Stabilizer jacks at home?

[swimmer_spe]

If you are parking your trailer for an extended period of time without using it, do you need to drop the stabilizer jacks? If so, why?

[Grit_dog]

Oh boy….another hitch pin question.

[schlep1967]

Seems you are talking about jacks on a travel trailer that does not have hydraulic leveling. In this case, if I am storing and not going into the unit at all, jacks up. If I am going to go into the unit and I need to put out slides, level the trailer and lower the jacks. When finished in the trailer put slides back in and raise jacks.

A tire going flat is not the only possible issue. If you live where you can get a substantial snow load on the unit you can also bend the jacks.

[swimmer_spe]

way2roll wrote:

swimmer_spe wrote:

way2roll wrote:
Which is it - stabilizers or jacks? The answer may be different for each.

OP here. I am talking about the jacks that are at all 4 corners that is meant to prevent the trailer from rocking too much.

Since those are designed for stability and not engineered to support the full weight (Like a leveling jack) I would err on the side of caution and leave them up in storage. As others have said, if a tire went flat the weight would be distributed onto the stabilizer and could bend it. Besides, what's to be gained by less rocking on an RV in storage?

..I don't know. I haven't, but I have seen and heard others do it.

[way2roll]

swimmer_spe wrote:

way2roll wrote:
Which is it - stabilizers or jacks? The answer may be different for each.

OP here. I am talking about the jacks that are at all 4 corners that is meant to prevent the trailer from rocking too much.

Since those are designed for stability and not engineered to support the full weight (Like a leveling jack) I would err on the side of caution and leave them up in storage. As others have said, if a tire went flat the weight would be distributed onto the stabilizer and could bend it. Besides, what's to be gained by less rocking on an RV in storage?

[swimmer_spe]

way2roll wrote:
Which is it - stabilizers or jacks? The answer may be different for each.

OP here. I am talking about the jacks that are at all 4 corners that is meant to prevent the trailer from rocking too much.

[spoon059]

MitchF150 wrote:
I would love to hear the actual stories of those that ended up with a twisted frame because they left their stabilizers down and got a flat tire.. Ha, ha..

It's not your frame that twists, its your stab jack that gets bent from the weight. It's not meant to hold those weights, it's meant to stabilize the shaking. I've seen plenty of campers with bent stab jacks.

You do you.

[way2roll]

Which is it - stabilizers or jacks? The answer may be different for each.

[opnspaces]

Not a permanent twist but I have experienced a twist before from the stabilizing jacks. I had finished setting up camp and went to use the trailer bathroom (rear bathroom on my trailer). I was puzzled that the bathroom door that normally works flawlessly would not latch closed. Upon closed inspection the striker bolt was at least an inch lower than hole in the door jamb.

I remember looking at it thinking "What the He** happened here?" After making sure the hinge screws were tight and no obvious other damage I decided it must be the stabilizers. I cranked the two rear stabilizers up so they were not touching the ground and suddenly the door latch lined up perfectly again.

And here's the weird part. I am very light on deploying stabilizers. I typically turn them until they contact the ground and then no more than 1/4 turn after. So I have no idea how the flex happened. But I do know that relaxing the stabilizers resolved the latch alignment issue.

[MitchF150]

I would love to hear the actual stories of those that ended up with a twisted frame because they left their stabilizers down and got a flat tire.. Ha, ha..

But, I guess if you believe that, then you won't leave your stabilizers down in the first place..

Anyway, I always put mine down when I park it at home. Have not worried about getting a flat tire while it's parked. And even if it did, the other tire will take up the load. I know because I had 2 blowout recently and only 1 spare.. Limped to the tire store on 3 tires for about 10 miles..

I like the stable feeling of it when parked, as it gets unloaded and loaded with lots of trips back and forth. Plus I regularly check on it at least once a week, so it's just nice to have it stable.

That's just my story on it, but as others have said, it's whatever you are comfortable with doing just as in anything in life..

Good luck! Mitch

[spoon059]

No. There is no need for it, and you risk damage if you get a flat tire and extra weight on the stab jacks.

[wa8yxm]

The answer depends.. Stablizer or leveling? Leveling I put down to lift a bit of load off the springs.

What kind of springs.

Are you going to be using it

is it stable without them for your use

I had two trailers.. one when I parked for the winter I wanted it "Canted" (end to end) so rain and snow melt ran off better.. The other had a domed roof so I kept it fairly level but just the tongue jack as over-winter it was a store room.

Stored the coffee and other refreshment service for a youth philharmonic.
Then on rehearasal day move all to my car.. Go to the hall. Take out one of those convertable 2 or 4 wheel hand carts in 4 mode. Drop an angle bracket into the slits I cut in the Foot plate. Hook a wheeled "Foot locker" type thing on it and load up everyting for one trip into the school... (Hire an engineer... you get a train).. Real handy.. of course this last paragraph has nothing to do with the subject but I hope you got a laugh. (did that for 3 years).

[opnspaces]

It's really a matter of preference. I deploy the stabilizers when I'm camped. I leave them retracted when it's in storage or parked in front of the house for loading.

Some people are fortunate enough to keep their trailers at home. They might put the stabilizers down because they dislike the way the trailer moves when they are inside doing whatever. Others leave the stabilizers up because the movent doesn't bother them.

Some say to leave them up in storage in case a tire loses air putting undue stress on the frame. Others say the trailer should be able to handle the stress of the stabilizers holding up the ends of the trailer.

In other words you're going to get a lot of differing opinions on this one.

[fj12ryder]

Are you speaking of the rear jacks? I don't see any sense in it myself if you're not occupying the trailer. And I have hydraulic jacks so I prefer not having the cylinders exposed to the elements. But, really, it's mostly personal preference.

[JRscooby]

Lot of back and forth behind this. What is the gain to stabilizing MT trailer?
OTOH, most say the jacks are not to carry weight of trailer. And if tire is setting often lose air. Jacks hold it up?