wrong but did not see anything which covered what I require input for......... apologies if I am breaking protocol

I have a new to me 2004 Cheetah.

At my house I can park on 'nearly' level ground.

I put blocks under the jacks, let all the air out of the system, then try to level the coach.........seems kinda ok but one rear wheel is off the ground.

Am I doing damage to the airbag?

Is it ok to raise the coach way up and add blocks under the tire[s] then let jacks down?

Wha is the correct procedure... read the manual... not too clear especially re when to to do what  ref putting out the slides.

 

Apologies again if I have broken the rules

[waterskier_1]

You should first find a level area.  It sounds like you have a pretty good slope if one tire is off the ground.  I doubt it will hurt the air bags, but you need both rear tires on the ground for your parking brake to work properly.  That is the only thing keeping your coach from rolling away.  If you can't find a suitable level area, at least use some sort of leveling blocks under the wheels/tires.  There are a variety of ones you can make yourself, or you can purchase.  Drive the coach up on the leveling blocks such that the coach is fairly level.  Put out the slides if you have any.  Then dump the air in the air bags.  This isn't necessary for air leveling, but it will get your coach closer to the ground if you do it.  It is pretty much required with hydraulic jacks.  Then extend the Front Jack first, always.  This provides a pivot point for the rear jacks to operate about, and help reduce the chances of torqueing the frame and popping out or cracking the windshield.  Then raise the low level rear jack to level that side, and lastly bring the other jack into play to finalize, and stabilize the coach.  No tires should ever be off the ground!

  -Rick N.

Currently in Deming, NM

[cbr046]

My parking area is level . . . . . or so I thought.  I shimmed the concrete under the tires with 2x12's so when I come home and park I can simply let the air out and level the coach without using the jacks.  Both the concrete and shim stacks are marked for precise locating.  One shim stack is 4.5" high with a large block to keep from rolling too far (and off the stack). 

Just a thought.

- bob

[Craggar]

3 hours ago, cbr046 said:

My parking area is level . . . . . or so I thought.  I shimmed the concrete under the tires with 2x12's so when I come home and park I can simply let the air out and level the coach without using the jacks.  Both the concrete and shim stacks are marked for precise locating.  One shim stack is 4.5" high with a large block to keep from rolling too far (and off the stack). 

Just a thought.

- bob

If your parking area is level then there is no way one wheel should be off the ground when leveling the m/h.

[Rikadoo]

I discovered that i first try to get mostly level using the levelmate, drop the pressure out the bags, then fine tune my level then put out my slides, an recheck the level.

However if there is a non level spot i put out my leveling blocks drive up on them to get it closer to level then compleat the sequence

[Robert92867]

I have made some mistakes raising wheel(s) off the ground with jacks:

One time, the weight of the unsupported axle caused my Bilstein shock to come apart, leaking oil. Scratch one $140. shock.

Another time, my windshield cracked.  Lucky me, my deductable is only $250.

As for the air bags, I can't say for sure if the failure at 120,000 miles was caused by unsupported axle weight.  However, as the axle is raised beyond normal travel, the panhard arm pulls the axle out of alignment and causes the air bags to lose vertical alignment, resulting in a contorted shape.  Setting the chassis back down and inflating the suspension causes some very loud popping noises as the wrinkles in the air bag are violently pushed out.  I now lift in stages, jacking the axle up before it leaves the ground.

[Tom Cherry]

On 5/1/2023 at 6:21 PM, waterskier_1 said:

You should first find a level area.  It sounds like you have a pretty good slope if one tire is off the ground.  I doubt it will hurt the air bags, but you need both rear tires on the ground for your parking brake to work properly.  That is the only thing keeping your coach from rolling away.  If you can't find a suitable level area, at least use some sort of leveling blocks under the wheels/tires.  There are a variety of ones you can make yourself, or you can purchase.  Drive the coach up on the leveling blocks such that the coach is fairly level.  Put out the slides if you have any.  Then dump the air in the air bags.  This isn't necessary for air leveling, but it will get your coach closer to the ground if you do it.  It is pretty much required with hydraulic jacks.  Then extend the Front Jack first, always.  This provides a pivot point for the rear jacks to operate about, and help reduce the chances of torqueing the frame and popping out or cracking the windshield.  Then raise the low level rear jack to level that side, and lastly bring the other jack into play to finalize, and stabilize the coach.  No tires should ever be off the ground!

  -Rick N.

Currently in Deming, NM

Totally agree.  Never ever take the rear wheels off the ground.  I have a sloped driveway.  I can’t get it level from front to rear.  I DO have a total air suspension and no jacks.  I made up a set of rear leveling ramps.  I took a 2 X 12 X 48” pressure treated pine and beveled the leading edge.  I then put a piece of pressure treated deck board on the back edge…so it protrudes 1 7/8” up.  Then I cut another piece of 2 X 12 so that I could add a second layer, beveled the leading edge and it just “sits there”.  I carry these for use if I find a really ugly site…but do not use them at home.

Now the next question seems sort of dumb.  If you have a gas refrigerator, read the manual and see if you’re out of level condition, using the max height or leveling position you can get will work.  You can use a 2 ft (24”) level.  Put it down on the floor.  Raise the low end and use a dowel or other shim and keep sliding it until the level is level.  Then measure how high that lowered end is off the floor,  The math is simple.  For every inch the end of the level is off the floor, that is 4.17% (1 divided by 24 is 0.04167….moving the decimal 2 places….4.17%]. Or about 1% per every 1/4” the low end of the level has to be raised.

I can move my slides in and out….since I and level side to side….with no issues.  I get the rear as high as I can….and live with it.  It was OK for my original gas refrigerator….and the residential doesn’t care.  We have spent many nights out there when the power was out or during a home renovation or such….
 

 

[lake49068]

Are you using the "auto level" feature of your leveling system?  Has it been calibrated per the manual?  Double check the actual level of your coach using a carpenters bubble level just to make sure that both the level and auto level system are in sync.

[Les Hurdle]

Hi Adam,

I learn I have the basic coach [Cheetah]....... no auto level.

There is a bubble by the jacking controls....... it's almost right.