Camper rocks

dentturner · 09-02-2013, 10:51 AM

We have a 2011 Flagstaff 831 FLSS that has electric stabilization jacks. When using these jacks the camper rocks and sways when there is any movement in the camper eg. entering/exiting the camper. Any suggestions on how to eliminate this would be most appreciated. I forgot to mention it has 2 slide outs. Thanks

Wmoses · 09-02-2013, 11:01 AM

Not sure what the power source of the jacks has to do with trailer movement, but I do notice a lot of movement in the RV when anyone is walking around or going up/down the stairs. I suspect that the fact that these trailers are long and flexible, and they are on wheels with suspensions we will get movement. The only way to eliminate the movement would be to support the frame at several spots (th more the merrier) along the length.

Bryan2503S · 09-02-2013, 11:11 AM

I have read that a number of people on here recommend "BAL X-Chock's" or they make their own version. Do a search for them. Also, They have "RV step supports" that keep your trailer from shifting when getting in an out. I plan on getting both very soon.

trudinator · 09-02-2013, 11:17 AM

Scissors jacks under the frame and a step support work wonders! Takes almost all of the movement away. make sure you're putting wheel chocks between your wheels and cinch them tight.

Vinster30 · 09-02-2013, 11:22 AM

Use the stabilizer jacks, plus add X-Chocks between the tires. Under the suspension or the frame, use a bottle jack, scissor jack or something to take the spring movement away.

Vinster30 · 09-02-2013, 11:25 AM

Under the frame. A jack under the spring hanger works great also

Road-King · 09-02-2013, 11:49 AM

It has been my experience that a TT/5er can move in several ways. Different steps are needed to stop a specific movement.

Bounce is caused by the camper suspension (springs and pneumatic tires) flexing when someone is moving (walking) in the camper. I have found that a jack between the tires, on the suspension frame and just snugged up, helps a lot with bounce.

Side-to-side movement. I had this a lot in my 5th wheel. JT strong arms, home made cross support or like products on the landing gear and support rear jacks help stop most if not all of this.

Roll or front to back movement is caused by the running gear not being locked where the wheels can not move. X-chocks or the like between the tires along with wheel chocks in front of and behind the wheels will help with this movement.

Rocking, different from the side-to-side movement. I did not have this until I got my latest TT. Like yours we have two large slides on the left/back side of the TT. For this I use two slide-out supports under my biggest slide, snugged up to a 2x4 against the slide floor bottom without lifting the slide. And one support under the entry steps. There are a lot of naysayers on RV forums about slide-out supports. Most of the warnings are if you have a flat, the supports don't move and I would have excess pressure on the slides. However with the two jacks between the tires I feel this "warning" is nullified. Also I wrote the Rockwood Rep. and asked him about support slides. His reply was the the underside could handle it without a problem. I can provide a copy of the email if anyone would like to read it.

My 2 cents

Wmoses · 09-02-2013, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan2503S

I have read that a number of people on here recommend "BAL X-Chock's" or they make their own version. Do a search for them. Also, They have "RV step supports" that keep your trailer from shifting when getting in an out. I plan on getting both very soon.

I have BAL X- chocks - got them even before I got the tailer. They are designed to keep the trailer from rolling away. They do nothing for trailer shaking which is mostly a vertical perturbation.

Russ' post above is right on the money.

I have decided to live with my motions. Can't be bothered with all these supports unless full timing and stationary.

Bryan2503S · 09-02-2013, 01:44 PM

Hmmm, I apologize for the misinformation then. I know their primary purpose is to be a tire chock, to keep the unit from rolling away Although, It seems like at least a few people on here have recommended them for improving overalll stability as does the BAL website. I never used them tho so.....i'll shut up now.

Weezer · 09-02-2013, 02:18 PM

BAL - Innovative Products for the RV Industry

I've seen this discussed before, and according to their own website, they're advertised for *stabilizing*. So, Bryan, according to them, you're correct.

That video mentions nothing about preventing roll away, though common sense dictates that this would *help* to prevent that. The video also shows how applying that device minimizes movement of the trailer.

DH and I definitely use the X chocks, but we don't depend on them to keep the RV "in place"...we use additional chocking devices for that.

We also use the small adjustable pedestals under the bottom step at both doors to prevent the side to side rocking when entering or exiting.

Edit to add: during the trip we just arrived home from, our camp neighbor reminded us that when you apply the X chocks when setting up, wait a few hours and tighten them again as the tires cool down...might have to do it a couple of times.

This video addresses that issue as well.

With every trip we learn something new, sometimes more than one thing...see our thread about "furnace smoke".

dwaynerz · 09-02-2013, 02:46 PM

stopping all motion seems like a lot of trouble to go through for just a few days out. granted, we are all roughing it easily, but we are camping.

dentturner · 09-02-2013, 05:25 PM

Thanks for all of the feedback. It just seems that other TT that use the scissor type jacks don't have as much movement. I will however try a few of these suggestions. Thanks again and happy camping!

