2011 Sabre 31qbds. 9000 lbs. 35 ft1. I noticed ALOT of bounce & movement while camping. TT has electric stablizers with the sand pads. I am thinking I need to order slideout stablizer jacks, x-block things for tires. Anything else?2. New (previous owner installed) Bull dog electric tongue jack. 3500lbs. Returned home & unhooking I was using & all of a sudden the jack just quit. I did notice a black wire that I think is the ground wire(?). One end was loose but it also seemed like it did not go with the jack. Any advice?Thanks.

don't get slide out stabilizer- if the trailer drops from a low tire or soft ground and the stabilizer doesn't you will damage the slide. I would get the wheel chocks (x block things!). those should help with the front to back movement. someone else will have to chime in about bounce on your trailer. I would go on the Bull Dog website and look for an owners manual that could show how it is to be wired.

rav wrote:don't get slide out stabilizer- if the trailer drops from a low tire or soft ground and the stabilizer doesn't you will damage the slide. I would get the wheel chocks (x block things!). those should help with the front to back movement. someone else will have to chime in about bounce on your trailer. I would go on the Bull Dog website and look for an owners manual that could show how it is to be wired.ditto!

It is normal to have bounce and movement. You're camping.

X's 2 on the X-chocks.X-chocks really seemed to make a big difference for us. Very good product IMO.http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=ipad&p=x-chock+tire+locking+chock&pcarrier=&pmcc=&pmnc=

From experience by my neighbor in Myrtle Beach, never never put supports under a slide out unless the trailer is on solid blocks. He had a tire go down and did not notice it. The slight shift actually bent the slide moving hardware and it would no longer go in. Had to get an rv repair guy to come in to fix it.... Eric

2 problems 1st time out. Please help. | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

johnnyrv
Explorer
Apr 08, 2014
Bounce on our Jayco 228 was driving my wife crazy. She couldn't get to sleep and every time I moved the trailer bounced waking her up. I just installed the BAL stabilizer lock bars on the front stabilizer jacks and with the x chocks most of the bounce on our Jayco 228 is gone. A happy wife is a happy life. The BAL lock bars are $100 at Camping World. There is a youtube video on them. Easy to install although I bolted them to the frame instead of using the self tapping screws provided. Lighter and less expensive than some others, and work just fine.
wilcamp
Explorer
Apr 08, 2014
Caboose66 wrote:
wilcamp wrote:
IMHO, the X-chock stabilizes only the wheel and axle components, while some movement might occur fore and aft to the jacks. Some newer "ultra-light" units are spreading the axles further apart, making the X-chock impossible to use.

I recommend highly the Eliminator Strut Stabilizer System. These are engineered to stabilize the jacks to the frame, with the simple physics of cross-bracing at the corners. As the name implies, it seems to eliminate all the shaking/wobbling while set up in camp. We used, with great success, a set on our previous Jay Flight, and have a new set waiting to be installed on our new Jayco White Hawk It is available through Camping World, Catalog Item # 35782, Internet SALE $359.99 SAVE $40.00 Reg $399.99 FREIGHT : Add $40.00
- See more at: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/the-eliminator-strut-stabilizer-system-set-of-6-struts/35782#sthash.cjC6rpCU.dpuf

I was interested in a set of these but I thought I read that the strut stabilizers could not be used with electric stab-jacks. Are these a different product or have you found that they work fine with power stabilizers?... or, do you have crank-down stabilizers?

Mine are the crank-down jacks, although I do use an 18V battery-powered drill. You must loosen the T-screw mechanism before lowering or raising the jacks, I wonder why you couldn't use these with the electric stab-jacks? Customer service was very helpful when I called regarding my first set, I'm sure they could address your concerns.
Caboose66
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
wilcamp wrote:
IMHO, the X-chock stabilizes only the wheel and axle components, while some movement might occur fore and aft to the jacks. Some newer "ultra-light" units are spreading the axles further apart, making the X-chock impossible to use.

I recommend highly the Eliminator Strut Stabilizer System. These are engineered to stabilize the jacks to the frame, with the simple physics of cross-bracing at the corners. As the name implies, it seems to eliminate all the shaking/wobbling while set up in camp. We used, with great success, a set on our previous Jay Flight, and have a new set waiting to be installed on our new Jayco White Hawk It is available through Camping World, Catalog Item # 35782, Internet SALE $359.99 SAVE $40.00 Reg $399.99 FREIGHT : Add $40.00
- See more at: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/the-eliminator-strut-stabilizer-system-set-of-6-struts/35782#sthash.cjC6rpCU.dpuf

