Easy way to raise trailer's nose while hitched in campground

[profdant139]

Fairly often, we pull into a campground space, only to discover that the nose of the trailer is just a little low, because of the way the pad is graded.

Rather than unhitch the trailer and raise the nose with the jack (which we prefer to avoid when we're just overnighting), here is an easier alternative: just raise the back of the tow vehicle by putting Lynx Levelers or some wood under the rear tires.

It's simple, but it works, as long as the nose is not way too low.

[JRscooby]

Bobbo wrote:

JRscooby wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

Every one of those things also apply when the trailer is not attached.

Maybe. But if you hear the warning, and know the bathroom is 1/4 mile away, you have a good chance to drive that distance. Most likely you will not be hit, because tornados only hit a small percentage of the warned area. So nothing is damaged, nobody hurt. But if the CG is hit, your best chance to escape injury is in the strongly built building.

Which is within running distance. It is faster to hoof it than to try to start the tow vehicle and drive to it.

LOL. In my 20s I might of been able to run a 1/4 faster than I could get in and drive. I know my wife could not the day I met her 37 years ago, and doubt I could off. Now I can walk a mile in 20 minutes most days. Run? Not 100 yards. But you do you, and be glad you can.

[Bobbo]

JRscooby wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

Every one of those things also apply when the trailer is not attached.

Maybe. But if you hear the warning, and know the bathroom is 1/4 mile away, you have a good chance to drive that distance. Most likely you will not be hit, because tornados only hit a small percentage of the warned area. So nothing is damaged, nobody hurt. But if the CG is hit, your best chance to escape injury is in the strongly built building.

Which is within running distance. It is faster to hoof it than to try to start the tow vehicle and drive to it.

[JRscooby]

Bobbo wrote:

Every one of those things also apply when the trailer is not attached.

Maybe. But if you hear the warning, and know the bathroom is 1/4 mile away, you have a good chance to drive that distance. Most likely you will not be hit, because tornados only hit a small percentage of the warned area. So nothing is damaged, nobody hurt. But if the CG is hit, your best chance to escape injury is in the strongly built building.

[Bobbo]

JRscooby wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

JRscooby wrote:
IMHO the fact that sometimes tornados happen, and sometimes it is a distance to storm shelter is a reason it might be prudent to unhook, have the TV ready to move

If I have not unhooked and I have to run from a tornado, the trailer goes with me because I haven't unhooked.

LOL Well, if you are out in open country, where you can see tornado some distance away, and the road goes right direction, this might be a option.

The same risks apply without the trailer.

JRscooby wrote:
But even if it misses your site after you leave, how much damage is done when you drive off with hoses and cords tied to ground?

As rare as tornadoes are, I will risk that damage. All I will risk is the power cord. I don't have the sewer or water hose hooked up. Never do. I fill the fresh water tank and use it. I dump then put the dump hose back up.

JRscooby wrote:
Now if you are in most of the country, where tornados happen, you get a watch that covers a wide area, several counties. Then once tornado is seen, radar or eyes, they broadcast the location and direction of travel. Unless you are behind it, it is a good idea to get close to a shelter. By close, I mean if there are more than a couple of people standing in bathroom doorway, and it's half mile to horizon go on inside. By the time you see it, you may have less than 30 seconds to cover your donkey. A jam-up in doorway can be fatal.
Run from it with a trailer? First in much of the country roads around CGs don't go far in straight line. So here you go Indy caring your snot in a panic. Who else is at risk? (You, Darwin called) Then there is the fact tornados often change directions at random, and often form others that can go other directions.
In short, hear the watch, make sure you know where the shelter is. Once the watch changes to warning, walk or drive, depending on which is quicker, to the shelter.

Every one of those things also apply when the trailer is not attached.

[valhalla360]

JRscooby wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:



What do you see as the gain if you do both? It seems like just an extra step with no benefit. Given that 95% of campers have electric jacks, it's 10-20 second of pushing a button.

Well, if when you put your drives on blocks to level, then worry about the trailer bouncing, running the jack down will stop the same amount of bounce, hooked up or not. Sure, need to run it up before you move.

If you just roll off the blocks with the jack down just enough to stabilize it, the jack will then take the full load and drag along... so you aren't driving to the bath house in the event of a tornado.

What education I have is limited. When I went to school a new paragraph indicated a change in topic. IMHO the fact that sometimes tornados happen, and sometimes it is a distance to storm shelter is a reason it might be prudent to unhook, have the TV ready to move

But why bother doing both. Once you run the jack up, it's level and stable.

As far as paragraphs, apparently your education is limited. If you are in a mad rush to get away from a tornado and just pull away off the blocks, the jack will drop down and dig in. Either way blocks or no blocks under the rear axle, you have to pull up the jack. Seems pretty straight forward.

I already addressed the issue of tornados in reality, is you can generally walk to the storm shelter quicker than driving.

Still waiting on some advantage to doing both jack and blocks.

[JRscooby]

Bobbo wrote:

JRscooby wrote:
IMHO the fact that sometimes tornados happen, and sometimes it is a distance to storm shelter is a reason it might be prudent to unhook, have the TV ready to move

If I have not unhooked and I have to run from a tornado, the trailer goes with me because I haven't unhooked.

