Quote:
Originally Posted by cvin
In southern AZ i dont really have any problems with this, the ground is mostly hard
But have been concerned this summer being on the softer soil in northern az
My concern is not the tires because i change them every 2.5 -3 years anyway but that the trailer is getting out of level over 6 months of rain etc and this is not good for it
I did have jack supports under each one but it made no difference they deformed under the weight and the soft ground
Thinking some large sections of thick plywood under each jack and the tires?
Suggestions for how others deal with this would be great
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If I read what you've posted "literally", it sounds like you've damaged the 4 stabilizers on your trailer while trying to use them as leveling jacks
AND
you're asking about a "permanent" solution for an "immobile" trailer (over 6 months set up in one place)...
First, any trailer that's set up on "unprepared soft earth with conventional jacks/stabilizers/tires" is going to shift and get out of level over a 6 month time frame. Just the slight movement of people walking inside the trailer will cause the "footprint points" to grind into the earth and settle. That's partly why all buildings are constructed on piers that are in contact with bedrock or on multiple pilings that are driven into the ground to compact the soil (making it denser so it won't "settle as rapidly").
In south Louisiana, until recently, the preferred method of building a foundation was the "post/pier" system. The advantage to that type building is the ease with which the structure can be "re-leveled" as it sinks... Build several "piers set on large, solid points and build on top of them. As the building's weight pushes the piers into the ground, jack the building and add shims to the top of the piers, keeping the building level".... Easy to do....
Your RV is "built" along those same lines. The tires and leveling jacks are your piers... As it sinks into the earth, rather than raise the structure and insert shims, you simply extend the jack....
I don't know of anyone who has an RV, set up on dirt, that doesn't have to re-level occasionally. Most delay that requirement by installing multiple wooden blocks or concrete (cinder) blocks along the frame rails of the trailer to make a "semi-permanent foundation" and only have to level every couple of years (or so)... Those that rely on the "OEM system of tires and stabilizer jacks" usually are "re-leveling every couple of weeks"....
If you want more "permanence" you'll need to construct a more solid foundation. A couple of rows of cinder blocks tied together to form a solid foundation, a concrete slab, a wooden structure (strong enough to support the weight and permanent enough to resist the rot) or a compacted stone bed that resists being pushed into the softer earth below it....
I don't see how you're going to avoid re-leveling if using the "8 point" system of 4 tires and 4 stabilizer jacks on soft earth......