OutdoorsRV Thread

brulaz wrote:
This is about strengthening the arms of the Lippert electric stab jacks. It's also possible to warp/kink the main U-channels that cross the width of the trailer (as I also found out!) but that takes much more load. I lifted the front of the trailer with the tongue jack and crumpled both the arms and U-channels of the rear stab jacks. It would be possible but more difficult to reinforce the U-channels, but it would add a lot of weight, and as long as I remember not to do anything stupid with the tongue jack, I think the arm reinforcements will be sufficient.

The arm reinforcements help with vertical stability as I can really crank the stab jacks tight now. I use the electric motors to set them initially, but a day or so later may go around and manually tighten them as necessary. But the U-channels can still slide within each other, so side-to-side stability is still an issue; with supporting jacks under the steps, we're just living with it now.

So here's some pictures and info about strengthening the arms of the Lippert electric stab jacks.


The components for each arm:

1 - 26+1/8" of 2"x2"x1/8" sq. steel tube with 2 - 7/16" holes drilled on one side, each ~24mm from the end. If your arms are a different length than mine, the length will have to be adjusted. I just made sure the feet can fold down.

2 - 2"x4"x1/8" steel plate each with a 7/16" hole drilled.
One plate with the hole in the middle, the other the the hole ~24mm from one end along the length.

2 - 7/16"x1" Grade#5 fine thread bolts, nuts and lock washers.

Rough steel is Filed, Wire brushed, Cleaned and painted.

Only one hole has to be drilled in each Lippert arm.

Using one of the nuts+bolts, loosely mount the plate with the asymetric hole on one end of the sq. tube so the plate doesn't hang over the end of the tube.

Slide the plate+tube into the notch on the inside of the arm to be reinforced until snug. This notch is why it is only necessary to drill one bolt hole in the arm.

Mark the position of empty bolt hole on the arm. Move plate+tube and drill this 7/16" hole.

Insert the other bolt and tighten up both bolts. Done.



And what they look like installed. They do stick down an extra 2 inches when lifted up but that may just help protect my plumbing from scrapes.

Think each Arm reinforcment adds 6-7#