Is support needed when storing for an extended time?

[BigSwick]

Hello all. I am fairly new to truck campers, about a year now. I have been leaving the camper- Cirrus 820- sit on the jacks when not in use. Sometimes for a month or two. Is a platform or stand needed to take the weight off of the jacks when not in use? And if you use them, how did you construct them? TIA and Happy New Year!

[mkirsch]

Grit dog wrote:

markchengr wrote:
Probably depends on your camper but we have never used anything but the jacks to hold it up when off the truck for the last 13 years.
Did you ever notice that the new campers in RV dealers lots or RV shows are just standing on the jacks while people are traipsing through them?

Maybe the thick headed folks will believe you as a more respected member of this forum?
FWIW, I agree. We spent weeks camped in both of our AF campers, family of 4, camper sitting just on the jacks, with 2 kids bouncing around in it like a jungle gym.
The one issue I had, was one of the campers, one of the supports for the fresh water tank finally snapped after many days and many trips unsupported with full tank. A couple 5/4 deck boards and a couple hours and it was repaired better than new. Camper was about 15 years old at the time.

I can pretty much guarantee you that if you tried that with my 2000 Palomino, you'd suddenly find yourself with an incredible amount of headroom. 1/2" OSB and fence post cross members every 24" do not inspire confidence.

Also at the dealer lots around here, campers sit on carts or stacks of pallets until they're sold. You never see them at shows.

[Grit_dog]

markchengr wrote:
Probably depends on your camper but we have never used anything but the jacks to hold it up when off the truck for the last 13 years.
Did you ever notice that the new campers in RV dealers lots or RV shows are just standing on the jacks while people are traipsing through them?

Maybe the thick headed folks will believe you as a more respected member of this forum?
FWIW, I agree. We spent weeks camped in both of our AF campers, family of 4, camper sitting just on the jacks, with 2 kids bouncing around in it like a jungle gym.
The one issue I had, was one of the campers, one of the supports for the fresh water tank finally snapped after many days and many trips unsupported with full tank. A couple 5/4 deck boards and a couple hours and it was repaired better than new. Camper was about 15 years old at the time.

[markchengr]

Probably depends on your camper but we have never used anything but the jacks to hold it up when off the truck for the last 13 years.
Did you ever notice that the new campers in RV dealers lots or RV shows are just standing on the jacks while people are traipsing through them?

[JIMNLIN]

He will make a lot of bone-head comments just for no reason.

Yeah...some guys never grew up or feel they have to bash others. Makes them feel important even tho they know very little that old or new TC store the same way. And mods/admin are part of those type problems allowing certain members to get by with those type antics.

specta wrote:
I've been thinking about finding another "vintage" TT to pull behind my '76 F-250.

Love my TC and I loved my old TT and now I'd like to have both. (emoticon)

My neighbor did both. The place he bought next to me came with a 1972 22' Nomad TT which he restored. He does team roping/she does barrel racing and came up with a late '70s 10' 6" Fields TC which he restored also. Pretty neat seeing the TC in the bed and pulling the TT with his 3500 DRW.
Both sit in a tall pole barn out of the sun and protected from strong winds/hail/ice storms.

[Grit_dog]

mkirsch wrote:
As long as you are not completely brain-dead in going about it, having extra support can't hurt.

Don't use steel spikes as support for example.

Appropriate warning for some of the overtly literal folks on here.

[d3500ram]

BigSwick wrote:
Hello all. I am fairly new to truck campers, about a year now. I have been leaving the camper- Cirrus 820- sit on the jacks when not in use. Sometimes for a month or two. Is a platform or stand needed to take the weight off of the jacks when not in use? And if you use them, how did you construct them? TIA and Happy New Year!

This is what I did when I had the TC:
I use 5 tiers of PT 6x6: There is 3/4PT attached to the bottom of the camper and 2 6x's - continuous in the long direction tiers, 3 each in the short direction. This is to fully support my camper when off the truck at home (I never take it off in the field.)

The lumber takes almost all of the weight as the jacks are there just to keep it all steady... just a crank or 2 on the jack the hit the ground. I feel this is very stable event though it it relatively tall. I do not need to go much higher when loading it on to the truck. I regularly get into the upper cab to access the upper cabs or make the bed and it is VERY stable.



One other thing to consider:
I would recommend checking with the camper manufacturer on their take whether or not the TC can be unsupported with water, waste tanks, etc.

[mkirsch]

As long as you are not completely brain-dead in going about it, having extra support can't hurt.

Don't use steel spikes as support for example.

