Next month is our annual trip to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. The campground is grass on packed earth with hook ups. I want to use wood blocks to keep my bus level. After a few days my bus likes to lean. Which points on body/frame do I place the supports.
Siberyd
Off subject, siberyd, you should have a NRG at your fairgrounds, we'll come! The scenic cruise to orangeland rally! Lvmci...
Lvmci, Hmm sounds interesting, its only $30.00 a night...........
Siberyd
Why don't you pick some days in April and start a new thread, see what pops up? Lvmci...
I'm looking to work on an air leak in the parking brake and need to block up the rear end so I can get up underneath without "gettin scwushed"
I use some oak wood blocks about 3" thick. They go between the rubber bumpers and the frame or suspension. I have nylon strap handles on mine but they are still a pain.
The rears I can usually install (after dropping a few times) from outside but the fronts I usually have to crawl underneath.
Please be careful.
Lvmci,
I liked the idea, but the wife just said NO! Her 2 votes beat my 1 vote.
Siberyd
Jon -
If you've got a copy of the Operator's Manual, it shows the jacking points in the rear of the book, where it talks about changing a tire.
Gus' idea of the oak wood blocks is a good one, just make them long enough so you can insert them w/o crawling underneath. They go between the axle and the chassis, adjacent to the rubber bump stops.
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Would pine work? I got a 100 board feet of 2x6's.
Siberyd
I've got four 24" lengths and two 12" lengths of 6 x 8" pine that I used when I jacked up my bus to install my tanks - you're welcome to borrow them if they'll do what you need. If you want to use them, they're in my bus which is stored about two miles from the OC Fairgrounds.
John
Don't even think about blocking the body.
At the advanced ages of these old guys you will probably crumple the body. It is a quick way to find corroded body areas! :D
Lceni John,
Sunday I am going to fire up the bus and look in the space they are talking about. Will let you know what I figure out.
Siberyd
I have a manual leveling system. One on the front axle, since the front axle only have one leveling valve, and two on the rear axle. It consists of three 12vdc air solenoids-one normally open and two normally closed. The normally open is positioned between the automatic leveling valve and the air bags. When I activate the normally open, it closes the automatic and opens the manual valves. The other two are for air pressure and air exhaust. If I'm staying over night, then the leveling system on the air bags work well. If I'm staying a few days in one spot, I'll level the bus with the leveling blocks under the wheels from Camping World (like big Leggo blocks) and then dump the air suspension all the way down to the bumpers. Less rocking when the air suspension is bottomed out. Good Luck, TomC
Lceni John,
I found the points today and discovered that my arms are not long enough or belly too big to get into the space to use them.
Thanks
Siberyd
I agree with RJ you should only do it from outside. That is insane to be up in there between the wheel well and the tire to put those in. One air bag goes down enough to tray you or blows all of a sudden or even a tire decides to go flat you are dead period. stay out from under these old girls if possible. If not only after you take the time to block the jacking points.
Dave5Cs
When i was putting in new air bags i had the bus raised and blocked and also used a piece of 4x4 between the bump stop and frame. During the night the wood split in two and one piece flew out and the other flipped sideways in place and dropped the body a couple of inches. After that i took a piece of pipe and put a piece of metal on the top for the frame bumper to rest on, and put a piece about 1/2 to 3/4 inches up inside of the bottom of the pipe so it can sit on the bumper base and not slide off when the stop comes down on it.
If you cross the grain with multiple plys this won't happen, gluing is even better.
Also, solid oak blocks won't split usually. I made some from building post (that are still strong after 9 years) 4x4 by cutting them down a bit, 4" is too thick.
Gus, not sure what my 4x4 was, probably fir since we were in Yuma at the time.
Oak will probably split under the right circumstances, but mine never did. It is tough as iron and was really hard on my saw blade! It may have been treated also.