Outrigger removal ??

[Turbo_Terry]

I have a Dodge pickup with a 8. 6 foot slide in camper. It has Atwood electric jacks with plug in electrical wiring. They are pretty easy to remove and weigh 35 lbs each. The rear one are a little in the way when I pull my 8 by 10 snow go trailer with 4 wheelers etc. They don't allow me to turn as short of circle and backing up and putting the stairs down with the trailer on by jack knifing it is easier with out the rear jacks. As I have gotten older I can't just jump up there like I used too. I have in 16 years never removed the camper from the truck except at home or at the dealer to leave for repairs. Never out and about. I'm going on a major road trip in a couple of weeks. My question is share your thoughts of not having the outriggers on etc when travleling or leave them at home I appreciate your input. Thanks

[mkirsch]

My solution was a simple 12" hitch extension. That way I could keep the jacks on the camper and not punch another hole in the front of my trailer no matter how short I turned.

[AnEv942]

Extended hitch or trailer tounge so rear jacks on/off not an issue?
Or if removed because of trailer-throw rear jacks on trailer.

[Phancy]

I had to have injectors replaced in Tucson a few years ago, had to take the camper off at a campground while the truck was being repaired in town. Another time while in Florida we wanted to spend a few days at Tortugas National park there was no spot to park the truck and camper in Key West so we dropped the camper at at a campground. Our camper seldom leaves the truck but these two situations the jacks helped move the day along easily.

[jefe_4x4]

Turbo,
I guess I'll have to introduce some counterpoint here. Our Atwood jacks are only on when at home and doing their job. The jacks are always left at home when on a trip with the TC. Why? We find ourselves in the wilder areas a lot, and would drag or scrape them off by passing rocks, curbs, trees, or an undulating trail cut into the hillside. It's so....liberating. The side view mirrors also have a less obstructed view. Ours are mechanical, so no electrical to disconnect. In the 165K miles and 18 years of driving the truck mostly with the camper on I've never needed to remove the camper or need the jacks for any reason on the road. This includes a roundtrip to AK from L.A., over 9K miles and 32 days with 2500 miles of dirt and gravel roads. We camped on a sandbar IN the Stickine River, down a faint and narrow two track. Just think of your rig a a class C with no easy way to ditch the camper part. We had an oil change in Fairbanks. No problem. Blew a tire on the lonely road to Inuvik and had to buy a new tire in Whitehorse, no problem getting a new one fitted with the camper on. How lonely? Signs announced that this was GRIZZ territory and that's where we had the flat. Jeanie stood guard while plugged the hole with 6 or 7 Safety Seal tire plugs and used my CO2 tank to quickly blow the tire back up; we were out of there. Just about anywhere you go, they are used to working on Class C's and small MoHo's, especially in the touristy areas, so are prepared for your little rolling campmobile.
jefe

[Turbo_Terry]

Okay I have come up with my solution. After much thought etc the problem is very simple. On my long out of Alaska trip we are going to the Yukon and Northwest Territorries I will leave them on. We are not pulling a trailer so that's a none issue but at home when I'm with in a couple three hours of the house I will take the outriggers off so I can back up better and use the stairs on a jack knife without unhooking the trailer etc. if I really
need them someone could bring them to me . Like when we go to our favorite spots with the kids and grand kids with trailer to ride 4 wheelers. Everybody is right. Far from home you may have to drop the camper etc and it would be very difficult without them. Just talking about it helped me .Thanks and I'm glad to be on the forum

[Itchey_Feet]

We use ours every night, drop them down to keep wind from rocking TC. If there happens to be a reason to remove the camper, and you have left them @ home what will you do?

[Reddog1]

I have only had to take my TC off one time in years of camping and that was when I blew a transmission. I am sure I could have improvised, but I had enough drama just dealing with the transmission. If I were to take them off I would still take them with me. I bet you could strap and/or chain them to your trailer if you did not want them in your truck.

[d3500ram]

Turbo Terry wrote:
.... I would never try to lift the whole truck by corner with the electric jacks. They rip right off

Agreed. I only suggest taking the camper jacks with in case there is evcer the need to take to camper off when on your travels.

I have never had to on my jaunts But I have taken the camper jacks off on one trip that was into a rugged rain-soaked snot slippery forest road. I took them off because there was the possibility of sliding sideways even chained up on all fours- I did not want to damage the side of the camper if I slid sideways into the low embankment. That would have caused damage to the camper if it were to have occurred with the jacks in place.

But- I most certainly took the jacks with me if there was ever the case I need to off load the camper from the truck. That did not happen and I returned the jacks to the proper place upon return home.

Turbo Terry wrote:
.... My question is share your thoughts of not having the outriggers on etc when travleling or leave them at home I appreciate your input. Thanks

Do what you think is best for your situation, but it is sort of like that old adage: It is better to have them and not need them instead of needing them an not having them.

JMHO.

[Turbo_Terry]

I carry a 6 ton or 12 000 lbs bottle jack. At 10 k total each corner should weigh about 2500 to 3000 lbs so it will lift the a corner easily without unhooking camper from the truck. I would never try to lift the whole truck by corner with the electric jacks. They rip right off

[d3500ram]

Kayteg1 wrote:
....
I would take them with me.... they might turn priceless when/if needed.

^-- This!

[Kayteg1]

What is the range of your bottle jack and how much your truck squats under the camper?
Now do the 2nd calculation when you remove camper with rear flat and have to put it back with inflated tire?

[Turbo_Terry]

I carry a bottle jack that will lift any corner of the camper My truck and camper weigh 10 k

[Kayteg1]

Won't you need them for spare tire removal?
I would take them with me, in truck cabin, or on the roof, but they might turn priceless when/if needed.