RE: steadyfast Installed Today...WOW!!
Added my SteadyFast stabilizers spring of 2009 and have been VERY happy with them. DW says they're the best mod we've done to date. As stated before they don't remove ALL of the movement but when I get up to make coffee at 6:00am and DW's slumber isn't disturbed from my walking around, that's priceless! Happy wife = great camping trip.
RE: Cool Mods
I just bought a 26' TT (Keystone Hideout, 2010 brand new) and I made the "mistake" of reading through this entire topic before even hitting the road.
I also got a set of SteadyFast stabilizers (wife didn't like the rock and roll motion), x-chocks,
I have found, for our Keystone Passport Express Super-Lite (shew) 199ML, that the x-chocks made a huge difference all by themselves. Highly recommended.
RE: Camper rocks
Without a second thought, I went and bought the SteadyFast system (www.steadyfast.com) and put it on... it's awesome!
So are the prices! For the $300 to $400 bucks they charge for the things they ought to take out more than 100% of the movement.
RE: steadyfast Installed Today...WOW!!
I just put the SteadyFast on my 26' trailer. I saw the other products that use 6 bars or whatever and I guess to me, it seemed like all you really needed was the side-to-side bars on the front and back of the trailer, and just one front/back bar seems like it'd be okay.
Besides, I was doing pretty good with a pair of between the wheel chocks and the front/back motion wasn't too bad.
Anyway, after getting it all installed, I had the wife go into the trailer with the bars unlocked and then do her normal walking around... yeah, she's sensitive to motion and she definitely doesn't like that aspect of trailer life.
Then I locked the bars in place, had her walk around again, even had her try to make it wiggle, and it's just plain solid in there now.
As for me, if I'm standing in the rear of the trailer and *trying* to make it shake, yeah, I can get it to move a little bit, but for your normal walking around, people getting in and out, etc. it's definitely solved my wife's motion sickness problem. If her sensitivity is fine with it, then it's gotta be good.
No idea if the 6-bar systems are any better, but only having 3 works, and it's less bars to tighten clamps on or to install. I can live with that.
RE: Cool Mods
I just bought a 26' TT (Keystone Hideout, 2010 brand new) and I made the "mistake" of reading through this entire topic before even hitting the road.
Well, by the time I was halfway through the posts, I'd already gone out and bought a pair of Trojan 6V batteries and a new batt box for 'em, upgraded some of the lights to LED (Command Electronics, those things are awesome, I ordered enough to finish off the whole trailer now). I also got a set of SteadyFast stabilizers (wife didn't like the rock and roll motion), x-chocks, and the good old PVC fence post sleeve to hold my large RhinoFlex pooper tube.
And after reading the rest of the way through, I've realized I'll probably be in for more fun mods, but I've had to put a hold on some ideas because I need to actually get out in the thing and camp! :)
As far as the mods went, the SteadyFast struts went in great. The instructions tell you to install the front/back bar on the same foot-plate as the front side/side bar, but the front stabilizing jacks on the TT were just too close to the front tongue, and it wouldn't have worked out. Fortunately I ordered a full set of 4 base plates so they'd all match and give a steady platform, so I was able to mount the front/back bar on it's own jack. It worked out great, still steady, and now all 3 of the tightening nuts are on the same side of the trailer so I can tight/loose pretty fast.
The sewer hose holder went on great. I found a 5x5 vinyl post sleeve at Home Depot but those turkeys didn't have a 5x5 flat cover for it, all they had were the big gothic, spired covers. That'd be ugly underneath my rig. Fortunately I found some 4x4 flat covers at Lowes that, with a little dremeling, fit into the 5x5 post (it had some beveled detail that just happened to mostly fit, so it was more about squaring off some corners). Bungeed in to make it snug, and I like it.
