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Old 07-23-2014, 04:37 AM   #1
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Leveling jacks question...

My recently purchased 1993 Eagle 265FS came with 4 attached leveling / stabilizing jacks. I have my camper nice and level with them.

My question is how high up should the camper be? I have read that these are not really meant to be weight bearing. That they are just to help level and stabilize. However some people in my campground have their trailers jacked up so high that the wheels seem to barely touch the ground, and don't really seem to be bearing any weight.

Is it better to have it jacked up high, or is this an incorrect use of the leveling jacks?
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Old 07-23-2014, 04:47 AM   #2
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My understanding is that the weight should be supported by the axles and tongue jack. Stabilizers are for just that - stabilizing.
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Old 07-23-2014, 04:53 AM   #3
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Stabilizer jacks should be firmly on the ground, and not used for leveling the unit. They are meant to stop the bounce, not to level the rv. Most trailers are leveled side to side using boards or blocks under one side of the rv's tires, and front to back using the tongue jack or landing gear for a 5th. Once the camper is level, then the stabilizers are lowered to keep the unit from excessive bouncing.
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Old 07-23-2014, 09:51 AM   #4
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This is what I thought. My lot is pretty much level, so I just use the jacks for stabilizing... they aren't bearing any weight. Thanks for the confirmation.
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Old 07-23-2014, 11:38 AM   #5
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Many, many years ago, my grand parents had a 35 footer that they would haul to Florida every winter. They finally purchased a park model and sold the 35 footer. The people who bought it came back to them about a month later and said they were having problems opening and closing the doors. Grandpa went over to their seasonal site and found that they had raised the camper off the ground using cinder blocks and pieces of wood in the four corners to get it level, which caused the camper to bow in the middle and make the doors out of square.
After putting some support in the middle of the camper, things were back to normal for the new owners.
All that being said, I will never forget that story, but I will confess, if I can't get my camper completey level using blocks under the tires and tongue jack, I will add a little extra pressure to the corner jacks to get me as close as possible. Im have a little ocd about how my camper is placed on a site, and how level it is. It might take me an hour or two to place and level my camper correctly
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Old 07-23-2014, 02:17 PM   #6
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I'm just like you, Plowtoy! I've gotta have our trailer as level as humanly possible. once we get trailer situated on our site to where we waqnt it to sit, we put out the slide & start leveling side to side. We check along the rear, middle and front of trailer & if all is well, we level front to rear, checking again in the front, middle & rear of trailer. Then the stab jacks are lowered & the stabilizers are placed between the tires and the side-to-side stabilizers are placed under the front & rear of the frame. Once it's done, she's rock solid & there's not a spec of movement! If there is, it means it's time to tighten up the tire stabs! Then the rug is put out, awning lowered & secured, etc. It usually takes a couple hours or so & 2-3 beers depending on the heat! But, I do get a little quicker each trip.
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Old 07-23-2014, 05:38 PM   #7
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I try to level my trailer a little nose high. This way rain water or air conditioner moisture drips off the back of the trailer.
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