Question Safe tire levels for 2020 London Aire

[MikeTip]

Hi Everyone, this is the newbie once again. I have a quick question about parking in less than perfect conditions. I have read about some products that allows you to drive the coach tires up onto a “block-like” level. We had a few circumstances (during our maiden voyage last month) that our level system didn’t work correctly and it “lifted” the entire wheel off the ground.

My question is: (1) Are these safe to use on a 2020 London Aire? (2) If so, what brand/type should we buy? (3) Any tips on how to use them properly would be appreciated.

We are heading out next month and would like to order, if appropriate. Being first timers is exciting, but somewhat overwhelming. Thanks for your help!

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

In general, leveling blocks should be a last resort IMO. Your London Aire weighs in at 54,000 pounds and few commercially available blocks will support that kind of weight. Even if you find some what will support up to 6,750 pounds (54,000 GVWR/8 wheels = 6,750# per wheel), there are some other issues to consider. One is twisting the chassis. If that happens, slides may bind up, not properly opening/closing. Another is the difficulty of getting the blocks properly placed for the inside duals.

With a large, heavy coach like the London Aire, I think your best option is to stay in places with fairly level sites.

TJ

 

[CaptainGizmo]

I’m with TJ. I’ve had a few instances where my wheels were off the ground. Who cares? The hydraulics and jacks are designed for that, and having slight tire contact means nothing. Besides, I love a good sled ride. ;-)

I’ve had a couple instances where the leveling system could not reach level...for a variety of reasons. So, one time, I forced a manual level as best as I could. The other time, I ran it through the process a couple times, and it achieved level after that.

 

[VTPete]

As long as it’s the front that’s occasionally off the ground. Never the rear. I’ve let it happen myself a few times, but don’t like the feeling f having the front of the coach so high. If it was for more than a 2-3 day stay, I’d probably mov e elsewhere.

Make sure to ENJOY THAT AWESOME COACH.you got a great one.

 

[MikeTip]

As long as it’s the front that’s occasionally off the ground. Never the rear. I’ve let it happen myself a few times, but don’t like the feeling f having the front of the coach so high. If it was for more than a 2-3 day stay, I’d probably mov e elsewhere.

Make sure to ENJOY THAT AWESOME COACH.you got a great one.

Thank you!!!!!

 

[MikeTip]

In general, leveling blocks should be a last resort IMO. Your London Aire weighs in at 54,000 pounds and few commercially available blocks will support that kind of weight. Even if you find some what will support up to 6,750 pounds (54,000 GVWR/8 wheels = 6,750# per wheel), there are some other issues to consider. One is twisting the chassis. If that happens, slides may bind up, not properly opening/closing. Another is the difficulty of getting the blocks properly placed for the inside duals.

With a large, heavy coach like the London Aire, I think your best option is to stay in places with fairly level sites.

TJ

Ok! I won’t be purchasing anything! Great advice and I REALLY appreciate it!

 

[MikeTip]

I’m with TJ. I’ve had a few instances where my wheels were off the ground. Who cares? The hydraulics and jacks are designed for that, and having slight tire contact means nothing. Besides, I love a good sled ride. ;-)

I’ve had a couple instances where the leveling system could not reach level...for a variety of reasons. So, one time, I forced a manual level as best as I could. The other time, I ran it through the process a couple times, and it achieved level after that.

I appreciate the experience and advice on trying a couple variations. I just thought having the front tires up may have been dangerous. We were on a fairly level concrete pad when this occurred, so if it happens again I will know what to try! Thank you for your help!

 

[MapNerd]

If you’re on a fairly level concrete pad and your coach is lifting tires to get level, your leveling system may need to be recalibrated.

“Fairly level” is of course a relative term but if you think it might be a system issue, in your manual for your leveling system, there is usually a section on recalibration for reprogramming the system. You would only want to do this on a very level site though. Don’t go trying it on a “fairly level” site.

 

[MikeTip]

If you’re on a fairly level concrete pad and your coach is lifting tires to get level, your leveling system may need to be recalibrated.

“Fairly level” is of course a relative term but if you think it might be a system issue, in your manual for your leveling system, there is usually a section on recalibration for reprogramming the system. You would only want to do this on a very level site though. Don’t go trying it on a “fairly level” site.

Thank you!!! We will have the mechanic look at this for us.

