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ramrat's avatar
ramrat
Explorer
Aug 27, 2014

Bigfoot Jacks and the CA earthquake

Hi all, got a question about the camper jacks and movement due to the earthquake - what should be checked?

I got the Bigfoot 15C8.2 which i store on my driveway on its jacks only. The driveway has a slightly sloped so the front jacks are up higher than the rear. The camper is set as low as possible. With the AC earthquake my camper moved back and forth and rested about 1/2 foot from its original location.

I will be going to inspect the camper tomorrow. What should I do to visually inspect that no damage was done? I assume making sure the bolts that attach the jacks to the camper is not pulled out. Is there anything else I should be testing (example moving the jacks up and down?)

15 Replies

  • Ours didn't move, and I am only 20 miles from the Epicenter..

    I'd also block the bottom of the camper, and then lift the jacks. Check and see if any of them are loose, and if so, figure why (ie, bolts walked out, or stripped holes).
  • Living in C.A. when camper is off the truck
    I have a bench I built and it rest on that
    and not on the legs
  • It's really not rocket science. If there is obvious damage you will see it. There may also be not-so-obvious damage that you can't see. All you can do is cross your fingers and hope in that case.
  • Thanks kohldad will do those checks - good suggestion on checking the level of the camper - did not think of that.

    The rear jacks are as low as possible with the front shocks up higher to keep the camper level when i initially unloaded it from the truck. It was leveled with a bubble leveler back then so that will be a good check now as well. Thanks!
  • Wow, surprised at the amount of movement it did. I would tend to guess if it's still standing the jacks are probably good.

    Hopefully, you had it lowered as much as possible as this would remove a lot of stress on the jacks.

    First thing I would do is inspect the jacks to see if any of them are leaning or at odd angles. If one is, it could just be under a strain from the last movement. I would support the camper in that area (make sure to spread the load as required in the owner's manual) and see if it moves back into position when the weight is removed.

    Next, check the bolts for being pulled out, loose or stripped. Shouldn't need to pull on the wrench too much as they will be lose or good. And if good, you don't really want to twist them and take a chance on breaking the seal.

    More than likely, if any damage was done it would be on the front jacks. They carry almost twice the weight as the rear.

    Hope everything is good.