Leveling

[Wantoby]

I am in a CG that is not level. Used the hydraulic leveler in manual but the left front tire was off ground. So I put a block under tire. I still was not level though. When I tried to re-level the front of MH had to go up but front levelers were maxed out. So I stayed slightly undeveloped. What is the solution and proper way to level in this type of situation? Thanx in advance.

[abjb]

Do you have any blocks under the jacks?
Sounds like you need some under the right front jack and more under the front tire/S.

Right now we have 3 under the r front tire and 2 under the r front jack.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by abjb

Do you have any blocks under the jacks?
Sounds like you need some under the right front jack and more under the front tire/S.

Right now we have 3 under the r front tire and 2 under the r front jack.

Blocks under your levelers will allow increased lift before running out of strut travel. The only restriction for wheels coming off ground is not to have all the wheels off the ground. A single or both front wheels off the ground is not an issue and no blocks are required. This happens a lot to me due to the site slope.

[gmann32]

Just don't leave rear wheels off the ground as your parking brake will not work!

[YellowSled]

Agreed. I try not to have the front wheels off the ground, but its not the end of the world if they are. The back wheels MUST stay on the ground for the paring brake. FWIW, that's my .03

[GrumpyBiker]

I lag bolt three 4x4s together. (X4)
A friend made a set for his & screwed 3/4" exterior grade plywood to the top of the 4x4s.
Adding an eye screw & a bit of nylon rope makes retrieving easier when it's time to leave.
If the rear wheels are required to be off the ground I chalk both front tires .

[Walter Pigeon]

Originally Posted by GrumpyBiker

I lag bolt three 4x4s together. (X4)
A friend made a set for his & screwed 3/4" exterior grade plywood to the top of the 4x4s.
Adding an eye screw & a bit of nylon rope makes retrieving easier when it's time to leave.
If the rear wheels are required to be off the ground I chalk both front tires .

I put three pc of 2x10 screwed together under each from Jack, then I made these "ramps" out of 2x12s, I have a sloped driveway...

[GrumpyBiker]

They look nicely done !!

[tailwind22]

Originally Posted by Walter Pigeon

I put three pc of 2x10 screwed together under each from Jack, then I made these "ramps" out of 2x12s, I have a sloped driveway...Attachment 145366

Very nicely done. Just did something similar for my sloped driveway only not quite up to that standard.

[BillMFl]

I carry 2x10 blocks but not screwed together. I like the flexibility of using whatever number I prefer at the time. When making a reservation in a park for the first time I request a very level site and usually get one. Camps with poorly leveled sites are not visited again. Poorly maintained parks with pot holed roads and very unlevel sites don't deserve our business. I hate to see MHs with their front wheels high off the ground and wheels not supported. Just because it can be done doesn't make it ok in my book. Just my personal opinion and not claiming others are wrong but I just don't trust the Lippert system enough for repeated maximum extensions.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by BillMFl

I carry 2x10 blocks but not screwed together. I like the flexibility of using whatever number I prefer at the time. When making a reservation in a park for the first time I request a very level site and usually get one. Camps with poorly leveled sites are not visited again. Poorly maintained parks with pot holed roads and very unlevel sites don't deserve our business. I hate to see MHs with their front wheels high off the ground and wheels not supported. Just because it can be done doesn't make it ok in my book. Just my personal opinion and not claiming others are wrong but I just don't trust the Lippert system enough for repeated maximum extensions.

I understand you don't like to see the front wheels off the ground but can you cite any issues caused by this condition? The Lippert system does not always have to be at maximum extension for the wheels to come off the ground. There is a Lippert caution to not have "all the wheels" off the ground.

[Walter Pigeon]

Originally Posted by BillMFl

I carry 2x10 blocks but not screwed together. I like the flexibility of using whatever number I prefer at the time. When making a reservation in a park for the first time I request a very level site and usually get one. Camps with poorly leveled sites are not visited again. Poorly maintained parks with pot holed roads and very unlevel sites don't deserve our business. I hate to see MHs with their front wheels high off the ground and wheels not supported. Just because it can be done doesn't make it ok in my book. Just my personal opinion and not claiming others are wrong but I just don't trust the Lippert system enough for repeated maximum extensions.

Yes, having any of the wheels off the ground for anything more than overnight troubles me... these blocks are just for at home, we have stacking blocks for camping !!

[BillMFl]

Originally Posted by bubbles

I understand you don't like to see the front wheels off the ground but can you cite any issues caused by this condition? The Lippert system does not always have to be at maximum extension for the wheels to come off the ground. There is a Lippert caution to not have "all the wheels" off the ground.