 

[redbaron]

Try air leveling. You get a lot more variance with air leveling and wheels always on ground.

I usually use the air level unless the pad is a very sturdy pad.

 

[MikeTip]

Try air leveling. You get a lot more variance with air leveling and wheels always on ground.

I usually use the air level unless the pad is a very sturdy pad.

Ok, the. That brings me to a second question... we were told by the dealer that we shouldn’t use air levelers for more than a couple of hours on a short stop. Are you saying we can use that feature for a night on the road when we can’t get the coach level? (I trust this forum more than the sales/ dealer we purchased from.)

The purchase experience has been unbelievably bad. We were PROMISED a day long training on the systems when we were thinking about purchasing the coach. Training was important because we have never owned an RV before and felt we may be in over our heads. The day we arrived for our training, the coach wasn’t ready and the tech who was to train us didn’t service Newmar. (He had to call one of the other techs to figure out how to start the engine!)

I am still glad we purchased a Newmar, as the company has been terrific to respond to us, as our own service dealer simply took their commission and is basically non- responsive. Only regret, we should have ordered from Newmar instead of purchasing new off the dealer’s lot. I have read how excited people are with the pick up processing week at Newmar and I think we would be better trained!

Thank you again for “training us”! Our dealer should be sendI got RV Forum some of the commission they earned - as they didn’t complete their promise!

 

[redbaron]

Air levelers are for full time use. Use what works best for your situation. Dealer is a fool.

 

[CTI2000]

MikeTip, Did you buy your LA from that dealer in Richmond? They are a little scary. You can use air leveling all you want. Just be aware the air pump it uses to maintain air pressure runs off of the chassis batteries and will drain them down. If you are plugged in or running genset and the charge bridge is working, no problem. On my chassis, the air pump is located behind a metal cover in the driver's side front wheel well (1st pic). Spartan covers the pump with a plastic bag for delivery to Newmar. Mine still had the bag on it and the air intake line/filter wasn't connected. I connected the line to the compressor and run it up front so the filter is under the front cap and out of wheel well spray (2nd pic).

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

That brings me to a second question... we were told by the dealer that we shouldn’t use air levelers for more than a couple of hours on a short stop. Are you saying we can use that feature for a night on the road when we can’t get the coach level?

Sorry you got such bad advice from your dealer. We use air leveling whenever we are on the road, whether for overnight stops or 2-3 nights as long as we are plugged into 120 VAC power as @redbaron suggested. It works just fine! You may notice just a slight bit more bounce as you walk around in the coach, but it is not unpleasant for us. And, using air leveling is so quick and easy.

When we are parked on a solid, hard surface (like when we are at our lot in Polson. MT), we do extend the jacks to firm things up. Of course, our parking pad is already level, so it is just a matter of putting out our jack pads (to protect the concrete) and hitting Autolevel.

You mentioned in an earlier post that your front wheels come up off the ground when leveling on some sites. Have you tried using the "Manual dump" feature before activating "Auto level?" Even though Auto level is supposed to dump the air before leveling, we've found that there are occasions where the air is not fully dumped before the jacks come down. Normally, I don't bother doing that but in situations where I think I can improve my leveling situation, I retract the jacks and do a manual dump before reactivating the auto level.

Finally, don't be afraid to use your manual leveling controls. Frequently, you can lower the rear of the coach rather than having Auto Level raise the front. We carry a 3" circular bubble level that I use to manually check my coach leveling. It works great when you need to use the manual leveling controls. There's also a cell phone level app (at least for the iPhone) that is a pretty good substitute for the bubble level.

TJ

 

[MikeTip]

MikeTip, Did you buy your LA from that dealer in Richmond? They are a little scary. You can use air leveling all you want. Just be aware the air pump it uses to maintain air pressure runs off of the chassis batteries and will drain them down. If you are plugged in or running genset and the charge bridge is working, no problem. On my chassis, the air pump is located behind a metal cover in the driver's side front wheel well (1st pic). Spartan covers the pump with a plastic bag for delivery to Newmar. Mine still had the bag on it and the air intake line/filter wasn't connected. I connected the line to the compressor and run it up front so the filter is under the front cap and out of wheel well spray (2nd pic).

Yes, it was one of the dealers in Ashland. The coach was brand new when we purchased from them. Glad to know we can use air leveling system. That would have helped our situation the evening we had the leveling issue! We will look into this- thank you for pics and the advice!