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Old 12-16-2018, 12:28 AM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2016 Thor Outlaw 29H
State: Tennessee
Posts: 668
THOR #13869
Level jacks mounted too low.

2016 Thor Outlaw 29H, class C.

Where we live, TN mountains private gravel road, we need to ford a creek to get home, plus part of our driveway through a slight dip.
We keep experiencing the level jack's feet dragging in the gravel, so much so, they were always full of stones.

Being the mechanic that I am, I used a separate hydraulic jack, heavy duty jack stand, and crawled underneath.
But safety first, I disconnected the power cable on the level system's hydraulics pump motor!
The jack cylinders have many positions, higher and lower, that they can be mounted.
I unbolted each, one at a time, raised them two bolt holes, and reattached them to their mountings.
I actually gave myself two more inches of ground clearance and the bottom foot plates are still about an inch lower than the bottom of the vessel's fuel tank.
RV not going anywhere soon, we are going over everything during its winter nap.

We plan to use 6x6 spacers under each level jack cylinder anyway when camping.

What I found, was these jack cylinder's mount brackets, the permanent ones on the frame, allow for 10 bolts for attaching them, 5 per side of the cylinder.
Each of ours were held on by 6 bolts, three per side of the cylinder.
The bolt pattern to hold them seemed rather random of the five per side available and using three.
I added 1 bolt per side of each jack cylinder.
Now, ours are mounted using 8 out of the 10 available (there are welded in nuts so you only need to use one wrench), and now all of ours use the bottom hole (where none did before).
Our bolts are 1/2 NC, and I had to clean the threads with a tap in the unused hole.

Now, I am sure six would suffice, but I feel better with eight, and if I had eight extra bolts in my shop, they all would have ten!
I used grade 5 or better bolts, 1 1/2" long with a lock washer, and never-seize.

I always over engineer things, I have a huge mechanics shop, and have spare bolts and nuts, things around often.
My next project is to build a spare tire carrier.
There is room between the frame behind the rear axle and the Reese hitch that is installed.

I should note, my notice of what I consider poor quality workmanship, all the zip ties that someone used, they did not trim the tails off.
Also, one of the side marker light's wiring was so loosely installed, that it got tangled in the rear tires, and ripped it out.
This caused the wires to whip up and ground out on the framework going down the road, blowing the fuse in the process.
Accidently found this during a fuel stop, plus fuse change again.
I had to cut the wire back and tape it off (also to be corrected on my to do list).
No fun in the rain, at night, at least the station had a roof at the pumps.

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Old 12-16-2018, 07:40 PM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Quantum RQ29
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THOR #12941
Spare Tire Carrier

I am looking to have a spare tire carrier installed on my 2018 Quantum 29RQ. I would hate to have to screw up the clean look on the back and am wondering about a special install underneath. Would love to hear what you come up with for your carrier. Unfortunately, I am not capable of this so will be paying for this modification elsewhere.
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Old 12-16-2018, 09:05 PM   #3
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Model: Four Winds 31E (2019)
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THOR #12270
i have noticed also that on my 31E, the levelers seem relay low. since we live on a hill side it seems i cant drive it without them scraping on the ground (in up position) i will also look into this as your post has inspired me
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Old 12-16-2018, 09:39 PM   #4
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Me too on a 31W but when I looked I didn't think I could raise the cylinders at all because I'd hit the floor. But it is worth a hard look. The other thing I scrape is my hitch due to the rear overhang. I may have to tow my RC airplane trailer a few inches nose up. It's single axel so not a big deal I think.
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Old 12-16-2018, 11:40 PM   #5
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Congratulations on finding an easy solution!
So tell us: how much clearance do you have under the feet now?

(My Outlaw had almost 6" of clearance...)
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Old 12-17-2018, 03:34 AM   #6
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THOR #13869
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
Congratulations on finding an easy solution!
So tell us: how much clearance do you have under the feet now?

(My Outlaw had almost 6" of clearance...)
I think mine looked like it had about 6", I raised it two bolt holes, so it must have about 8" now.
I cannot measure accurately right now, I have it up on a jack stand while I fab up a spare tire carrier, but I will let you know here when I get that done.
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Old 12-17-2018, 04:08 AM   #7
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THOR #13869
Quote:
Originally Posted by LATraveler View Post
I am looking to have a spare tire carrier installed on my 2018 Quantum 29RQ. I would hate to have to screw up the clean look on the back and am wondering about a special install underneath. Would love to hear what you come up with for your carrier. Unfortunately, I am not capable of this so will be paying for this modification elsewhere.
Well, I can do a lot of my own fabrication, and I can weld (somewhat) while it is flat in front of me, lol.
I noticed under the garage, on the frame behind the rearend about a foot, there is an oval hole (manufactured there) on each side, measures 2.500" on the narrow side of the oval.
I have a 2" steel galvanized schedule 40 pipe I used to use as a tee post pounder, and it measures about 2.375" on the O.D.
It is a heavy duty piece of pipe, for sure!
It is 43" from outside frame to outside and I cut the pipe to 49" length.
I am going to see how well it slips together tomorrow and if I need to grind it out some or something.

