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Old 04-23-2011, 05:23 AM   #1
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New Jayco owner...

Hi all,

Picked up my brand new 2011 Jayco Eagle 284BHS Superlight. Beautiful trailer inside and out. When me and my wife arrived at the dealership we were very excited. Then we saw the trailer next to my TV and got quite intimidated by the shear size.

I was white knuckling it for the first 20 miles or so as I've never towed anything of that size before. But once I got the feel of everything and realized my TV pulled like a champ I became very relaxed. So the trip home for the next 300 miles or so went very well. The TV handled great especially with the Blue Ox anti sway/weight distributing setup and the Prodigy brake controller. Really the only time I knew it was back there was when the rigs would come up from behind and blow by me. I could feel a tug toward the rig. Also, the rolling hills of PA slowed me down on the upgrades a bit but I was expecting that.

One question I have when camping or just parking it is how important is it to have the trailer level? My only other experience is a pop-up where it's very important to have it level because of the slide outs bending on the tracks when popping up.

Thanks all,
Chris
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Old 04-23-2011, 06:31 AM   #2
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I don't worry about level when parking the TT , just when we camp. I always level side to side first and then back to front. If the TT is not level your fridge may not work properly.
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Old 04-23-2011, 06:47 AM   #3
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snip......One question I have when camping or just parking it is how important is it to have the trailer level? My only other experience is a pop-up where it's very important to have it level because of the slide outs bending on the tracks when popping up. Thanks all, Chris
Chris,

Yep, pulling that big heavy box behind you the first time can be an eye opener! But as you found out once you get a few miles under your belt the right lane and a safe speed can be your best friend.

As far as level, it's good practice not to open the slides unless the TT is level. The slide(s) in a TT are much heavier and larger than a PU so they can get a little tempermental if they are operated in an non-level environment. My routine at the CG is to block & level the TT, extended the four stabilizers, plug in my shore power (and water/sewer if provided at CG), extended my slides, and then re-check the four stabilizers. My sewer hookup is under my slide, so it's easier to hookup with the slide retracted.

I'm sure you already know the frig operates best with a level TT as well.

Enjoy your new TT.

Bob
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Old 04-23-2011, 07:01 AM   #4
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Welcome to the forum StarGazer and congrats on your 2011 Jayco Eagle 284BHS Superlight.
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Old 04-23-2011, 07:06 AM   #5
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Thanks guys. It's a bit different leveling a trailer than a pop-up. I actual need to move the trailer's tires onto blocks of various heights to accomplish this as opposed to using the jacks on the 4 corners of the pop-up. The four corner jacks on the trailer are just stabilizers, not levelers so I need to get used to this.

Right now my trailer is parked on my driveway which as a decent slope down to the road so is nowhere near level. I assume it is not going to hurt anything just having it parked like that?

Thanks
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Old 04-23-2011, 07:39 AM   #6
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It will not hurt a thing, just ensure the tires are chocked. When we store the TT for the winter I make the rear much higher than the front to help with rain run off.
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Old 04-23-2011, 08:32 AM   #7
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If your TT is in what I call "Storage Mode" (not occupied, slides in, refrigerator off, etc), then, almost any tilt should not be a problem. A front/back tilt is preferable to a side tilt because the the gutter on the low side could overflow during heavy rain and allow water to run down the side of the TT.

Since my roof is flat, I usually tilt my TT slightly toward the rear to help the water drain off the roof better. However, even with a curved roof, there would be some benefit as gravity would help drain the gutters a little faster.

In "Camping Mode", being level is more critical- not only for your own comfort, but for the operation of other features and appliances as well.

The refrigerator is the most critical and, if you check your refrigerator's owners' manual, there should be documentation as to how many degrees of out-of-level the refrigerator can safely tolerate when it is operating.
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Old 04-23-2011, 07:49 PM   #8
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Welcome, I'm a new member myself. I would like to make a suggestion, look into buying you a pair of X-Chock Tire Locking Chocks. They were one of my first purchases, but I must tell you one of my best. They really help with camper jiggle and most importantly you do not have to worry about your camper rolling after you unhook from your tow vehicle.
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Old 04-23-2011, 08:55 PM   #9
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Right now my trailer is parked on my driveway which as a decent slope down to the road so is nowhere near level. I assume it is not going to hurt anything just having it parked like that?

Thanks
Correct it will not hurt a thing EXCEPT ...... when you are getting ready to hit the road Friday night, cannot turn on the refrig Thursday and pre-cool. You need to be pretty level (my rule is no more than 1 degree) to turn on the refrig.

Also when traveling and parking, if you are unlevel and going to be parked an hour or more, turn off the refrig. As soon as you get ready to hit the road, turn it back on and hit the road.
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Old 04-23-2011, 10:30 PM   #10
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As mentioned by others, keepint the frige level while it is running is important. When we stop for lunch at a cafe we check for level and if it isn't we shut off the frige.
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Old 04-24-2011, 05:59 AM   #11
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Thanks! Just curious, what would happen to the fridge? Would it burn out or something?

Also, do you guys use those stick on bubble levels or is there something else that's recommended?
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Old 04-24-2011, 06:46 AM   #12
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StarGazer,

I was advised years ago that the frig would have difficulty maintaining a cool temp, would run on the warm side, and eventually damage the unit.

I have tried those cheap "stick-on" levels, but found them a pain. There are some nice large ones that some say work fine....., but I use an old carpenters level that I set on the floor just inside the TT entry door when I'm leveling.

Bob
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Old 04-24-2011, 08:09 AM   #13
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It will not hurt a thing, just ensure the tires are chocked. When we store the TT for the winter I make the rear much higher than the front to help with rain run off.
it must be an upstate thing,when we park for the winter here on the island we make the front much higher for rain run off
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Old 04-24-2011, 01:55 PM   #14
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Our first summer of TT ownership we left our fridge on electric for the week , since we were going out again that weekend. The TT was uneven and after a couple days the status light started to blink and the freezer started to defrost. What i lerned was the fridge uses gas to cool and if uneven then the gas does not move around properly.
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Old 04-24-2011, 07:41 PM   #15
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Thanks! Just curious, what would happen to the fridge? Would it burn out or something?

Also, do you guys use those stick on bubble levels or is there something else that's recommended?
The fridge is "cools" by using a principal called absorbson. It actually removes the heat from the unit. You have an ammonia solution that is heated to a gas and then returns to a liquid as it travels through all the cooling pipes using gravity. If you are not level the liquid will pool and not return to the bottom to start the process all over again. In many cases, this can cause damage. You dont have to be perfectly level, but "pretty level". My basic rule of thumb is if I dont feel level when in the tt, then I dont need to be running it.

As far as a level - I have a small carpenters level as well. I find it is just so much more accurate and easier than the bubble levels.



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