Trailer not even and wall buckling

[Barbie]

24773

At the very top of the pic circled in red, if you can tell from the pic, there is a gap between the wall frame and wood covering the sliding door track. Further down the wall , where my oven mitts are, the wall itself is no longer straight and seems to have a buckle in it like the line I have drawn.

About a month ago my husband put 2 jacks under the trailer to support the frame. I do believe he had them jacked up about an inch. I have since gotten him to remove them. Could that have caused this to happen?

The level indicators on the outside of the trailer were obviously not installed correctly as new lines where marked on them to indicate level. I now use a level inside the trailer to judge. The problem is that our main living area is reading level while the upper/bedroom level isn't.

It is my understanding that most of the weight for the trailer should not be on the stabilizing jacks however my husband has a huge issue with trailer movement and adjusts jacks accordingly. Perhaps putting less and less weight on the wheels.

Also the sliding door between the bedroom and living area seems to be off its track. How do I fix that?

Guidance?

[bsmith0404]

I doubt the jacks or any blocks caused your problem. My guess is the wood in the wall has bowed/warped. It’s not common, but does happen from time to time.

[JRTJH]

This is, if I remember correctly, a 2011 trailer that was purchased in October 2019 (8 years old when you bought it)… Who knows what might have happened to the trailer during those 8 years before it "came to live with you"...

At this point, I'd suspect that it wasn't a 1" jacking last month that caused the issue. I'd suggest monitoring it, if it doesn't get any worse with several tows, then consider a "cosmetic fix".

At this point, no need to "fret over damage" until you know it's going to have any effect on trailer function or reliability....

In other words, enjoy the trailer, keep an eye on it and if it doesn't change or get worse, keep on enjoying the trailer.....

[Barbie]

I'm 99% sure the buckle wasn't in the wall when we purchased it. I need to put the sliding door back on it's track to tell for sure however it used to close flush to the wall and now it doesn't.

Also don't know if it was only 1 inch jacking... It may have been quite a bit more than that.

[JRTJH]

Trust me when I say that your trailer is subjected to much more "stress in its joints" by driving over a railroad crossing at 60 MPH than you'll get from jacking one end of a trailer a couple of inches....

The molding (door header) is screwed onto a beam that runs across the trailer and is attached to the ceiling/roof joists. If you look, you'll probably see 4 or 5 screws holding that molding in place. Remove those screws and you'll find the door track under it. The separation is "purely cosmetic" where the wood cover meets the door frame. Remove the wood cover and inspect the steel door rail under it (the part the door rollers move on). I'd suspect there's no damage, maybe a loose roller rail or a loose wood cover.

[Barbie]

Fixed the sliding door. Gap not like I thought it was... I will stop browbeating hubby now. Thank you for alleviating my concerns on the jacks. He has permission to put them back. :whistling:

[jsb5717]

I know from experience on an older 5er that, for me, it was possible to "tweak" or "spring" the frame just a little by jacking up one corner or another. There were times when the door would rub just a little and by relaxing the jacks the door would operate normally. The movement was very small but there was movement that could slightly rack the frame. It wasn't enough to damage anything but, in certain situations, it could be noticed. I don't know what kind of trailer we're talking about but just a thought.