New corner jacks

[JRHnTX]

The jacks that come stock are wobbly and cheap at best. The L brackets the scissor jacks are bolted to are too thin and trailer shake will drive you crazy. I want to do away with thin L brackets and bolt new BAL 7500# jacks to the frame. Is there any wiring i need to watch out for before drilling 4 small holes in the frame? Do they make thicker gauge L brackets? Seems like a cheap set up as 2 of mine are bent and i don't over tighten my jacks. But now after a year an a half of use 2 of my jacks don't go down nice and flat and my brackets are bowed. With the bottom cover it looks like a huge hassle to take it off enough to get to the bolts holding on the L brackets. Then if there is any wiring or plumbing in frame rails to watch out for it's going to be a nightmare. Not to mention if it voids the warranty. I don't want to spend huge $$$ on auto level or power jacks. Scissor jacks work fine as long as the mounting brackets aren't thin and bending when a small load is put on them. Need to do something soon as my camping season is about to start here in Texas and we use our camper a lot. Any thoughts?

[WNY Bullet]

I'm not sure what trailer you have, but it sounds like you might be using your stabilizers as levelers. Most are not designed to handle a lot of weight, just designed to stabilize AFTER you level your trailer.

[JRTJH]

Any component in an assembly must be considered as a "link in the chain". The "chain" is only as strong as the weakest link....

That said, if you install stronger jacks and stronger jack mounts onto the frame, if you "inadvertently" cause the "weakest link" to become the frame rail, should you back into something and hit the jack, you could bend your frame rail rather than bend the jack/jack mount....

Most RV's are shipped with "barely adequate jacks" for profit reasons, but safety and damage control are also factored into the decision on what to install. Upgrading substantially isn't always a wise modification. Jacks on the rear of any trailer are subject to "peril" during towing and especially during backing into unlevel/uneven camp sites. I'd caution you to consider the jack mount as a "electrical fuse for the jack system" and keep the "weakest link" outside the frame rail.....

[travelin texans]

There's add on kits, such as JT Armstrong, that bolt up & triangulate your stabilizers to the frame for added stability. I don't personally use them, but have seen & talked to several that do & have heard nothing negative.

[bowchik]

We installed stabilizers to our jacks and they made a HUGE difference.

[RocNYRunner]

I bought a set of X-Chocks, and they eliminated 95% of the wobble out of the trailer when parked on our 2400BH.

[RagingRobert]

There will always be a little shake because you're sitting on rubber tires and suspension. I bought 4 of those screw type jack stands and crank them up tight so the stabilizers are holding no weight. The RV is has allot less bounce. I also bought but haven't used yet, an adjustable support for under the steps.

[jkohler70]

I park really close to a retaining wall and bent a rear one a couple of years ago. I replaced them with beefier ones with no problem. Made quite a difference. I think two of the holes lined up with the existing bracket and I had to drill two for each.
They don't just look stronger, they seem more durable and well constructed. If I recall they are Husky 3500.

[66joej]

I made 4 boxes out of 2 x 10s. They are 12" high x 6" wide and set on the ground under the stabilizers. Makes the TT a lot more solid. Eliminates the long crank down also.

[DJ&JA]

Originally Posted by 66joej

I made 4 boxes out of 2 x 10s. They are 12" high x 6" wide and set on the ground under the stabilizers. Makes the TT a lot more solid. Eliminates the long crank down also.

This concept seem like a winner to me. Being a wood worker, what better way could there be? I have a trailer that is quite high to begin with so the scissor jacks usually are down pretty far before making contact. Cutting that distance in half should prove to be better and I've got enough scrap laying around that they would cost only a little time.


Thanks for the great idea.