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Topic: leveling (Read 894 times) previous topic - next topic

leveling


This is the first motorhome I've had that didn't have hydraulic levelers. Before when dry camping I have had to "walk the coach up by adding wood to get level. How do the people with air leveling get more travel? I can guess using wood but maybe hearing how it has been done before will save me time making up the blocks to carry.
Thanks for any advice.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: leveling

Reply #1 –
How many inches of rise do you typically require when leveling?
David and Carolyn Osborn
1995 U320C SE 40' Build 4726 Feb 1995
FMCA 147762
Motorcade 17186

Re: leveling

Reply #2 –
Craneman, I hardly ever have problem with air levelling and if really stuck in bad location that is way out of level then I guess you may need to carry some24" lengths of 2 x 8s with you (4 for rear or 2 for front). rarely park in RV sites and they should be fairly level I would hope.
Not sure what amount of height you can get from fully dumped., maybe around 6"
JohnH
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: leveling

Reply #3 –
@craneman

I usually can get level. I try to get a spot that is already level. (I'm a master of the obvious!) Sometimes by surveying the terrain and placing the tires just right (say on the high spots) I can get there. Other times I do need to pull out the 2x10s. It's almost always the front or rear is too high/low but sometimes the side. :)

When blocking the rear be sure to do both duallies. (not sure what to do about tags) Doing just one puts a lot of extra pressure on the other. Also make sure the tire(s) is fully supported. No rubber hanging over the edge. Tires are expensive treat them nicely!

It's motorhoming. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

see ya
ken 
The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X

Re: leveling

Reply #4 –
Quote from: D.J. Osborn –
How many inches of rise do you typically require when leveling?
We dry camp in the Sierras sometimes very un level see pic.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: leveling

Reply #5 –
Hi Ken,

FYI, when leveling with boards under the dual wheels, be sure to use boards under that tag wheels too. The tag air bags can be over extended and torn which to replacement.

Jim
Jim Frerichs
2002 U320 42'

Re: leveling

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Jim Frerichs –
Hi Ken,

FYI, when leveling with boards under the dual wheels, be sure to use boards under that tag wheels too. The tag air bags can be over extended and torn which to replacement.
Don't have to worry about tag. Seems like 4 of the boards mentioned would cover front or rear they can't both need wood at the same time. I might have to up the thickness though. Probably staircase up from 1 to 2 to 3  2"x8"'s
Jim
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: leveling

Reply #7 –
Quote
Probably staircase up from 1 to 2 to 3  2"x8"'s

If you are going to go up that 3rd level I'd upgrade to 2x10s for a little more footprint. DWMYH!

see ya
ken
The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X

Re: leveling

Reply #8 –
It wouldn't take up much more space, good idea.
Thanks
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: leveling

Reply #9 –
I routinely use a site once a year that is unlevel sych that I want boards....on driver side two 2x10s are stacked (3") for the front tire driver side and four same size stacked for rear driver duals...i.e. Driver side is downhill.  I then put two, one level high (1.5") under the passenger rear.

The reason for passenger side is that over time the tires would sink a bit down into the soil with type of soil and rain.

One thing though i have found.....it is pretty easy to dig out about one inch deep on the passenger rear.  So very little digging substitutes for more boards on the opposite side.  Works well for us.

I also saw a slant on one end of the boards so when i stack two it is easy to drive up on them, not as prone to shift.  I also back up a little more than need and pull up onto the boards rather than back on to them.  All are 30 inches long so at this site i can look out at the driver side front tire and see my progress, when to stop.

Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: leveling

Reply #10 –
With my old FT I was very good at digging for the tires. Like you say one in" down on the high side is same as one in" up on the low.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: leveling

Reply #11 –
Thanks Craneman...another storyy/lesson.....on my first trip there in our new coach, some friends told me to bring lots of big boards, how to build a platform for one front tire.  It what they did.

I bolted two 30 inch long 6x6's together, hauled them out to park.  Heavy!  It did the job but none of the advisors thought about another option.....I could lower one side of the coach and raise the other, a good way to help cope with site slope.

That block of wood is a monument i will donate to anyone, they pay postage!
Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: leveling

Reply #13 –
Stump, interesting to read this.  I hope others have tried and chime in....would be much easier to carry around than my boards, but when at CW and inquired and recall they thought not handle my weight.  Maybe uninformed salesman and your and other experience what counts with me.  I also thought they worked well with jacks on fifth wheel friends have but was unsure of driving up onto those versus the longer boards I carry.  And the larger footprint I get with the board to avoid sinking (so much!) into the soil at the only place I seem to need blocks.

Am interested you experience and any others on Forum.  Thanks for posting.

mike
Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: leveling

Reply #14 –
Mike mine were in my coach when I bought it along with everything else. I use them at home to level the coach out .I use 2 down flat and two stacked on top of those in the center so they are 3 high.i only need them on the right side in the backyard. They work just fine. I used them camping in fl last march snd they did sink some in the  grass where I was but that was expected.Washed them off and put back in their storage bag. Like I  said mine are the Lynx brand and are working fine for  me.
91 GV U300 Unihome 40' Build 3811
6V92TA Detroit

Re: leveling

Reply #15 –
I carry a set of 2x6 boards and have had to use them a few times. Since I don't have a tag axle I put three of the longer boards side by side under the duals (running lengthwise). If necessary I have some shorter pieces that can go crosswise to get 3" raise. I have enough of each size to take care of an axle or a side up 3". The most recent use was here at Babler when we were in a temporary site. It looked pretty level, but wasn't. I had to raise the rear the full 3". Even then the front was down on the tires.

Re: leveling

Reply #16 –
We often park in "uncivilized" places.  After destroying 2x6's and 2x8's, I have had settled on 2x10s.  Plus, I have made up six of the longest ones (to have room for "stair-stepping", with 3/4 ply to help with stones and splitting.  So far has worked, for three years.  andy1
Carolyn and Lewis (Andy1) Anderson
1996 U270 36'

Re: leveling

Reply #17 –
Tomorrow I am going to see what the lift is from completely dumped to fully raised and use that number to build my blocks. My reasoning is that I can have blocks that height and if they aren't needed can let air out until I am level. I have some crane pads that I can use to keep from sinking
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean