Friday, July 5, 2019

Travel Trailer Stabilizer Jacks Are Necessary When Camping

By Mark Phillips


People who travel often in RVs and trailers know that it is necessary to make sure they have the right equipment to keep their vehicle level and stable. Walking from one end to the next can easily cause it to rock back and forth. Having travel trailer stabilizer jacks helps prevent this from happening. Not having these in place could potentially cause damage to the vehicle.

The reason for having these in place is to keep things still. Larger RVs have at least four wheels and are able to stay pretty stable on their own, though they also come with these devices. For two-wheeled trailers, having one at each of the four corners is absolutely necessary for the stabilization.

Three main types exist. The manual jacks have a hand crank that is used to raise and lower them. Hydraulic uses liquid pressure to do the same thing. These are often permanently attached to large RVs. The motorized are also popular because they setting into place with the push of a button. They should be placed at the four corners of the vehicle to provide the stability needed.

When you set up camp in a vehicle you want to start by finding a level piece of ground. It is not always possible, but having it closer to level when you start will make the job easier. The front tongue on two-wheeled vehicles is used to accomplish this. RVs have a system to do this automatically.

Place both blocks and chocks. The first part is to put chocks under the tires. One in front and one in back of a tire will keep the RV from moving forward or back. Using a rubber mallet, put these in place nice and tight. Put blocks under the jacks. The stands have a tendency to dig into the dirt or blacktop and they are not as stable this way. With a thick piece of wood, you can provide the surface needed to keep them from sinking in due to the weight.

Lower or raise the jacks. The ones that are attached to the vehicle will be lowered into place. The others will be raised to meet the trailer corner. In either case, they need to be set to provide a strong foundation and keep the vehicle from rocking or bouncing while you're in the campground. When you are entering and exiting or walking you should not feel the vehicle move too much if they are installed correctly.

When you are ready to go, just reverse the process. Take down the stands and put the blocks away. Be sure the emergency brake is on before doing so to make sure it doesn't roll when you pull the chocks out. A slight movement isn't too big of a deal. Before removing the shocks, hook the hitch up to the tow vehicle.

For safe camping, it is important to have jack stands that are meant for the particular vehicle you have. Using the wrong ones can cause damage because they will not fit right and might bend part of the vehicle corners. Once they are in place, you'll easily notice that moving around and entering or leaving the vehicle will not have any impact on it at all.




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