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Old 11-11-2019, 09:55 PM   #1
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THOR #17154
Level but a wheel off the ground

I finally brought her home and parked her in the driveway. The driveway isn’t level so I used some 2 by 8 and leveled.

The front wheel is about 2” off the deck.

Is this ok? Is this safe to go into?

Will the leveling jacks support the front end?

I saw something similar in an RV park last week but I want to make sure...
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Old 11-11-2019, 10:10 PM   #2
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once your levelers hit the ground, they are already 'supporting' your RV, so whether the wheel is 'still touching the ground' or 'completely in the air' makes no difference.

some will argue that it's not 'comfortable' to them, and therefore they want to try to put something 'under' the wheel, like a piece of wood, or concrete block, but the fact is that it makes no difference whether you do, or don't. The laws of physics don't change simple because we think something 'looks' better, or safer, to us.

some will also argue that front wheels off the ground is o.k., but a 'no no' for the rear wheels... I suppose due to the thought or belief that the rear wheels are really what 'anchors' the coach, or provides the 'braking' in the event the coach were to go 'rolling'...but the front wheels also have brakes, so therefore there is really no difference.

also, as a note: when the coach is LEVEL, it has no reason to 'go anywhere', no matter how it looks or whether a wheel, or wheels, are 'off' the ground. Anything that is level has no reason to move, even if you are moving around inside of it - you don't have enough weight to throw around to make much difference, even though you might feel some slight movement of the coach inside.

When your coach is level, your brakes don't need to do anything.
On the other hand, if your coach is not, and it is not leveled, then your brakes will have to do ALL the work to keep it from moving.


enjoy
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Old 11-11-2019, 10:19 PM   #3
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Parking brake

The reason rear wheels off the ground is considered a no no is because of the parking brakes. The parking brakes on most vehicles are tied to the rear brakes either by mechanical means via a cable or electronically via some type of solenoid system. Putting the rear wheels up on the MH eliminates that safety feature.
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Old 11-11-2019, 10:24 PM   #4
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right, but also remember the context of the original concern... which is probably the 'what if' my rig comes crashing down from it's levelers?? Well, in that case the rig would then be 'sitting' on all wheels, and all the 'brakes' would still be supporting it, just as if it were simply 'parked' in the driving on the wheels in the first place.

The idea of motorized RVs having a catastrophic situation due to a wheel being off the ground, or a leveler bending, or even the hydraulic loss of ALL levelers, is not set in reality, though it seems to make many folks bristle at the thought, ESPECIALLY if they are overnighting in it! The reality is that it is not the 'problem' anyone assumes.
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Old 11-11-2019, 11:03 PM   #5
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It's not a big deal to have a wheel (or two!),in the air...
It's far more important that your rig be set level.

You could always have your driveway re-engineered so that it is perfectly level; if this really bothers you...
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Old 11-12-2019, 12:03 AM   #6
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Thanks guys! I feel much better.
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Old 11-12-2019, 02:45 PM   #7
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I’ve occasionally had one or two tires off the ground without problems but I really try to avoid it. If it happens I’ll typically put appropriate LEGO blocks under the problem wheels and level again. I usually put the same number of blocks under the appropriate jack so it doesn’t need to extend quite so far. The reason is not so much that the jacks can’t support the load as that they are not designed to withstand any lateral load - especially at full extension. Having the tires touching the ground provides that sideways stability. I was parked in a campground with not very level sites and river rock pads. A fellow a few spaces over had his older Coachman Class A fall off his levelers sideways. Bent both front jacks and the front leaf spring. Of course he couldn’t retract the bent jacks and he was still stuck when we left. So while it’s a small risk on a paved site it’s also easily avoided.
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Old 11-22-2020, 04:40 PM   #8
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I read this a few weeks ago but I wanted to add something to this post.

Sometime I find my front tires off the ground as well. But Its much more stabile with large blocks under the jacks. That way your Levelers are only extended around 3 or 4 inches VS 7 or 8 inches. On my Axis its much more wobbly when fully extended so I dont do that anymore. I use the blocks along with levelers.

I use the oversized Campco block. I slide 3 or 4 of them under the front jacks before I deploy. I also put 2 or 3 under the rear jacks.

see the two links below.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Levelin...062956&sr=8-25

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-44500-L...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
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Old 11-22-2020, 05:07 PM   #9
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If you have the room to carry blocks:
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Old 11-23-2020, 04:29 AM   #10
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From the Thor manual:

Inspect each tire of the motorhome to ensure they are NOT lifted off the ground. IF AUTOMATIC LEVELING CAUSES ONE OR MORE WHEELS TO BE OFF THE GROUND, ALL THE JACKS MUST BE RETRACTED AND LEVELING MUST BE PERFORMED MANUALLY.
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Old 11-23-2020, 05:04 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
If you have the room to carry blocks:
Exactly - I have plenty of room.
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Old 12-03-2020, 11:22 PM   #12
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My only personal concern with this is leaving the suspension unsprung. That's more of an issue on the front end. I always try to make sure there's at least some tension on it.

I doubt the coach is going to slide down the driveway on its levelers for lack of brakes.
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