Tires off Ground

[timbuchanan7]

Why are you not suppose to lift the tires off of the ground with the leveling jacks on a motor home? It does not seem logical that the jacks cannot handle the weight of the coach because the tires can be barely touching the ground and the jacks will be supporting 99% of the weight of the coach.

[Chance]

Your logic is good if vertical loads were the only limitation. However, it’s side loads that could cause an issue, and having tires on ground makes RV much more stable.

For what it’s worth, hydraulic cylinders are weakest when fully extended, which makes side loads more critical.