Hi Guys, Well, I have a situation here & while I am closer to understanding the nature of my problems, a little feedback would be great!I own F-250 Super Duty, new Firestone Airbags installed, new super wide tires. Purchased used Lance Squire 4000 9' 4" but did a crappy job of the pre-purchase inspection. The "person" from whom I purchased the unit delivered it for me & I soon learned why! The jacks and jack brackets are in bad shape and add to that my uneven driveway surface! Here's what I have: When I raise the rears, the fronts "walk" to the side so practically impossible to load straight & balanced. Scary as hell seeing the front jacks bend like that! Obviously I need a new set of jacks at very least the fronts. I have it loaded now but she's a bit twisted! I'll post a picture.I have an appointment with local RV Shop but not 'till next Wednesday and need to drive my truck. If the camper is just scewed an inch or so, should I drive it like that or is this dangerous?

As long as it is well tide to the truck it should be OK and possibly after a few turns it will get back in place, good luckGaetan

If the camper is offset to one side that isn't an issue. It will stop at the wheelwells. Does the front have dually brackets or brackets that are possibly homemade? You should be able to simply take those off if so and reattach the front jack to the front jack plate attached to the camper. I'm making the assumption that your tires are no larger than the ones that were on my F350 SRW which were 19.5/70R245s.

I would not worry if the TC is skewed a bit, having the tie downs on the side a bit tighter on the side you want it to go and some bumps from a uneven surface will most likely bring it into line. Then just adjust the tie downs again. TC's will move around a bit from road surfaces and wind pressure unless they are blocked in. Or just ignore the skewed thing as it won't be a problem. Your jacks and loading surface sound a bit scary. You can move the jacks a little when loading by placing a block of wood against it at the foot and hitting the wood with a sledge. Not hard, just enough to move a quarter inch at a time. Time consuming and you need to work on all four jacks. A bit extreme but it works if you need to do it. It does not take much force to move the bottom of a jack that slight amount but like I said. time consuming.

Crooked loading isn't a problem. I just get mine close because it moves a tiny bit in travel anyway. I used to have to load off center to clear the tailgate.If your getting new jacks I highly recommend electric with remote control. It makes loading and unloading much quicker and easier.

Years ago (back in the 60s) when I had a Teardrop camper the jacks were not that great. If it was a little off when loaded I would raise it about an inch and slid some shims in to get it straight. Lower camper then remove shims. Worked for me. The old 1960 Teardrop campers were heavy built with 2X2s, 2X4s, & 2X6s.

Rookie Lance Owner Loading Nightmare! | Good Sam Community

Desertboy
Explorer
Apr 09, 2014
Thanks for the heads up Nighteagle.
knighteagle
Explorer
Apr 09, 2014
I'll reply for two people here. first if the wood is bad it is a real pain to fix its almost easyer to overlay the old wood my cutting out only the bad wood then use wood bond to smoth it out then use new lumber and build a new front wall over the old just make sure you epoxy all surface's and screw the new wood into the TC frame then re-cover the front and paint. To the second person here on the Avion TC having a TT on Hwy 281 15-20 miles or so north of San Antonio there is a garage that refurbishes them never stoped in but there are at least 5 out side some are near perfect.
MORSNOW
Navigator III
Apr 08, 2014
mkirsch wrote:
Also, you can "walk" the camper with the jacks, using that flexibility, to reposition it in the bed of the truck without completely unloading it and starting over. If for example the camper is too far to the right, then jack the camper up so it is a few inches higher on the right, then lower it back down on the left side first. The camper will land in the truck 1/2" to 1" over to the left.

Thank you for the description of "walking", I was trying to figure it out in my head, and how it worked to go left or right.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Apr 07, 2014
Ok, can we go back to the jacks for a second?

Flexing and bending on uneven surfaces is NORMAL, in that it is not indicative of something wrong with the camper or the jacks. Look at how long and spindly they are! The jacks will never be perfectly rigid, and will flex some on an uneven surface.

This is why your jacking surface needs to be fairly flat and level.

Now, if the camper body itself is bulging and flexing, then you've got a problem.

Also, you can "walk" the camper with the jacks, using that flexibility, to reposition it in the bed of the truck without completely unloading it and starting over. If for example the camper is too far to the right, then jack the camper up so it is a few inches higher on the right, then lower it back down on the left side first. The camper will land in the truck 1/2" to 1" over to the left.
Lexicon7
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
Yeah it is!
Desertboy
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
Those guys don't mess around. Im a rookie, so its helped me a lot. I have a lot of building experience though, so when I read their posts I absorb everything pretty quickly. Its a Awesome thread.
Lexicon7
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
That's some amazing stuff. Looks like the camper "hotrod" page!
Desertboy
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25053498/srt/pa/pging/1/page/86.cfm

Maybe I did this right, Page 86 In the Avion camper thread if this link does not work.
Desertboy
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
I have a lot of them posted in the Avion thread. Ill find them for you.
Lexicon7
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
Hey I would love to see some shots of the inside of that thing! I' never heard of them before now... In my college days I had a nice 1948 Dodge with an Alasken slide-in camper! I couldn't use the exterior for a mirror like yours though...lol

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