Need for pads/blocks with hydrolic levelers?

[sonbeau]

We have a 33 ft Jayco Precept class A with hydrolic levelers and will be making our first long trip cross country. We will be boondocking a good share of the way. Should we have a set of jack pads and/or camco blocks with us? Just pads or both?
And, should the coach always be leveled before opening any slides?
Thanks for any input 🙂

[Dutch_12078]

Our Bigfoot jacks have 10"x10" feet, so we usually don't use pads unless they're needed for some other reason like extra lift range or exceptionally soft soil. I don't know what brand jacks the OP's coach uses, but if it's the smaller HWH feet in particular, then he really does need pads on board.

[Pangaea_Ron]

wallaceb

The only problem that I have using the black blocks is that I've not noticed them, and have left them behind. There's a set waiting for me at my friend's ranch in the Paradise Valley south of Livingston, MT when I return this September.

[wallaceb]

I did something similar to Pangaea Ron above --- I cut eight 12 X 12 X 3/4 inch Marine plywood squares then screwed them together and made four jack pads, painted them with several coats of paint, drilled a 3/4 inch hole to retrieve with awning hook and have used them as jack pads for twenty years on three different RV's and they are still just fine ( I often use a 1 foot 6X6 block perched on top reduce the drop on the jacks and thereby firm up the RV).

[Pangaea_Ron]

I carry (4) 16" x 16" x 3/4" thick exterior plywood pads, painted black. I eased the corners and drilled a 3/4" diameter hole in the center of each to retrieve them with my awning hook.

I usually only use them on soft ground.

[irishtom29]

OkieGene wrote:
How durable are the plastic pads? It just seems like they'd not last very long. Thanks

Durability is adequate, I’ve had no problems. My coach is on a 24,000 pound chassis and all loaded up weighs 22,500 pounds. So it’s not like I need matting for a Manitowac 4100 (that shows my age, when I was young a 4100 was a big rig). I don’t know how well these plastic pads would stand up to use with coaches that are significantly heavier but I’d give them a shot as they’re cheap, light and available and then go to something else if they failed.

[harley-dave]

OkieGene wrote:
How durable are the plastic pads? It just seems like they'd not last very long. Thanks

We've been using the set we have now for 3+ years. they replaced a smaller set that had 4 years on them and never broke. We spend on average 4 months a year traveling so they get a lot of usage. I'm sure there are a lot of factors that determine if they break or not. As always YMMV.

Dave

[Lancslad]

I have 4 2x12x15" wood pads for levelling. I only use them on rough ground... on concrete the pads are not used. I always level before extending the slides, simple physics tells me its the right thing to do to reduce the loads and stresses.

[Lwiddis]

“How durable are the plastic pads? It just seems like they'd not last very long.”

Doesn’t matter. Many private RV parks require them...and it makes sense all the time. May the most expensive non-durable RV item I have be plastic pads!

[OkieGene]

How durable are the plastic pads? It just seems like they'd not last very long. Thanks

[irishtom29]

I carry plastic pads if I need extra cribbing under jacks for sites that are not very level. On soil or asphalt I use pads under the jacks but not when on concrete or solid gravel. Unless, as I said, needed for leveling. If need be I lift the rear wheels off the ground, with the emergency brake set.

[wannavolunteerF]

so I have just bought a gas class A, 24K pounds, and often stay in campgrounds that have gravel parking pads and just have grass at home. I have about 20+ yellow lego blocks, should I use them under my hydraulic leveling jacks? alone? or should I get some rubber type pads to put under them?

[harley-dave]

A lot of parks require a pad under the leveler feet now, so we carry a pack of the yellow plastic leveler pads to cover that and an very out of level situation. Weighs much less than the 2x6's they replaced.

Dave

[Lwiddis]

“Should we have a set of jack pads“

Yes. Metal should rarely touch ground. Plastic is fine.

[fred42]

STBRetired wrote:
Just remember, do NOT lift the rear wheels off the ground.

I am new to levelers but have some that can be used in manual or auto mode. If you are at a new site where you are unsure if the rear wheels would come off the ground, do you use manual mode to gradually try to level and keep checking the rear wheels?