Can we "de-Baja" our 195RB?

[Kate Camp]

Thought we were going to get a high-clearance TV but still towing our Baja edition trailer with our 2007 Toyota Highlander. This means the trailer can go places the Highlander can't ... and I find the trailer less stable and harder to keep level when camping. So ... can we "de-Baja" the thing? Thanks for your advice!

[JEFF1963]

I believe to "de-Baja", you need to flip the axles over, thus reducing the height of the axle from the road. That may also necessitate a smaller tire. All this may be over simplified; you should probably seek advice from a reputable RV dealer, e.g. JAYCO itself. You may also just be able to retrofit smaller wheels/tires. I myself have a Jayco 154BH, Baja Edition, running 15" tire. Anyone else?

[Kate Camp]

Info is much appreciated--it really helps to know a little bit about options in advance of asking the dealer. This is a 2015 195RB trailer.

Kc

[A2Z_Adventures]

Ours has 5" extra under it, I use a stack of 3 2x8s nailed together to give the stabilizers a bit of help. We are considering some BAL stabilizer arms and/or super stabilizing the wheels to help with any movement.

I do notice when we just set the stabilizers down without anything under them, we do get quite a bit more movement inside. It seems as if I reducing the movement quite a bit.

Wheel chocking has been a huge thing also when it comes to movement.

What do you do now to stabilize and level?

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Kate Camp

Thought we were going to get a high-clearance TV but still towing our Baja edition trailer with our 2007 Toyota Highlander. This means the trailer can go places the Highlander can't ... and I find the trailer less stable and harder to keep level when camping. So ... can we "de-Baja" the thing? Thanks for your advice!

What do you mean it's hard to keep level while camping? Unless you get a flat tire at camp it should stay, where you put it.

If you level it side to side, then front to back. It should stay level. Then add stabilizers, it should not bounce to much (they all bounce). We do put plywood pads under our stabilizers, and give them a crank after we have used it for 12 hours or so. This helps with stability.

As for clearance, most people want more, not less.

[Kate Camp]

A2Z, thanks for the reply. On our last trip, we put pads under each stabilizer and that did seem to help. I had been thinking that perhaps the stabilizer feet were sinking into the dirt after awhile. We also chock the wheels and have never noticed forward/backward movement. BUT! The pads are not much bigger than the feet, so I like your idea of distributing the weight a little more by using bigger pads. Our next trip will have us parked on asphalt so I'll definitely check that out. Also, I did convince my partner to crank down the front wheel after disengaging from the hitch, rather than trying to shore up the stabilizers to level to the elevated hitch, and that has helped a lot! Again, thanks!

[Kate Camp]

Jagiven, your comments are most appreciated. The 12-hour hint is great--it must seem crazy to some of you that we wouldn't have thought of that, but we didn't! I hope I can be as helpful in the future as you all have been to me!

[A2Z_Adventures]

Home depot scrap bin was my friend or just some cheap 2x8 for now. Slice em down to a foot long each then screw a couple together. Now your surface contact area for spreading the weight is 12"x8" so you may not sink as much. Plus you get height to find the sweet spot on the stabilizer. If it increases by just touch, then try another block or two next time. If any of this does not work go back to the conversion idea and burn the wood in the campfire. The stabilizers have a sweet spot and I think packages like "Baja" go past that and Jayco does not do much to adjust for the change.

I also do the 12 hour thing for snugging things up.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Kate Camp

.... I did convince my partner to crank down the front wheel after disengaging from the hitch, rather than trying to shore up the stabilizers to level to the elevated hitch, and that has helped a lot! Again, thanks!

The nose gear, aka tongue jack, must be down, and holding the majority of the nose weight. The stabilizers are only stabilizers. They are not designed to level the unit nor lifting the unit. They do look like car jacks but the are not built to the same standards. A couple of 2x8s under the low wheel will level from side to side. Tongue jack to level front to back. You can use a couple pieces of plywood instead of 2x8, to get a little less leveling lift.

[schmittychris]

With all of the people on here searching for way to increase their lift it's unusual to see someone that wants to reduce it. What Jagiven said about the tongue is a must. You need the tongue jack for weight distribution because the stabilizers aren't meant to carry the weight. This is probably the reason for your problem. The jack will keep it level. The stabilizers will reduce the bounce. Re-snug the stabilizers every 12 hours or so.

