When I am storing my RW for a few months, should I put all my jacks down to take some weight off of the tires? What do you think?

I leave my 38GK in storage all the time...It seems we don't get a chance to use it much at the moment...Kid's are working every ____ weekend...1 more year...Just 1 more year...

I leave the jacks down all the time. Nothing hurt so far...

when you put them down, do you level or just put them down to take a little pressure off the tires?

Maybe this was a bias ply tire issue but "flat spotting" used to be a problem. Jacks down and auto level would take lots of weight off the tires, maybe a good thing for the tires and bearings.

We always leave the jacks down when the RW is parked in the driveway as we are in and out of it with the slides out. Seems we always need something that we left in the RW after the unpacking!

I don't believe it's a problem leaving the jacks down; however, I would periodically spray the cylinders down with silicone to keep corrosion from forming. Although we full-time, and the jacks get used frequently, I usually wipe my jacks down with silicone prior to retracting. It's a little inconvenient, but I rather keep them clean than have to replace them prematurely.

Bob

When I am storing my RW for a few months, should I put all my jacks down to take some weight off of the tires? What do you think?

I have owned my 2012 36RL (built in Aug/Sept 2011) for nearly 5 years. I have always leveled the trailer while in storage or in use at a campground. That hydraulic system is capable of supporting over twice the weight of the trailer. I also place 16 inch square pads under the tires to keep them off the ground (at the campground) or off the concrete floor in my barn. I use the pads to keep any leaching, from the tires, occurring.

I do wipe the jacks with silicone about once per month when the jacks are down.

I think you have heard from the jury...We all seem to do about the same thing...

I'm at storage a lot. Lube the stems occasionally or exercise them. I level the RV from the point that if I open the slides (and I often do), I feel better that they are riding the track the way they are intended to. With the jacks up, the RV "could" be in a twist bind that may damage the slide guides.

If you go to your local storage though, you'll see many that are not down. But consider that most of those are smaller RV's.

Another benefit of leveling the RV is that you can spin the tires occasionally. That keeps the bearing from getting flat spots and it also keeps the tires from drying out on the concrete. It also makes it a "little" tougher for rodents to get in the RV.

Happy Trails!

What do you mean leaching from the tires? And what are the 16" pads made of.

Here is one article (out of many on the internet) about tire care.

http://www.backroadtravelers.com/rvmaintenance.html

Concrete pad storage:

If you are storing your RV for a while and not using your jacks to get the unit off of the ground, you can use 2x10 lumber, plastic floor mats, just about anything to separate your tire from the concrete (Drive up on it).

If you are using your jacks, you can use the plastic blocks sold by Camping World and the likes to keep the bottom of your jack off of the concrete. Personally, I don't know why anyone really does this. I've been storing off and on for a couple of years with no effect (other than a slight rust stain on the concrete). Many campers use the blocks to expedite the leveling of their RV on on a camp site. Often times, the sites are un-level to one side or the other. The blocks may help if you don't have enough ram extension to reach the ground and get you lifted high enough. The pads can also help if you are on a campsite of dirt and the ground is soft. The boards can distribute the weight out further for better stability and to keep the rams from sinking into the ground. I keep a few of 2x10s in the belly of the beast for such occasions.

Happy Camping!

What do you mean leaching from the tires? And what are the 16" pads made of.

Leaching is a chemical interaction between the tire's rubber compound and whatever the tire is setting on.

The 16" pads are made from re-cycled, ground up tires. You can find the pads at Lowes, Home Depot and other similar stores. They are typically 16 inches square and have molded patterns on them and are found in the landscaping area of the store.

I only use the pads if I am going to have the trailer set up in one location for extended periods of time such as when we are in Florida for the winter or the trailer is in storage in my barn.

Hope this helps.

Great thanks, I will get the pads. Should I use them on gravel? I store my RW on gravel.

Not required for gravel, grass or dirt. But you may want to use them just to keep your RV out of the mud.

Some folks have commented that using pads gives a bit of flex that can prevent the noise (popping) from the jacks if you are parked in a location for a period of time with significant temperature changes. I put in the CAT oil but we still had some noise when we were parked at a campground for 3 months last winter. Overnight temps were at freezing but daytime in the 70's.

Next season I will try some wood ( I carry 2x8's with us) to see if the noise stops.

Great thanks, I will get the pads. Should I use them on gravel? I store my RW on gravel.

Your choice about using the pads if your tires are on gravel. If the trailer is stored on the gravel for long periods of time, I would likely go ahead and use the pads just to keep the tires protected against moisture.

I also use 12" x 12" treated 3/4" plywood pads under the hydraulic jack pads. I carry several of the plywood pads for helping in campgrounds where the ground is not so level. But, I always place at least one plywood pad under the jack pads just to help protect them from the ground and to keep them a little cleaner.