Please Stop the Bounce

[Waffen06]

Just finishing our 4 weekend out in our 282QBXL. Kids are loving it but wife and I are not enjoying basically feels like the camper shakes every time one of them rolls over in their bunks. Weve tried multiple things, we have the electronic stabilizers. Ive put as much pressure as I could on them, even stacked extra blocks so they dont have far to go. Have x chocks on both sides, that I recheck and tighten daily. I tried some stack jacks but they seemed too flimsy. Bought two valterra stabilizers. Tried one on the rear bumper and one under the front, also tried them on both sides. Seemed to help stop maybe 20% of it but not much. What else can we try. I understand some movement but shouldn't feel a 6 year old rolling over. Debating on adding 4 scissor jacks or possibly trying jt strong arms. I know Id need adapters but hate to spend that much and they not work either. Thabks

[moose074]

All trailers bounce, even though I weigh twice that of my daughter. She really can get a good bounce when she walks. Seems your bounce might be excessive to you and if I read correctly you have tried a lot of suggestions. Can I suggest the threaded jack stand. My grandfather has some light weight flimsy ones but I assumed they work. I see welders and house movers with them but those are heavy duty. I assume they make ones in between. Then I would place them in front of or behind the tires not on the ends as you should already have stabilizers on the end. Just imagine a 20 ‘ 2x4 spanning across two points very bouncey but but same size rock in the middle as well and differences is astounding. Hope this helps and is something you haven’t tried already.

[cboss]

We've had good luck with this:

SteadyFast: 5th Wheel and RV Trailer Stabilizer

Took most of the shake and bounce out. After adding the Torklift steps it is even better.

[johnandval]

Looking at the valterra stabilizers I like the concept but I would think the fabric in the ratchet strap would stretch requiring continuous tightening and even at that there would be bounce from the fabric stretching under a shifting load. Perhaps a rigid turnbuckle would be a better alternative to the strap. I have tried many different ways and found none of them eliminated the wiggle and bounce in a RV. I would think that by now the manufacturers would have a decent solution to this obvious problem RVers face. Over fifty years ago when my parents camped they had a small 16 foot Yellowstone camper and to eliminate the wiggle and bounce my dad would put old railroad ties and shims under the 4 corners. Back then campers we built lower to the ground and less blocks were needed. He had an old railroad jack to slightly lift the camper to shim as needed to get a solid foundation. All this means less space for more fun things to bring along but then there are always these trades offs in the world. I think I am going to try the screw supports in front of the tires and behind the tires for my next outing and I will report back on how well that works. I STILL FEEL BY NOW THE RV INUSTRY WOULD HAVE A ROCK SOLID SOLUTION TO THIS OBNOXIOUS ISSUE.
but again if anyone has a more stable idea please post it here as we all need a SOLID solution to this issue. I do plan on supporting the frame in front of the tires and in back of the tires with vertical screw type stabilizers. I will report back after my next outing.

[Gmoney67]

So I have 40ft 5th wheel with 3 slides.when wife would turn over in bed or on couch or walk are 5th had way to much movement first thing I did was bought cargo bars and did x brace on landing gear that helped took out lot of side to side movement next I put 4 adjustable aluminum jack stands and 2 under the rear axle spring hanger and just snug up a bit and then other 2 I have under the front spring on the rivet this took out 90% of movement.you will never get rid of all movement between tire and spring and frame flex always have movement.

[MrR2500]

I made my own stabilizers similiar to JT strong arm and I removed 80% of the bounce. Before I could feel my 4 year old move in the bunk in the back of the camper. After the stabilizers I don't feel him move. My next step would be jacks in the center of the camper if I still had a lot of bounce

[Draggo]

I had the same issue so I added the JT Strongarm system and never looked back. It eliminated almost all of the bounce and it's easy to use. Well worth the money and the time it took me to install it.

[Reverse_snowbird]

We used x chocks like these on our tt. It stopped the back and forth movement on our rig. Before the chocks, my stupid computer would go into hard drive protection mode when the spouse would walk across the room. Of course, our rig was only 20', so I have no idea if it would work for you.
https://www.amazon.com/BAL-28005-Del...a-434425448093

[5picker]

On our current 35' 5th wheel we have JT Strongarms on the front and rear, X-Chocks between the tires and two scissor jacks (one each side) near mid point of the torsion axles.

It is a steady as anything I've owned that still gets moved.

Concrete blocks or piers under the frame if permanent.

[Kmack319]

Made my own version of the Valterra ratchet stabilizer. Just two 24" 2x4 cut to wedge into the frames I beam then ratcheted together at the base, like the Valterra. Works really good and didn't cost my anything.

[campers302]

You are in a TT. You can just come to grips with it or drive your self crazy.
Happy Camping!

[Waffen06]

Originally Posted by campers302

You are in a TT. You can just come to grips with it or drive your self crazy.
Happy Camping!