I made one end lower to allow drainage, and I was just about to cement one cap to the far end, but then I thought, what if I ever drop something in there and can't fish it out? So I bungeed both ends, and found a nice pack of white bungee cords to go with the white post sleeve. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I made a typical bumbling carpenter mistake and cut the piece too short (shoulda done 78", but I cut 68" because I wasn't thinking), but it worked out well anyway. I place it at an angle going from one of the main beams to a center strut underneath which actually ended up working better for access.
Things I'd like to do are get one of those Barker totes, but since I haven't even been out yet, I'm still not sure how long we can go with just the stock black/gray tanks. I'll wait 'til after the trial run to see if/what-size we should get. I like the pics of people who've mounted that under their trailer instead of attached to the ladder.
It would also be nice to do something on the back bumper to hold my 2 Honda generators, but I'd really want to find some way to make them as secure as possible... those things were expensive, and the thought of leaving them out, even all cable locked, gives me the willies. Maybe some kind of truck box on a hitch so I could close/lock it and nobody would know what was in there. Might make the thief think twice about spending the time and energy to bust in if they weren't sure what the reward would be?
RE: Camper rocks
My wife and I are brand-spankin' new to all of this and we recently bought a 26' TT. We haven't even taken it out of the driveway yet but even then, just walking around in there getting things setup for our first trip, she complained about the motion (she's pretty sensitive to motion like that).
Without a second thought, I went and bought the SteadyFast system (www.steadyfast.com) and put it on... it's awesome! There's still a little motion which I guess I can understand there will always be some, but it's like the difference between a 7.0 earthquake and a 2.0 that you wouldn't normally notice.
We also already had the between-the-wheel chocks and that really helped the front/back motion.
I was able to install the SteadyFast arms in just a few hours. It went well, I was sure to have everything I needed ahead of time. Due to the layout under the trailer I actually had to modify the instructions. I couldn't have the front jack have both the side-to-side and front-to-back arms because there were some things in the way on the trailer frame. Fortunately I bought the extra 2 foot-plates for all 4 of my scissor jacks so I just did my front-back arm on it's own jack.
That had the extra benefit of putting all 3 of the locking nuts on one side of the trailer so I can cinch them all up really quick.
I did a demo for my wife and her family that happened to be visiting... with the nuts loosened and a nice wavy motion, then locked all 3 and it was rock solid. I scored some points there.
I'm not sure if some of those 6-arm systems would reduce or eliminate that final bit of motion, but the 3-arm Steadyfast seems alright with me.
RE: Camper rocks
I was having a lot of movement with our new Cougar. I tried everything I read here and at some other rv sites. I still had movement. I FINALLY wised up and put a SteadyFast stabilizer system on my trailer last weekend. We have been camping this whole week and what a difference. I would say 90% of my movement is GONE! And since this system is attached to the footplate on the stabilizer jacks & the frame it cranks down at the same time as your already installed jacks. It takes about 40 seconds to tighten up 3 large wing nuts. I have a super slide (dinette & sofa) on one side and a bedroom slide on the opposite side (back corner). Save yourself a lot of time, money, and frustration and put this system on. It's by far the best mod I have ever done. My trailer is now STABILIZED!
RE: steadyfast Installed Today...WOW!!
Very similar to the JT Strongarms I installed a few years ago. They sure do help keep the wiggling to a minimum.
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii133/white10808/Jayco%20322%20FKS/DSC00143.jpg
Steadyfast is made and put together a little bit differently, and runs about the same price-wise.
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii133/white10808/IMG_0706_op_786x589.jpg width=640
Clicky for Steadyfast.com
Moderator edit to re-size image to forum limit of 640x480px maximum.
steadyfast Installed Today...WOW!!
