Raising tires for winter storage.

Frost heaves are another good reason not to leave stabilisers down if the trailer is not on a paved or concrete surface.

AirForceAngler wrote:

Tvov wrote:
Speaking of rule #8...

I have read on these forums that when parking a camper outside for the winter in snow areas, to NOT put down the stabilizers. Heavy snow can add a lot of weight to the camper that might damage the jacks or the frame - but the suspension allows the camper to adjust for the weight.

Seems like the above would require a LOT of snow, but it kinda makes sense to me.

I winterize my TT, park it with the tires on boards, do not put down the stabilizers, and put a cover over it if I am not too lazy. Seems to work for me.

Another reason I don't put down the stabilizers is in the off chance a tire goes flat over the winter, it doesn't put unnecessary strain on the frame.

Actually, you reminded me that was the biggest reason to not put the stabilizers down - possible flat tire.

Tvov wrote:
Speaking of rule #8...

I have read on these forums that when parking a camper outside for the winter in snow areas, to NOT put down the stabilizers. Heavy snow can add a lot of weight to the camper that might damage the jacks or the frame - but the suspension allows the camper to adjust for the weight.

Seems like the above would require a LOT of snow, but it kinda makes sense to me.

I winterize my TT, park it with the tires on boards, do not put down the stabilizers, and put a cover over it if I am not too lazy. Seems to work for me.

Another reason I don't put down the stabilizers is in the off chance a tire goes flat over the winter, it doesn't put unnecessary strain on the frame.

Speaking of rule #8...

I have read on these forums that when parking a camper outside for the winter in snow areas, to NOT put down the stabilizers. Heavy snow can add a lot of weight to the camper that might damage the jacks or the frame - but the suspension allows the camper to adjust for the weight.

Seems like the above would require a LOT of snow, but it kinda makes sense to me.

I winterize my TT, park it with the tires on boards, do not put down the stabilizers, and put a cover over it if I am not too lazy. Seems to work for me.

The two things I do are boards under the tires and inflate the tires about 10 lbs over max to help reduce shape memory in extreme cold.

myredracer wrote:
Excellent advice here from an experienced tire engineer: RVtiresafety.com

I like rule #8 in the article. Funny guy!

2oldman wrote:
The practice probably died out about the same time car batteries could be stored on a concrete floor.

LOL.. IMO best guess.
Jacking the trailer back then was common and not a big deal as the largest camping trailers (TTs) were in the 18'-22' range. Most were much shorter single axle units.
5th wheel trailers weren't around yet so our campers were small compared to todays 30'-40'+ units.

And back then most folks I knew that had a camper didn't have money to buy new tires every 3-5 years so many followed our tire mfg recommendations of blocking the trailer with the tires off the ground.

I believe that the tires would have some benefit with the load reduced. When I had a smaller trailer and outdoor storage,I would lower the front a bit then build block piers to the frame just behind the axles. Then I leveled the trailer and used the stabilizer jacks. Doing it this way made the trailer more resistant to high winds, removed some weight from the tires and springs and was safe if a tire leaked down.

The benefit is minimal and you are much more likely to damage the RV or yourself. It isn't worth the bother and the risk.

Vehicles in museums might not move for a decade, are they on blocks?

I would think you could risk torquing the frame by just trying to lift tires off the ground. I also cover the two tires that get sun.

I partially stabilize the TT during the winter in case I need to load/unload anything or work inside the unit. Just so it doesn't bounce/rock all over the place.