Removing all four wheels?

[bretrider]

I use Trailer Legs to store my trailer upon and haul a set with me in case of replacing a tire. And I can say from past experience they work great for that use. I believe by storing my camper on Trailer Legs, I have extended the life of my tires. I know that statement is probably debatable but my belief is what counts to me. Using these make packing bearings so much easier as I can remove all 4 tires safely.

[Zixxer2Go]

So...it's "safe" to let the auto-leveling system take one or both sets of wheels off the ground to level the trailer for people to camp in, but...wait a minute

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by Zixxer2Go

So...it's "safe" to let the auto-leveling system take one or both sets of wheels off the ground to level the trailer for people to camp in, but...wait a minute

Actually, no. It's considered good practice to "approximately" level side to side before using the auto level.

[notanlines]

Originally Posted by Zixxer2Go

So...it's "safe" to let the auto-leveling system take one or both sets of wheels off the ground to level the trailer for people to camp in, but...wait a minute

Zixxer, go back and read the answers from those with years of experience. Start with Javi, Chuckster and ChuckS. Take it to the bank.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by Zixxer2Go

So...it's "safe" to let the auto-leveling system take one or both sets of wheels off the ground to level the trailer for people to camp in, but...wait a minute

I never said it was ok to lift all 4 tires off the ground to CAMP in the trailer. I did say I used GC 3.0 to service the axles, and the only warning I was aware of was to use jackstands under the frame.

That was BEFORE Lippert made the YouTube video, so I wouldn’t camp in it with all 4 tires off the ground, I have seen 2 tires numerous times, but after the warning at the beginning of that video, I would contact Lippert for more clarification.

[markcee]

There are multiple 'systems' at play here and the methods that one can use to perform maintenance seem to vary.

I have a 4 point Ground Control 3.0 (electric)on my trailer and I believe that in the past I've been advised that only the hydraulic systems can typically be used for maintenance lifting. It was recommended that for my setup, it's best to go old school - i.e. bottle jack and jack stand, or similar route.

Am I incorrect?

It seems that depending upon the particular trailer configuration, we get different recommendations.

So, question for those that do this 'for a living' and/or have the knowledge:

What governs your choice of using the trailer jacks alone for maintenance vs. adding secondary 'help'?

Hydraulic levelers?
Electric levelers?
4-point system?
6-point system?

[wrvond]

Here's the thing, can a camper be safely lifted by the leveling system to get all four wheels off the ground? Certainly - there's plenty of empirical evidence to support that. However, if anything at all goes wrong and the trailer comes crashing to the ground and somebody gets hurt, or worse, LCI has covered themselves by providing warnings and procedures that are considered by them to be the "best practice".

And anybody, especially somebody in a professional capacity, is going to tell you to lift your camper in accordance with Lippert's instructions, regardless of how they may do it themselves.

[Northofu1]

I am good using the 3.0 for tire service, brake, and bearing maintenance. It's always on hard level ground. I would have to assess all the intangibles before doing that elsewhere.

When I blew my tire I had no choice on the side of the highway, it was a paved shoulder on a large highway.

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by Northofu1

I am good using the 3.0 for tire service, brake, and bearing maintenance. It's always on hard level ground. I would have to assess all the intangibles before doing that elsewhere.

When I blew my tire I had no choice on the side of the highway, it was a paved shoulder on a large highway.

I'd say that was good adaptive thinking, there. Did you leave it hitched to the truck when you had the flat?
My spare is stowed in the front compartment. It occurs to me that there's no way I could get it out of there while hitched to the truck. Having to unhitch on the side of the road would only make a bad situation worse. I'm definitely going to have to relocate that spare.

[Northofu1]

I unhitched the trailer, but it is the Andersen so it was an easy process.

[travelin texans]

My last 5er with the 6 point hydraulic level up system needed all 4 new brake backing plates due to the dealer/manufacturer/someone pumping grease through the EZ lube filling all 4 drums full of grease. We stayed in it for 4 days with no wheels waiting on the backing plates to be shipped, I did have blocks under all 4 spring packs to keep shackles from flipping. It actually felt very stable. Is that recommended, I'd think not, but it was done & not sure I'd do it again unless absolutely necessary.

[JRTJH]

There's way too many variables to have one statement in one paragraph in one booklet to fit all applications (logically) but at the same time, the lawyers try to CYA Lippert's behind with a single sentence in a booklet that most owners will never read.... But it's there, for them to point to, if you ever try to sue them....

So, you'll find the statement that LCI does not recommend supporting the trailer with tires off the ground, and on the next page you'll find a statement that each jack is rated to safely support half the trailer's weight (so 4 jacks will carry double and 6 jacks will carry triple the trailer's weight), and on the next page, you'll find a statement that the jacks are unstable on soft ground, and on the next page a warning not to "camp" with all wheels off the ground, and on the next page, some equally "unique" tidbit of information.....

