where do i put the leveling jack?

[Dave R]

easy question for most i would assume. first time leveling 73 winnebago chieftain so i can run/test fridge. i have two huge scissor jack and a bunch  of 2x6 boards. i put a 1/2" air ratchet on the jack and she didn't even move a fraction of a inch. tested my air ratchet on my truck and works perfect. i'm lifting at the rear spring connection since that was readily available and stuck out. went to front and put it under the front right wheel. again barely moved. ok  figured i'm in wrong places, looked at book, doesn't say where to put jacks. sounds like a easy answer but i'm baffled. i know i'm picking up weight of axles and tires and that might be my problem. don't want to tweak frame. just got to raise one side 1" up and 1/2" up in front.

thanks for the help
Dave R

[Lefty]

On most rigs, you would place them behind the rear axle on the frame about a foot or so from the rear. For the front, you should place them either just ahead of the front axle on the frame, or just behind... depending which has the best available flat space for the jack to contact the frame.

A D27 weighs around 10,000 to 11,000lbs EMPTY. This leaves about 4,000lbs for gear, water and other fluids, passengers, etc... plus a bit for a safety margin.The GVWR on our D27 was 15,000lbs. (10K rear, 5K front axle GAWR's). So a very Heavy Duty jack is not only recommended.. it's mandatory. Scissor jacks are only designed to go from the ground to the frame, with a slight load, to stabilize the rig from bouncing when you walk in it. Actual levelling jacks are usually permanently mounted electric/hydraulic units. These can actually lift a rig for levelling. Try using levelling blocks under the tires to get it level, then use the scissor jacks to stabilize it.
I used a variety of 2"X12" and 1"X12" planks cut to 2' long, and also a few pieces of 1/2" plywood cut to 12" X 2' lengths... These I kept in the rig and would stack them as needed to get the height I wanted, then back up onto them. By mixing the different thicknesses up, I could get pretty much level before using the stabilizers.Our next rig had actual levelling jacks that were controlled from inside the coach.. Making levelling a matter of pushing or pulling joysticks until all the lights were green. Much nicer.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

For reference, my 3 1/2 ton floor jack is just barely big enough to lift my 27ft M400 chassis.

For the rear, you will most likely need the 7500lb scissor jack for each side.

Dave