LEVELING AN RV, IS IT OK TO LIFT THE FRONT TIRES OFF THE GROUND?

Leveling an RV, is it ok to lift the front tires off the ground? If you have ever been to an RV park than most likely you have seen an RV with it front wheels off the ground, I know I have and I always wondered is this ok? I have talked to mechanics that have said it should be fine and I have talk to some that say they wouldn’t recommend it. This is my take on it, I never lift our front wheels off the ground without some type of blocking under them and the reason is, one I feel 8 points of contact on the ground is better than 6 and second if the jacks would fail I wouldn’t want the RV to drop from this distance I rather have it just squat on its own suspension than do a free fall. So that is how I look at it, what do you think is it ok and why? Let me know in the comments. Amazon Store amzn.to/3rCYZ2r Battle Born Batteries battlebornbatteries.com/?afmc=3i Take care everyone and safe travels!

[@Inspector50]

Don't do it, don't lift your wheels off the ground especially when you are on uneven ground recently I took a trip to South Carolina where the campsites were very unlevel, I tried to level the motorhome however when the jacks lifted the tires off the ground the whole motorhome shifted and bent the Jack brackets which were welded to the frame. I am currently in the process of a very tedious repair job which I have no doubt would be at least $1,000 or more if I had the repair done by a dealership.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

This is something I did not think about when making the video. I never thought about a shift in weight causing lateral damage to the jacks, this is good to know and thank you for sharing this with us. I am going to pin your comment to the top for others to see. Take care and safe travels!

[@davidm2395]

I think this is the main reason if not the only reason to not lift your tires off the ground. I think our dealer tech guys said our jacks could lift 6k lbs each so lifting the rig completely off of the ground was not a problem. But without chocked wheels on the ground you are certainly inviting disaster. Hope your repair job is easier and less costly than you expected.

[@Inspector50]

@@davidm2395 Thank you just completed the repair job not easy by any means I will not be lifting my tires off the ground again ever ever again and I highly recommend that to anybody that does not want to destroy an integral part of their stabilizing system do the same.

[@dougd9944]

Good morning Kenny, I agree with you. I believe it is better for the stability with more of a footprint on the ground. 👍

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Yes, I think it is an overall better feel and safer to level this way, but I do see it often at RV parks and from people who are staying longer than just a night. Take care Doug and safe travels!

[@georgegriffith7263]

Finally someone who gets to the point thank you

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Thank you George, I know whe. I go to watch a informational video I appreciate when they get to the point so I try and do the same. Take care and safe travels!

[@janosvarga962]

Yup. I am with you.

[@turnbullstravels735]

We agree with you....the more points of contact the better: safer, more stable too.

[@MichaelFrimlPhotography]

I agree with you and the higher you bring the jacks the more wobbly it gets with the wheels of the ground, you will feel it inside and the more of the ground it is the more beating on the jacks it gets ... also the potential leaks may occur. Thanks for the video. Michael and Pam

[@Bunny0725]

Thanks Kenny for the valuable info.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hi Kathy, glad you found the information helpful, take care and safe travels!

[@blubutch2852]

Great tip. Thank you for the information.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Glad to be of help Blu! Take care and safe travels!

[@BottleJackBuddy]

Thanks for the video.

[@blacksheepblacksheep5727]

Thank you ! Finally someone who has common sense like me 😃 I've been doing this with this exact philosophy for years and still do in 2023 , I am beside myself when someone lets their rv float in the front for days or I've even seen for weeks at a time , it even states in my class a manual "Do Not suspend wheels off the ground with the leveling jacks it can cause unstable or dangerous conditions " in addition it says "Jacks are only meant to level the vehicle and not meant to support the vehicle, please use blocks to compensate uneven ground to support under tires as necessary " I'm reading my manual right now and it says exactly word for word ! I always have people at camp grounds who always leave their front floating and say , ah it's ok you dont need blocks ....SMFH !!!?

