My TT - Love & Hate relationship

[zackyboy3rs]

34ft Palomino Sabre 31qbds

Love the floor plan

Hate that it bounces & shakes

I have used the x-chocks on both sides. I have attempted to use stablizer manual jacks on the slide out sides.

It has electric jacks & they stink. Would switching to manual scissor jacks help? Could I install scissor jacks & use both?

[zackyboy3rs]

lawrosa wrote:

34ft Palomino Sabre 31qbds

Love the floor plan

Hate that it bounces & shakes

I have used the x-chocks on both sides. I have attempted to use stablizer manual jacks on the slide out sides.

It has electric jacks & they stink. Would switching to manual scissor jacks help? Could I install scissor jacks & use both?

I use these jacks from walmart..

I lower the front of the TT as low as it can go then place two jacks on the rear frame.

Then I lift the front up to just above level then place two on the front frame. Then lower.. All four corners are now fully supported..

I get zero bounce and shake. ( I support on Wood blocks )

Camco jacks

I ordered 4 jacks from Wally World yesterday. Free delivery.

[lawrosa]

The video would only be realistic for a seasonal sited TT. Nobody is gonna lug all of that along.

As for your suggestion of only using 4 jacks... It is a really good way to bend the frame and ruin the TT. One may get away with it on a short TT with a real stout frame... Other than that, No way Jos'e.

Really? I never suggested to lug cinder blocks around.. I am showing how to do it with the jacks I linked to..

How are you going to bend the frame?
What makes a stout frame and a non stout frame?

I have a 24ft travel trailer. 2003 coachman Spirt of america and my frame is not bent after 11 years..( Plus its not like its lifting the wheels off the ground.

And if you do have a longer trailer use 6 jacks and placed as shown in the video..

Other then that, then yes way jose'... Its the only way to have a sturdy non wobble trailer with easy set up...

Again I am showing the OP how I do it.. The stock scissor jacks just wobble because they are too long after they are cranked down...

And IMO best value for 31 bucks instead of hundreds for those other type jacks..

[Ron3rd]

Doug33 wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:
One thing that might help is to use a scissor jack under one of the axles. I have a 35 ft TT and have had the same problem and explored options on the Forest River forum, where I got the idea of the scissor jack there. Seems to be a problem on the very long trailers like yours and ours. The jack helps quite a bit.

Same here. If it's just me and the wife for a weekend I won't bother, but if the whole family goes, I use a scissors jack on the axle between the wheels on both sides and it makes a huge difference. The X-chocks don't work effectively on my TT because it sits so high off the ground and there is a huge distance between the two tires.

BTW - I notice the bouncing the most when I am sitting on the bathroom throne at the back of the TT. When a bunch of people are moving around and in/out of the unit, I feel like I'm on an amusement ride and need to strap myself in. 🙂

I considered the X-Chocks but read posts like yours where it did not solve the problem. The Chocks help solve "front to back" motion only and do nothing for up and down motion which is very common on the long trailers. Some of the up and down movement is even in the tires. Putting the jack under the axle is the only thing I found to greatly lessen, but not eliminate the movement.

[Huntindog]

lawrosa wrote:

I love Wally's description. Still trying to figure out how that works?

"You can use the stand to stabilize the "spring bounce" that could occur between the front and back of your trailer to help your overall ride feel smoother. You can also enjoy greater stability inside the RV when it is stopped for camping."

lawrosa wrote:


I use these jacks from walmart..

I lower the front of the TT as low as it can go then place two jacks on the rear frame. Then I lift the front up to just above level then place two on the front frame. Then lower.. All four corners are now fully supported..

I get zero bounce and shake. ( I support on Wood blocks )

Camco jacks

If you follow this video is exactly how I do it. But I use those aluminum camco jacks at the 4 corners. ( I don't use cinder blocks as this guy talked about.)

You see after you get side to side good you lower the tongue as low as it can go. Put the stands at the two rear corners on the frame. Then jack the tongue up to above level.

Place two jack stands on the front two corners and lower the tongue.

The trailer is now supported by the frame with jacks that do not wobble like the crappy scissor jacks they give you.

Level/stabilize an RV the correct way to prevent any wobble or shake...

The video would only be realistic for a seasonal sited TT. Nobody is gonna lug all of that along.