I was interested in a set of these but I thought I read that the strut stabilizers could not be used with electric stab-jacks. Are these a different product or have you found that they work fine with power stabilizers?... or, do you have crank-down stabilizers?
N7SJN
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
Whenever we park for a week or more I set up 4 T-pees on the frame nothing will take out all the bounce unless you lift all four tires off the ground and block the frame in 4 or more places. There is just too much flex in the frame as well as the springs.
Ole_Man_Dan
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
X-Chocks work... Even better when used in conjunction with good wheel chocks/Blocks ect... I even use a screw out Step Stabilizer to eliminate step bounce when you go or come from your trailer.
elm3420
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2014
I like my x-chocks. They really helped with the front to back motion helping with the bouncing.
handye9
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2014
handye9 wrote:
handye9 wrote:
zackyboy3rs wrote:
2011 Sabre 31qbds. 9000 lbs. 35 ft

1. I noticed ALOT of bounce & movement while camping. TT has electric stablizers with the sand pads. I am thinking I need to order slideout stablizer jacks, x-block things for tires. Anything else?

2. New (previous owner installed) Bull dog electric tongue jack. 3500lbs. Returned home & unhooking I was using & all of a sudden the jack just quit. I did notice a black wire that I think is the ground wire(?). One end was loose but it also seemed like it did not go with the jack. Any advice?

Thanks.

Due to the length of your trailer, the four stabilizers alone, will not take out all of the bounce. Your frame is flexing and the trailer is bouncing on it's suspension. Only way to get it all, is put the trailer up on blocks, with wheels off the ground. Adding something like the X-chocks will help. Stair supports may help. Like this.. Another thing may be, put your stabilizers down, get everything else set up, watch a little television, and after the trailer has settled a bit, tighten up the stabilizers one more time.

Note: Stabilizers work better when they are not fully extended. Placing some type of blocking under the pads, may help. I use these.

My trailer is close to same length. I added two more stabilizers near the center of the trailer. One just in front and one just behind the axles. They made a huge difference, but, we still have some bounce.

Your jack problem sounds like a loose wire connection, bad ground, or a blown fuse. Many tongue jacks, only have one wire. It is the hot wire going to the battery. The jack is grounded to the trailer frame, by the bolts that mount it to the tongue. Watch this video.
handye9
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2014
handye9 wrote:
zackyboy3rs wrote:
2011 Sabre 31qbds. 9000 lbs. 35 ft

1. I noticed ALOT of bounce & movement while camping. TT has electric stablizers with the sand pads. I am thinking I need to order slideout stablizer jacks, x-block things for tires. Anything else?

2. New (previous owner installed) Bull dog electric tongue jack. 3500lbs. Returned home & unhooking I was using & all of a sudden the jack just quit. I did notice a black wire that I think is the ground wire(?). One end was loose but it also seemed like it did not go with the jack. Any advice?

Thanks.

Due to the length of your trailer, the four stabilizers alone, will not take out all of the bounce. Your frame is flexing and the trailer is bouncing on it's suspension. Only way to get it all, is put the trailer up on blocks, with wheels off the ground. Adding something like the X-chocks will help. Stair supports may help. Like this.. Another thing may be, put your stabilizers down, get everything else set up, watch a little television, and after the trailer has settled a bit, tighten up the stabilizers one more time.

My trailer is close to same length. I added two more stabilizers near the center of the trailer. One just in front and one just behind the axles. They made a huge difference, but, we still have some bounce.

Your jack problem sounds like a loose wire connection, bad ground, or a blown fuse. Many tongue jacks, only have one wire. It is the hot wire going to the battery. The jack is grounded to the trailer frame, by the bolts that mount it to the tongue. Watch this video.
handye9
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2014
zackyboy3rs wrote:
2011 Sabre 31qbds. 9000 lbs. 35 ft

1. I noticed ALOT of bounce & movement while camping. TT has electric stablizers with the sand pads. I am thinking I need to order slideout stablizer jacks, x-block things for tires. Anything else?

2. New (previous owner installed) Bull dog electric tongue jack. 3500lbs. Returned home & unhooking I was using & all of a sudden the jack just quit. I did notice a black wire that I think is the ground wire(?). One end was loose but it also seemed like it did not go with the jack. Any advice?

Thanks.

Due to the length of your trailer, the four stabilizers alone, will not take out all of the bounce. Your frame is flexing and the trailer is bouncing on it's suspension. Only way to get it all, is put the trailer up on blocks, with wheels off the ground. Adding something like the X-chocks will help. Another item that helps, is stair supports. Like this.

My trailer is close to same length. I added two more stabilizers near the center of the trailer. One just in front and one just behind the axles. They made a huge difference, but, we still have some bounce.

Your jack problem sounds like a loose wire connection, bad ground, or a blown fuse. Many tongue jacks, only have one wire. It is the hot wire going to the battery. The jack is grounded to the trailer frame, by the bolts that mount it to the tongue. Watch this video.
kknowlton
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2014
DH discovered that putting the stabilizers down after the slideout is deployed works much better than putting them down beforehand. Even then, we usually have to tighten the stabilizers once or twice after getting settled in the campsite. No big deal.