Boards/Levelers under Big Foot Pads Page 2 (From TapaTalk Forum)

jkburkes

I have had my 2010 36FWS since 2009 and I have never really needed to use any pads ,but I have found that if you limit the amount of extended shaft to as little as possible the more stable the unit is especially the rear jacks since the shafts are smaller. I carry several 12x12x2 treated with me for this purpose.

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Posted: 7:12 PM – Feb 08, 2013

dutchanddi

Unless we pull into a park that has damp grass or gravel from rain we don’t put anything under our BF. The pads are quire big. If we need to put anything under, we use those yellow building block type pads. Hugs, Di

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Posted: 12:20 AM – Feb 09, 2013

sheff69

dutchanddi wrote:Unless we pull into a park that has damp grass or gravel from rain we don’t put anything under our BF. The pads are quire big. If we need to put anything under, we use those yellow building block type pads. Hugs, Di

I support Di’s idea.
Last year we visited Indiana for some service work, and stayed at the Elkhart Campground. Unfortunately this was wet grass just after a rain. The Bigfoot pads sunk down about 2 inches into the grass. When it came time to leave, I pulled up the pads, and brought up about 15 pounds of clay and soil on each pad. Left four huge holes. I felt bad, but what can you do.
Now I use the large 12″ square flat plastic boards under each foot when on that type of ground.
I still sink in, but now when I lift the feet, they come up clean, and I can use a piece of 2X4 to shock the plastic pads free, and not bring up 60 pounds of campground. They hose off easier too.

Sheff

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Posted: 8:19 AM – Feb 11, 2013

Highwaymen49

I have not used anything under the big foot pads. We travel form place to place and have not needed them for the Cameo. I used to use them on our previous 5th wheel. I also read an article once about electrical grounding that mentioned that the pads on the ground can have an impact on how well the electical system will work. After all your rigs ground wires are to the frame and no metal touches the ground if there are pads under the feet. Yes I do realize that the cord is grounded but with my experience in electronics it does make sense.

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Posted: 9:11 AM – Feb 11, 2013

falconhunter

Highwaymen49 wrote:I have not used anything under the big foot pads. We travel form place to place and have not needed them for the Cameo. I used to use them on our previous 5th wheel. I also read an article once about electrical grounding that mentioned that the pads on the ground can have an impact on how well the electical system will work. After all your rigs ground wires are to the frame and no metal touches the ground if there are pads under the feet. Yes I do realize that the cord is grounded but with my experience in electronics it does make sense.

We only use our pads if the site is wet and soft. I dont want my pads getting rusted from prolonged moisture contact. It is not necessary to be grounded through the leveling jacks.

Actually the National Electrical Code (NEC) likes to have an electrical subsystem (which would include an RV) bonded to ground via the feed, which is the shore power line in this case.

Here are a few quotes from this article. http://www.naplia.com/homeinspectors/Re … gFinal.pdf
As most inspectors know:
• A properly wired 120/240-volt subpanel includes a 4-conductor feeder;
• Two of these lines are ungrounded conductors, commonly known as “hots;”
• One line is the grounded conductor, commonly knows as “the neutral;”
• And one line is the equipment grounding conductor, commonly known as “the ground.”

One final grounding issue:
We are often asked if subpanels added at spas and wells can be fed with a three-conductor feeder (two hots and one neutral) and then “grounded” by adding a grounding electrode (grounding rod). There are four reasons why this grounding method is not acceptable:
1) The primary purpose of a grounding rod is to provide lightning protection. A rod is required for separate buildings with subpanels, but not as a substitute ground fault path for the system.
2) A metal rod driven into the dirt does not provide a low-resistance path back to the service equipment and transformer to clear ground faults. In order to clear a ground fault, the equipment ground must be separate from the neutral and be continuous back to the service equipment, as stated at the beginning of this article.
3) Dirt is not a good conductor of electricity, especially when it is dry.
4) Four-conductor feeders are required for all subpanels (even in detached buildings and structures) since the 2008 NEC.

B.W.Gentry
Owner/Admin
2007 Carri-Lite XTRM5
Breckenridge, TX

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