How is levelling done on muddy, sandy or soft ground?
On soft ground the problem is not the capacity of the system but the bearing capacity of the ground. Even with a 2000 kg load capacity per leg, if that load is transferred to the ground through a small contact area the leg will sink. The solution is to put a solid plate under every leg to spread the load over a wide area, and after finishing levelling to wait a while and check whether any settlement has occurred.
The method to apply on soft ground:
- Look at the ground before parking; wet soil, sand, fresh gravel and asphalt softened by heat are risky surfaces.
- Place a load-spreading plate under every leg. The larger the contact area of the plate, the lower the pressure on the ground.
- Put the plates down before the legs come down, aligned with the points where the legs will land.
- Run automatic levelling. During the ground contact stage the legs come down one by one in sequence.
- Look at the display again some time after levelling has finished. If one of the legs has settled, the inclination value will have changed; repeat the levelling.
Additional warnings:
- If you need to reduce a coarse slope with ramps or blocks, do not stack too many blocks on top of each other; if more than three layers are needed, it is better to reposition the vehicle.
- Soft ground increases the temptation to lift the wheels off the ground. Do not lift all the wheels off the ground - the vehicle can slide off the legs.
- The legs are no substitute for the parking brake or the chocks; the chocks must be in place under all conditions.
On long stays the ground may soften with rain, so make it a habit to carry out interim checks.
The full topic: How to choose levelling leg capacity