[ajriding]

JIMNLIN wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
Mine sat on concrete blocks under the floor. Jacks were down to help keep the TC from a blow over from high winds.
I left my first (1972 9' 6") TC lowered just enough we could step up into it and left the TC on the 4 corner jacks from OCT to warm up time in April. The next summer the jacks were so loose and shaky I had to up size all the jacks mounting bolts so they would tighten.
I didn't leave the next two TC we owned on their jacks.
Living in constant high wind parts of the country where all the trees along the road lean in one direction (to the north) we have to be vigilant on sheds....mobilehomes...tall sided rvs having a blow over if exposed to those high winds.

Pretty big leap to make a connection with a camper that was built the year I was born and a new Cirrus….you crack me up.

A lot more TC on the road back then. Just about every one with a pickup had a TC and usually pulled a boat or horse trailer...work trailer. Now days its rare to find a TC in a campground..around here anywayz.
Oh yeah...that 1972 truck camper was blow away in the Dec 5, 1975 tornado that hit east Tulsa, OK. We never replaced it but went to a small 24' 5th wheel trailer for more room. Sure miss a TC tho.

He will make a lot of bone-head comments just for no reason. Yes, a new camper will not show signs of age nor have time to suffer stresses over time. DO dumb things to it and a week later it might still seems just fine, continue a few years and come back to us with how things are going. I mean.... why comment these silly post?
TCs are meant to sit on something. Roll the dice on how well you think yours might be made to be suspended all the time. Some are, some are not.
Just the fact that all the weight is suspended by 4 legs at 4 spots is cause to take caution. Not all campers are built super strong at these contact points. I have seen plenty of cracked camper corners that the leg mounts are responsible for. Of course there are just as many with no issues. Good luck.

[specta]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Sure miss a TC tho.

I've been thinking about finding another "vintage" TT to pull behind my '76 F-250.

Love my TC and I loved my old TT and now I'd like to have both. 🙂

[JIMNLIN]

Grit dog wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
Mine sat on concrete blocks under the floor. Jacks were down to help keep the TC from a blow over from high winds.
I left my first (1972 9' 6") TC lowered just enough we could step up into it and left the TC on the 4 corner jacks from OCT to warm up time in April. The next summer the jacks were so loose and shaky I had to up size all the jacks mounting bolts so they would tighten.
I didn't leave the next two TC we owned on their jacks.
Living in constant high wind parts of the country where all the trees along the road lean in one direction (to the north) we have to be vigilant on sheds....mobilehomes...tall sided rvs having a blow over if exposed to those high winds.

Pretty big leap to make a connection with a camper that was built the year I was born and a new Cirrus….you crack me up.

A lot more TC on the road back then. Just about every one with a pickup had a TC and usually pulled a boat or horse trailer...work trailer. Now days its rare to find a TC in a campground..around here anywayz.
Oh yeah...that 1972 truck camper was blow away in the Dec 5, 1975 tornado that hit east Tulsa, OK. We never replaced it but went to a small 24' 5th wheel trailer for more room. Sure miss a TC tho.

[kohldad]

I've always supported mine for safety. Good thing too as one day in the storage yard someone back their construction trailer so the ladder on the top punched a whole in the front of the cab-over and knocked it back enough to bend two jacks and rip one of them off the rear corner. If it had not been sitting on the trailer which moved with it, it would have fallen and taken out a nice bass boat and utility trailer with it.

I've used several methods over the years. One was four stacks of 4 cement blocks with cross boards. One was cross boards across a 5x8 utility trailer. One was a set of heavy duty sawhorses I custom made. Each had their own pros and cons but all stored the camper at truck bed height. This was important since I have manual jacks so minimal jacking was wanted.

[Grit_dog]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Mine sat on concrete blocks under the floor. Jacks were down to help keep the TC from a blow over from high winds.
I left my first (1972 9' 6") TC lowered just enough we could step up into it and left the TC on the 4 corner jacks from OCT to warm up time in April. The next summer the jacks were so loose and shaky I had to up size all the jacks mounting bolts so they would tighten.
I didn't leave the next two TC we owned on their jacks.
Living in constant high wind parts of the country where all the trees along the road lean in one direction (to the north) we have to be vigilant on sheds....mobilehomes...tall sided rvs having a blow over if exposed to those high winds.

Pretty big leap to make a connection with a camper that was built the year I was born and a new Cirrus….you crack me up.

[JIMNLIN]

Mine sat on concrete blocks under the floor. Jacks were down to help keep the TC from a blow over from high winds.
I left my first (1972 9' 6") TC lowered just enough we could step up into it and left the TC on the 4 corner jacks from OCT to warm up time in April. The next summer the jacks were so loose and shaky I had to up size all the jacks mounting bolts so they would tighten.
I didn't leave the next two TC we owned on their jacks.
Living in constant high wind parts of the country where all the trees along the road lean in one direction (to the north) we have to be vigilant on sheds....mobilehomes...tall sided rvs having a blow over if exposed to those high winds.

[specta]

When mine's not on the truck I store it on cinder blocks.