Wood blocks, storage and jack

When storing I use a RR tie under the front jack cut to whatever length is best for your situation; 18 - 24 inches works. Rain doesn't seem to affect it.
Regarding extending; IMHO the less the jack* is extended the more stable is the rig.
Same is true for stabilizers.
BTW only the front device is a jack*. The other four are stabilizers.

Dick_B wrote:
When storing I use a RR tie under the front jack cut to whatever length is best for your situation; 18 - 24 inches works. Rain doesn't seem to affect it.
Regarding extending; IMHO the less the jack* is extended the more stable is the rig.
Same is true for stabilizers.
BTW only the front device is a jack*. The other four are stabilizers.

Ah, yes. RR ties are covered and shouldn't rot or get as bad as regular blocks. I'll have to look into it.

Good call - I modified the thread title. Didn't realize I used the plural. I did mean front jack only. :)

crazyro wrote:
1. Jack - I usually use blocks under front jack when trailer is stored or parked in a campground. Is it better to extend it if possible without blocks or do they help in stability?

On a level or tongue high campsite I always use a 6" high 4x stack under the tongue jack for less TJ extension and therefore greater stability.



Only on a tongue low site do I replace the 4x with a single piece of 3/4" plywood.

crazyro wrote:
2. Blocks - they get nasty especially when it rains. Do you have any tricks on storing them? I guess I could use a large trash bag before I throw them in the storage compartment but that will make things even worse. Short of having maybe two sets and swapping them out and letting one set dry out, I'm not sure what else could be done.

I use stacking plastic blocks under the stabs for the same reason - less extension = greater stability. I carry a stiff hand brush in the trailer and just brush them off before storing, occasionally wash them at home when they get really dirty. Same for the tongue jack stack.

Regarding your blocks question and storage. With us, we have the heavy duty connecting leveling blocks and they come with a zippered cloth bag so they go back in that bag. With our BAL X chocks (stabilizers that go between the tires), I made bags to hold them out of denim and added Velcro to the flabs to secure them shut. I also made one like this for our Slunky sewer hose support. They're all washable and super easy to do with even old left over jeans.

I have 2 x 4s stacked 4 high and nailed together (this way you don't have 20 pieces of wood in your compartment, essentially only 4 pieces).

I treated them with a coat of "Minwax" wood deck stain. The deck stain seems to repel dust, dirt, water, gravel and easier to rinse off. Keep them stacked in a box when storing.

My honest opinion.

Block under jack as guys said and I'm going to use storage totes. I guess Ill see if I get tired of that. The only other thing I can think of is some kind of mat I can cut to fit that would stop stuff from sliding around and that I could also take out to clean.

mat60 wrote:
Block under jack as guys said and I'm going to use storage totes. I guess Ill see if I get tired of that.

You will :W ... the fewer totes the better. ;)

mat60 wrote:
The only other thing I can think of is some kind of mat I can cut to fit that would stop stuff from sliding around and that I could also take out to clean.

A piece of carpet runner works just fine in my front pass through, if it occasionally gets dirty a quick vacuum cleans it up nicely. :B



My mantra - less is more. :B

All my trailer setup gear goes in the front pass through storage compartment on the street side, all the camping gear goes on the curb side i.e. campsite side for easy access. I use one low profile plastic tray on the street side to contain my wheel chocks, X-Chocks, and a few sundry items, my extra Lynx blocks live in the only plastic box I have - MUCH simpler than fooling with those silly bags supplied with plastic leveling blocks. ;)

Ill find another use for the totes. LOL. Thanks for info.

Some brilliant solutions here! Thank you folks.

Jacks:
Extend them as short as possible for better stability of the camper. Thus, blocks will not wiggle, so stack them as high as you can.

Problem:
Longer trailer requires more blocks, even on slight inclines or declines, the distance from the ground to the bottom of the camper is exaggerated, the longer the camper. Solution? More or bigger blocks.



How to transport all those blocks, and I have a bunch. I also carry several lengths of board to use under the tires for sites that are uneven left to right. I have enough to raise one side of the trailer 10 inches (which is a lot). How to carry all that lumber?

Well, you've got to have the right shell on the back of your truck. Then it doesn't matter if the blocks are dry or wet. In addition, a professional construction style shell provides lots of storage in the side tool boxes (2 shelves full length of an 8 foot bed), and all the space in the bed of the truck.









Plus, if I put the ladder rack back on the top of the shell, I can carry our canoe.