Shimmy and shake single axle trailers

[quoyfab]

My neighbor/friend just bought a 20-21' travel trailer. He an his wife did a 3 day/night at a local CG to check everything out. They both noticed the instability, and asked what they could do to minimize that wobbling. I have a few ideas, but felt some single axle owners may provide suggestions.

[jamesu]

mike-s wrote:
What works great is to lower the tongue with the jack, set the rear stabilizers, then raise the tongue to take a lot of weight off the axle. Finally, set the front stabilizers then let the weight off the jack. Much easier than trying to lift weight off the axle using just the stabilizers.

No way. Bad advice. Stabilizers are not designed to support that kind of weight. They are "stabilizers" not "jacks".

These TT's are just small homes on wheels. Get used to the movement and sounds while camping. It's just part of the experience.

[Timtation]

Our first camper was a single axle and it came with 4 nested jacks that had a screw top. Put one on each corner, twist the screw until it was hurting your thumb and go to the next one. You needed to be level first because you couldn't make much difference with the manual jacks. With only the single axle it seems like it was much more stable than my current 2 axle trailer no matter how I set it up.

[fairfaxjim]

Stabilizer jacks on the rear only will not give a stable platform, too much give in the tongue jack. Adding two at the front corners will help. They can also add BAL Lock Arm Stabilizer Bars to eliminate fore/aft sway of the stabilizer jacks. Tightly chocking the wheels or adding X-Chock stabilizer/chocks that fit between the tires will also help. Question is "when is enough?"

[bartlettj]

Another thing to check while towing is that the trailer is slightly nose down rather than nose up. The wind hitting the front of the trailer tends to raise the hitch slightly, and if it is already nose-up then more wind starts to flow under the trailer and make it worse, so it tends to flutter.

[Boon_Docker]

Removed Double Post

[Boon_Docker]

mike-s wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

mike-s wrote:
What works great is to lower the tongue with the jack, set the rear stabilizers, then raise the tongue to take a lot of weight off the axle. Finally, set the front stabilizers then let the weight off the jack. Much easier than trying to lift weight off the axle using just the stabilizers.

Now you have the trailer sitting on its four corners bending the he!! out of the frame. Bad advice.

LOL. First, I'm not suggesting lifting the wheels off the ground. Second, it's no different than cranking down on the stabilizers, just easier. Third, supporting a truss from 3 points gives it more strength than supporting it by one. Fourth, it works and doesn't hurt a thing.

Stabilizers are meant to stabilize not take weight off the axle. To the OP, do not listen to this bad advice.

[Golfcart]

The best way to eliminate the bounce is get those front corners stabilized as well.

When i first started campign in my single axle trailer I "discovered" pretty quickly that the hitch jack simple wasnt cutting it so i went to a local junk yard and got a couple scissor jacks for practically nothing and use them in the front corners

Do NOT pull all the weight off of your hitch jack. if the campsite is slightly unlevel the trailer frame will want to twist and you'll end up having cabinet/wall separation inside. Stabilizers(or front scissor jacks in my case) are meant to keep it stable, not lift.

[JIMNLIN]

Tire chocks will help stop fore and aft movement only.

BAL type telescoping stabilizers at the rear will eliminate side to side movement back there. If the unit still has to much movement then add the BAL to the front of the trailer. Both help in stopping any up and down movement.
Or many folks go with the JT system or a similar product.

[quoyfab]

The shake/bounce/shimmy IS while set up. Their Jayco has NO front stabilizers. My idea was to snug up wheel chocks on both tires, front and back. Not sure if pinching tires is good for tires, but think it would stabilize a bit. I also advocate blocks under stabilizers to minimize lowering them. Keep the ideas coming.

[mike-s]

Lynnmor wrote:

mike-s wrote:
What works great is to lower the tongue with the jack, set the rear stabilizers, then raise the tongue to take a lot of weight off the axle. Finally, set the front stabilizers then let the weight off the jack. Much easier than trying to lift weight off the axle using just the stabilizers.

Now you have the trailer sitting on its four corners bending the he!! out of the frame. Bad advice.

LOL. First, I'm not suggesting lifting the wheels off the ground. Second, it's no different than cranking down on the stabilizers, just easier. Third, supporting a truss from 3 points gives it more strength than supporting it by one. Fourth, it works and doesn't hurt a thing.

[GordonThree]

Lynnmor wrote:

mike-s wrote:
What works great is to lower the tongue with the jack, set the rear stabilizers, then raise the tongue to take a lot of weight off the axle. Finally, set the front stabilizers then let the weight off the jack. Much easier than trying to lift weight off the axle using just the stabilizers.

Now you have the trailer sitting on its four corners bending the he!! out of the frame. Bad advice.

You don't have to take all the weight off the axle, just a few 100 lbs should work, enough that the weight of a person walking around isn't making the suspension flex. Long as you're level, nothing should be bending or binding.

Something I'll have to try next time I'm out, good idea mike-s

[Lynnmor]

mike-s wrote:
What works great is to lower the tongue with the jack, set the rear stabilizers, then raise the tongue to take a lot of weight off the axle. Finally, set the front stabilizers then let the weight off the jack. Much easier than trying to lift weight off the axle using just the stabilizers.

Now you have the trailer sitting on its four corners bending the he!! out of the frame. Bad advice.

[mike-s]

What works great is to lower the tongue with the jack, set the rear stabilizers, then raise the tongue to take a lot of weight off the axle. Finally, set the front stabilizers then let the weight off the jack. Much easier than trying to lift weight off the axle using just the stabilizers.

[GordonThree]

If it's while parked... back up onto the tire chocks a little before chocking the other side of the tire (and disconnecting the truck). Tighten all the stabs twice, they can sink in and make sure they're using big pads.

There's tons of stuff that can be done, but why make setup and tear down take hours, for a weekend warrior it's not worth in IMHO - gotta develop sea legs, or big something bigger and much, much, much heavier.