Winter Prep

[crackerjr]

Should I leave my rear stabilizers down during the winter? My TT I always retracted but wonder if it's different on a 5th wheel. Also do you remove your furrion rear camera for the winter? This is my 1st experience with it.
Thanks,

[JRTJH]

Stabilizers (not the same as levelers) only serve to stop some of the motion. They won't prevent your trailer tires from bleeding down and they won't protect your trailer from leaning if a tire does go flat, so stabilizers won't help protect your tires or your trailer from leaning....

That said, they do provide 4 "excellent avenues for mice to enter the trailer"...

IMHO, stabilizers up, tires chocked, Fresh Cab inside every compartment, behind the refrigerator and in several locations throughout the cabin interior. Then close it up, leave the roof vents closed and lock the door on your way out. Check it several times through the winter, and, if you set mouse traps anywhere on the interior, check the traps at least weekly. Not much destroys the ambiance of camping quite like the awful smell of rotten mouse remains, embedded in the carpet under the dining table..... YECHT !!!

[theasphaltrv'er]

Our 5th wheel stabilizers only go down when we are actually out camping or on the road traveling. When it's sitting beside the house, the 2 rear stabilizers are always in the up position with wheels chocked. Been that way since forever with both our TT's & 5'er. Sorry don't have a Furrion or any other rear camera, so no help there.

[dutchmensport]

3 travel trailers and now a fifth wheel. Jacks always down, snug. More points of contact on the ground, the better. I have 4 aluminum jack stacks. On my previous travel trailers, not only did I keep all for stabilizer jacks down, plus the tongue, I also used the stack jacks giving the camper 13 points of contact on the ground: 1 tongue jack, 4 stabilizer jacks, 4 stack jacks, and 4 tires. We live in the country, it gets pretty windy blowing across open fields, and I figure the more points on contact on the ground, the better. We get an occasional mouse in the house, but we've never had any in the camper. Actually, the cat brings them in through the doggie door, turns them loose, and then the dogs go crazy hunting them down inside the house. It's a win-win for the dogs and cat, a nightmare for the mouse, and hysteria for us! But never in the camper.

My current fifth wheel has the Lippert 6 point leveling system. Jacks ALWAYS down.

[CrazyCain]

I put mine down when in winter "storage", but we use it pretty much every other weekend though out the winter. We consider it our Winter get away!! Don't want to lower them when we go up to it!

[nellie1289]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Stabilizers (not the same as levelers) only serve to stop some of the motion. They won't prevent your trailer tires from bleeding down and they won't protect your trailer from leaning if a tire does go flat, so stabilizers won't help protect your tires or your trailer from leaning....

That said, they do provide 4 "excellent avenues for mice to enter the trailer"...

IMHO, stabilizers up, tires chocked, Fresh Cab inside every compartment, behind the refrigerator and in several locations throughout the cabin interior. Then close it up, leave the roof vents closed and lock the door on your way out. Check it several times through the winter, and, if you set mouse traps anywhere on the interior, check the traps at least weekly. Not much destroys the ambiance of camping quite like the awful smell of rotten mouse remains, embedded in the carpet under the dining table..... YECHT !!!

I would add some damp rid buckets to your list too or some of those coat hanger style ones too. Mine is in covered storage and still incredible how much water comes out. I change mine once over the winter