IMO, it all boils down to the application of a little bit of "common sense" rather than finding one statement in a booklet and relying on that statement to "cover every situation under the sun".....

I'm about to jack my trailer up in the air, remove the wheels, the axles, the springs, the equalizers and I'd suspect that at one point in that process, I'll have all or a significant part of my "precious body" laying on a creeper under that 10K "squisher". I'm sure that "somewhere, in some book" there's a statement that reads, "Do not lay on an orange HF creeper under a Cougar trailer, jacked up in the air with no axles or springs".... But, it is what it is and it's going to happen, or the axles I bought will lay on a pallet in the pole barn until they rust away.... I'd suspect that somewhere in that process, between jacking the trailer off the ground and installing the jack stands under the frame rails, I'll be "under the trailer, with the jack stand in my hand (rather than supporting the trailer) as I position it in place before removing the jack to go to the next corner.... Calculated risk based on common sense" to put a part of me "under the trailer" while supported on the jack wtih no jack stand" ?????? But the jack owners manual says not to put any part of my body under the vehicle unless it is supported by jack stands... (How do you put the jack stand under the vehicle without part of your body going along with it ???) Or is it another "lawyer's one liner" that can't possibly encompass every situation in every application ????

Hell, just getting in the truck, buckling the seat belt and starting the truck comes with a risk that the battery will short out, spark and ignite the diesel that "could be spraying onto that same spark" from a cracked fuel injector line..... But, how often do we get in the truck, buckle up and turn the key with NO regard to whether that "explosion" could happen ?????

I'd suspect that removing wheels from axles supported in the air by a 4 point or a 6 point leveling system "probably carries that same level of concern" for people who do it every day, as the concern for turning the key does to most of us..... It's just that we don't "remove the wheels 5 times a day, so unlike turning the key, it's not as common for us to take that calculated risk".... YMMV

[bobbecky]

We full time and also had our trailer supported by the six hydraulic jacks for four days with no issues. I am pretty sure having 60,000 lbs of load capacity with the six jacks provides quite a bit of safety to support these rigs. The landing jacks are 14,000 lb capacity and the leveling jacks are 8,000 lb capacity. I also have a brochure from 2012 by Lippert that indicates the system can be used to change tires, but am sure that this was pulled by the company lawyers. https://store.lci1.com/shop-by-depar...ent-parts.html

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

<snip>

I'm about to jack my trailer up in the air, remove the wheels, the axles, the springs, the equalizers and I'd suspect that at one point in that process, I'll have all or a significant part of my "precious body" laying on a creeper under that 10K "squisher". <snip>

So, hows your work coming along?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by wrvond

So, hows your work coming along?

It's 34F with light flurries right now, so everything is on hold pending warmer temps... We were in Auburn, IN this past weekend and it was sunny and in the 80's... Pretty hard to come back to the "refrigerator shelf" and sit, waiting for that weather to "finally move north"....

I hope in the next week or two, to get things moved around and start working on the trailer.... But, rest assured, mine won't be that "high on jacks" LOL

[chuckster57]

I will be putting a ‘21 Voltage triple axle up on the level up jacks as soon as the 3 replacement axles show up. BTW John, 3 of the 6 bay doors are open to enjoy the nice breeze, 80 degrees and expected to be 85 tomorrow

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I will be putting a ‘21 Voltage triple axle up on the level up jacks as soon as the 3 replacement axles show up. BTW John, 3 of the 6 bay doors are open to enjoy the nice breeze, 80 degrees and expected to be 85 tomorrow

3 of 6 bay doors open ??????

Hell, I walked outside to check the mail just after lunch and I haven't warmed up enough to take my coat off ROFL.....

Seems every year about this time, impatience becomes my "mantra" and it seems "Ma nature" just toys with me until all of a sudden, one day, it's suddenly spring and everything's warm for a few months..... It's that transition that seems to me, to last forever and a day...... HURRY UP SUMMER !!!!!

[chuckster57]

2 buildings. RV side has 6 bays that will fit a 45’ RV, with doors on each end. Middle 3 is where we do most of our collision work. Heaters for winter time

Took me over 10 years of working to find this wonderful employer.

[wrvond]

We had spring here. I remember it well. It was last Saturday from 6am to 7:30am.
Then we had summer until Monday evening when we had fall.
Tonight it's going to be winter again...

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by wrvond

We had spring here. I remember it well. It was last Saturday from 6am to 7:30am.
Then we had summer until Monday evening when we had fall.
Tonight it's going to be winter again...

Yep, that's like it is here.... Open the windows to air out the house one day, light a fire in the fireplace (to take the chill off) the next day and then the next, disconnect all the hoses to keep from bursting the faucets and turn the furnace back on. I did take the snowblower off the tractor, but left the cab on it for a few more weeks. I'm back to the front end loader if I need to move a lot of snow, but the back blade will take care of most anything we normally get... But there was one storm about 5 or 6 years ago that dumped 22" of snow in April, so anything is possible.....