As for your suggestion of only using 4 jacks... It is a really good way to bend the frame and ruin the TT. One may get away with it on a short TT with a real stout frame... Other than that, No way Jos'e.

[lawrosa]

I love Wally's description. Still trying to figure out how that works?

"You can use the stand to stabilize the "spring bounce" that could occur between the front and back of your trailer to help your overall ride feel smoother. You can also enjoy greater stability inside the RV when it is stopped for camping."

lawrosa wrote:


I use these jacks from walmart..

I lower the front of the TT as low as it can go then place two jacks on the rear frame. Then I lift the front up to just above level then place two on the front frame. Then lower.. All four corners are now fully supported..

I get zero bounce and shake. ( I support on Wood blocks )

Camco jacks

If you follow this video is exactly how I do it. But I use those aluminum camco jacks at the 4 corners. ( I don't use cinder blocks as this guy talked about.)

You see after you get side to side good you lower the tongue as low as it can go. Put the stands at the two rear corners on the frame. Then jack the tongue up to above level.

Place two jack stands on the front two corners and lower the tongue.

The trailer is now supported by the frame with jacks that do not wobble like the crappy scissor jacks they give you.

Level/stabilize an RV the correct way to prevent any wobble or shake...

[bhh]

I love Wally's description. Still trying to figure out how that works? :?

"You can use the stand to stabilize the "spring bounce" that could occur between the front and back of your trailer to help your overall ride feel smoother. You can also enjoy greater stability inside the RV when it is stopped for camping."

lawrosa wrote:

I use these jacks from walmart..

I lower the front of the TT as low as it can go then place two jacks on the rear frame. Then I lift the front up to just above level then place two on the front frame. Then lower.. All four corners are now fully supported..

I get zero bounce and shake. ( I support on Wood blocks )

Camco jacks

[Doug33]

Ron3rd wrote:
One thing that might help is to use a scissor jack under one of the axles. I have a 35 ft TT and have had the same problem and explored options on the Forest River forum, where I got the idea of the scissor jack there. Seems to be a problem on the very long trailers like yours and ours. The jack helps quite a bit.

Same here. If it's just me and the wife for a weekend I won't bother, but if the whole family goes, I use a scissors jack on the axle between the wheels on both sides and it makes a huge difference. The X-chocks don't work effectively on my TT because it sits so high off the ground and there is a huge distance between the two tires.

BTW - I notice the bouncing the most when I am sitting on the bathroom throne at the back of the TT. When a bunch of people are moving around and in/out of the unit, I feel like I'm on an amusement ride and need to strap myself in. 🙂

[anaro]

I haven't tried it yet but I have heard stabilizing under the steps goes a long ways. Also rubber chicks hammered tight under the tires helps to. It strong arms on the new 5er work great.

[HGL]

I am curious about this thread as my 40lb 5 year old will rock us around on cement pads when dancing..."let it go". If someone could post pictures about what they are doing, I would be greatly appreciative as it sounds like you are adding in extra sets of stands to the frame of the trailer to keep it from moving.

Thanks in advance!

[Huntindog]

I have a Sabre. I installed jacks in front of the wheels. That pretty much took care of it.
With a TT as long as ours, even a stout frame like the Sabre's will flex some.
I thought about installing another power stabilizer there like the ones it cam with. But decided to use the standard BAL type scissors jacks instead. With these I can make minor side to side leveling adjustments before dropping the main jacks. Been doing this for 2-3 years and it works very well.

[goducks10]

What are you setting in on. On pavement with my DIY JT's it pretty much rock solid. On dirt or gravel not so much. JMO is that you need some form of jack stabilizers like JT Strongarms front and rear. And good chocks. Putting under the frame near the axles helps too.

[ddschuman]

JT Strongarms really help with the shimmy and shake. They are easy to install

[Big_Love]

29' Rockwood with large slide sits steady with the 4 corner stabilizers down, BAL chocks between both wheels and two Camco jacks mid frame near the axles. Usually do it in that order.

[cyntdon2010]

The Bigger Blocks, the less Bounce

[Sandia_Man]

Hard to eliminate all movement and bounce, but we have BAL scissor jacks (front), stab jacks (rear), and chocks between the wheels and when all are properly implemented they reduce movement about 80% on our 33' rig. Adding scissor jacks just in front of wheels can help, in severe cases JT Strong Arm stabilizers added to jack stands will further eliminate movement. Thus far we are happy with what is working currently for us.