LOL Well, if you are out in open country, where you can see tornado some distance away, and the road goes right direction, this might be a option. But even if it misses your site after you leave, how much damage is done when you drive off with hoses and cords tied to ground?
Now if you are in most of the country, where tornados happen, you get a watch that covers a wide area, several counties. Then once tornado is seen, radar or eyes, they broadcast the location and direction of travel. Unless you are behind it, it is a good idea to get close to a shelter. By close, I mean if there are more than a couple of people standing in bathroom doorway, and it's half mile to horizon go on inside. By the time you see it, you may have less than 30 seconds to cover your donkey. A jam-up in doorway can be fatal.
Run from it with a trailer? First in much of the country roads around CGs don't go far in straight line. So here you go Indy caring your snot in a panic. Who else is at risk? (You, Darwin called) Then there is the fact tornados often change directions at random, and often form others that can go other directions.
In short, hear the watch, make sure you know where the shelter is. Once the watch changes to warning, walk or drive, depending on which is quicker, to the shelter.

[Bobbo]

JRscooby wrote:
IMHO the fact that sometimes tornados happen, and sometimes it is a distance to storm shelter is a reason it might be prudent to unhook, have the TV ready to move

If I have not unhooked and I have to run from a tornado, the trailer goes with me because I haven't unhooked.

[JRscooby]

valhalla360 wrote:



What do you see as the gain if you do both? It seems like just an extra step with no benefit. Given that 95% of campers have electric jacks, it's 10-20 second of pushing a button.

Well, if when you put your drives on blocks to level, then worry about the trailer bouncing, running the jack down will stop the same amount of bounce, hooked up or not. Sure, need to run it up before you move.

If you just roll off the blocks with the jack down just enough to stabilize it, the jack will then take the full load and drag along... so you aren't driving to the bath house in the event of a tornado.

What education I have is limited. When I went to school a new paragraph indicated a change in topic. IMHO the fact that sometimes tornados happen, and sometimes it is a distance to storm shelter is a reason it might be prudent to unhook, have the TV ready to move

[valhalla360]

JRscooby wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


Electric, manual...still the simplest solution. Manually cranking it up 2-3 inches should take less than 30 sec.

Also, if you use blocks under the rear truck axle, you are likely to get more bounce in the trailer as the truck springs are supporting the front of the trailer.

If you put the trailer jack down, the truck suspension is isolated from the trailer.

Why not both? Run TV rear tires on blocks, then use jack tongue jack to hold it still, stop bounce?

Something to think about; One evening we where set up, and storm rolled in. When the tornado warning started my wife, and wife from next site got in cab, other guy and I sat on tailgate. On the way we picked up another couple. They could not drive to restroom/storm shelter because still hooked up.

What do you see as the gain if you do both? It seems like just an extra step with no benefit. Given that 95% of campers have electric jacks, it's 10-20 second of pushing a button.

If you just roll off the blocks with the jack down just enough to stabilize it, the jack will then take the full load and drag along... so you aren't driving to the bath house in the event of a tornado.

Of course, any time we've have a tornado warning, it's usually simpler and quicker to walk to the bathhouse, rather than drive.

[mdcamping]

^^^
yup most RV's are anchored down to their sites where it would take time to move out in an emergency like you described. You did the right thing looking out for your camping neighbors. :C

If I'm not disconnecting the truck from trailer, I will crank the tongue jack a few inches if I find the trailer way-unlevel. Most times I drop the trailer jacks also as I find the trailer bounce annoying.

Mike

[JRscooby]

valhalla360 wrote:


Electric, manual...still the simplest solution. Manually cranking it up 2-3 inches should take less than 30 sec.

Also, if you use blocks under the rear truck axle, you are likely to get more bounce in the trailer as the truck springs are supporting the front of the trailer.

If you put the trailer jack down, the truck suspension is isolated from the trailer.

Why not both? Run TV rear tires on blocks, then use jack tongue jack to hold it still, stop bounce?

Something to think about; One evening we where set up, and storm rolled in. When the tornado warning started my wife, and wife from next site got in cab, other guy and I sat on tailgate. On the way we picked up another couple. They could not drive to restroom/storm shelter because still hooked up.

[valhalla360]

NamMedevac 70 wrote:
Thanks. Your lynx levelers are very cost efficient. My electric tongue jack failed me at night in freezing rain, so I now use only hand crank jack. The exercise is good for me and warms me up in no time. P.S. The hand crank for my electric tongue jack was misplaced a long time ago. Cheers to the brave.

Electric, manual...still the simplest solution. Manually cranking it up 2-3 inches should take less than 30 sec.

Also, if you use blocks under the rear truck axle, you are likely to get more bounce in the trailer as the truck springs are supporting the front of the trailer.

If you put the trailer jack down, the truck suspension is isolated from the trailer.

[NamMedevac_70]

Thanks. Your lynx levelers are very cost efficient. My electric tongue jack failed me at night in freezing rain, so I now use only hand crank jack. The exercise is good for me and warms me up in no time. P.S. The hand crank for my electric tongue jack was misplaced a long time ago. Cheers to the brave.

[valhalla360]

Mike134 wrote:
Since I use the tongue jack to lift the truck and trailer 6" to put on the equalizer spring bars, I just use the tongue jack and lift the trailer and truck the few inches needed to level it.

^^^ This.

Assuming "a little" is only 2-3 inches, just run the trailer jack up 2-3 inches.