Weezer · 09-02-2013, 05:38 PM

(chuckle) just think of it like a cruise...where you have to get your land legs back when ya get home.

Last night (after midnight) I struggled with that...trying to help back our behemoth into the back yard and kept getting a tad dizzy...maybe it was the lack of motion standing on terra firma, maybe it was the change in altitudes.

If it becomes a real issue, slap a motion sickness patch behind your ear and geaux ...

Wmoses · 09-02-2013, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weezer

BAL - Innovative Products for the RV Industry

I've seen this discussed before, and according to their own website, they're advertised for *stabilizing*. So, Bryan, according to them, you're correct.

That video mentions nothing about preventing roll away, though common sense dictates that this would *help* to prevent that. The video also shows how applying that device minimizes movement of the trailer.

DH and I definitely use the X chocks, but we don't depend on them to keep the RV "in place"...we use additional chocking devices for that.

I looked at the video and found nothing that I disagreed with. The narrator clearly said that the X-chock was designed to resist the natural motion of the tire ... which is to roll. Okay so I might have exaggerated when I said "roll away" but I was hoing to convey that the X-chock is designed to resist turning of the wheels. I too use 4 wedges at the leading and trailing faces of my tires on both sides. I would not trust X-chocks alone to prevent the rig from rolling away - actual usage this time intended.

The video does also shw how induced side-side rocking of the RV causes the un-wedged tires to want to roll forward-backward. The corollary here is that if the rolling tendency of the tires is inhibited then (by reverse logic) the side-side rocking (roll about the longitudnal axis) would be reduced - emphasis on the word reduced is all mine.

I stand by my point that the shaking of the trailer that is the subject of this thread is essentially a vertical motion and the only way to stop that is to put vertical supports under the trailer, and the more the supports the more vertical stabilization will occur.

Wmoses · 09-02-2013, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dentturner

Thanks for all of the feedback. It just seems that other TT that use the scissor type jacks don't have as much movement

Could be a multitude of reasons not the least of which would be suspension and chassis stiffness, and jack / support placement on the frame. I don't think that the actual design of the jacks is contributory to the issue.

Cajun Happy · 09-02-2013, 09:01 PM

You may want to add some type of blocks under your stabilzer jacks. I have found if you do not extend the jacks to far it helps out with the movement.

Wmoses · 09-02-2013, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan2503S

Hmmm, I apologize for the misinformation then. I know their primary purpose is to be a tire chock, to keep the unit from rolling away Although, It seems like at least a few people on here have recommended them for improving overalll stability as does the BAL website. I never used them tho so.....i'll shut up now.

No need to apologize Bryan, especially on the Internet where "not everything written is true".

Marketing types are not known for accuracy and when it comes to marketing engineering, these deviations can sometimes border on the unethical. Then people sometimes run with what is said and sooner or later we read about it on the news ... anyway I digress.

I think that in my other posts I have beat this thing to death so I won't reiterate. I do agree that the step supports significantly mitigates / eliminates the rocking of the trailer when someone steps on any tread so supported.

PHS79 · 09-02-2013, 09:09 PM

We have this problem with our Grey Wolf also, I usually run the electric stab jacks down onto some 4x6 chunks I carry with. I have a pair of BAL scissor jacks that I am going to install in front of the tires. There is just over 17ft in between the electric stab jacks, so I am hoping that with the new scissor jacks in front of the tires it will help take some of the suspension/tire bounce and also the frame flex out.

BTW I also use X-chocks, I have had them on 2 different TTs.

Wmoses · 09-02-2013, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHS79

... I have a pair of BAL scissor jacks that I am going to install in front of the tires. There is just over 17ft in between the electric stab jacks, so I am hoping that with the new scissor jacks in front of the tires it will help take some of the suspension/tire bounce and also the frame flex out.

I bet it will. The trailer tends to sag over the length between the end stabilizers, and even though there are wheels with suspension in between it will still flex. Putting your jacks (on some strong points) in way of the axles should reduce the springing effect.

Brother Les · 09-02-2013, 09:33 PM

The electric stabilizers will not hold up your camper. Meaning that you will have movement with the weight on the tongue jack and the wheels. If for some God forbid reason that your tongue jack fails and you have to remove it the stabilizers will not hold up the front end of your TT. Buy and attach scissor jacks to your TT. If you also have a flat, it is possible with blocks and the scissor jacks to lift your TT high enough to change the flat, you can not do this with the 'stabilizers', they will mangle and break if extended out too far, too many times. If you have the time and money (and a long TT) two in the front, two in the middle, and two at the back.

Plus the X stabilizer on the wheels.

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