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Old 05-17-2016, 11:18 AM   #1
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Tripod stabilizers on kingpin

Hi all,

Just brought my first 5er home and I recall seeing most if not all fifth wheels with a tripod doodad on the front when setup for camping. Are these recommended?

Thanks,
Chris


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Old 05-17-2016, 11:38 AM   #2
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I don't have one myself, but if you search the various camping and trailer forums you'll probably find that 60% of people say they don't work / don't waste your money, 30% say they work great, and 10% will tell you that you should have bought a diesel.
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Old 05-17-2016, 11:53 AM   #3
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I don't have one myself, but if you search the various camping and trailer forums you'll probably find that 60% of people say they don't work / don't waste your money, 30% say they work great, and 10% will tell you that you should have bought a diesel.


Haha that's funny stuff! Oh and, no diesel here either. [emoji6]
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Old 05-17-2016, 11:53 AM   #4
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quote "that you should have bought a diesel."
So true - LOL

Haven't taken my new FW out but once - but I have a number of friends that bought them and then felt they wasted their money.

I don't intend to get one - but then I don't mind a little motion inside the RV when people move around - I don't even notice it honestly. But I know that there are people who do get quite uncomfortable if they feel the rig move as people walk around or a high wind blows. If you're in that group then you may find it helps. Although many people think that other devices work better.

I think I'd advise camping in the rig a few nights before spending the money, carrying the weight, etc.
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Old 05-17-2016, 12:01 PM   #5
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You may find more positive feedback for solutions like J.T. Strong Arms. Those are on my wish list but I need to camp a few nights first to see if the motion is even that bad.

The only thing I have so far are the X-Chocks for the wheels. Those help but they don't remove all motion.
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Old 05-17-2016, 12:05 PM   #6
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I've camped in it one night on my way home. I didn't feel much of anything so I guess I'll cross that off my list. I was actually very impressed with how solid it felt. Though I come from a travel trailer with the x-chocks and that thing moved all over. So maybe I'm just really immune to the bounce at this point.

Thanks guys for saving me some money.


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Old 05-17-2016, 12:15 PM   #7
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I think a lot depends on the length from axle to kingpin. We use one on the FLSA and I can feel more movement when it's not in place. I did not have that issue when we had a 30 ft unit years back. It's not so much bounce as side to side motion.
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Old 05-17-2016, 12:35 PM   #8
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I bought you because the front cap had a bit of movement. Installed a tripod, rock steady. The movement bothered the wife so I bought it and it worked.

Love the "should have bought a diesel" comment hahaha. So true.
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Old 05-17-2016, 07:28 PM   #9
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It depends on your hitch, it won't help if you have a Mor-rite.
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Old 05-17-2016, 07:35 PM   #10
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You have to buy a solid one. I see a lot that I would not mount a camera on much less use to stabilize an RV. It was a noticeable difference on my cougar 5th wheel. But I bought one that was super heavy duty. On my Jayco we have the 6pt system and its not needed.

Matter of fact I have it for sale if anyone's looking for one.


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Old 05-17-2016, 08:00 PM   #11
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i use mine only when I have to raise the front end really high to level out due to steep grade in camping site.
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Old 05-17-2016, 08:07 PM   #12
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I'd sell mine too. We no longer have a fifth wheel. Living in our last full time fifth wheel, 6 point wasn't enough. Had king pin stabilizer and 6 jack stands and it was a little better. That was a 40' 4 slide rig. Diagonal stabilizers of the store bought or homemade version are superior.
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Old 05-17-2016, 08:18 PM   #13
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Bought one about 10 yrs ago for my original 5er and it made a huge difference. Then I added X chocks and that helped steady the bounce from the tires. Kept it for the next 5er and used it every time we went out. Both were 30'ers and had only crank down stabilizers in the rear.
Now the new 321 is in the driveway and with the 4 point leveling system there is hardly any movement in the coach. Wife thinks I should wait to sell the tripod until we've gone out a few times.....I have the mor ryde pin box but hadn't thought about how it would affect the tripod.... Guess I'll put the tripod on CL and get on with life. It's a heavy duty BAL unit and weighs a fair bit too. Won't miss the extra weight either.
Oh, and I'm glad I bought a diesel! 👍
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Old 05-17-2016, 08:31 PM   #14
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It depends on your hitch, it won't help if you have a Mor-rite.
Mine works just fine on the Mor-rite pin box
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Old 05-17-2016, 09:32 PM   #15
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Mine works just fine on the Mor-rite pin box
So does mine. Makes a good bit of difference. The Mor RYDE isn't made to flex under light movement. We're using the Andersen, so my tripod has a 2 5/16" ball top to fit the pin adapter. I put a good bit of upward tension on it and it truly makes a difference. I'm sure the JT Strongarms are the best bet, though.
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Old 05-17-2016, 09:40 PM   #16
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So does mine. Makes a good bit of difference. The Mor RYDE isn't made to flex under light movement. We're using the Andersen, so my tripod has a 2 5/16" ball top to fit the pin adapter. I put a good bit of upward tension on it and it truly makes a difference. I'm sure the JT Strongarms are the best bet, though.
Yup! I'm using the Andersen as well, love it. Bought the GN style tripod and couldn't be happier.
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Old 05-18-2016, 10:44 AM   #17
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I bought a cheap one and I notice a difference. Mine was under a $100 with the ratcheting legs by BAL, my thoughts were if it didn't work I could dump it on Ebay.
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Old 05-18-2016, 12:44 PM   #18
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If you want to reduce movement go with a set of stabilizing arms like Jt Strong arms or BAL arms. They take most of the wiggle out of the landing gear. Plus they do not require removal or storage.
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Old 05-18-2016, 02:04 PM   #19
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We bought one and have used it the past four trips! Our conclusion: we loved it! Our stabilizer reduced the rocking and rolling at the front of our rig by at least 85%! Our last trip was at Lake Powell, and we had a full day of strong wind (about 25 to 35 gust) and our rig was rock solid. My wife thought we were going to get blown away. We thought about the JT Strong Arm too, but decided against it. As, we would need to move our spare tire elsewhere. And we like it where it is now.

Keep in mind that the BAL X-Chocks will only isolate the rear of the trailer, while the weight of the front half is still on the front jack legs. There's a lot of play when those legs are extended. Overall, we love our kingpin stabilizer!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Camping Grandpa View Post
Bought one about 10 yrs ago for my original 5er and it made a huge difference. Then I added X chocks and that helped steady the bounce from the tires. Kept it for the next 5er and used it every time we went out. Both were 30'ers and had only crank down stabilizers in the rear.
Now the new 321 is in the driveway and with the 4 point leveling system there is hardly any movement in the coach. Wife thinks I should wait to sell the tripod until we've gone out a few times.....I have the mor ryde pin box but hadn't thought about how it would affect the tripod.... Guess I'll put the tripod on CL and get on with life. It's a heavy duty BAL unit and weighs a fair bit too. Won't miss the extra weight either.
Oh, and I'm glad I bought a diesel! 👍
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Old 05-18-2016, 02:06 PM   #20
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We used one on our old fifth wheel every time. When we got this Pinnacle didn't think we needed the hitch stabilizer cuz of the 6 point leveling. So far we haven't used the hitch stabilizer or noticed any excessive movement. That being said...the old 5vr was a bunkhouse and we had two kids with us. Just me and the DW now so not nearly as much "running around" as before.

And I am glad I have the diesel. Lol
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