Jack pads

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Maddie

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Jan 1, 2013
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I'm looking to purchase jack pads for my 22k pound Winnie.  We mostly camp in state campgrounds with gravel.  I'd like to have a little height, maybe 2 inches, but I see the hard type are 1/2 to 1 inch.
The flexible ones look good, too.
Not a big investment, for sure, but just wanted some feedback on the kind to get.  Thanks.
 
Why not  just make your own. I did, I sandwiched together  2  2" X 10" boards about 16 inch long together with nails, and attached a small rope in a loop for retrieving the pads from underneath the motorhome. The pads work very well. The only time we had some trouble was when we parked in an rv park and it had rained for about a week. I lowered the jacks and nothing happened, so I lowered more and more. Went out to have a look and the jacks had pushed the pads into the ground about 8 inchs. I then was thankful I had attached the ropes as the pads came up finally after a lot of pulling.

Bill
 
Yes Bill, that would be a good idea.  That was some campground and some rain!
 
make sure you get or make ones with the handles on them. then you can use your awning hook to pull them out from under the coach. saves on dirty knees.
 
Multiple slabs of 3/4" exterior plywood make good pads too. Glue or screw them together top get the thickness you want.

If you make them from solid boards rather than plywood, make sure you alternate the direction of the layers to help avoid splitting. Not a concern with plywood - the plies are already alternated in the manufacturing process.
 
You can go here http://janeandjohn.org/pages/JackPads.html and see how John did it. John Canfield is a moderator on this forum and shares a ton of RV information on his blog. I have read many of his post on the blog and have been educated a ton. Goodluck.
 
muskoka guy said:
make sure you get or make ones with the handles on them. then you can use your awning hook to pull them out from under the coach. saves on dirty knees.
I have power awnings.  Will have to find a rod or domething to work.
 
When I made mine I found a 4x4' sheet of oak veneer, furniture grade, 1" thick plywood at a big box store that was scratched up. They sold it to me for 75% off which was much less than standard 1". I cut it into 9, 16" x 16" pieces and made 4, 2" thick pads with glue and screws. A coat of exterior stain weather-proofed them. You may choose 3/4"  plywood to make 1-1/2" pads for standard weight motorhomes. A simple hole in a corner makes placing and extracting easy with an awning hook which can be screwed or clipped onto your wash pole if you don't have a standard one. (Hook only available at Camping World.)
 
I made mine 16" square and 2 1/4" by using 3 pieces thick from a sheet of 3/4" exterior plywood. I used an eye-hook to pull them out with the awning hook. I found that 12"  square and 1 1/2"  was not enough for my heavy MH.
 

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