Leveling Block/Jack Pad Question

[jjones5996]

We are new to the RV/Fulltime lifestyle - we've been IN our RV since April 1st and ON the road since June 1st. We have a 5th wheel and purchased the plastic yellow leveling blocks when we started. Since being on the road we have noticed that the yellow plastic blocks are warping a bit and also notice that many others use wood blocks on which to land their jacks. Our 5th wheel is self-leveling so we are putting the blocks/pads under the jacks when it levels itself on both gravel and concrete pads.

 

Question: Which is best to use - plastic or wood? What are the pros and cons of both?

 

Thanks in advance for any help!!

 

Jeanie

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

The best are poly grade plastic pads like OFL Jack Pads. We use ours under our Travel Supreme fifth-wheel under the big-foot pads on every surface. We have 16" square pads. The OFL pads will flex to fit the terrain and then return to their original shape.

 

Our original yellow pads lasted only a couple of months. The OFL pads are 10 years old.

[Big Greg]

Get an 8 or 10 foot 4x4 or better yet a 4x6 (which is what we use) cut it into sections larger than your levelers own foot pads, use long bolts to bolt 2 or 3 sections together, put a piece of rope or a metal door handle on one side, and place them under your levelers feet. It works great, we carry them in a plastic milk crate in the truck bed and it saves the levelers 4 or 6 inches of travel. Or you can purchase expensive heavy duty pads here: http://www.adventurerv.net/super-dolly-bus-leveling-stabilizer-jack-pads-p-4312.html?osCsid=21h0gq1v9e01n9hlq9nb5dj4h1

 

We have Quadra's Big Foot auto leveling system but I still use the 4x6 wood blocks on grass, and loose dirt or gravel; especially is it's uneven ground. Greg

Edited July 26, 2016 by Big Greg

[rdickinson]

I agree with MB, if your rig is self levelling you only need the 1" thick Poly pads 12" x 12". I got a set of 4 plus 2- 3/8" thick ones at the Tampa RV show for 89$ as I recall.

 

If not self levelling then pack around the cord of wood like me.

 

10 yrs ago Stan told me not to block the landing gear up more than 7" cus if you mess up hooking up or un hooking and the rig slips off the pads it will make a big crash as it smashes off the hitch and bangs onto the deck....so I've heard.

 

Enter the custom made Mark 2 model landing gear support blocks. A pair of 3" thick x 9" wide x 16" long and another pair at 5" thick. Did a cutout both sides of the 3" to accommodate the landing gear foot 4" x 8" in 3/4" and one side only of the 5" block. Also made 1.25" thick locking blocks the same size as the landing gear foot. The locking blocks stop the blocks from shifting when stacked and the top cutout stops the landing gear from sliding off the block in case of operator error.

 

Got the idea from someone at the WCR in Boise last month.

 

A couple of coats of found deck stain and another couple of found Thompsons water seal. Drill some holes in the end for 3/8" rope for handles and fill excess space in found sicaflex to seal.

 

Total cost $0.

 

Had enough to make 1 xtra of each. There is a saying, 1 xtra is none and 2 extra is 1.

 

Mine are a composite material so no warping or splitting.

 

Now I just stack the 5 and 3" blocks, drop the sliding part of the landing gear till they hit the blocks, shim the bottom pad with the 3/8" poly if needed, dump the hitch, dump the bags then drive out from under the hitch with no messing with the electric jack.

[rynosback]

I use wood. I bought a 2x8x10 or 12 and had them cut down. I use them because it will keep the feet from rusting and the jacks do not have to travel as far. I believe the less ram you have out the more stable the jack will be.

[Max Death]

Have used composite decking boards under our level up system for years. Heavy duty enough to handle the weight no warping or splitting.

Cost zero dollars. Visit house construction sites and the give away scrap so they don't have to haul away.

[dartmouth01]

I keep some wood in the bed of the truck, but I mostly use our Lynx levelers. They have lasted for several years and 50k miles, with lots of moving in between. I like the Lynx Levelers because they serve another purpose, they work as wheel ramps when i want to get under the truck for maintenance or lift one of the trailer wheels off the ground so I can change the tire.

[jjones5996]

Excellent! Thank you so much - I now know what will work best for us!

[richfaa]

Don't know what we have got but we have had them for years some are yellow and some are orange and none of them have ever broken. We had the levelers on both of our Montana's and found that the RV had to be sort of level before starting the auto level.

[Twotoes]

I used yellow plastic pads and wood in the past but now have a set of permanently installed Snap Pads. They work great and you never have to get on your hands and knees to place or retrieve them nor use up storage space. I recommend them. 

[johnpeters]

Camco leveling blocks are what I use. Camco RV leveling components are also rather simple to use. It simply took a few minutes to put the kit together, plus a few more minutes to run my vehicle over them. Another advantage of these Camco leveling blocks is that they keep my RV in place well.

[Jinx & Wayne]

On 7/25/2016 at 11:22 PM, rdickinson said:

10 yrs ago Stan told me not to block the landing gear up more than 7" cus if you mess up hooking up or un hooking and the rig slips off the pads it will make a big crash as it smashes off the hitch and bangs onto the deck....so I've heard.

Sometimes you cannot avoid high blocks.  That's where a checklist helps avoid this problem.  When hooking up one of the steps on our hook-up checklist is to set the landing gear one inch above ground and then test the hitch.  Often this means lowering the landing gear once the blocks are out.  That way it only falls an inch if there is a problem.  When unhooking one of the steps is to make sure the jaws and the hitch lever are in the right positions (open and 10 o'clock) before pulling away.  I am amazed at the people who hook and unhook without a checklist.  But they do provide amusement at the campsite.

Making a checklist was the first lesson in RV driving school.  Thank you Charlie McLeod, you saved us a lot of headaches.

Wayne & Jinx
2017 F-350 diesel, dually
2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Regarding which blocks, we do not have a self leveling system.  We use Camco yellow plastic.  They are warping a bit after 3-1/2 years but still usable.

Wayne & Jinx
2017 F-350 diesel, dually
2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

[sandsys]

12 hours ago, Jinx & Wayne said:

Sometimes you cannot avoid high blocks. 

And sometimes you wish you'd thought to use them. We were parked at a curb outside a service facility. Because we were parked on an asphalt street it did not occur to us we might need blocks. The gutter was so low one leg of our landing gear extended too far. Hydraulic fluid everywhere! We were fortunate that the shop we were parked beside was able to fix that.

Linda

[whj469]

Wood

[TXiceman]

The plastic Lego type blocks work fine on concrete or asphalt, but crack and sink on gravel or dirt.  We use 2 x 8 or 10 cut to lengths.  After a couple of seasons, the 2 x 's will split.  I have found that using the 5/4 deck boards doubles and screwed together at right angle will hold up better.  I can put the Lego blocks on the boards, and they do not crack.  Keeping the jack or stabilizer extension shorter will also help stabilize the RV.

Ken