Sunday, July 28, 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.

Keeping the vehicle stable is really important. Not only will things roll around, but as you walk through it will bounce. For two-wheel vehicles resting only on the tongue could cause it to tip backward or start shifting and rolling if they are not in place. The larger RVs usually are pretty stable because they are sitting on four wheels. They do also come with these types of jack stands to help keep it from rocking.

There are a few types available. Hydraulic ones use liquid pressure to keep them in place. The manual ones have a crank to raise and lower them. Electric motors can be used to raise and lower them as well. In all cases, once you are set up, you need to use them on all four corners. Two wheels plus the front stand will not do the job.

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.

Chocks should be placed first. Put one in front and behind a wheel. This keeps the vehicle from rolling while you raise the stands. Without them, the vehicle could shift and fall off the stand causing damage. Hefty wood blocks should be placed under each jack stand. This keeps them from digging into the dirt and sinking after you have them installed.

Install or lower the jacks. If they are removable, pull them out of storage and set one on each block of wood. Raise them, or lower them if they are attached to the RV until the vehicle is held in place. They should be nice and tight and pushing up pretty hard in order to keep things from moving around when you're inside the vehicle.

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.

Safe camping includes using chocks, blocks and jack stands. They will keep the vehicle from moving and provide a stable environment for moving around. Since they are not built on a foundation like a house, this provides that foundation. They should be placed at all four corners in order to have the best effect.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment