I recently inherited a 20 year old, 24' long Fleetwood Mallard TT. It was a "free" gift from my son. My wife and I are quickly learning that there is no such thing as a "free" TT. Being 20 years old and not being used in a couple of years, it has/had some issues to be addressed. There were some electrical and plumbing problems which were repaired before I took the TT from northern California to the Dallas area. I also had to replace a circuit board ($200.00) to get the heater working. Since I got the TT home, I have removed and replaced all the old caulking in the bathroom and the kitchen, installed a TV, a storage shelf, and am working on replacing the dining room table (the old one was fiberboard that was cracked and unusable).
All the above being said, I am looking at some future improvements I would like to make. I want to replace the 20# propane tanks with 40# tanks, I want to install an electric tong jack (oh my aching arms!!!), and I want to install a set of scissor type leveling jacks. My question is, what type of scissor jacks should I look for? Are there jacks that I should stay away from? Do I want to mount them to the frame under the TT permanently, or stow them in the storage compartment when not in use? This is our first TT, and we are as DUMB as DIRT when it comes to this thing.
Any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated...
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USMCRet
All the above being said, I am looking at some future improvements I would like to make. I want to replace the 20# propane tanks with 40# tanks, I want to install an electric tong jack (oh my aching arms!!!), and I want to install a set of scissor type leveling jacks. My question is, what type of scissor jacks should I look for? Are there jacks that I should stay away from? Do I want to mount them to the frame under the TT permanently, or stow them in the storage compartment when not in use? This is our first TT, and we are as DUMB as DIRT when it comes to this thing.
Any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated...
๐
USMCRet
My old 1990 Gulfstream TT came with these for stabilizers:
Not very convenient, so I went to a pick-n-pull junkyard and bought four scissor jacks for $25.00 (total, not each). I drilled a couple holes through the pad on top and bolted them to the four corners of the camper. Worked a treat for 20 years.
When stabilizing your camper, the first thing you want to do is level it left to right. This is usually accomplished by stacking planks on the low side and pulling the camper up onto them. For my new TT I use these levelers from Anderson Hitches:
Quite a bit more expensive than wood planks, but much easier to use and store. I'm also a clean nut, so I have replaced just about all my wood stuff with plastic.
Anyway, once you have it leveled left to right, you'll need to chock the wheels on both sides. My Anderson levelers are also chocks, so that takes care of one side. I use the yellow plastic chocks you can get at Wal Mart for around 5 bucks each on the other side. Harbor Freight has some really good rubber chocks for around 9 bucks, but they are pretty heavy, so I don't use them.
Once the camper is leveled and chocked, then you disconnect from the hitch. Using the tongue jack, level your camper front to rear.
While all this leveling is important for your comfort, it is most important for your refrigerator. It needs to be as level as you can get it to operate properly. Some people go so far as to put a bull's eye level in the bottom of the fridge to verify it is properly leveled. I trust the levels I have installed on the outside.
So, after you're leveled, chocked, unhitched, and leveled, go ahead and set your stabilizers. You don't want them to be extended too far because they get wobbly, so stack some wood or plastic "lego blocks" under them. Extend them just until they make firm contact with the ground. If you see the frame flex, you've gone too far and can weaken things like the door frame, causing it to go out of square.
Other optional items used to help lock the camper down and reduce movement inside are things like 'X' chocks between the tires.
I happen to have BAL lock arms on my rear stabilizers. These really stiffen things up.
As noted in another post, it can't be emphasized enough, the importance of getting up on the roof and sealing everything. If your TT has a built in ladder, the roof is probably a walk on roof. If not, be sure to get a sheet of plywood to spread your weight around while you work up there. Also, note what kind of roof you have. I may be fiberglass, aluminum, or rubber. If it's rubber, be careful not to cut or tear it. If you do damage it, Eternabond tape is the best thing to use to repair it.
Go around anything that penetrates the roof and check for hardened or dried up caulk. When these campers were made, Eternabond wasn't around. Everything on my new camper came from the manufacturer sealed with Eternabond. It is the berries. I'd remove all the old sealants and Eternabond every seam you can find up there, including the roof edges. The tape comes in various widths and will seal up just about anything. It is considered a permanent seal once applied.
Finally, the easiest way to avoid posting oversized photos is to use an online repository such as photobucket.com . By linking to the photos, they can be any size and the forum software will resize the photo for you. No need to specify size or edit your photos.
The systems on these campers require constant attention or they will suddenly quit working at the most inopportune time. Be sure you repack and inspect all your wheel bearings. Also, check your brakes to ensure they are properly adjusted and that they function properly (to include the break-away cable). You'll want to remove your window frames, remove the old sealant, and replace with fresh butyl rubber. This comes in a roll form that is very easy to apply. It's not so easy to remove the old stuff. But you want to make sure water does not get inside your camper. It will do terrible damage to ceiling, walls, and most of all, the floor.
Good luck, and be sure to post lots of pics as you revive your camper.
wrvond USN(ret)
Not very convenient, so I went to a pick-n-pull junkyard and bought four scissor jacks for $25.00 (total, not each). I drilled a couple holes through the pad on top and bolted them to the four corners of the camper. Worked a treat for 20 years.
When stabilizing your camper, the first thing you want to do is level it left to right. This is usually accomplished by stacking planks on the low side and pulling the camper up onto them. For my new TT I use these levelers from Anderson Hitches:
Quite a bit more expensive than wood planks, but much easier to use and store. I'm also a clean nut, so I have replaced just about all my wood stuff with plastic.
Anyway, once you have it leveled left to right, you'll need to chock the wheels on both sides. My Anderson levelers are also chocks, so that takes care of one side. I use the yellow plastic chocks you can get at Wal Mart for around 5 bucks each on the other side. Harbor Freight has some really good rubber chocks for around 9 bucks, but they are pretty heavy, so I don't use them.
Once the camper is leveled and chocked, then you disconnect from the hitch. Using the tongue jack, level your camper front to rear.
While all this leveling is important for your comfort, it is most important for your refrigerator. It needs to be as level as you can get it to operate properly. Some people go so far as to put a bull's eye level in the bottom of the fridge to verify it is properly leveled. I trust the levels I have installed on the outside.
So, after you're leveled, chocked, unhitched, and leveled, go ahead and set your stabilizers. You don't want them to be extended too far because they get wobbly, so stack some wood or plastic "lego blocks" under them. Extend them just until they make firm contact with the ground. If you see the frame flex, you've gone too far and can weaken things like the door frame, causing it to go out of square.
Other optional items used to help lock the camper down and reduce movement inside are things like 'X' chocks between the tires.
I happen to have BAL lock arms on my rear stabilizers. These really stiffen things up.
As noted in another post, it can't be emphasized enough, the importance of getting up on the roof and sealing everything. If your TT has a built in ladder, the roof is probably a walk on roof. If not, be sure to get a sheet of plywood to spread your weight around while you work up there. Also, note what kind of roof you have. I may be fiberglass, aluminum, or rubber. If it's rubber, be careful not to cut or tear it. If you do damage it, Eternabond tape is the best thing to use to repair it.
Go around anything that penetrates the roof and check for hardened or dried up caulk. When these campers were made, Eternabond wasn't around. Everything on my new camper came from the manufacturer sealed with Eternabond. It is the berries. I'd remove all the old sealants and Eternabond every seam you can find up there, including the roof edges. The tape comes in various widths and will seal up just about anything. It is considered a permanent seal once applied.
Finally, the easiest way to avoid posting oversized photos is to use an online repository such as photobucket.com . By linking to the photos, they can be any size and the forum software will resize the photo for you. No need to specify size or edit your photos.
The systems on these campers require constant attention or they will suddenly quit working at the most inopportune time. Be sure you repack and inspect all your wheel bearings. Also, check your brakes to ensure they are properly adjusted and that they function properly (to include the break-away cable). You'll want to remove your window frames, remove the old sealant, and replace with fresh butyl rubber. This comes in a roll form that is very easy to apply. It's not so easy to remove the old stuff. But you want to make sure water does not get inside your camper. It will do terrible damage to ceiling, walls, and most of all, the floor.
Good luck, and be sure to post lots of pics as you revive your camper.
wrvond USN(ret)
JordanH wrote:
Thats around the size im hoping will fit in mine. How did you mount the tv mount? Did you screw into studs or bolt through on a cabinet?
Jordan, we (my son and I) found 2 studs in the wall. We counter sunk our holes and drilled 6 (3 on each stud) 3" wood screws into the backing board you see in the picture below. Then using the hardware that came with the mount, I centered the TV/mount where I wanted it, marked the holes, and screwed the mount to the backing board with two 2-1/2" lag bolts.
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USMCRet
