We purchased our motorhome in 2019 and hit the road with no experience. Giant RV’s parts department helped us with the items we’d need to get started on our journey. But they definitely didn’t cover everything. The first seven campgrounds we went to were flat, normally concrete or asphalt, and didn’t require any kind of blocking to help level our rig. Our eighth campground was Bear Cave RV Campground in Buchanan, MI.
It’s a lovely Thousand Trails Campground but some sites are less level than they could be. The site we got was just dirt and one of the un-level ones. When we put down our jacks to level the motorhome, the front tires came off the ground about 6-8 inches and the front jack pads sank into the soft dirt slightly. Knowing that we didn’t want the jacks sinking or have the tires off the ground using the jacks we realized we would need some jack pads.
Being close to Elkhart, IN where they build most of the RVs including ours we decided to drive into town to get some jack pads. You’d think with all the RV manufacturers in the area it would be easy to find RV supplies. Actually, they just build the RVs there we don’t think there is much of a market for them or supplies. We had a hard time finding a dealer in the area and the few we found didn’t have jack pads.
It was the third one we stopped at that had one set of Camco FasTen 2×2 Jack Pads that were overpriced. But we needed them so we bought them. In a set with 10 individual pads, there were barely enough to level our motorhome and keep the jacks from sinking into the dirt.
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What are SnapPads?
RV SnapPads are permanent jack pads made from durable rubber (recycled tires) that grip any terrain. No more popping jacks or slipping in high winds or slick surfaces like ice. And say goodbye to climbing under your rig every time you set up.
SnapPads increases stability in 3 ways: a larger footprint, more vibration dampening, and by conforming to uneven terrain like gravel. They protect your metal landing feet by absorbing the daily punishment of the road and elements. This helps prevent the protective coating from being damaged by gravel, concrete, asphalt, and the environment.
We were initially impressed with them because there was no need to put down wood blocks or plastic squares before lowering our jacks when setting up the RV in a new spot.
If you’re thinking of getting SnapPads for your RV check out which ones you need here then come back and make a purchase through our Amazon links. It is much appreciated.
Our Motorhome with its Lippert LCI Leveling System and 9″ Jack Pads takes four SnapPad XTRA. Get yours here: SnapPad Xtra 9 Inch Round Landing Feet Motorhome RV Leveling Pads (4 Pack)
SnapPad BF Permanently Attached RV Leveling Jack Pad for Bigfoot Landing Feet (BF 7 4-Pack)
SnapPad EQ Permanently Attached RV Leveling Jack Pad for Equalizer Landing Feet (Round 4-Pack)
SnapPad EQ 10 Inch Round Landing Feet Motor Home RV Leveling Jack Pads Bundle
Before SnapPads
After our first un-level site issues we decided we needed more than one set of jack pads. We purchased an additional set of Camco FasTen 2×2 Jack Pads and a set of Camco FasTen 4×2 Jack Pads from Amazon for much better prices than we paid from the dealer in Elkhart.
They are great for driving the tires up on if the site is un-level which is the main thing we use them for now. On some sites with our three sets of jack pads, we’ll use all 30 pads to get the coach level. We also purchased a set of Anderson Jack Blocks. These were shown to me by Giant RV where we purchased our motorhome but cost more than I wanted to spend at the time. They are a great idea but really didn’t work the way we wanted them to. They are usually too tall to fit under the jacks on our motorhome. That’s when we started looking at other options and found Snap Pads.
First time trying to Install SnapPads
Using the SnapPad website we found and ordered the SnapPad XTRA pads for our Thor Challenger’s 9″ Lippert Leveling System. They arrived within a few days. Following the instructions that came in the box, we went to install the SnapPads. Lining up and lowering the jacks one by one onto the SnapPads I didn’t hear the “Snap” that the instructions claimed you’d hear.
When we lifted the jacks two of the pads stayed on the ground and two of them stayed on the jacks but were easily knocked off by hand. We tried again to install them with the same outcome.
Frustrated that we couldn’t get them installed as easily as the instructions and everything I had seen online indicated we left them in place for our final few days at the campground we were at. Upon departure, we raised the jacks and three of the SnapPads stayed on the ground and the final one was easily knocked off as well.
