This is friday afternoon and we still have no power---camper is not stable enough to stay in. Brought the generator to house for computer and tv. Tried to put Photo online but can't access my Server.
Just uploaded photos
http://s285.photobucket.com/albums/ll68/buggymaker3/camper/
* This post was
edited 07/04/08 01:50pm by meredog *
Take pictures prior to doing anything. Reason for this is that if you set it upright and the camper has damage to the top edge, the adjuster can say you did it before the accident and claim was made. I found that if you carefully jack under the low side in a couple points you can upright the camper without too much problem, just block it up as you go incase it decides to move off the jacks, it will have somewhere to stop. Use a couple 2x12s to space out the footprint of the jacks on the camper.
Good Luck
Matt
Life is short, Play harder.
2002 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Long Bed 4.3L V6 Automatic 2WD
will check with insurance company---i have a 250 dollar deductable---maybe the towing bill would be used as the deductable ? (have Auto Owners Insurance)
did you look at the pictures ? CORRECTED SHOULD WORK NOW
Sorry for the wind woe. I worry about this myself up here in the Sierra Nevada. Maybe we should cable them down to anchors, like the civil air folks do with their planes.
Use two, 30', 20,000 lb. test nylon tow straps. Pull each one around the whole camper, thru itself at the loops, coming out up at the top of the camper, side by side, about in the center of the weight, one going to the right one going to the left. If you don't have a winch(s), you can use the trailer hitch on a truck or car with one moving the tc back to upright, and one holding back the re righting. Keep all slack out of the picture. You might think about using two long 1x8's at the very top of the sides of the camper to spread the stress around, You might have to have two more tow straps ( or cables, or chains) as extensions to get the long, more horizontal reach. The rigs would actually move together, in the same direction of travel. Rigs with auto transmissions would be best. This will take a very finite synchronization, maybe with frs radios or some central party as a visual spotter using hand signals, or on another radio. One admonition is to be safe and not use any hooks. Use 'D' rings and positive connections. A loop over a trailer ball is not a very good option. In a pintel would be O.K. A loop around the hitch pin, stuffed in that 2" square hole would be fine.
Of course, all this depends on your side approach to the crash site. If a bad 'lay', a winch or winches would be more desirable (and more controllable), using a snatch block for right angle pulling.
The technique is not unlike the 40 or 50 rubber-up recovery efforts I have been a part of with my jeeping buddies. One buddie, Frank Hayes, has been in at least 25 roll-overs on HIS jeep. ( most of them occurred when he was using an airbag suspension, which I called, "The catapult".) Some have been spectacular, one time he laid it on it's side lightly, but with the sidehill he was on it just kept going, another 16 various barrel rolls and endos. It's the only one he was actually injured on. I cringe every time I see the video tape of that one. He has certainly gotten his money's worth out of his 6 point harness! With many of them, I was around to help get the rubber side down again.
I've only rolled my CJ8, maybe 10 times now. Amateur... Poseur.
regards, as always, jefe
'01.5 Dodge 3/4T, CTD, HO, Qcab, SB, 4x4, 6spd, D60, D80+Pwr Loc,
camper&tow pkg,Titan V, 285/75R-16 frnt, 33/14.5 Nitto super singles rr,
Rancho 9K's, Warn M15K winch. tows Jeep CJ8 rock crawler on 14' trailer
'98 Lance Squire Lite 165s, 8' 6" X Cab
If I was going to attempt this, I would put a long 4 by 4 or bigger under the back passengers corner at about a 45 degree angle. Screw or nail blocks on to it so the blocks on the 4X4 (A)camper must fit into the corner of your bathroom push out to prevent any movement. Screw or nail other blocks onto the 4X4 where the back end of the 4 by 4 (A) sticks out...under the back door say.
Support both ends of this 4X4 (A) about a foot in from the ends. I would suggest you get some tree rounds, and a variety of cut up pieces of planks and plywood. Now get another 4X4 (B), and build up some blocking and a fulcrum so you have great lever lifting power using the new 4X4 (B)as a lever. If you position the fulcrum of your lifting lever (B)only a few inches from the original 4X4(A), your body weight pulling down will easily lift the end of 4X4 (A) that is supporting the corner of the camper. Lift up the end of the 4X4 (A)closest to the horse trailer with your lever about 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time, getting your helper to add support blocks, lower the lever, and raise the fulcrum, then lift and block again and again and just keep raising the lowest corner until the 4X4(A) is level.
Then you might need to use this method on the other end of 4X4(A) to get the front the same height as the barrel.
If you get another 4X4 and do the same on the front, you can then get the barrels out, and the jacks off. Lower the camper using the reverse method, just use good solid blocking on all corners, and lower it down to a safe level on the 4X4's where you can possibly work on it.
It will work, and is a lot safer than trying to use jackalls in such an unstable situation. You may even want to put up braces between the trailer and the camper to prevent any further dropping if it should want to shift further.
Slow and steady....and stay out of the "bight"
Mike and Carole
2000 Ford F350 SC PSD "Newman"
1994 Snowbird 8'10" "Rosietoo"
2005 16.6 Double Eagle
I think after looking at your photo's the crane is the way to go. Those jacks and there mounts are stressed and damaged. Build a good solid frame out of wood to set it on pick it up remove the jacks then set it on the frame. Then you can fix the jacks ect safely. As was stated before you won't need a large crane a 25 ton could do this easily and they are very common.
Here is what I p.m.'ed to MEREDOG:
As a towing company owner, here is what I would do. Contact a towing service in your area, make sure that they have long enough cloth straps to wrap around your trailer, from top to bottom, and have enough strap left over that no part of the strap is on the camper, rather sticking out past the side. Then have them attach the winch lines to it, and GENTLY and SLOWLY pull it upright. You need the cloth straps to help spread out the load across the camper. At the same time they are winching it back onto the barrels, someone needs to make sure the barrels will not "skid" across the surface, dropping the camper.
good luck to you.
HOWEVER: After seeing the pictures, here is my recommendations;
Since the back is off one of the barrels, and the barrel is just wedging the camper in place, I would definitely recomend running the straps underneath the camper, and up to the top, put sheets of plywood on the sides between the camper and the straps, to help spread out the load, and then lift the camper straight up. Reposition it on top of the barrels, then CAREFULLY lower it onto the barrels. It looks like one of the jacks is bent, if so, and it is able to be corrected, and made to work, jack the camper up, load it into the truck, and if possible, set it down on a concrete pad, or something more stable than the grass. If the jack will not work, while you have the camper suspended on the cables, drive the truck under it, load the camper, then move it to a more stable location.
In either case, I would definitely not use the barrels, and jacks on grass. There is not enough stability, (in my opinion) on the grass. I also use two 55 gallon barrels to support my camper, however, it is setting on my concrete driveway, and I don't have the wind up here, that you probably do.
Good Luck either way, and I hope this helps.
K
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