steadfast stabilizers

Don't lower the stabilizers out all the way, get some 1" or 2" pads and put them underneath each foot!

I have the exact same problem. The ones that seem to have complaints are the style that have the single motor stabilizing system where both legs come down at the same time and self adjust. The problem is the systems slides side to side under the trailer to accomplish the self leveling leg process. Unfortunately trailer also moves side to side on this same carriage once the trailer is supported. I plan to do the exact same thing you are doing this spring. I have a set of the Bal Loc-Arm stabilizers in the garage ready to install. Just have to wait until April when the trailer is back from storage. I installed these stabilizers on my old trailer with manual jacks and they made a significant difference. I believe(hope)they will work with the electric ones also and keep the trailer from moving on the jacks carriage.

Frank, I do that, tell thanks. I'm going to call the steadyfast companyou about the electric stabilizets. Watch tomorrow night for the results.

The standard Lippert stabilizers so many TT have do stop almost all up and down movement. However they do not stop side to side movement - rocking - caused by the TT springs flexing as weight moves from side to side of the trailer.

I've used Bal Loc-Arm stabilizers on both my TT (the same ones - I installed them on the first trailer and moved them to the second trailer) and they stop almost all movement.

The Bal stabilizers provide a 90 degree offset from front to back. I haven't had the ability to set one to go across the TT.

Steady Fast does the same thing - but emphasizes a cross-trailer arm. Which IMHO does a great job. It works really well between the front two landing pads of a 5th wheel.

I have several friends who have them and love them.

No, they are not electric. They are mechanical supplements to your existing stabilizer/ leveler system.

The existing stabilizers deploy normally - then you tighten the friction lock on the Bal Loc-Arm or Steady Fast to lock the mechanical arm in place. You must loosen the friction lock before raising the stabilizers.

Your TT / 5er is designed to allow movement in three directions between the ground and the frame due to the springs and shocks (1 - tilt up and down from to back, 2 - vertically up and down from bumps in the road, and 3 - side to side rotational movement as weight shifts). Normal stabilizers only minimize / stop movement in one of those three directions.

As mentioned above - the stabilizers work best if they only have to extend a short distance - blocks do help. Another thing to help a lot is a jack under or near the axles to take weight off of the springs. A pair of supplemental scissor jacks really help.

Another point to remember is that all stabilizing systems have a little 'play' in them. And if you are not setup on a firm concrete pad, you may find a lot of slack after a day or two.

We setup today in an RV park with grass with a little gravel for a pad. Fifth time our Good Sam group has been here in four years. I know from experience that my blocks will sink a bit in the ground, and I'll have to adjust the stabilizers and levelers every day or so.

tll wrote:
The problem is the systems slides side to side under the trailer to accomplish the self leveling leg process. Unfortunately trailer also moves side to side on this same carriage once the trailer is supported. I plan to do the exact same thing you are doing this spring. I have a set of the Bal Loc-Arm stabilizers in the garage ready to install. Just have to wait until April when the trailer is back from storage.

Actually, what really happens is that there is a LOT of flex in the elec. stab. jack components - the main downward legs, the pair of angled fore/aft braces on each leg, the bolt assembly that holds the main leg and braces together and the horizontal channel that spans both I-beams. If you want to see what happens, have someone walk up and down the entry steps while you watch the stab. jack assembly. These "stabilizer" jacks simply have too much fore/aft, lateral and vertical movement. One of these days I might take a video to demonstrate what happens.

brulaz on this forum has re-inforced his Lippert stab. jacks with good success. I am planning to do it eventually too.

Some will say that a stacker jack at each of the 4 four corners of the frame will help a lot. They will help with vertical movement, but you will still experience lateral motion. I bought a set of 4 aluminum stacking jacks but they only extend up to 17" max. Our frame is 24" off the ground so I'd need some kind of blocks to make up the difference (more bulk and weight to carry around :(). Another thing about stacking jacks is that the top of them moves laterally a lot. Using these jacks (or bottle jacks) along with the Lock-arm braces (or equiv.) will be as good as you can get. A set of jack just ahead of the axles can help too. Wheel chocks like the BAL X-chocks control fore/aft movement well.

I can see the aluminum stacker jacks being a PITA to set up every time. I'd need something like 4 pieces (min) of 6x6, 12" long or more at each jack. I'd have to store 16 pieces of the blocks somewhere and then I'd have to pull them out when setting up and then have to put them all back when breaking camp. And if the ground is uneven and/or rocky, that could make it even more of a PITA. Not sure if these are going to work for us...

There are a number of the stabilizer braces on the market - Ultra-Fab elminator, JT's Strongarm, BAL Lock-arm, Steadyfast and maybe one or two more. All similar. It looks like the Steadyfast are a bit more cumbersome? I bought the Bal ones because they're available in a two-pack. With a pair of good X-chocks, I don't think you need braces in a for/aft direction. I will try two BAL braces at the rear only and then see if I need some up front.