How many jacks are needed?

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by SMUGMUG

The reason he has too many jacks is because it has the electric jacks from the factory that are junk! They do not support nothing. I had to purchase extra jacks for the same reason. If anyone else is purchasing a trailer stay away from the electric jacks.

The electric stabilizers on my 2016 Windjammer do a great job. There's a little wiggle above the axles, but that should be expected. These things are not built on concrete footings.

Bruce

[strat56]

I use 2 additional stabilizers on my Windjammer. I put them in front of the axles on both sides and it makes a huge difference in stability. 13 is definitely overkill.

One day I need to attach them to the trailer permanently but not today.

[stevejahr]

I used to specialize in trailer setup as a teenager when the family went camping. I do not remember wiggle in the trailer. What I *do* remember:
1. Tipping the nose down by hand after unhitching
2. Placing screw jackstands under the back frame
3. Tipping the nose up again by hand --> weight now on back two jackstands and hitch jack
4. Placing screw jackstands under the front
5. Lowering the nose onto the front jackstands and into level with most weight on jackstands rather than tires

This really was not that hard and with practice you could get side to side level at the same time. Now we have electric "stabilizers" that you cannot put all the trailers weight on? And you cannot run them too hard or you blow a fuse? And we have to add expensive fancy chocks to the wheels? And we require lego blocks you have to use to shim wheels to get side to side level? Seems like we are spending a lot more $$$ for a lot less results these days.

I will admit that electric stabilizers are really very nice... and will be nicer once I get the right touch calibrated in. I have already replaced the fuse with a self-reset circuit breaker (they blew fuse demonstrating during PDI)... now I will have to look at OldCoot's reinforcement idea to go along with the BAL X-chocks.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by strat56

I use 2 additional stabilizers on my Windjammer. I put them in front of the axles on both sides and it makes a huge difference in stability. 13 is definitely overkill.

One day I need to attach them to the trailer permanently but not today.

^^X2^^
We used this method on our new 8529IKBS this weekend and it was rock solid.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by stevejahr

I used to specialize in trailer setup as a teenager when the family went camping. I do not remember wiggle in the trailer. What I *do* remember:
1. Tipping the nose down by hand after unhitching
2. Placing screw jackstands under the back frame
3. Tipping the nose up again by hand --> weight now on back two jackstands and hitch jack
4. Placing screw jackstands under the front
5. Lowering the nose onto the front jackstands and into level with most weight on jackstands rather than tires

This really was not that hard and with practice you could get side to side level at the same time. Now we have electric "stabilizers" that you cannot put all the trailers weight on? And you cannot run them too hard or you blow a fuse? And we have to add expensive fancy chocks to the wheels? And we require lego blocks you have to use to shim wheels to get side to side level? Seems like we are spending a lot more $$$ for a lot less results these days.

I will admit that electric stabilizers are really very nice... and will be nicer once I get the right touch calibrated in. I have already replaced the fuse with a self-reset circuit breaker (they blew fuse demonstrating during PDI)... now I will have to look at OldCoot's reinforcement idea to go along with the BAL X-chocks.

The big difference in then and now is the trailers then had structural steel I beam frames and nowadays they are flimsy fabricated I beams or much lighter structural I beams.

[Eaglelover]

x2 what Old Coot said. Today the reason they use the new stabilizers is to give even support with out twisting. With screw jacks if you put too much lift on a corner and twist the frame you have a crack at the upper corner of the slide out wall opening. The fiberglass has no give like the old wood frames. Be careful with the added jacks and fiberglass walls. Frank