rgatijnet1
Florida
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Joined: 06/22/2009
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I like heavy duty jack stands, under the frame rails, on a level concrete surface, as the only way that is safe. Each jack stand by itself should be able to support the weight of the coach.
Use of concrete blocks is the stupidest thing that anyone could do. Driving up on wooden blocks will hold the load, but the possibility exists that it could also roll off of the wooden blocks.
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rjstractor
Auburn, WA
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Joined: 01/20/2003
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Another tip, wear safety glasses or some sort of eye protection. It seems as though little bits of dirt and/or rust will fall and find your eyes.
1998 Gulfstream Ultra B/H Ford E450 V10
2005 Chevy 2500HD 6.0 w/ Maxidump insert
2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
1998 Saturn SL2 toad
2012 VW Jetta S
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Boblou
Florida
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Joined: 10/05/2005
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I went to Home Depot and they have a bin with lumber that have been cut off of a larger piece and the price is very low. I bought a 5 ft piece and a 3 foot piece. I cut 2ft off of the 5 ft and then nailed the 2 to the 3 and the 3 to the five and drove up and it gave me the room i need to work under the motor home. Just lifts it enought to get my big belly under there. By the way the pieces were 2 x 6 but i could have bought 2 x 8 for the same price.
As mentioned earlier, make sure you chock the wheels to prevent rolling while your under there
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mufasta
California
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Joined: 08/31/2006
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For under $100 I got a 20 ton pneumatic jack and 2 15 ton jack stands from Harbor Freight. The jack lifts the rear of my rig (9 ton total with 6-7 tons on the rear) with no problem. Put it on the jack stands and it feels more stable than on the ground (kind of). I also use wood ramps, just depends on my needs.
Oh and +1 for the glasses. So much******falls on you when you're under there isn't even funny. Of course my rig is 15 years older than your but still.
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zmotorsports
Utah
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Joined: 11/29/2007
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I agree with the jackstands rather than blocks. However, blocks would work but also make sure to chock the wheels so the coach cannot move in either direction accidently.
I use a ten ton floor jack and also have a 35 ton air-over-hydraulic bottle style jack to raise one end at a time along with two pairs of 22-ton jackstands. All of this was expensive but very well worth the money. Mike.
2003 Monaco Dynasty/ 26' Haulmark Edge trailer
2011 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
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RVSKIER
Seattle, WA
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Joined: 04/23/2004
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Why jack it up at all? my rig is high enough to begin with that I just get on my back and slide under it(after blocking the wheels of course). This is how I replace my hydrulic line on my jacks. You'd be surprized how much room the is under there.
RVSKIER
2001 Itasca 30W
Faster, Faster, Until the Thrill
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Mike and Trish
Mt. Airy, MD
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RVSKIER wrote:Why jack it up at all? my rig is high enough to begin with that I just get on my back and slide under it(after blocking the wheels of course). This is how I replace my hydrulic line on my jacks. You'd be surprized how much room the is under there.
IT'S NEVER SAFE TO BE UNDER YOUR COACH UNLESS YOU'VE DUMPED THE AIR!!!!
Sorry for the caps, but I'd hate to hear about another owner crushed by his RV. Sure, I can slide under mine too, WHEN IT'S AIRED UP. But if something happened to change that, I'd suddenly be a lot thinner, and no longer breathing.
Mike Cody at Camp Freightliner recommends building 12x12 blocks (out of 6x6's) and putting them under your levelers, then dump the air, so the weight of the coach sits on the (retracted) levelers. Like this and with wheels chocked, the coach can't go anywhere (especially down), and you're safe to do whatever under it.
Mike and Trish
2008 Mandalay 43A
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Cloud Dancer
San Antonio and Livingston TX USA
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Joined: 06/08/2001
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Mike and Trish wrote:RVSKIER wrote:Why jack it up at all? my rig is high enough to begin with that I just get on my back and slide under it(after blocking the wheels of course). This is how I replace my hydrulic line on my jacks. You'd be surprized how much room the is under there.
IT'S NEVER SAFE TO BE UNDER YOUR COACH UNLESS YOU'VE DUMPED THE AIR!!!!
Sorry for the caps, but I'd hate to hear about another owner crushed by his RV. Sure, I can slide under mine too, WHEN IT'S AIRED UP. But if something happened to change that, I'd suddenly be a lot thinner, and no longer breathing.
Mike Cody at Camp Freightliner recommends building 12x12 blocks (out of 6x6's) and putting them under your levelers, then dump the air, so the weight of the coach sits on the (retracted) levelers. Like this and with wheels chocked, the coach can't go anywhere (especially down), and you're safe to do whatever under it.
Not in my case. I'm as skinny as the next 'normal' RVer, BUT I gotta have an additional 3 or 4 inches in order look for stuff, and room to work. Mine sits on graveled surface, and I gotta figure out a way to safely jack it up so I can place the taller blocks under the jacks.
Willie & Betty Sue
Miko & Sparky
2003 41 ft Dutch Star Diesel Pusher/Spartan
Floorplan 4010
Blazer toad & Ranger bassboat
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Tinstar
McKinney, TX
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Joined: 09/13/2003
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If it's almost possible to crawl under without jacking it up here's what I do. It's just the edges that cause the problem so I open the bay doors. That gives me an extra four (4") at the edge/sides. When underneath, I have plenty of room.
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