Auto Leveling

Lantley wrote:

laknox wrote:

Piddlers wrote:
We are making the switch from a travel trailer to a fifth wheel trailer. With our travel trailer we have Andersen levelers, plastic (Lego) levelers, etc.

In the event of a sloping site do you ever have to raise a side before auto leveling a fifth wheel trailer? I'm unclear as to how much is acceptable for the auto leveling system.

Thank you,

The Piddlers

You're likely to run out the rear jacks well before the front jacks simply because they're shorter. On the street in front of my house, I have to put a block under the curb-side rear jack to get level without running the jack to the stop, due to the crown in the street and because it's slightly uphill to the front. I quickly learned that I need to do an "eyeball check" of the ground to see if it's unlevel, then put a block, or 2, under the low side rear jack. Might need more if you're also lower in the tail than the nose, too.

FWIW, the curb side wheels are off the ground when parked in front of my house. Given that the 4 jacks on my KZ are capable of lifting the full GW twice over, I have zero issues with this. Needs be, I'll use them to lift a side of the trailer to change a tire, too (with blocking).

Lyle

As far as being supported by the jacks. I agree the jacks can handle the weight but can the frame? Can the frame withstand being supported across an increased span?
I'm not saying it's a problem , but there is more to consider than just the lift capacity of the jacks themselves.

Sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense, whatsoever. If the frame can't support a unit lifted off its wheels by the leveling system, what makes you think that the frame won't support the rig by "normal" leveling. You seriously can't think that the frame isn't engineered to allow for wheels on one side, or both in the right circumstances, being off the ground when auto-leveled? Now, if you said was the frame =built= to the engineering spec, especially if it's a Lippert, then you've got a point. :B

After thinking about this for a minute, I'd be willing to bet that, if I parked my FW in the spot where I parked my old one on our annual family boondocker, all 4 wheels would be off the ground due to the fore/aft slope. I'd have a good 1' of blocks under the rear screw-down stabilizers and have to drop the front jacks at least 18" after unhooking.

Lyle