One concern is that over time and frequent use the Lippert hydraulic systems have had issues with seals and lines that result in jacks not holding pressure. My left front jack tends to gradually retract. No fluids leaks so it is probably a valve seal. From being here often for a number of years I have read many posts regarding these issues. The Lippert jack systems on GTs are puny as compared to Diesel Pushers. So ya I am uneasy about lifting my front wheels off the ground. So I use a combination of drive on blocks and blocks under my jacks to achieve level with a minimum of jack extension. I don't care what others chose to do. That's their choice to make. Worse case to me would be for a coach parked with front wheels high off the ground have one side fail during the night while having all slides extended. Frame twist could be a major issue for slides etc. So I prefer to level with a minimum of jack extension and wheels not dangling in the air. And also I refuse to accept a site that is not reasonably level. Reading park reviews on a location I have not visited before often warn of poor park maintenance of roads and sites and I chose to avoid staying there. Over the years I have chosen to drive a little further in order to stay in a park that is very well maintained. To each his own. I don't boondock and prefer attractive well maintained parks for my motor home. My Class B van does not have slides and does not need to be level so I take it to the more remote and rustic locations. I just park it so my feet are on the downhill slope, haha. I also have a very nice LL Bean tent with full standing head room and an attached screen room for my wilderness camping, but that's another story.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by Walter Pigeon

I put three pc of 2x10 screwed together under each from Jack, then I made these "ramps" out of 2x12s, I have a sloped driveway...Attachment 145366

Made me feel cheap. I have a box of assorted 1x8 and 2x8 and stack up as needed.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by BillMFl

One concern is that over time and frequent use the Lippert hydraulic systems have had issues with seals and lines that result in jacks not holding pressure. My left front jack tends to gradually retract. No fluids leaks so it is probably a valve seal. From being here often for a number of years I have read many posts regarding these issues. The Lippert jack systems on GTs are puny as compared to Diesel Pushers. So ya I am uneasy about lifting my front wheels off the ground. So I use a combination of drive on blocks and blocks under my jacks to achieve level with a minimum of jack extension. I don't care what others chose to do. That's their choice to make. Worse case to me would be for a coach parked with front wheels high off the ground have one side fail during the night while having all slides extended. Frame twist could be a major issue for slides etc. So I prefer to level with a minimum of jack extension and wheels not dangling in the air. And also I refuse to accept a site that is not reasonably level. Reading park reviews on a location I have not visited before often warn of poor park maintenance of roads and sites and I chose to avoid staying there. Over the years I have chosen to drive a little further in order to stay in a park that is very well maintained. To each his own. I don't boondock and prefer attractive well maintained parks for my motor home. My Class B van does not have slides and does not need to be level so I take it to the more remote and rustic locations. I just park it so my feet are on the downhill slope, haha. I also have a very nice LL Bean tent with full standing head room and an attached screen room for my wilderness camping, but that's another story.

So, some speculation but no specific issue dedicated specifically to the topic or actual incident cited. Just wanted to check and make a change if needed. Thank you. Happy camping.

[Walter Pigeon]

Originally Posted by bubbles

So, some speculation but no specific issue dedicated specifically to the topic or actual incident cited. Just wanted to check and make a change if needed. Thank you. Happy camping.

Happy motoring !!

[BillMFl]

Originally Posted by bubbles

So, some speculation but no specific issue dedicated specifically to the topic or actual incident cited. Just wanted to check and make a change if needed. Thank you. Happy camping.

I guess you totally missed my first statement about issues with the Lippert leveling system. There have been many many issues with leaking seals and blown pressure hoses. And as I clearly stated my right front jack tends to gradually retract on its own probably because of a leaky seal in the reversing valves. There have been many posts on here about issues with the Lippert system if you are not too lazy to research it. I don't trust the Lippert system enough to have my wheels off the ground while parked for the night. Therefore I use the jacks to raise the wheels and then lower the wheels onto blocks or simply drive on a single block if that is all that is required. Once leveled I then use the jacks just to stabilize and prevent rocking but they are not lifting the whole weight of the coach. You can do as you please. No need to be snarky with your reply. My reply was not just intended for you, but also for anyone who might have a problem with their jacks. Before I started using blocks to assist in leveling, my jacks would often make loud popping noises. This is another well documented issue that has been discussed many times on here. By not fully extending my jacks I no longer have the "popping" noises during the night. And lastly, the automatic leveling system has never been reliable for my coach. I have reset it many times over 5 seasons, but it eventually goes back to jacking the coach up way too high. Nice and level, but way off the ground. I am happy to say that I have had very few other issues with my coach and for the price point FR puts together a nice package. But for a coach that is an inch shy of 38' in length I wish the leveling system was more robust. Lastly, there are many RV parks that just do not provide nice level sites and I try to avoid them. But sometimes the only park within reasonable distance from an area I want to visit, has sites that are not even close to being level. For newbies that might read this post, it pays to read reviews before booking a stay. There are lots of locations that are great, and plenty that are not. With a really well maintained location one call pull right in, extend the jacks just enough to make enough contact to stabilize and not even use blocks at all.

[RVCrazy]

We have have found that not using auto level can reduce this suspended in the air issue. We set the level on the iPhone and place it on the kitchen counter and manually level. This has also taken away the need for an extra step under the retractable entrance steps due to excessive step to ground level.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by gmann55

Just don't leave rear wheels off the ground as your parking brake will not work!

Parking brake will still work with rear wheels off the ground, but it will be useless, like jumping out of an airplane with a parachute that you are not strapped into.