Leveling Class A in the desert???

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Joined
Dec 10, 2012
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Los Angeles, CA
Hi everyone.  Just bought our first motorhome. 31 ft Class A Bounder (used). it does not have leveling jacks though. So i bought some ramps, and they crushed/bent.  I need to find a good solution to level the motorhome while dry camping in the desert. I have seen some people dig holes and drive one side of their motorhome into the holes, but i worry of then having to get out of the hole when its time to leave.  Any suggestions?  Will the Lego Blocks work?  I have heard of those breaking also.

Please Help.  Thanks!

Jeff G.
 
I've always used 2x6's of various lengths to step it up. Just make sure if your doing the duals, to support both wheels
 
Hi Jeff,

We discourage duplicate postings, so I have removed your duplicate post in "General Discussion".  This way you will have all your responses within one topic.

Marsha Lassen
Staff
 
I don't see why not. Personally I've never used them. I know they have been around a good many years though. Nor have I parked in the middle of the desert. I'm on the east coast. With everything being equal, my concern would be to make sure the lego blocks are sitting on level ground with no protrusions sticking up to crack them. Wood is a little more forgiving
 
Many people use the "Lego" style blocks, but 2x6 or 2x8 lumber is cheaper and works well too. Whatever you use, it must be at least as wide as the tire so that the entire width of the rubber is supported.  I wouldn't be afraid to scrape a modest hole either - lowering a wheel even and inch or two makes a substantial difference.
 
This may seem a little simplistic, but if you're in the desert with the freedom to move around where you want, you should be able to get pretty close just by positioning your coach.
 
jagnweiner said:
This may seem a little simplistic, but if you're in the desert with the freedom to move around where you want, you should be able to get pretty close just by positioning your coach.

That's what I would think.  In sand, would one want to put down the jacks anyway, or just make sure it's parked level?

At my farm, when I'm on hard ground I put the jacks down and level that way.  When I park on loose soil, I just make sure I'm parked fairly level and leave the jacks up.  I didn't think it was a requirement to put the jacks down.
 
We have a 28' Class A. We use the Legos. No problems. Mike says he's thought about carrying some pieces of plywood to spread the load around. Of course, if you're talking about Quartzsite, it's so hard-packed, that you really don't have to worry.

Wendy
 
That's true - in Quartzsite it's a lot easier to raise a couple of wheels on pieces of wood than try and dig a hole for one.  They don't call that stuff desert pavement for nothing.

I'm not a fan of the Lego blocks.  First, they don't support the entire tread - there's 4 raised interlocking disks on top, the tire overhangs the rest.  Then there's the bottom - being an open frame there's not much to keep the block from sinking into the ground if there's any give to it.
 
You might consider using four 20 ton bottle jacks.  Put a piece of wood under each jack.  Here is a url with inexpensive bottle jacks: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=bottle+jacks.  Place the jacks under the frame and lift the frame of the MH taking the weight off the wheels like leveling jacks. 
Edit: Fixed link.

 
Lou Schneider said:
SNIP

I'm not a fan of the Lego blocks.  First, they don't support the entire tread - there's 4 raised interlocking disks on top, the tire overhangs the rest.  Then there's the bottom - being an open frame there's not much to keep the block from sinking into the ground if there's any give to it.

Lynx makes a solid cap for theirs but I don't see them in RV stores very often.
 
jagnweiner said:
This may seem a little simplistic, but if you're in the desert with the freedom to move around where you want, you should be able to get pretty close just by positioning your coach.
I have been full timing for nine years without levelers or blocks. I simply don't need them. The RV doesn't have to be perfectly level and I never have any problem getting my RV close enough to level without block, jacks or puzzle pieces. My current RV came with a bunch of pieces of wood and two sets of the Lego things and I never use them since I never need them. Life is a lot simpler without having to level the RV everywhere I go.
 
Wendy said:
We have a 28' Class A. We use the Legos. No problems. Mike says he's thought about carrying some pieces of plywood to spread the load around. Of course, if you're talking about Quartzsite, it's so hard-packed, that you really don't have to worry.

Wendy

This is interesting to me.  I've never spent any time in the desert, but always thought it was more like that white beech sand, where you sink down in the sand a few inches, making walking laborious.
 
99WinAdventurer37G said:
This is interesting to me.  I've never spent any time in the desert, but always thought it was more like that white beech sand, where you sink down in the sand a few inches, making walking laborious.
Beach sand and desert sand are two different animals. There are sand dunes in the desert at few places and those places are like beach sand. However most of the desert is hard packed and nothing at all like a beach.
 
I've never spent any time in the desert, but always thought it was more like that white beech sand, where you sink down in the sand a few inches, making walking laborious.

There are some areas with sand dunes, but all that sand has to come from somewhere.  Some is leftover from when water covered the land - the rest has been blown in from the rest of the desert.

When the sand, gravel and dirt have been blown away, what remains is known as desert pavement.  It's a uniform, densely packed layer of polished stones that are too large for the wind to lift, locking the underlying soil in place.  In the Quartzsite area this is a solid covering of rocks about 3/4" and larger protecting the underlying dirt, giving a surface that's almost as hard as asphalt. 
 
all great comments. the areas we go to are usually uneven. slight slopes, uneven grounds or the sand dunes. i do like the bottle Jack idea also. just dont want to continue to have to spend money on items. i want to find one solution and be done. with a 31ft MH, wife and 3 kids, plus all of our toys on a trailer (which I disconnect once at the desert) its just a lot of work. I want to get there, be level quickly and begin to enjoy the trip. I think for now i might try the lego blocks. seems like enough people have used them, and they work. and they also seem like it will be aquick process.
 
My RV came with some 2 x 6 blocks and I added a couple more from some scrap. There is one regular spot that we go where we park on a slope, 2 blocks takes care of it. Aside from that, I am getting to where I don't bother leveling, I think Seilerbird is onto something. Some times I can feel that we are off level a little bit, but... The fridge has always worked so that is the main thing I am concerned with.
 

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