Best way to stabilize 40' travel trailer from shaking

I would jack it up and put railroad ties under the frame in the front corner and between the axle and the back of the TT under the frame.

I have mine rock solid.
It is a 40 footer, and I have it on a permanent site. We will be snow birding in it for six months.
Don't jack it up. Just get it perfectly level and then put down your stabilizers. Then use concrete blocks for piers.
On some of mine I needed two blocks and on others places three. On top of the blocks I used shims, (cedar shingles)pounded in.
On some of them I also had to use treated lumber, (2" x 6"'s) between the top of the blocks and under the shims.
I used three piers on each side.
It comes out as solid as your house.

Jack L

For going "cheap", level it and stabilize it with your stabilizer jacks. Then at each corner build up cinder blocks and lumber to where it just touches the frame. Then use shems and hammer them tight between the top of the cinder block - lumber support and the bottom of the trailer frame (much like they do with mobile homes when they set them up permanently).

This way, the main support is still on your stabilizer jacks, but the blocks are also bearing some of the weight, enough to keep the camper from shaking. I'd start with 4 sets of block, and if needed, a couple more near the axles, front and back of them.

Shorter Video. Click here.

You Tube Video. Click here.

The only problem I see with these videos though ... having worked a LOT with cinder blocks, the blocks need to be positioned up and down (holes on the top and bottom), not side to side. The strength is in the vertical position, not laying on their side. At the top, lay the board across the holes.

Easiest way. Put jacks on both sides (fore, and aft)of the tires, and take the weight slightly off the suspension. If any weight is left on the suspension. It will still bounce.

Terryallan wrote:
Easiest way. Put jacks on both sides (fore, and aft)of the tires, and take the weight slightly off the suspension. If any weight is left on the suspension. It will still bounce.

This is very true and at the heart of the matter when stabilizing a trailer.

Typically, when setting up mobile homes the beam frame is set on solid concrete blocks and the wheels removed.

You can use any manner of blocking to support the trailer frame but solid concrete block doesn't rot, rarely breaks, and will carry the weight without shifting. If you decide to use modular concrete block, I'd suggest to make piers using the blocks in opposing directions. Make sure when the weight is put on the block piers that wood is between the top blocks and the frame. The modular blocks will crack if weight is applied on the web or wall without wood to spread the load.

Alternatively, 6 x 6 makes excellent cribbing but the price will be greater.

Terryallan wrote:
Easiest way. Put jacks on both sides (fore, and aft)of the tires, and take the weight slightly off the suspension. If any weight is left on the suspension. It will still bounce.

ALMOST 100% correct, but 99% of your suspension bounce is removed when you take a little more weight off the suspension than what the weight from any occupants are inside. You don't really have to remove "ALL" the weight off the suspension.

Larry

Instead of using cement blocks, one can also use 12-ton axle stands as well.

re: Large flat patio stone on ground, 12 ton axle stand - connected to the trailer's underside I-beams.

This worked for my 2 x trailers - at previous seasonal sites.

If supporting at more than 4 points (excluding the wheels), you may find that you need to tighten up some supports periodically due to settlement of the ground. Wedges (like re-sawn cedar shingles) will work if you don't want use extra jacks and use concrete blocks or cribbing instead. Spreading out the contact area to maybe 2' x 2' with the ground by overlaying some 2x lumber or with cribbing made from 4x4s will help. Removing vegetative material and soft soil can help and if needed, put back a little crushed gravel to level and stabilize the ground. I tried a pair of aluminum stacker jacks ahead of the axles but soon found one or two out of all 6 jack points would loosen in just a weekend of use and gave up.

If you have electric stab. jacks, they aren't very good at stabilizing and will need some screw or bottle jacks to supplement them. Some of the motion you feel could be due to side-side movement in which case stabilizer struts will help (BAL Lockarms for ex.). Installing new steps like the Torklift Glowstep will significantly reduce movement when someone goes up & down the steps.

Thank you all for your thoughts. Cement block is what we will do, at the four corners and both in front of and behind the axels. Total of 8.
Sam

I use super grip chocks from Ultra fab and love them, BAL also makes them by the name X chock. You can buy them on rvpartsoverstock.com for a great price.