Newbie fed up with so much misinformation on set up of a TT
2010 Eagle 318RLS: Uggggggggggg!!!! My eyes grow weary of reading so many articles on how to properly set up the travel trailer. I don't know who to believe anymore. I don't know what to believe anymore. Even videos contradict each other. Here are my questions.
1) When leveling out left to right, put blocks under tires. Problem? Some say to always leave one tire on the ground, other say to roll both tires on blocks. Very confusing, which one is correct? I would think both tires to get level.
2) Yes I know stabilizer jacks are not meant to lift the trailer. Still, even the manufacturer says they are "only used to level the trailer" In order to level the trailer left to right, you have to be able to pick up the weight of the trailer with the jacks. Which again, goes against what everyone tells you to do.
3) And if the above is correct, that the stabilizer jacks are meant to level the trailer, then why use wooden blocks under the tires at all?
4) The stabilizer jacks are the most confusing thing to me. I know you are only supposed to crank them down to firm ground, and then another turn or two, in order to stabilize the trailer. At the same time, if you're on an uneven lot, that's simply cannot take place without applying weight to the jacks, and from what I understand, these things have more than enough lifting capacity to do so. I know, I have been able to lift the whole trailer off of the ground with them alone.
Lots and lots of articles refer to the stabilizing jacks on travel trailers as leveling jacks. A contradiction of terms it seems. I understand that if you put too much weight than this could create a sag in the middle, but can't you just use the stabilizer jacks to jack it up even, and then put a couple more scissor jacks under the frames in front and behind the tires?
5) Which brings me to question five, even when properly set up, tires on the wooden blocks, stabilizer jacks down, wouldn't it be best to ALWAYS use scissor jacks under the frame in the middle? Nobody ever says to do that. As a contractor, this thing is on a suspension, and I would think that it should ALWAYS be insisted that jacks be used to give better support, and less movement.
6) Even though it does work, I can't really figure out why? If the trailer sits on the springs and you lift the tires up, won't the trailer just squish down more on the springs on the side of the tires that are jacked up? Kind of like pushing the tires up into the frame? Which means it would kind of self level back to the original position?
Any help would be nice, as I am totally and irreversibly irritated and frustrated in reading about something as simple as to how to set up a travel trailer.
1) When leveling out left to right, put blocks under tires. Problem? Some say to always leave one tire on the ground, other say to roll both tires on blocks. Very confusing, which one is correct? I would think both tires to get level.
2) Yes I know stabilizer jacks are not meant to lift the trailer. Still, even the manufacturer says they are "only used to level the trailer" In order to level the trailer left to right, you have to be able to pick up the weight of the trailer with the jacks. Which again, goes against what everyone tells you to do.
3) And if the above is correct, that the stabilizer jacks are meant to level the trailer, then why use wooden blocks under the tires at all?
4) The stabilizer jacks are the most confusing thing to me. I know you are only supposed to crank them down to firm ground, and then another turn or two, in order to stabilize the trailer. At the same time, if you're on an uneven lot, that's simply cannot take place without applying weight to the jacks, and from what I understand, these things have more than enough lifting capacity to do so. I know, I have been able to lift the whole trailer off of the ground with them alone.
Lots and lots of articles refer to the stabilizing jacks on travel trailers as leveling jacks. A contradiction of terms it seems. I understand that if you put too much weight than this could create a sag in the middle, but can't you just use the stabilizer jacks to jack it up even, and then put a couple more scissor jacks under the frames in front and behind the tires?
5) Which brings me to question five, even when properly set up, tires on the wooden blocks, stabilizer jacks down, wouldn't it be best to ALWAYS use scissor jacks under the frame in the middle? Nobody ever says to do that. As a contractor, this thing is on a suspension, and I would think that it should ALWAYS be insisted that jacks be used to give better support, and less movement.
6) Even though it does work, I can't really figure out why? If the trailer sits on the springs and you lift the tires up, won't the trailer just squish down more on the springs on the side of the tires that are jacked up? Kind of like pushing the tires up into the frame? Which means it would kind of self level back to the original position?
Any help would be nice, as I am totally and irreversibly irritated and frustrated in reading about something as simple as to how to set up a travel trailer.
