rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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I'm sure which chasis you have can make a difference too. As stated on another thread they posted specs showing where the difference lies between the 350 and 450 suspension, brakes etc.
I have the SuperDuty 450, and a basement model. I have noticed some of my friends C's that do not have the basement model are not as stable as mine is. And the shorter the length the more they bounce around when parked.
I have no desire to find out why, all I know is it makes me one very happy camper!
31 ft Four Winds
Chevy Tracker 4x4 Blue Ox
We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
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BillyGo
Florida
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Joined: 08/21/2003
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I was going to put some on my 31 ft Forest River. I was advised by a few differant persons that I trust, not to. The factory frames on some class C's won't tolerate the lifting. I would check first.
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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As others have said, personal preference has a lot to do with one's choice.
In a nutshell, I think the following statements summarize the topic:
Stabilizing jacks, such as scissor type jacks, will remove much of the movement in the rig felt when one person moves around the coach causing others in the coach to feel slight motion. These do nothing to level the rig so that pans are level on the stove or oven.
Leveling pads, such as the orange stacking blocks, will level the rig so that things likely to slide or roll down an incline will reasonably stay in place, depending upon how much you wish to fuss with the level. But these do nothing to take out any motion in the rig when one walks around as the rig is still resting on it's suspension.
hydraulic leveling jacks will accomplish both. They will level the rig AND they will remove most of the motion felt when people move around the rig. This is because as they level, they LIFT the vehicle off the suspension and replace a good part of the "sprung weight" with a direct contact to the ground via the jack pads.
The last option is obviously the most expensive. Once you've had a rig with hydraulic levelers, you probably won't want a rig without 'em.
Why aren't they included on most C's? Two reasons: one is cost, and the other is that many C's, especially the larger ones, don't have the available CCC to spare with the extra couple hundred pounds of hydraulic jacks.
A few other issues with C's. There are at least 2 types of jacks: those that "swing down" and those that deploy straight down. The former are commonly used on C's because C's don't often have the available ground clearance to use the straight-down type. The problem with them is that if you're in a location where the jacks can't "kick down" before extending, they you have to get out with a shovel and do a bit of excavating, or move the rig a bit, if that's a possibility. The other problem, though rare, is that if the rig settles a bit with the jacks down, it's possible for them to "fold up" on their own if the ground isn't very level.
The "straight down" type do not have this problem, but their jack pads tend to hang down a bit more and if your rig is already close to the ground, then you could have additional clearance issues. But they are more stable when deployed and you don't have to worry about "kick down" clearance under them when deploying them.
EVERY RIG I have ever been in has movement when it's resting on it's suspension. Some folks may not be sensitive to it, but it is there. To the original question: "Are leveling jacks needed on a Class C?". My answer is no more so than on any other RV. It's not the type of RV that is the issue, it's the comfort of those aboard.
~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22 (Class A)
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (12-Angel), 1 girl (7), 2 boys (8 & 5), 1 plump Golden Retriever.
2001 Honda Odyssey with Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
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crawford
Dandridge Tenn.
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Joined: 03/22/2006
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Are they needed maybe not nice to have you bet more so when you bring 3 grandkids they are 4 5 and 7 and they are very much needed thankful for them they keep me sane for a couple of days.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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I'd be a little careful with those "orange" leveling blocks. I have them and the raised nubs are NOT wide enough to support the edges of the tread on my motorhome tires. they probably would be fine on a TT or something with narrower tires.
bumpy
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DEWBUD
benton, ar
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Joined: 11/25/2006
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Our Aspect 29 came with the factory-equipped HWH "straight-down" jacks. If we happen to get a level site, we don't even use them. The rear springs are quite stiff, so there is very little movement when not using the jacks. Once, we stayed overnight at a friends house, and his driveway was on a pretty good slope. I backed up the slope, hit the button, the front tires came off the ground about four inches, and we were level in about 45 seconds. I would have avoided that situation if it had been possible, but the jacks did their job. The jack pads only have 6 1/4' clearance, which is about the same as the differential housing center bulge. Once I had to straddle a deer carcas which was on the freeway. There was the bloopety-bloop sound, but nothing bent. Just for security, one storage bin has nothing but wood blocks and Lynx Levelers. Who knows, someday the jacks may balk.
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texasbaskets
Frisco, TX
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Joined: 10/06/2003
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We had a 29Z Jambo with HWH 200 kickdown jacks on an E350 chassis and they worked fine.
By all means, especially if you are financing, have them installed as new where you can roll the cost into the price spread out over the loan term and you will barely miss the added monthly payment.
Frying eggs or boiling water on a good windy day will make you a believer.  
It's either that or spend the first year wishing you had.
Cheers
Michael, Kay, Hans (our Mini-Schnauzer co-pilot) and Prissy (Hans' Malti-Poo co-pilot)
'05 Coachmen SportsCoach SE 372DS a.k.a. "Mana's Cabana"
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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Joined: 09/04/2003
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Our old 24-ft is on an E350 and has HWH kick-down hydraulic jacks. We've stopped using them for a double reason:
1. The front jacks are so far aft that raising the front also raises the rear. Also, the rears are so close together that raising one side also raises the other. We could be on a site that was only moderately off level and end up with a front wheel off the ground, or with the entry step so high we needed another stool to get up onto the first step.
2. The combination of the awkward jack placement and the looseness of the kick-down design add up to the coach not being any more stable with jacks than without.
We added graduated levels and a handfull of 2x8 blocks. It rarely takes more than two blocks to get level. We move on the site a little till we find the best spot then get onto the blocks.
A new E450 is probably stable enough on its wheels, possibly leveled with blocks, to be comfortable to most people most of the time.
God Bless, jd
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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Last time I looked, kick down, staight down jacks are NOT to be used for leveling. Every RV I've owned that had them clearly stated so.
The only true leveling jacks are hydraulic jacks and IMHO factory installed on units made for them.
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texasbaskets
Frisco, TX
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Joined: 10/06/2003
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Note to poster...
As you see, user experiences vary, but there are good and bad installations and I know of no chassis that is "made" for jacks. To my knowledge, the factory may install them, but all RV leveling jacks are third party products unless someone can show me differently.
Installed correctly to HWH's specs and used according to HWH's user guide (for example leveling side to side first then front to back), both the kickdown and straight jacks work flawlessly. In fact, I have the same HWH 200 series "Joystick" controller to the jacks on my DP, but with different rams to match the added weight.
BTW, the kickdown jacks I refer to are hydraulic. They just fold up out of the way for better clearance.
Cheers..
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