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Staying in a parking lot


kb0zke

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Quoting from another thread, "5. Do not use your leveling jacks on asphalt." How do those of you with jacks level if you don't use your jacks? Our coach uses the air bags for leveling, so we have no jacks. Do you carry a bunch of 2x10 pieces and drive up on whatever is needed to get level? Do you just live with being not level?

Just curious.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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We are currently on asphalt and our jacks are down , as are the jacks on every other camper/ RV  in this COE campground .

When in a 'parking lot' , we try to find a fairly level spot . Only a couple of times did we need a jack or two to get to that point and niether left any sign we were there .

Goes around , comes around .

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We always use the Big Foot auto levelers.  I  place a block of 4x6 wood I made under each Big Foot pad to eliminate sinking into asphalt (or whatever we are on) and also the rams don't have to be extended as far.      Greg 

Greg & Judy Bahnmiller
Class of 2007
2014 F350
2007 HitchHiker Champagne

Both sold 2/19, settled in Foley, AL after 12 years on the road

http://bahnmilleradventure.blogspot.com/

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4 hours ago, Big Greg said:

We always use the Big Foot auto levelers.  I  place a block of 4x6 wood I made under each Big Foot pad to eliminate sinking into asphalt (or whatever we are on) and also the rams don't have to be extended as far.      Greg 

Me too on both counts. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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With the standard 10"x10" Bigfoot jack pads, we're not as likely to damage parking lot asphalt as the the smaller round pads on some jacks, but it's still prudent to put a load spreader board under them, especially in hot weather.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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They say not to use the leveling jacks on asphalt because it can damage the surface.  I've seen the small round feet punch right through hot asphalt.  Not something the property owner will appreciate on their expensive parking lot.  We've been to a number of venues (fairgrounds/racetracks) over the years that require wood blocks under everything on the asphalt for that reason.  As mentioned above, proper precautions with a portable or permanently attached wood block or pad will lessen that chance.

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On 10/22/2017 at 4:04 PM, chiefneon said:

Howdy!

I installed Snap Pads on our 5er so I don’t have to worry about asphalt or other surfaces.

https://rvsnappad.com/

”Happy Trails”

Chiefneon

Thanks for the information! I am really tired of getting down on my old knees to place my plywood under the jacks. I will be buying a set as soon as they make some for my HWH jacks, the website says under development now. " Not compatible with HWH, Equalizer, Atwood, Bigfoot, or RVA jacks." 

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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On 1/2/2018 at 9:12 PM, packnrat said:

ray;in

 

look into attaching straps to the boards. this way no bending over. one end of strap hooked to the board. other? to something up higher so you do not bend... much.

also helps on dirt.

 

.

Straps are no help positioning the boards underneath the jacks. I use the awning hook to retrieve them.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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I only use my jacks in campgrounds. I never put them down in a parking lot I am only staying the night. I don’t put out my slides either so it just parking the RV for a night in a parking space and getting some sleep. 

2015 Itasca Ellipse 42QD

2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock Edition

2021 Harley Street Glide Special 

Fulltimer

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Simple ignore rule number 5 and do what you want to do .

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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FWIW: With the landing gear, jack pads being approx. the same surface area as many tire(s) footprints, I'm curious as to why the tires wouldn't punch through the asphalt in the same situations?
BTW: I do agree with the stated parking lot etiquette points and observe them.
Be well.

J & J & Kickr's the Vonderhund
DRV Suites, ES-38RSSA (19,8K+9,2K=29+K GCVW)
GM Denali, 3500HD-Max, CC, 8'-DRW

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On 1/9/2018 at 5:18 PM, mtntrek said:

FWIW: With the landing gear, jack pads being approx. the same surface area as many tire(s) footprints, I'm curious as to why the tires wouldn't punch through the asphalt in the same situations?

While highly unlikely in something as hopefully well built as a major retailers parking lot, heavy vehicles in hot temperatures have been known to dent asphalt over time where the tires sit.  The leveling jacks can put an inordinate amount of weight on a single jack trying to get it level.  The automatic leveler doesn't know if the coach is going up, or the jack is sinking, it just keeps on trying to level.  Also assuming a small footprint.  The larger area the load is spread out with a board or jack pad, the less likely damage to the surface.  I've personally seen a tongue jack with no board bore right through the asphalt to where a floor jack was needed to get the trailer back on the truck.  Asphalt may look like concrete, but it is basically gravel glued together with some tar.

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Last year a neighbor was getting ready to leave. Somehow one of the jacks slipped off of the pile of lumber, the pad came off and the ram punched a nice hole in the asphalt. MUCH fun getting it out.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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14 hours ago, kb0zke said:

Last year a neighbor was getting ready to leave. Somehow one of the jacks slipped off of the pile of lumber, the pad came off and the ram punched a nice hole in the asphalt. MUCH fun getting it out.

I believe you would find if a jack punched a hole all the way thought the asphalt that is because the surface beneath the asphalt was either not properly prepared, or the ground got soft over the years.  

Denting the asphalt would be the likely outcome of dropping onto the asphalt. 

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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42 minutes ago, Al F said:

I believe you would find if a jack punched a hole all the way thought the asphalt that is because the surface beneath the asphalt was either not properly prepared, or the ground got soft over the years.  

Denting the asphalt would be the likely outcome of dropping onto the asphalt. 

What difference does it make why it punched a hole through?  The bottom line is that there was no hole in the asphalt before they arrived, and there was one when they left.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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6 hours ago, chirakawa said:

What difference does it make why it punched a hole through?  The bottom line is that there was no hole in the asphalt before they arrived, and there was one when they left.

The difference, to me at least, is a properly prepared subsurface would keep the jacks from poking hole through the asphalt.  Not the fault of the RV if is sinks all the way through the asphalt.  Dents in the asphalt because the sun softened the asphalt, that is a separate issue.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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Al, did you miss that this was just the bare ram with no foot (pad) attached? I can see a 2" or so steel rod punching down with the weight of the RV on it putting a pretty good divot in the asphalt.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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1 hour ago, Al F said:

The difference, to me at least, is a properly prepared subsurface would keep the jacks from poking hole through the asphalt.  Not the fault of the RV if is sinks all the way through the asphalt.  Dents in the asphalt because the sun softened the asphalt, that is a separate issue.

I see.  So, it's the parking lot owner's fault that when he put his jacks down that one of them went through the asphalt.  Interesting way of looking at things.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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1 hour ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Al, did you miss that this was just the bare ram with no foot (pad) attached? I can see a 2" or so steel rod punching down with the weight of the RV on it putting a pretty good divot in the asphalt.

Yep, totally missed that.   

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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1 hour ago, chirakawa said:

I see.  So, it's the parking lot owner's fault that when he put his jacks down that one of them went through the asphalt.  Interesting way of looking at things.

I don't know.  I guess I could see both sides of the argument.  I don't know why many,  many people have parked in RV parks with asphalt pads and the jacks have NOT punched through the asphalt, but so many people in parking lots have seemingly had the problem of the jack pads sinking through the asphalt.  Puzzling.  Really baffling.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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