Im ok with it but my wife almost gets motion sick from it. We camp with family and both of their trailers seem so much more solid. They dont have the issue but theirs both have the screw jacks at the corners instead of the electronic stabilizers. I ordered some scissor jacks and will try them this weekend

[campers302]

Ok so I feel your pain. Motion sickness is real.
Good luck

[67L48]

I have no experience, but if stabilizers + X-chocks + Valterra straps do nothing, then the next thing to try is the JT Strong Arm or Steadyfast (both of which have been mentioned above). There are a few different versions of this and BAL even has a less expensive kit that approximates this approach of triangulating the corner stabilizer back up to the frames.

For what it's worth, I don't think the X-Chocks do anything for me, either. I still use them, because I have them.

[Ourtime0529]

We added the JT Strongarm system to the front of our 37' 5th wheel.Very happy with it.

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by Waffen06

Just finishing our 4 weekend out in our 282QBXL. Kids are loving it but wife and I are not enjoying basically feels like the camper shakes every time one of them rolls over in their bunks. Weve tried multiple things, we have the electronic stabilizers. Ive put as much pressure as I could on them, even stacked extra blocks so they dont have far to go. Have x chocks on both sides, that I recheck and tighten daily. I tried some stack jacks but they seemed too flimsy. Bought two valterra stabilizers. Tried one on the rear bumper and one under the front, also tried them on both sides. Seemed to help stop maybe 20% of it but not much. What else can we try. I understand some movement but shouldn't feel a 6 year old rolling over. Debating on adding 4 scissor jacks or possibly trying jt strong arms. I know Id need adapters but hate to spend that much and they not work either. Thabks

Waffen06, I have a possible solution for you that won't cost a bundle. I find this works as well as the JT Strong Arms, yet costs about $10 per set. I suggest 2 sets front and rear. Here is what you need:With the TT set up and level,

1.) Measure the height of the top of the frame I-beam to the ground and write it down. Now multiply by the Sq root of 2 (1.414) this is the length of the 2x4 you need for each side of the TT. 2.) Cut the 2x4 on a 45 degree angle on both ends along the 4". One point will be going into the frame i-beam in the inside corner of the vertical and the horizontal. The other end of the 2x4 will be mating up with the ground on the cut flat side, so both pointy ends are on the same 4" face side of the strut. 3.) Once you have the 2x4's cut to the desired length, now on the 4" flat side, measure up 12 inches and drill a hole all the way thru also at a 45 degree angle. Mount an Eye-Bolt with fender washers thru the drilled hole. The eye-bolts will be facing the underside of the TT. 4.) With the TT parked and leveled, place the top of the 2X4 strut into the top inside corner of the frame I-beam and run a ratchet strap between the eye-bolts and tighten it up as much as you can without a cheater bar. The bouncyness should be eliminated. I use a set in the front and a set in the rear and my TT does not bounce even with my 200# or DW's 250# running around inside the TT.

[free83118]

I installed the SteadyFast system on our 32 ft Crusader fifth wheel and it eliminated probably 90% of the bouncing. Fairly easy to install.

[RadRik]

Originally Posted by Swampy

Waffen06, I have a possible solution for you that won't cost a bundle. I find this works as well as the JT Strong Arms, yet costs about $10 per set. I suggest 2 sets front and rear. Here is what you need:With the TT set up and level,

1.) Measure the height of the top of the frame I-beam to the ground and write it down. Now multiply by the Sq root of 2 (1.414) this is the length of the 2x4 you need for each side of the TT. 2.) Cut the 2x4 on a 45 degree angle on both ends along the 4". One point will be going into the frame i-beam in the inside corner of the vertical and the horizontal. The other end of the 2x4 will be mating up with the ground on the cut flat side, so both pointy ends are on the same 4" face side of the strut. 3.) Once you have the 2x4's cut to the desired length, now on the 4" flat side, measure up 12 inches and drill a hole all the way thru also at a 45 degree angle. Mount an Eye-Bolt with fender washers thru the drilled hole. The eye-bolts will be facing the underside of the TT. 4.) With the TT parked and leveled, place the top of the 2X4 strut into the top inside corner of the frame I-beam and run a ratchet strap between the eye-bolts and tighten it up as much as you can without a cheater bar. The bouncyness should be eliminated. I use a set in the front and a set in the rear and my TT does not bounce even with my 200# or DW's 250# running around inside the TT.

Got any pics or diagrams of this setup?

[Swampy]

Sorry, I didn't have any good pictures of the stabilizer design, so I whipped up a detail drawing for you which will not attach nor paste here for some reason, Since the pdf won't fit, perhaps a photo will. Jim Swampy

Stabilizer Struts Mod Drawing.pdf

[45RPM]

Here's another drawing of the 2x4 set up. I build these for our camper and now for out 5th wheel. They work GREAT! And you can't beat the price!

-Rich