westex93
Bishop, GA
New Member
Joined: 07/07/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
OK, as noted before, we are newbies to RV living who just went full time over night. So, I have my fifth wheel set up on a level site and stabilized, but DW still thinks it moves too much - saying she can't get a good night's sleep because she feels like the trailer is moving. (I don't feel a thing, but....oh, well, I certainly want her to sleep well at all cost.)
Today I added two more jacks under the main opposing slide-outs. Any more suggestions for really locking a trailer down? Almost seems like it would have to be cross-stabilized - maybe even tied down - to make it much better. I'm thinking even a couple of ratcheting tie-downs on the front jacks "criss-crossed" to lock it in. I sure am interested in what the "old-timers" are doing and welcome everyone's input on this.
We're full-timing but not really mobile right now, although that it a definite possibility in the future.
Wes McMillian
www.wesmcmillian.com
www.standupchristianpatriot.com
2004 Dodge 3500 Cummins Turbo Dually
2007 Coachmen Chaparral 321TS 36' Fifth Wheel
|
larry barnhart
wenatchee. wa usa
Senior Member
Joined: 03/30/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
JT Strong arm stabilizers or similar product is what will fix your problem. throw away the slide jacks.
chevman
chevman
2001 35 ft avalon alpenlite RK
2005 3500 2wd duramax CC dually
prodigy
easyrider/reese airhitch
trailair center point suspension
JT Strong Arm Stabilizers
KSH 55 inbed fuel tank
Garmin 2720
scanguage II
TD-EOC
Induction Overhaul Kit
TST tire monitors
|
larry barnhart
wenatchee. wa usa
Senior Member
Joined: 03/30/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
JT Strong arm stabilizers or similar product is what will fix your problem. throw away the slide out jacks.
chevman
|
Helmsey
Knoxville, TN
Senior Member
Joined: 09/07/2009
View Profile
|
There are a couple of commercially available cross stabilizers available, BAL makes some and JT's Strong Arm come to mind. There are others on here who have fabricated their own (similar to those listed above) and have had good luck with them. I have thought about the rachet strap thing, might give it a whirl this weekend on mine and see what happens.
KK4PFX
2010 Chaparral 322RLTS
2004 Chevrolet 2500HD D/A CCSB 4x4
Days camped in 2011: 22
Days camped in 2012: 34
Days camped in 2013: 6
|
skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
I'd remove the jacks under slide rooms as they can do serious damage under some circumstances and you really don't want the slide rooms to be bearing the weight of your RV. Put a couple of extra stab jacks close to the suspension in the middle of the trailer and it will remove all of the frame flex (suspension bounce) which is often a problem with longer trailers. Supported at the four corners, any frame flex that there is will still allow the trailer to bounce on it's own suspension and actually amplify the feeling of movement. The center stab jacks are an easy and inexpensive way to safely solidify your RV.
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
|
|
|
sljkansas
Miami Co. Kansas
Senior Member
Joined: 09/28/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
I added jacks in front of and behind my axles on both sides, it mad a big differance. but the only wat to get it rock solid is to get the tires off the ground and block the the frame up.
Steve & Linda
Son married (1 DIL, 3 granddaughters 1 grandson)
Daughter can now be called a Teacher.
Miami Co. Kansas
2004 F350 CC dually 8ft bed 6.0 PSD
2009 Bighorn 3670RL
B&W under bed hitch with 18k companion hitch
|
westex93
Bishop, GA
New Member
Joined: 07/07/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
The JT's look similar to what I had in mind. I'll look into them in the future or build something similar. Thanks for the recommendations!
Thinking further about what y'all said about the jacks under the slides, I believe I'll move them on in. Although I don't see the damage from having them there (maybe if they were bearing the trailer load, but they don't, just enough to stabilize the slides), I'm not sure I see the jacks doing much good under there. If the slides were solidly tied into the trailer, yes, but they may be more stable "bottomed out" than having a jack under one leg - even if just enough to take up some slack. I'll move them in. Thanks.
|
tvman44
Southwest Louisiana
Senior Member
Joined: 09/25/2007
View Profile
 Online
|
JT Strongarm Stabilizers for a rock solid 5er. Love ours.
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside by Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
Husky 16K hitch, Tekonsha P3,
Firestone Ride Rite Air Springs, Trailair Equa-Flex, Champion C46540
"A bad day camping is better than a good day at work!"
|
laknox
Arizona
Senior Member
Joined: 01/06/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
westex93 wrote:The JT's look similar to what I had in mind. I'll look into them in the future or build something similar. Thanks for the recommendations!
Thinking further about what y'all said about the jacks under the slides, I believe I'll move them on in. Although I don't see the damage from having them there (maybe if they were bearing the trailer load, but they don't, just enough to stabilize the slides), I'm not sure I see the jacks doing much good under there. If the slides were solidly tied into the trailer, yes, but they may be more stable "bottomed out" than having a jack under one leg - even if just enough to take up some slack. I'll move them in. Thanks.
The problem with them is, if the trailer settles in any way, they're now pushing up on the outer edge of the slide, which can cause serious damage to the slide mechanism.
Lyle
2002 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Duramax Crew Cab 4x4
Banks Bullet Tuner and Monster Exhaust
B&W Turnover Ball with 5th Wheel Companion
2004 Komfort 25FSG Fifth Wheel
1936 John Deere Model A
International Flying Farmers 55 Year Member
|
Dick_B
Palos Heights, IL USA
Senior Member
Joined: 07/10/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Lots of previous discussion on this topic. Search for phrases like `trailer movement' to get an idea. We use JT's Strongarm Stabilizers which help quite a bit.
The only way to be `rock solid' is to put the rig up on cement blocks or railroad ties on a concrete pad. All the stabilizing effort on a grass or gravel site will still allow movement.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2011 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two bikes (both Electric Schwinn's with motor assist)
|
|
|
