Orange thingies on Leveling Jacks

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DonTom

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Posts
13,071
Location
Auburn, CA or Reno, NV
As I was on my late afternoon hike around this RV Park, I saw another Class A about the same size as mine or a little shorter, that had bright orange pads under each levelling jack. They looked like they were made out of some type of hard plastic. Bright orange.

What are those bright orange thingies and what purpose do they have?

-Don- Everglades, FL
 
Did they look like these?
Yep, those were the exact thingies! Thanks.

But do they really do anything useful under the levelling jacks? Or is it just another useless RV product (such as RV TP RV black tank chemicals, etc.)?

And I would think they would be a small hassle to use under levelling jacks.

-Don- Everglades, FL
 
I think I just thought of a good use for them.
My driveway at my Auburn, CA house is far from level. Perhaps I could use those orange thingies only on the lower side jacks and then try to level the RV with the automatic leveler. Then I could put stuff in my refrigerator a day before a trip.

-Don- Everglades, FL
 
Yep, those were the exact thingies! Thanks.

But do they really do anything useful under the levelling jacks? Or is it just another useless RV product (such as RV TP RV black tank chemicals, etc.)?

And I would think they would be a small hassle to use under levelling jacks.

-Don- Everglades, FL
If they're larger than the jack pads and the ground is soft, they can spread the jack load to prevent sinking in. They can also help on asphalt in really hot weather. My standard Bigfoot jack pads are 10"x10" and typically don't need any help, but other brands sometimes have a much smaller footprint. The other use for them under the jacks is on ground that's off level enough to exceed the jack's extension length to level the RV. It's usually recommended that pads of some sort also be used under the wheels on the low side to maintain stability in that situation.
 
If they're larger than the jack pads and the ground is soft, they can spread the jack load to prevent sinking in.
The guy here who is using them here is parked on pavement.

They can also help on asphalt in really hot weather.
It does get ~85F here every day, but I doubt that qualifies as "really hot weather".

The last time I saw weather like this in December, I was in the Central Highland jungles of Vietnam.

-Don- Everglades, FL
 
The guy here who is using them here is parked on pavement.


It does get ~85F here every day, but I doubt that qualifies as "really hot weather".

The last time I saw weather like this in December, I was in the Central Highland jungles of Vietnam.

-Don- Everglades, FL
Assuming he doesn't need them for leveling or soft pavement, then the assumption could be that he ran into a really persuasive salesman somewhere. ;)

And yes, I well remember the heat and humidity in Vietnam. Florida weather reminds me of it sometimes...
 
I have 2 sets of them(ok, one set is yellow). Some people carry wood blocks, I've got plastic ones.
I normally put half a set under each leveler when I set up for a while . It only takes a couple of minutes, and I feel the coach is more stable because I don't have to extend the levelers as far to get level.
If I'm only going to be in place overnight or maybe a day or so, I don't use them. I've also put a full set under each front leveler and hung the front wheels in the air when I was in a site with a steep drop off.
 
I think I just thought of a good use for them.
My driveway at my Auburn, CA house is far from level. Perhaps I could use those orange thingies only on the lower side jacks and then try to level the RV with the automatic leveler. Then I could put stuff in my refrigerator a day before a trip.

-Don- Everglades, FL
For that you might try 2x12x12 slabs of lumber (Well 2x12x11 3/4 since a so that would be square)

The jack pads perform two primary jobs
one they increase the "Footprint" on soft ground or on asphalt the jacks can punch down (Poke a hole in the ground or asphalts Seen several of those) the pads can help "Spread the load" enough to .. hopefully... prevent this. I had a set of 'em.. I also had slabs of 2x 12 I used for added leveling.

First winter in Detroit I just put the jacks on gravel and they froze there
Next year I put 'em on 2x12's and the jacks came up easily. the 2x12's were froze to the ground
But I pulled off the pad... tapped the 2x12's gently with my 8 pound hammer and they came loose right easy.... Flew across the pad in fact.
 
For that you might try 2x12x12 slabs of lumber (Well 2x12x11 3/4 since a so that would be square)

The jack pads perform two primary jobs
one they increase the "Footprint" on soft ground or on asphalt the jacks can punch down (Poke a hole in the ground or asphalts Seen several of those) the pads can help "Spread the load" enough to .. hopefully... prevent this. I had a set of 'em.. I also had slabs of 2x 12 I used for added leveling.

First winter in Detroit I just put the jacks on gravel and they froze there
Next year I put 'em on 2x12's and the jacks came up easily. the 2x12's were froze to the ground
But I pulled off the pad... tapped the 2x12's gently with my 8 pound hammer and they came loose right easy.... Flew across the pad in fact.
My five’r has the mechanical scissors jacks added by me and electric stabilizing jacks in the rear. After setting on the ground for 6 months I found that much of the ground would stick to the jack when I raised/retracted them. To stop this I just put a piece of plastic on the ground before extending them. A Walmart bag would even work. After I pull off the site, I just walk back, pick up the plastic and throw them away.
 
I bought the gray ones, not a fan of the neon colors under my trailer. I also use mine to stack and minimize the amount my scissor stabilizers expand, and give a large footprint under them, and drive a tire up on if I need a level this way or that.
 
Some campgrounds have started requiring jack pads to help protect their paved lots. If you have a system, such as Quadra BigFoot with a 10-12" square for a landing surface you can't do a lot more to spread the weight. But, any 10+ ton rig with ballet slippers for jacks can play havoc on nearly any surface. (And, if they sink, you'll go off level and/or get them stuck deep in the mud if your levelers rely on return springs to retract.)
 
We had the plastic ones with travel trailers, but the most common ones crack under the weight of our current motorhome. Kevin glued up a number of exterior plywood squares to various heights. A few are designed for levelers and others are designed for the tires (larger). He put a hole in each one and tied a rope through it making a big loop. Then he positions the blocks with a hook - no climbing under the rig. We like more rustic sites, and that frequently means unlevel sites, so they get used regularly. We also use them on any asphalt surface just in case.
 
But do they really do anything useful under the levelling jacks?
IMO... No. But it may depend on the size/shape of the jack "foot" and the surface. Back in the day, the jack foot was sometimes rather small and sometimes pushed down into the surface. Newer RVs usually have a decent-size foot that is big enough to avoid sinking except in muddy or soft ground. Spreading out the pressure may help, but I don't think the Lynx Levelers are big enough or rigid enough to help much.

Placing them under tires or small scissor-jack feet is a different matter, but that's not what you asked.
 
Gary, we have used blocks under our wheels and levelers on one side or the other due to excessive slope on some sites. The levelers only extend so far, and putting blocks under them (after first putting the wheel on blocks) is the only way we have been able to get level sometimes.
 
I've seen these "bucket" style ones a number of times.

1639070603274.png

There's magnets in them so they stick to your jack feet. They nest so they store in a nominal space. Seems they offer better stability than basic blocks that would be stacked to that height. Since my jacks have enough travel to bring the front wheels off the ground as it is, that makes the first step in the entry pretty high already. With these things it could be jacked up a couple feet or more, so if the site is that unlevel I think there's a diminishing return to how tall you block the jacks.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Gary, we have used blocks under our wheels and levelers on one side or the other due to excessive slope on some sites. The levelers only extend so far, and putting blocks under them (after first putting the wheel on blocks) is the only way we have been able to get level sometimes.
Sure - I've done the same on grossly uneven sites. But IMO that is the exception rather than the rule. There should be no general need to place anything between the jack foot and the ground.
 
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