quote:

Originally posted by RJEV:
Does extending the levelers put undo pressure on them?

Thanks,
Robert

I hope not. We're full-timers and our levelers are extended almost all the time. We probably average only about 4-6 hours of travel a week and that's the only time the jacks are retracted.

I use to always level my MH on the pad at home. Now I try and take some of the weight off the tires, but purposely leave it a little out of level. With get quite a bit of rain in SW Florida and this lets it drain off the roof rather then puddle in some spots. When we pack for a trip I level it for the refrigerator.
Tom

quote:

I did leave out in my post

I also didn't raise the lube/don't lube the rams issue, but since others have now raised it...

I have followed the recommendation of the mfg (HWH in my case) and have never lubed, wiped down or done anything else to my ram shafts other than use them. The only times I have even touched the leveler assempblies was to remove gravel from the foot pad. They work fine every time I use them!

quote:

I have followed the recommendation of the mfg (HWH in my case) and have never lubed, wiped down or done anything else to my ram shafts other than use them. The only times I have even touched the leveler assempblies was to remove gravel from the foot pad. They work fine every time I use them!

Ditto on that, same with our KwiKee levelers

Jim

my Lippert manual says, "5. if jacks are down for extended periods, it is recommended to spray exposed leveling jack rods with a silicone lubricant every seven days for protection. If you coach is located in salty environment, it is recommended to spray the rods every 2-3 days."

Doesn't say anything about cleaning them before retracting, but that is a no-brainer. Never talks about using/not using them to provide support to tires/springs for long periods.

Things change over time. What is correct for one year and model of jack may not be correct for someone else. At the June Newmar International Rally, HWH mentioned they have had diferent recommendations, over time. Their current recommendation is to do nothing, if jack retraction time is satisfactory. If jack retraction time is not satisfactory, spray the jacks with a lubricant of your choice. Do not wipe the jack pistons. HWH is adamant about not wiping the piston. Just spray and retract. This is the process I have and continue to follow.

As to the OP topic, leaving the jacks supporting the coach for long periods of time, it is perfectly acceptable to HWH.

We use a spray product called Jigaloo http://www.jigaloo.com/us/e_home.php periodically on our Kwikee jack stands with excellant results in that they extend/retract quicker. It was recommended by another forum member. http://irv2.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=search&reqWords=jigaloo
Our jacks have/are extended sometimes for long periods of time and we have not noticed any adverse effects. We initially had a R front jack that was slower than the others but is no longer sluggish since using the above product.

Thanks for this post. I have my RV in storage but I didn't put the levelers down since I wasn't putting the slide out or having the refrigerator on. That makes sense that it would help by keeping all that weight off of the tires while it sits there. I'll go out tomorrow and put my levelers down. I learn so much from all of you!!!

I don't put the levelers down very far (5" or so) - just enough to raise the chassis to release the majority of the weight off of the suspension/ tires - so the leaf springs don't compress and weaken over time, from just sitting.

I am also trying to keep the hydraulic pressure in the leveling system low while sitting for extended periods of time, so I use the least amount of ram extension to accomplish the above goal. This way there is not as much internal hydraulic pressure on the lines, rams, fittings, etc. while it is sitting in storage.