Leveling

luvrbus · August 30, 2015, 11:01:09 AM

Scott are you trying to say don't use bottle jacks lol I have help dig buses out the tires sank also in a rain with air levelers,people need to use a little common sense no matter what type leveling system the have installed

now let's go to which is best the 3 point or the 4 point system that can interesting here

Darkspeed · August 30, 2015, 11:11:22 AM

Im in the process of adding four hydraulic 14K aluminum legs to my 4106 but it required extensive additional structure to do it safely. Im not sure a bus that was not designed for hydraulic legs would be able to add them without a lot of work. Bending up your bus would be bad.

solodon · August 30, 2015, 11:45:45 AM

I'm very new to the ideas presented in this discussion but have been wondering how to use air. It's inexpensive, available and like TomC said uses what the unit was made to hold it up. I just made a sketch of how I think TomC has his plumbed and now understand how to do it. Thanks, TomC. In reference to the movement when aired and moving around in the coach. While probably not a good solution but I think if I were to let all the air out of the bags so the coach was sitting on stops, then add just enough air to make it level enough that there could be less movement as some of the coach may still be sitting solidly on bump stops. This would also make entry and exit from the coach easier. Just a thought, like I've said I'm new, so please let me know where my thinking is off. Thanks, Don

luvrbus · August 30, 2015, 12:18:32 PM

Even the coaches with the high $$ HWH Active Air system you have movement when you are off the stops I have friend with the system on Prevost it wobbles when you walk to bathroom

If you get one close to enough level you need to lift it off the stops a little I wouldn't worry about it

Lin · August 30, 2015, 12:32:47 PM

I have a simple air leveling system that just uses push/pull cables. Air leveling is useful but very limited. You will only get about 5-6 inches difference between the front and rear axle. This works fine for most commercial campgrounds where the sites are pretty close to level to begin with, but I have found that at many less developed sites, Forest Service campgrounds for example, you will still need another 6 inches of blocks somewhere.

If you are not on pavement, you need to take precautions no matter what system you are using. For bottle jacks or hydraulic levelers, I would consider putting a steel plate or some 1 inch plywood under the jacks to spread the weight. If your tires are on the ground, and there is any chance of rain, I would have plywood under the tires.

LuckyChow · August 30, 2015, 12:36:05 PM

Maybe it's just me, but I haven't noticed any air bag coaches bouncing around when someone walks in them. Even if they did, I don't think it's something that would bother me. I had a class C once that would tilt when you got on the steps to get it. Even though it did it, it didn't bother me. I only put down the jacks if it needed to be levelled.

Iceni John · August 30, 2015, 01:04:11 PM

I plan on using three semi trailer landing legs for my bus's leveling, one at the front and two at the rear. I'll buy some from a wrecking yard, and weld or bolt them to the frame rails. They have a two-speed gearbox in them, and I'll have drive extensions running out to the side of the bus so I can easily crank them up or down. I may even be able to repurpose my old Craftsman 3/4 HP single-speed drill for this job - it has so much torque that it broke its handle completely off when it twisted out of my hands one time! I don't want the complexity and cost of hydraulic systems, so for a few hundred dollars (at most) this should work well for me.

John

Darkspeed · August 30, 2015, 01:21:53 PM

Adding jacks , hydraulics , etc... just remember if you are lifting tires you are probable hyperextending your suspension and it will be hanging from the shock mounts.
I had this problem and I had to add travel limit chains so I did not kill my shocks when I lifted the bus off of the ground.

thomasinnv · August 30, 2015, 01:40:23 PM

Clifford I'm a fan of the 4 point system myself just seems like it would be more stable. I have air levelling now but sure wouldn't mind having hydraulic. I like the hwh too. With their system any time it operates there are always 2 jacks moving together, so not much chance of twisting unless you fully extend the legs. Power gear would be a second choice.

Scott & Heather · August 30, 2015, 02:02:29 PM

I wouldn't say don't use bottle jacks, but I sure hate climbing under the bus all the time to set them up. Dirty work. But it's all I have at the moment. Air leveling does have its limits. I'm in a pretty nice RV park by most standards right now but the sites are not level. What really is the total travel of an air bag? If you had the rear of the coach on bumpstops and the front completely inflated?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lin · August 30, 2015, 02:48:18 PM

Scott, that's what I was talking about. If you measure your air bags fully extended and subtract the length of the bags fully deflated. You will have the max differential from front to back. My air bags have about a 5-6 inch rise. Hence, estimating that your bags are extended about half way, or 3 inches, when you travel, it means you can raise or lower either back or front about 3 inches-- total deferential is about 6 inches. Therefore if your axles were 30 feet apart, you could only level for an incline of about 1/5 inches per foot. Correct me if this does not make sense, but that's not a very serious incline.

That said, I find it very convenient to have the air leveling but must also carry blocks. If there is a 12 inch rise from back to front, I would much rather use 6 inches of blocks and 6 of air bags than have to use 12 inches of blocks!

Tnghost · August 30, 2015, 05:20:59 PM

6 inches out of an air leveling system would work for me in most cases so I may go that route and save me some dough 😜

thomasinnv · August 30, 2015, 06:07:09 PM

I have airbag levelling and over the last 5 years I have needed to use blocks a total of twice.

uncle ned · August 30, 2015, 06:14:53 PM

Huggy has air leveling. she also has 4 corner hydraulic jacks.

I use the air to get her down and then set the hydraulic to steady her.

Have to get her down low because the lady in charge is short.

the hydraulic came in handy when i had a busted tire on I 85.
The tire truck did not have a jack that would get under the front axle, so i raised the front with the
hydraulic to get the front axle up enough for him to change the tire.

uncle ned

Darkspeed · August 30, 2015, 06:26:54 PM

Quote from: uncle ned on August 30, 2015, 06:14:53 PM

Huggy has air leveling. she also has 4 corner hydraulic jacks.

I use the air to get her down and then set the hydraulic to steady her.

Have to get her down low because the lady in charge is short.

the hydraulic came in handy when i had a busted tire on I 85.
The tire truck did not have a jack that would get under the front axle, so i raised the front with the
hydraulic to get the front axle up enough for him to change the tire.

uncle ned

uncle ned, any flexing when you deploy the hydraulic jacks? I would be interested to see photos of how you attached them if you have any. thanks!