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

There is a very similar statement in our owners manual as well. I still believe it can cause damage to the jacks and lower stability by removing points of contact to the ground. If I ever need to lift my front end that high I always take the extra few minutes and add the blocks or try to find a better spot in the site. Take care and safe travels, Kenny

[@rn-rvchronicles]

We do it like you guys for the very same reasons! Also since we did the CHF mode on the front 5 years ago we notice the front end wheels come off the ground quicker now as we lower the jacks! Also , The 8 points of contact help with the rocking of the motorhome to be less!😎😎 Thanks for the vid guys!!

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Yes we feel much more stable with the tires on the ground as well. So really besides the safety issues it is a more comfortable stay as well :) Take care guys and safe travels!

[@rn-rvchronicles]

@@MovingForwardAdventures Motorhome at the Ford shop for 3 weeks now!! :-( Staying at a friends home until they replace the engine on fix it! I miss my home!! LOL!! Hope to see you guys soon!! Be Blessed!!

[@ChickerysTravels]

I have heard it both ways for 5th wheels. I am with you, Kenny. I would rather have more contact with the ground. I think adding blocks in this situation or even trying to manually level and keep the tires on the ground is a good idea.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Yes, we find ourselves often doing a manual override on our auto level system, as most campgrounds we go to never seem to be very level.

[@lancephillips8740]

I agree wit you buddy - i always use blocks - if it gets that bad I ask for another site

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

yes, we carry several blocks and luckily we have never been in a situation that we had to changes sites.

[@tomoudinarath5028]

We see this all the time as well. We don’t ever lift our tires off the ground because I don’t want to put unnecessary strain on our levelers. If the tires do come off the ground, we try to at least put pressure treated wood underneath the tires to spread out the weight of the rig over 8 points of contact to the ground.

[@hrhr667]

Maybe this can be a solution, mostly we put the stabilizers in automatic and sometimes this happens, changed it to manual and lower them until the tires touch the ground and put something on the rear wheels to secure it.

[@thecasualrver]

As for the Ford F-53 chassis, the front is a leaf spring with a straight axle. No issues it could hang like that indefinitely without damage. The rear tire should never come off the ground due to the park brake and transmission park paw engagement. Would I recommend doing this at anytime? "No" as you commented, always more stable with 8 points of ground contact. Now if the rig has air suspension, mainly DP's no tires should leave the ground due to the height sensors and the air bags. I am just a nerd of a Ford engineer :)

[@007KrausBean]

I'm with you on this. I would also worry about if the RV shifted due to wind and the jacks shift and bend or buckle. Not only would you have to deal with that repair, but the RV slamming to the ground could hurt someone and maybe even do major damage to the suspension. All around a bad idea. IMO

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

This is an excellent point and I did not think of the possibke damage of lateral force on the jacks, especially since they have the potential of being towards their extended limit. Thanks Croz

[@RickandDarcirvadventures]

Read your owners manual and it says not to do it. I agree with you though. I will never have my wheels off of the ground

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hi Sahbuhnim, I should have mentioned this in the video, but our owners manual on page 10-7 reads, never lift rear tires off the ground because the rear tires are the ones locked. It does not say do not lift front tires off the ground in fact it states to always park front of RV downhill to allow front end to raise to level out and put weight on rear tires. I do agree with you we shouldn't be lifting any tires off the ground. Take care and safe travels!

[@martinbuysabus932]

Some RV's have very poorly placed jacks. I have one. If they are too far from the axles you can cause serious stress on the frame and everything attached to it by lifting all the weight of the RV. Even worse is lifting one corner much higher than the others. You twist the frame which can lead to doors that do not close, cracked windshields and other issues.

[@bobchallquist4577]

I like your captain chair covers where did you get them and do they add comfort to the seats. Thank you very much

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hi Bob, I don't think they add any comfort, but they do not take anything away as well. We bought them at a Camping World in Virginia, I'm sure they sell them at all of them though.

[@vdubing01]

Better to be rage safe than sorry. Our travel trailer has automatic leveling. The 2nd thing it does when leveling is retracts the tongue jack completely off the ground and stays that way. I've had strangers tell me I'm supposed to leave that jack on the ground. LCI says this is how it's supposed to work. Most people just aren't used to seeing a travel trailer with automatic leveling I guess. If it's going to be stormy weather I go ahead and lower it. :Nic

[@roydavis2242]

I had a mechanic tell me years ago that the tie rods, ball joints and such are not designed to hang. He said it could lead to premature failure.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

This sounds about right ro me as well Roy and just seems to make sense.