I contacted SnapPad’s Customer Support to see if anyone else had issues with not being able to install the pads correctly. Within a few hours, I received an email response asking for pictures of our motorhome’s jack feet. I snapped some shots of each foot and sent them in.
Again within a few hours, I had word that it looked like our Lippert Feet had warped, a common problem of Lippert’s newer-designed feet. Upon further examination, it was easy to see the feet had mushroomed upwards becoming smaller than 9″ which allowed the SnapPads to fall off.
Replacing the feet
With warped feet on our motorhome, we continued to use our Camco FasTen blocks for leveling and jack pads for almost a year. Finally, we settled long enough to place an order for replacement feet an additional $140 spent. The feet arrived but we were settled into our site and busy with our Workamping gig so we waited longer to install them.
Installing SnapPads
Our Workamping job is complete we hit the road for Las Vegas. Arriving at the campground the first thing I planned on doing was installing the new feet and SnapPads.
It actually took less time than we thought. I used my battery-powered impact gun to remove and replace the 15/16″ bolt and jack foot at each jack. Then started installing the SnapPads. It was a “snap” with the new feet. Definitely as easy as everyone made it out to be once we had jack feet that were flat. It took about 3-4 minutes per pad to install the SnapPads.
Installation Instructions
- SnapPad installation should be performed on a level or near-level surface – preferably a hard surface (concrete or asphalt).
- Wheel chocks should be placed in front of and behind the RV wheels for additional safety.
- Be sure to thoroughly clean and dry your landing feet prior to installing your SnapPads.
- Operate your jacks manually and install your SnapPads one at a time. If your jacks deploy in pairs, take note of which jack hits the ground first and start there. (We used walkie-talkies to communicate the ups and downs of the jacks.)
- Spread a small bead of concentrated dish soap around the lip of the SnapPad and metal landing foot to aid installation. Do NOT use any petroleum-based lubricant, such as WD-40® as it may negatively react with the binder in your SnapPads.
- Extend your jacks until about 4 inches from the ground then stop so you can properly align your jack and SnapPad. KEEP YOUR FINGERS AND ANY FOREIGN OBJECTS CLEAR WHEN LOWERING THE JACK INTO PLACE.
- Carefully place and center your SnapPad under the landing jack foot. Continue to lower the front landing jack until it touches the SnapPad. If you feel that the landing pad is not centered on the SnapPads, retract the landing gear enough to re-center the SnapPads and proceed with extending the landing gear to complete the SnapPad installation.
- If your lip hasn’t fully engaged, raise your jack and place a shim (small piece of wood no thicker than 1/4”) under the side that hasn’t engaged. Lower your jack again until that side snaps into place.
- Wipe off any excess soap and repeat the installation process on the remaining jacks.
Conclusion
We’re very pleased with our SnapPads. The installation is easy, as long as your jack feet are in good shape. We would recommend installing SnapPads sooner rather than later.
Our delay cost us extra money when the jack feet warped from use without SnapPads. After installation, the first thing we noticed is the popping and shifting of the jacks and feet were gone. This alone makes the purchase well worth the price. Our coach seems much more stable now.
SnapPad’s customer service is outstanding in helping us understand our installation problems. From everything, I hear their support is always amazing. All this and the product is American Made. Got to love that!
SnapPads would be the first thing we’d install on a new RV. They are well worth the money!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Have you installed SnapPads on your RV? What are your thoughts on them? Let us know below.
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I am buying your SNAP PADS but being winter I will not out them on until MARCH or MAY time frame what about warranty , Does it start time of purchased or install time ??
Hi Domenick,
Snap Pads has a great warranty. When I bought ours I tried to install them but had issues because the jack feet had warped. I called to get help from Snap Pads and they diagnosed the issue from a few pictures. I was told I could return the Snap Pads if I wanted and they would give a full refund. Or I could order new feet from Lippert which I did. It took a few months for me to get the new feet in and install the Snap Pads. Once I had the new feet the Snap Pads clicked on as advertised. I’ve heard of Snap Pads warranty covering pads that have fallen off over time. From everything I’ve heard they stand behind their product well. Thanks for making a purchase. Best wishes, Rob