After trying many different ways to remove the side to side movement of my trailer (and believe me I tried everything suggested) I broke down and ordered the SteadyFast system. I studied all the various systems available, read everything I could find on them, and decided this was the best (at least for me). WOW is all I can say! It took me about 4 hours to install. My trailer has the sliding rear bumper that becomes a bike rack so I also had to add another jack in front of the sliding assembly. This is what added the extra time to the install as the company said it should only take about 3 hours to install. I had to call Paul (the inventor & company owner) several times to work out the problem with the sliding bumper and another with the galley drain line. It was refreshing to talk to the person who designed this system. He helped me solve all the problems I encountered. Is my trailer rock solid? No, but this system did remove most all of the movement. With the super slide (dinette & sofa) on one side and the bunk slide on the other side sleeping in the front was like being on a boat. Some may say $300 (special price including shipping)is too much to spend on something like this. I say it is the BEST mod I have done to date. It works as advertised. The wife is especially happy which makes my life much happier too. Just wanted to share.
RE: JT Strong Arm..Hard To Install
Yah, they're pretty cool, here's a link id anyone's interested:
SteadFast
That's great id you could make them, I can't and the feet don't bother me. Paul made me an extension so the drivers side extends past my slide to make it easier if I ever need to make an adjustment, he didn't charge me either, nice guy.
(also) Will
Yep, I spoke quite a bit with Paul, also. Great guy. He at one point was talking about building a prototype that didn't use the 'feet' he has now. That didn't happen. If he coulda got that to work, I probably woulda bought a set from him.
Like I said before, though, of all the products out there for this purpose, I like Steadyfast better than any of them. Highly recommend them over the others, if you can't or don't want to build your own like I did.
Will
RE: JT Strong Arm..Hard To Install
Yah, they're pretty cool, here's a link id anyone's interested:
SteadFast
That's great id you could make them, I can't and the feet don't bother me. Paul made me an extension so the drivers side extends past my slide to make it easier if I ever need to make an adjustment, he didn't charge me either, nice guy.
(also) Will
RE: JT Strong Arm..Hard To Install
IMO the SteadyFast system is the way to go, just put ours on and made a big difference with oly 3 arms, trailer is solid.
You do not need to feel like you're on a sail boat at all... ;)
I actually like those (SteadyFast) better than JT strongarms. The Steadyfast stabilizers have the clamp you tighten/loosen in a very easy place to get to (same basic place I put the clamp on the bars I built).
Almost bought a set of the Steadyfast stabilizers, only reason I didn't was, I just didn't like those foot pads you have to attach to bottom of your jacks. That, and the realization that I could build essentially the same thing, for hundreds less $$.
Will
RE: JT Strong Arm..Hard To Install
IMO the SteadyFast system is the way to go, just put ours on and made a big difference with oly 3 arms, trailer is solid.
You do not need to feel like you're on a sail boat at all... ;)
RE: What Mods have U done to your TH
Added the steadyfast stablizer bars,
Have you used them yet? Worthwhile?
I just got the fronts on last night, and we did test them out they seem to do what they calm, its a noticeable differance so far
I'm sure when I get the backs in it will just be that much better
I would give it a 2 thumbs up for sure
RE: What did you do to your Toy Hauler today???
Finally got around to putting on the steadyfast bars, and I got almost 1/2 way done and noticed water in between the under belly and barrier film, I know its not coming from the cabin, as the barrier film would have been wet on top, When I pulled it down the under belly I was kinda surprized to see that everything including the wiring was not to bad, added a few zip ties and checked the grey and black tanks doubled checked all the fittings and all was good, so I have no idea where this water is coming from, other then it could be getting in one of the storage doors where the black and grey valves are, or around the slide, as that is where it had the most water, all in all about 2 cups of water and it was not grey water or I would have smelled it, and not black for sure,
After that I had to run and drop off the girls to there mom and I headed back to finish up the front of the cabin bars, they really do work pretty well,
as I'm impressed so far, little movement and I do not even have the rear bar in yet,
RE: It worked!!!!
Between the wheel chocks will help. If you need to stabilize it more...look up JT Strongarm and Steadyfast stabilizers. Both seem to get good reviews.