[@dookie454]

no, it's purely the fact that the tires are not holding the camper from "sliding/tipping" sideways AND the jack seals failing and now things like dogs or other items under RV getting crushed. Having the tires in contact with something removes the sideways tip potential. Jacks are made to lift in the Z direction only, not hold X and Y position.

[@KU9L]

We so think alike sir!

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Great minds think alike:)

[@BenandHolly2016]

Do you lift the RV higher to stack the blocks then, lower it down to have extra support from your front suspension? Or, are you stacking blocks to meet up to the “hanging height” of the tires? Thanks!

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hi Benjamin, yes I will raise the front tires higher than they need to be, then lower them down onto the blocks. Sometimes I will need to add an extra block under each front jack to do this, but that is a very rare occasion.

[@JesusMartinez-cn4kq]

I agree with you 100% as better to be safe be sorry

[@MrKidQueso]

I am looking for advice on how an RV should get lifted when replacing tires. I took my Holiday Rambler Class A to a Les Schwab store to get new tires and I thought hat they’d out it in a lift. Apparently, they’re going to jack it up to change the tires. I’m going to guess that’s it’s ok, but is it? Is it designed to be lifted in the corners or at center of back and /or front for an even lift. I thought the whole vehicle would get lifted. Is this how semi trucks are worked on? This RV my wife calls a bus is 31’. The mechanic had ask about the chassis. Anyway, I’m going with that they know what they’re doing. As for your video, it makes perfect sense. Thanks.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

This is a great question, unfortunately I probably do not have a great answer. When we had our tires replaced the shop we took it to used bottle jacks at the axle and lifted the front together first, then the rear together. I would imagine it would be fine to do one corner at a time since they will only lift it high enough to slip the tire/wheel off and on, so there really shouldn't be much twisting. Let us know how it goes

[@dan-kn6ug]

When leveling, what ever you do to your jacks as far as blocks, you should do to your wheels.

[@papster33]

I prefer not to do with that way. Having said that I've been in a couple of parks over a weekend where I've had to be an inch or 2 off the ground. Usually the back or one side. Don't like doing it if nothing more that it makes me uncomfortable. Not sure I know what I think is going to happen but I don't want to find out.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

love the I don't want to find out lol. I'm with you on that one!

[@unclejoe7929]

Biggest issue with hydraulic jacks and raising the coach, stability and braking force. How well adjusted are your brakes? Do you use wheel chocks? If there is little to no down force on your wheels here’s hoping you use chocks and adjust your brakes regularly or there is a very good chance your coach might not be where you left it. Plus the hydraulic rams are NOT designed for lateral strength. They are design to Push down. Use them as they are designed To raise the coach (with airbags DEFLATED) just enough to level the coach while ALL tires remain in contact with the ground and at least 50%load on the tires.

[@dannysummerville]

Honestly I didn't know people did it that way 😂 Seems kind of dangerous to the vehicle and possibly to the person if they don't set it up right! That's at least my take on it 😁

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hey Danny, I agree with you. I think having the wheels off the ground could be potentially dangerous.

[@shekharmoona544]

That's a cool shirt.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Thanks Shekhar, I bought it on Winnebagooutdoor.com I have bought quite a few Winnebago shirts through the years

[@Br0wnDogProductions]

If you think of the jacks as stabilizers and not levelers, it would be good to have the wheels doing that job instead of having all the weight of your rig on 4 stilts. When you look closely at how small the rods are on the jacks compared to the enormous rig they are pretty damn tiny. That's my take on it.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

I think this is an excellent way to explain and look at it! Thanks for sharing this comment with us, take care and safe travels!

[@webbphoto2]

Having all that weight on Jacks is not a good thing and puts a lot of pressure on the Jacks. I move Motorhome to get close to level then put jacks down to level. But planks could be used too. I just spent $4,000.00 on my jacks because they were over used.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hi Bob, this is very good point and at times we do put planks under our jacks to prevent them from over extending. Thanks for bringing up and for letting us know what the cost was to have them repaired. Take care and safe travels.