[Jagiven]

Here is a picture of my stack of boards I carry in the TT. They are all stored inside an auxiliary step box I made. You can also buy plastic "Legos" for the same purpose. But I like wood better.

A couple thicker boards for when a lot of leveling is needed. Some thinner plywood boards for a little leveling, and I use them under my stabilizers to increase the surface area on soft ground. In the box is also a couple of step board for leveling picnic tables and I store my hatch in there as it seams to be a safer place.

I also have a separate board I use under the tongue, but I store it in the TV when traveling. I have never used the tongue wheel that came with the TT.

[mark95954]

I want to lower my trailer it has the Baja Lift, the thing sticks up so high I feel it creates to much wind resistance and messes up my gas mileage also I never go off road, so how do I do it?????

[Kate Camp]

Still interested in this option, too!

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by mark95954

I want to lower my trailer it has the Baja Lift, the thing sticks up so high I feel it creates to much wind resistance and messes up my gas mileage also I never go off road, so how do I do it?????

I wouldn't count on getting much better mileage by lowering it. It seems all these things create lousy mileage.

Another thing you want to be careful of is the height of your sewage port. If you use a tote when you camp you may have problems if it gets too low.

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by Kate Camp

A2Z, thanks for the reply. On our last trip, we put pads under each stabilizer and that did seem to help. I had been thinking that perhaps the stabilizer feet were sinking into the dirt after awhile. We also chock the wheels and have never noticed forward/backward movement. BUT! The pads are not much bigger than the feet, so I like your idea of distributing the weight a little more by using bigger pads. Our next trip will have us parked on asphalt so I'll definitely check that out. Also, I did convince my partner to crank down the front wheel after disengaging from the hitch, rather than trying to shore up the stabilizers to level to the elevated hitch, and that has helped a lot! Again, thanks!

You may have to build up a few layers of wood to give the jacks something to stand on, especially if you're on un-level ground. You never want your jacks standing on their tip toes!

[Debdon Journeys]

^^ what they said. I got 2 aluminum screw stands for trailers I put them on 3/4" plywood and put them under the front frame rails to stabilize our 145rb this took a lot of sway and bounce out of our trailer. You can get new stabilizers for the front if you don't have them.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

I wouldn't count on getting much better mileage by lowering it. It seems all these things create lousy mileage.

Another thing you want to be careful of is the height of your sewage port. If you use a tote when you camp you may have problems if it gets too low.

I agree - I wouldn't expect to see much of a difference in mileage. Another issue related to lowering it can be transitioning between the roadway and parking lots. I've seen many scrape and damage the sewer port or rear bumper this way. We specifically went with the Baja on our previous 195RB just for this reason.

Back to the mileage - we towed our 195RB on a trip to southern Utah with our new F-250. Average for that trip was just over 10. After we upgraded to our much taller and wider ORV we did a trip to New Mexico and averaged about 9.4. On both trips we kept speed to 60-62 which is what we like for a variety of reasons. So the smaller, narrower and shorter 195RB didn't really amount to that much difference. The Baja 195RB was 9' 7" tall and 85" wide - the ORV is 11' 5" tall and 96" wide.

[gladecreekwy]

We have the 174 bh Baja. Once it’s level side to side and the stabilizers are down its rock solid. Don’t lower your camper.

[skids]

Originally Posted by Kate Camp

Info is much appreciated--it really helps to know a little bit about options in advance of asking the dealer. This is a 2015 195RB trailer.

Kc

We just traded in our 2015 195RB. It was not Baja. It had 205-75R-14 tires. Loved that unit. Wife wanted more room.

[Kim Gass]

Originally Posted by skids

We just traded in our 2015 195RB. It was not Baja. It had 205-75R-14 tires. Loved that unit. Wife wanted more room.

normal! I sometimes think the same then dope slap myself.

The one thing we have not hit is the black/grey water drain.. We have taken our 195 through serious holes. Bent the frame.. now the unbent frame has some serious welds. But the flimsy plastic things are undamaged..
If you have Baja I would not lower it. We do not have Baja and have survived. Not sure how much more wind resistance with a higher unit. We get 12.7 mpg.

scrap wood is your levelling friend. We have the Anderson system but sometimes wood is needed under it.. Hubby is a woodworker...