I also have some steel angle, channel, round, and bar stock I like to keep on hand, not a lot, but always enough for when some project comes up.

My idea is to weld a 4" x 2" channel to it, flat side up, and make it boltable to the trailer hitch.
Fashion an area for the tire to be fastened to the channel about midway.
The pipe will allow it to rotate in the frame hole, like a big tee, and let the bolted to the hitch end go down to the ground once unbolted to get the tire off.
Thinking of a through bolt in each end of the pipe, outside the frame both sides, so it cannot slide over and out, but still allow it to rotate in the hole.
I also figure I will need to take the hitch assembly off to fab a connection plate so they can bolt together and not interfere with the receiver.

It will take me the week to get it done and painted before installing.
I am retired and dog watch too, plus it is somewhat cold in these Tennessee mountains!
Being retired, it sometimes takes a few to get motivated, next thing you know, sun is going down and my lady gets home from work.

Anyway, it may be difficult to man handle a spare tire from out of there, but I want to have one with me.
If I am too remote for help, I carry cover-alls for when it is times like these, and I will get it out, also carry a port-a-power jack and tools to change the tire.

I have the roadside assist coverage, it will cover the labor of someone to change the tire, it will not cover if I do not have a spare!
It will be the roadside assistant's job to get the spare out at that point.

I will take pictures once it is well under way and try to get them on here.

2016 Thor Outlaw 29H
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Old 12-17-2018, 04:26 AM   #8
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THOR #13869
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diemaster View Post
i have noticed also that on my 31E, the levelers seem relay low. since we live on a hill side it seems i cant drive it without them scraping on the ground (in up position) i will also look into this as your post has inspired me
Sir, just keep your safety in mind, and I don't mean the glasses thing, etc.
Don't trust a jack by itself, add a jack stand or crib up some wood under the frame, the just in case factor.

And, lock out your hydraulics!
I removed one of the electric power cables to the level system's hydraulic pump motor, there are two (+) & (-).
If you accidently triggered it, mysteriously, you don't want to be where it would crush you.
Just remember to hook it back up when through, mine used a 13 mm wrench.
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Old 12-17-2018, 05:32 PM   #9
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THOR #13869
Here is one of my level cylinders now with eight bolts.

Sorry, picture upside down.
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Old 12-17-2018, 06:02 PM   #10
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THOR #11130
The Super C's on the F550 chassis have something blocking one top corner the jack mount bracket from being mounted any higher. there was a guy on another forum that cut one of the top flange corners off of both front jacks and was able to raise them a few inches, using the same pre-drilled holes. I'll look into this in the Spring. Mine are so low I've had people point them out. Speed humps are the biggest threat...they come down hard on them once the front tires roll over. I pointed this out at the factory tour I took last week and they called a guy from inside to come out and take notes. I told him..."it's not like youcan't notice this on everyone that rolls off the line, huh"?
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Old 12-17-2018, 07:48 PM   #11
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http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1545076063

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1545076081
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Old 12-17-2018, 10:10 PM   #12
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THOR #13869
Here is my pipe in the oval frame holes and the start of my spare tire carrier.

Again, upside down photo.
You can see the edge of the level jack in the photo.
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Old 12-17-2018, 10:50 PM   #13
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THOR #10823
Gritz, I'm taking our Quantum up to Michigan next month to get a set of Big Foot jacks installed. Roughly how much clearance do you have on your Super C from pad to ground. Since I'll be there for the install, I want to make sure I get as much clearance as possible.
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Old 12-18-2018, 11:39 AM   #14
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About 6 inches...really keeps you on your toes when entering low "gutter" entrances to fuel stations and speed humps. The flatter the terrain (Florida and coastal areas) the deeper the gutters are along the curbing.
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Old 12-18-2018, 11:48 AM   #15
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Thanks! Hopefully they can keep them several inches higher, we'll see.
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Old 12-18-2018, 01:27 PM   #16
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Mine gad "almost" six inches of clearance, and I never had them touch down by accident...
Perhaps I just drive too slowly...
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Old 12-18-2018, 02:21 PM   #17
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Approaching humps and bumps at angles prevents it also. I've not bottomed out yet either but it sure makes for a slow ingress/egress.
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Old 12-18-2018, 02:29 PM   #18
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I agree: we always "crabbed" our way over them...
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Old 12-26-2018, 11:15 PM   #19
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THOR #13869
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton View Post
The Super C's on the F550 chassis have something blocking one top corner the jack mount bracket from being mounted any higher. there was a guy on another forum that cut one of the top flange corners off of both front jacks and was able to raise them a few inches, using the same pre-drilled holes.
I admit when I started this thread, I had only raised the rear cylinders, then I got into building a spare tire carrier for underneath.
It is on there now, then tending to drooping wires, one that came out of a side marker light, to getting that straightened out, dodging the rain, enjoying the holidays...
Needless to say, I discovered the front level cylinders cannot be mounted any higher because they are near touching the cab's floorboard now.
So there it is, still sitting on its front tire's on 6x6's, and I cannot measure what clearance there is now, I won't tell y'all now.
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