Jack pads

[Bob Denman]

For overnighting at a Walmart: we park the rig, and crawl into the recliners for a couple of hours...
No slides or jacks are deployed.
Gone before daylight...

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by lwmcguir

We commented that there will be one less place to stay a few hours

Looked like a new coach so maybe they weren't aware of Wally Docking etiquette

Or any etiquette that requires them to think of others besides themselves. We took the grandkids camping for a couple of days at Huguenot Memorial park in Jacksonville, a beach side park with pretty large sites but they are right next to each other. As I pulled up to my site I noticed the site next door was wall-to-wall with tents, EZ-Up canopies and more cars than could fit so they had parked some in my site. And since they had so many tents not only did they have extension cords plugged into their power pole to capacity but were also plugged into my power pole and had dragged our picnic table onto their site.

[lwmcguir]

Originally Posted by chunker21

We have stayed at Walmarts quite a few times and I'll put out slides if there is room. I don't put out awnings, lawn chairs, grills, jacks, or pet enclosures. I treat it like a NFS camp ground, leave no trace, pack it in, pack it out. We usually do shop for supper when we stay. Max stay 1 night. I also call ahead to the store and ask for permission and where they would like me to park. I follow their requests.



In Meridian MS I saw 3 large As and 5th wheels circle the wagons, set all their gear out, block driving lanes, and proceed to "gather round the propane fireplace. We left early the next morning so not sure how long they were planning to be squatters.

Exactly how we Wally Dock also

In hot weather we typically find a 50 amp camp ground rather than burn q0-15 gallos diesel

For a few hours then it is different

[Pete'sMH]

I bought my snap pads because we have stayed at several parks where pads are required and I don’t like crawling around placing them. I gave up on wood after one trip when they got muddy and waterlogged. They are sort of expensive for what they are but it is a “one and done” purchase and eventually they got to the top of my upgrade list. I don’t consider them essential by any means but they do add a bit of convenience. If they don’t provide value to you, don’t buy them.

[MikeHPRS]

I put on Bic Foots! Work great on my AXIS 24.1. Purchased the recommend pads. Note they snap on—— should of been my first hint. So I leveled my rig up on my paver driveway when the driver front was almost fully out as my drive falls away. And the pad “tore” and slipped out and the RV moved a little. BENDING THE FRONT BRACKET!!! I had done this before without the pad. No problems. But the later load on the pressed rubber pad failed and the retaining edge tore away. Slipped off and hit the drive with a glancing blow and bent that rather substantial bracket. Lots of effort and money to fix!!!!

[sip]

I tried to tuck my jacks up as much as I could under the 24.1 for clearance. Most places I don't need any additional pads but sometimes, when I do, I use Camco leveling blocks (plastic). They work great and store nicely.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by MikeHPRS

I put on Bic Foots! Work great on my AXIS 24.1. Purchased the recommend pads. Note they snap on—— should of been my first hint. So I leveled my rig up on my paver driveway when the driver front was almost fully out as my drive falls away. And the pad “tore” and slipped out and the RV moved a little. BENDING THE FRONT BRACKET!!! I had done this before without the pad. No problems. But the later load on the pressed rubber pad failed and the retaining edge tore away. Slipped off and hit the drive with a glancing blow and bent that rather substantial bracket. Lots of effort and money to fix!!!!

That’s a bummer….

Are you sure the pads were fully seated? I have never heard of a failure like that. The things are impossible to get off once installed properly.

Thay being said, if your jack was almost fully extended and the coach was not secure enough and it slid forward, anything could happen.

[AndyT1183]

Originally Posted by Freebird773

I am getting ready to have a Bigfoot Hydraulic Leveler system installed on my 2010 Freedom Elite 21 C on a Ford E350 cut away dually chasis.
I have opted for the 10 “ steel “feet”
Wondering what everyone is using for jack pads under their jacks?
I am really trying to get away from hauling around the assorted slabs of wood.
Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences

Snap pads

[MJC62]

Another vote for Snap Pads

[Gebills]

I installed a set of Bigfoot jacks last year. Looking at the steel pads, just wasn’t comfortable putting them down on concrete or rock for that matter. Grabbed some 3/4” thick UHMW poly, cut out 4 each 9”x9” poly square plates and bolted them to the round steel jack feet. The UHMW was scrap lying around and I already had the 1/4” bolts used to bolt the pads on. Works great and looks good.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Gebills

I installed a set of Bigfoot jacks last year. Looking at the steel pads, just wasn’t comfortable putting them down on concrete or rock for that matter. Grabbed some 3/4” thick UHMW poly, cut out 4 each 9”x9” poly square plates and bolted them to the round steel jack feet. The UHMW was scrap lying around and I already had the 1/4” bolts used to bolt the pads on. Works great and looks good.

