Jacks for lifting?

[phillyg]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

I tried lifting with my electric jacks on my High Country and the jacks reached a point where they seemed to really struggle.

I manually raised all six to max stroke on level ground. Wheels did not leave ground. I manually lowered all three jacks a bit on one side, and the opposite side raised off the ground. Now, it may be your jacks are bolted in to lower (or is it higher) bolt holes.

[RickyRobert]

BB_TX - You need to pick up on suny07's comment that "Its (sic) a week (sic) point to protect the frame." Wouldn't be the first or only sacrificial component of a carefully engineered complex system. suny07 was "lucky" that they only have to pay for a bracket weld and not a frame realignment as a consequence of ignoring the manufacture's warning. suny07 should also be thanking their lucky stars that the fastening tube was engineered in such a way that it bent rather than broke off. Could have been a lot worse, both economically and bodily harm - as I have tried to make others aware of. May I suggest that those others promoting using the leveling jacks as lifting jacks go out and put a square on each junction point to see if they have already weakened the support tubes. Just a thought ...

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Montana Man

Where are the pads for the bottom of those jacks?

Shortly after we purchased our Montana, I drug one of the rear jacks in a gas station in the middle of tim-buck-too land in Tennessee. I didn't pay much attention until I went to set up camp and found the jack pad was missing. Yep, I knew exactly where and when I lost it, but that was over 300 miles earlier.

I found out, real fast, those pad cost over $50 each. I ordered a new one from my dealership at home because I could not find any local dealers where we were at that had any in stock.

When we returned home, I was able to pick it up from my dealership and $50 less in my checking account. Lesson learned ......

Always, always, always remove the jack pad when traveling. I've been doing it ever since and .... I've not lost another one since either.

It take a couple minutes to pull the pin that holds them on and to insert them when setting up camp, again. But I have peace of mind I won't loose another one.

That's why there is no pads on them in the photo. I was still hitched to the truck.

[bigdawgfinley]

I didn’t think so until one time we were parked on an incline such that the levelers lifted the tires off the ground. I’d put axle jacks under before doing any work though

[RickyRobert]

I know that you know this, but the correct solution is to purchase a case or two of the leveling blocks, build an appropriate ramp (I've had to carve out a flat starting point a few times), and keep the tires on the ground. A 10 pack is just over $40, and I'd suggest purchasing two of them. At < $100 with tax it is a lot cheaper than the potential consequences of "lifting" the RV.

https://www.campingworld.com/rv-leve...veling-systems

[suny07]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

A square tube is weak in that direction of force. A simple piece of flat square metal plate welded to each end of that square tube would have greatly strengthened it and very unlikely to have bent. And may well have prevented the weld from breaking from the frame.

That's what me dealer is welding tooth square as addition now.
But it still is not meant to lift and jack up the whole trailer.
At least for the Electric Leveling System.

And I thought that is a damn fine jack up system...


Mike

[RickyRobert]

Suny07 - you may want to check whether this modification will void your frame warranty. I'd be surprised if it didn't void the warranty. As for using the levelers as lifters, I've already said my peace.

[DaveK]

On uneven campsites, auto leveling jacks will lift wheels off the ground. I don't like it, but all campsites are not created equal.

[RickyRobert]

Ignore the warnings at your own peril.

For those of us who do follow the operations manuals, we carry the necessary gear to provide a relatively level, and certainly stable landing pad. After many years and multiple 5'ers, those of us who fall into that category have acquired a few wood boards and blocks, virtually unbreakable landing pads, and the leveling blocks that I posted about previously. Some expense, yes, but I don't have to go out at night and re-level my rig to get the fridge door to seal or stop the bathroom door from swinging etc. I certainly don't worry about twisting the frame. And, BTW, my experience includes parked on beach sand, forest roads, rest areas, Walmart, and even the occasional $110/night resort. I'm frugal, but not when it comes to safety apparatus.

'Nuff said by me, I'm off this thread. Aint you glad ...

[mhs4771]

You need to remember there is a HUGE difference between the Hydraulic Level-Up System and the Electric Leveling systems.
I talked to the Designer of the Level-Up System before it was transferred/sold to Lippert. The way it's designed is pretty much fool proof and unable to twist the frame and strong enough to support the entire weight of the unit on it's six jacks. Plus the original Add for the Level-Up System touted the ability to lift the unit to change a tire.
All that changed when Lippert's Legal Team got their fingers into the pie.

[Montana Man]

With our trailer there is already about 3300 lbs being supported by two front jacks. That leaves about 11000 lbs for four other jacks to handle. As we know, the hydraulic leveling system can easily jack a wheel off the ground. If it was so unsafe to do that then how can you level a trailer and it be safe for people to occupy it?

There is inherent danger of failure anytime the trailer is resting on any of the jacks. I believe the system is safe enough to trust whether being outside on the ground changing a tire, or living inside of it for many hours on end.