Snap Pads vs. Jack Blocks

[Gronk1]

I use 2x4s for the landing legs, plastic leveling bocks from previous rvs for the middle & rear (yellow ones in my avatar). The 2x4s are 12 inches long stacked alternating north-south, then east-west. Six rows high, top two rows are three across. Glued & screwed topped with rubber floor mat material. Been using these for four years. Gives me enough height for same reasons as stated above.
Looked into the buckets, but read somewhere they didn't play well in gravel or dirt. As I'm cheap, looked at the snap pads & decided to pass.

[Second Chance]

Thank you for the response and recommendation. I will look into your buckets, similar price, double the weight rating!

@Udale84 -

Welcome to the forum! As for blocks/pads, 2x12 pressure treated has worked well for us for 7-1/2 years of full-timing.

Here are a few forum tips:

1) If you use "Reply With Quote" (to the right of "Reply") as I have here, folks will know to whom you are responding and that person will get a notification.

2) You can also tag folks using the "@" symbol and their user name (as I have done yours) - they'll also get a notification that way.

3) If you choose to get a paid membership (nominal cost and well worth it), you can create a signature block with your RV and tow vehicle information (see mine below). That way you won't have to repeat that information whenever you post or ask a question - and others won't have to ask. You can create a signature by going to:

Forum Actions (on menu bar) -> Edit Profile -> Edit Signature (under My Settings on the left)

Rob

[Hoopy Frood]

I boondock quite often and park on uneven and varying surfaces, including some pretty soft stuff (sand).
I've been totally happy with the snap pads and haven't found a need for buckets, wood, rocks, whatever. The buckets seem like
just one more thing to deal with when landing or leaving.

As for stability - I'd never change a tire with the buckets under the jacks. I'd absolutely change one with the snap pads on.

My 349M has been quite stable even with the jacks extended this much.

Attachment 44816

But I see that very long stabilizer leg, and think that it would be better, i.e. more stable if the extended part of the leg was much, much shorter. JMO of course.

[geotex1]

The answer to you query begins with the consideration of what type of sites you believe you will camp in most frequently. I'm a SnapPad guy with an assortment of blocks fashioned from PT 2"x12"s. My considerations for SnapPads, is simple. No stains on concrete, which is what our coach is parked on when not on the road. SnapPads have tremendous friction and you'll have no shimmy when set up on pavement or when I've stacked the 2xs under.

[Richter]

That makes two of us, but I use homemade 12"x12"x2" pads and keep the plastic Camco ones for leveling the trailer side-to-side if needed.

X2 on this. I made up a set of 4 2x12x12 blocks, each unit having 3 2x12/s turned across the grain from one another, then screwed together. Those become the “base” for each corner jack or stabilizer. I fill in with the Camco “lego” blocks so that the extension to the jacks and stabilizers is as short as possible.

[jjbbrewer]

But I see that very long stabilizer leg, and think that it would be better, i.e. more stable if the extended part of the leg was much, much shorter. JMO of course.

Yep, but what isn't seen is how much of the stabilizer leg is still inside the piston housing, right?
Personally, I found the range & stability of these devices pretty impressive.
I was thinking I might get a stroke/out of range error from the unit at this place, but nope. It was good.
The campsite was so slanted that I needed to put a couple of rocks under the solid step stair legs as they ran out of range!

[traveldawg]

In the past I used a bunch of the yellow Lego-like stacking blocks. They worked great and I figured that not extending the jacks too far would help minimize movement in the rig.

Now I just use Snap Pads and don't worry about any movement - which isn't any more or less than not extending the jacks a lot. I still carry some of the plastic stacking blocks for cases where I think I will need them because of extreme site unevenness. I think you have to carry some sort pads for these situations and wood seems bulky and absorbs moisture.

I was never a fan of those Anderson buckets and I figure they took up too much space and were not flexible enough to provide different hight supports.

[Whitexc]

I’m going snap pads on our new rig. Part of what I was looking forward to with auto level was not putting blocks down and working scissor jacks.

[Fsalmy]

Snap Pads for us. I throw a stack of the rectangular lego blocks in the back of the truck, but have only needed to use them twice in 2+ years. Both times were in state parks with markedly sloped sites.

[Johnww]

We have used the Andersen buckets for four years now with our Reflection with zero problems. As others have said you don't have to extend your jacks as far which increases stability. We primarily camp in state parks and COE campgrounds which typically have uneven surfaces. I don't think I would use both snap pads and buckets at the same time.