Sorry for being dense... explain UHMW poly? What is your ground clearance when retracted (front & rear)? Could you please post some pics? I was told there wasn't enough ground clearance for my Bigfoot levelers to use the Snap Pads.

[plastrd]

UHMW is a hard plastic kind of like HDPE you would commonly recognize as plastic cutting boards. Very durable and slippery material you can buy in sheets of a given thickness.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by sip

I tried to tuck my jacks up as much as I could under the 24.1 for clearance. Most places I don't need any additional pads but sometimes, when I do, I use Camco leveling blocks (plastic). They work great and store nicely.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but.........


If you are going to lift your wheels off the ground with the jacks, you better be doing it equally on both sides. You should blocks under both of those rear jacks..... otherwise you risk twisting / bending the frame.

From the looks of that picture, you are rolling the dice and an accident looking for a place to happen.

Bent frames from too much weight in one spot are a reality. I was just at a big truck shop getting an alignment done. The guy was telling me about different ways people bent their frames.

[mgunnin]

When i had the Snap Pad installed on my Big foot System. They mention that there are holes in the metal foot and I should install self tapping bolts. I think that might have keep you you from shifting, but as the other gentlemen stated the unit must have not been properly parked and secured.

My wide and I give Snap Pads two votes.

[LandKO]

When I had Big Foot levelers installed two years ago, I decided to go ahead and get snap pads.
I had problems keeping them on the jacks.
I park the RV in our back yard. In order to get it back there, I had to back up over the curb at the street and when exiting, down the curb.
Due to the reduced clearance between the ground and the jacks because of the added thickness of the snap pad, I’d have one or two of the pads peel off when they hit the edge of the curb, especially when exiting. So I’d end up wily only 2 snap pads installed.
I recently had a concrete pad poured in the back yard to park the RV on. While they were at it, I asked them to knock out the top portion of the curb where I enter and exit. Now I have a smoother transition from the street into the yard.
I can now use all four snap pads.

[taylorbob1]

No Snap Pads for me
For E350 & E450, lack of sufficient clearance makes it difficult to use Snap Pads
So I use 2x8 treated squares under my HWH straight-leg feet

[Gebills]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

Sorry for being dense... explain UHMW poly? What is your ground clearance when retracted (front & rear)? Could you please post some pics? I was told there wasn't enough ground clearance for my Bigfoot levelers to use the Snap Pads.

I’m a little slow (actually running my backside off) at getting an answer on the UHMW (acronym for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene ) material I’ve used for beneath my Bigfoot jacks. I’ve used this material for just about everything from processing lines to bearing material to spacing whatever needs spacing particularly around salt water. I decided a 3/4” thick material would make a good jack base, so I grabbed a small chunk and cut out 4 pads and bolted them on the bottom of the jack pads. Clearance wise, I have 8.25” on the stern and 6.75” on the front end. My jacks line up close to the wheels which helps in clearance while retracted. Pics attached.

[taylorbob1]

That could potentially work for me
It looks like 5/8” marine starboard or cutting board, although you say it’s 3/4”.


If I go out of a very sloped driveway or across a deep gutter cross-street, I already feel like I must track at an angle to keep from scraping the rear end or one of my jack feet.

But I guess 5/8” wouldn’t hurt.

Thanks for the photos.

[Gebills]

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

That could potentially work for me
It looks like 5/8” marine starboard or cutting board, although you say it’s 3/4”.


If I go out of a very sloped driveway or across a deep gutter cross-street, I already feel like a must track at an angle to keep from scraping the rear end or one of my jack feet.

But I guess 5/8” wouldn’t hurt.

Thanks for the photos.

This UHMW comes in a variety of sizes. I’ve bought it as thin as 1/8”, on up to 1/4”, 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, 1-1/2”, 2” and 3” thicknesses, and I know it is made thicker than that. When i bought this material it was in 4‘ x 8‘ sheets but I know you can buy it in random sizes. The piece that I picked up off of the ship just happen to be 3/4” thickness, because I thought it would be the best thickness for this application. I have had the pads on there for a year and have deployed and retracted them dozens of times. The pads have set on cement, on asphalt, on rock and in dirt, and they are holding up without any noticeable wear that I can see.

[Chateau_Nomad]

I'll have to measure the current clearance on mine and compare. But Bigfoot did recommend against putting Snap Pads on mine. And... I haven't really thoroughly field tested our levelers. Using that plastic looks like a good compromise. And I don't have a ready supply of scraps $$$. Although considerably cheaper than Snap Pads...