[@tomwilliam5118]

Leveling jacks are not strong enough to support the weight of the RV for a long time you might damage a seal or the pump. Leveling jacks are designed to take the weight off the springs and or shocks to bring the RV level this way the tires still stays on the ground. Never ever lift your rear wheels off the ground even if it's in park and the parking brake is set. The rear wheels are what holds the RV in the Park position when you're Drive lever is put into pee Park mode emergency brakes just stops the wheels from turning. If the wheels are off the ground emergency brake will only hold the wheel from rotating likewise does the drive shaft hold the rear wheels from turning because you've locked out the transmission for Park back wheels go up the wheels aren't moving the drive shaft doesn't move the parking brake won't work and your motorhome rolls downhill kabang that's a hit to your wallet and the head to the RV

[@dookie454]

no, it's purely the fact that the tires are not holding the camper from "sliding/tipping" sideways AND/OR the jack seals failing and now things like dogs or other items under RV getting crushed. Having the tires in contact with something removes the sideways tip potential, lets say this is Y direction.. These hydraulic Jacks are made to lift only in the Z direction (up) only, not hold X and Y position (front/back and left/right). With that said, most RV's could be lifted off the ground but if the ground is slanted sideways (left/right - lets call this Y) there is nothing to hold RV/Jacks from bending/breaking things (like brackets holding them to the frame). So, they will always say NO.. dont lift tires off the ground becuase that contact is what is keeping it from going sideways. The front/back direction is actually stronger the way the bracket is designed, but most of the time the rear axle is locked in park, holding it from that direction (X). With that said, I would lift the front off the ground as long as the rear is planted ok and there is no left/right slant to the ground. :) This hydraulic seal failure is the same with any hydraulic piece of equipment like excavators, backhoes, bulldozers, they are always shut off with everything in the down/ground rest position. I've actually had a hydraulic jack fail from doing this same thing - not using jack stands.. it held find for about 2hrs then all the sudden down it came!

[@RicDurant]

do it every time the ground is very unlevel. No problem even in high winds. I have a Bigfoot system since 2017.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

Hi Richard, thank you for sharing this with us. I love hearing all the different views amd experiences. Hope you two are doing well, safe travels!

[@RicDurant]

@@MovingForwardAdventures I am about to get second shot of Moderna. We went out for three weeks to Anza Borrego Springs, Fountain of Youth Niland and Pilot Knob/ Algodones dental for wife. First time in a year. Comeback with a number of minor interior repairs. Ahh RV's. Thank your wife for service she doing for us all.

[@robertthornton1014]

I will only use them to service the RV Like I'm trying to do Now

[@gowenrv3762]

Don't have to worry about that.... Our jacks won't lift our RV off the ground.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

That certainly does take care of that problem :)

[@donmacaulay2021]

Doing a rad flush, lifting the front to gain more access, blocked,chocked etc., short deration, should'nt be an issue.

[@bobhuber8726]

I saw a guy that had his front tires at least one foot off the ground and to me that just is not safe at all I don’t care what anyone says.

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

I ha e seen that also and thought that obviously does not look right or safe. Take care and safe travels!

[@DWDinAtlanta]

No, it isn't good to have your tires off the ground! I think it puts stress on the jacks that could cause issues and if they get stuck, you have a problem of getting the jack down so you can leave. That's a AAA call & expense and if they can't fix it, then you have to take it in for work. We had one to get stuck and wouldn't release. AAA had to take the jack off, put it in our kitchen floor. We took it to our repair shop. They took it out the RV put it on the shop floor, it released and shot hydraulic fluid all over the shop! I'm so glad that didn't happen inside our RV! It took 2 weeks for then to get warranty approval and another 2 weeks to repair it. We don't trust our jacks now and only use them if we are really out of level. A month is a long to be to be without your RV or living in a parking lot waiting your turn! LOL HUGS~Donna

[@steveanderson7207]

So you don't believe the experts?

[@b-sanddog4149]

Absolutely not okay to lift your wheels off the ground you’ll get lateral movement you could snap those jacks, high wind, or small earthquake, or chasing your wife around. Ha ha ha