Look Ma, no Jacks !!
So, I've been rolling without jacks now for over a year. Camper stays on somewhat permanently. Only put them back on once when I had to have brake lines replaced. I do carry the jacks bundled up in th...
Forum Discussion
OBX,
I"ve been traveling with no jacks for 15 years. How soon you forget, I am the self proclaimed "King of the Jacks-Off". I leave the Jacks at home. Mine are manual mechanical/pinion style jacks and the quartet weighs about 145 pounds,plus 25 pounds for the dually extensions. Electric jacks may weigh more. I have never wished I had the jacks while on the road. I had an oil change in Fairbanks AK, and the place had tall enough ceilings to get our 10' 2" (at the time) tall TC in the bay. YMMV.
Already said were:
interfere with side view mirror views
feel like outriggers and add to sway
add weight to the TC, whether you have them on or carry them as a kind of belt and suspenders. I use some homemade structural, 8"W "C"channel dually extensions for the front jacks and they are HEAVY. No way I'm taking those on the road.
On paper there may be a very slight increase in aerodynamics if left off.
We remove only the jacks-leaving the angle iron lag bolted to the frame.
The only thing I can think of as a plus is if you have such a spongy suspension you need to lower them while in camp to keep the dreaded Campground Sway under control. O.K. I can see that. We don't have that problem.
If you have electric jacks hard wired into the TC you can cut the wires and add weather proof quick connector plugs. Let the female ends (connected to the TC) hang down when disconnected.
I had the TC on the truck when I replaced the front unit bearing and weak axle parts at my local axle guru's garage. He had only a 10 foot door opening so i suggested he lower the pressure on the tires to lower it a few inches. It worked, but that was a worst case scenario. I even convinced my bro to loose his jacks. Here a pair of jack-free, off road worthy rigs in Death Valley: Nothing to hang on passing rocks here:
I"ve been traveling with no jacks for 15 years. How soon you forget, I am the self proclaimed "King of the Jacks-Off". I leave the Jacks at home. Mine are manual mechanical/pinion style jacks and the quartet weighs about 145 pounds,plus 25 pounds for the dually extensions. Electric jacks may weigh more. I have never wished I had the jacks while on the road. I had an oil change in Fairbanks AK, and the place had tall enough ceilings to get our 10' 2" (at the time) tall TC in the bay. YMMV.
Already said were:
interfere with side view mirror views
feel like outriggers and add to sway
add weight to the TC, whether you have them on or carry them as a kind of belt and suspenders. I use some homemade structural, 8"W "C"channel dually extensions for the front jacks and they are HEAVY. No way I'm taking those on the road.
On paper there may be a very slight increase in aerodynamics if left off.
We remove only the jacks-leaving the angle iron lag bolted to the frame.
The only thing I can think of as a plus is if you have such a spongy suspension you need to lower them while in camp to keep the dreaded Campground Sway under control. O.K. I can see that. We don't have that problem.
If you have electric jacks hard wired into the TC you can cut the wires and add weather proof quick connector plugs. Let the female ends (connected to the TC) hang down when disconnected.
I had the TC on the truck when I replaced the front unit bearing and weak axle parts at my local axle guru's garage. He had only a 10 foot door opening so i suggested he lower the pressure on the tires to lower it a few inches. It worked, but that was a worst case scenario. I even convinced my bro to loose his jacks. Here a pair of jack-free, off road worthy rigs in Death Valley: Nothing to hang on passing rocks here:
