Supporting camper with cinder blocks??

[SS_Sean]

For my 2008 Lance 1181, is it appropriate to store the camper on cinder blocks on all four corners, with a 2x8 across the blocks, so the bottom of the camper is supported?

[specta]

[SS_Sean]

I'd slap up a picture but it's just 3 blocks on each corner and I strung a 6 foot 2x10 across the tops, front and rear. Seems to have done the job nicely. camper is solid as heck, and not going anywhere. Now to get it covered this week.

[Mike134]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:

K Mac wrote:
Just make sure the cells (holes) are vertical as in the Spectra pic. :

Exactly! That way they could probably hold a house up. 😉

Or a 3 story building including the concrete floors such as your kids school.

But they are no longer called or made of "cinder blocks" They are "Concrete Masonry Units" and quite capable of holding up any camper.

[Darryl_Rita]

Cinder blocks are for supporting Camaros in the weeds, not anything of value.

[SS_Sean]

I got it supported. Thanks for the advice, gentlemen. I appreciate it.

[Kayteg1]

On my 12' campers I observed that about 70% of the weight goes on front jacks and also water tank is placed there, when at 1 point my floor started separating under tank weight.
So I always support front floor edge of my campers, when big aluminium bumper was giving enough stability for rear, jack-only support.
Having some water damage of front/lower wall on my Fleetwood, during the repair I noticed how the frame members sag over the years under camper and possible ties load.
So I always split the front weight between lower floor support and jacks to keep the front square.
It also helped to have floor support when rain soften the soil and jacks sunk.

[Bradymydog]

For our Bigfoot, I made a "pallet" consisting of (3) 4x4 supports topped with 3/4" PT plywood. The top of the pallet matches the bottom of the camper. The 4x4's are placed as per Bigfoots instructions. I have a 1" ploy iso foam board on top of the pallet to allow for some cushion. The 4x4's are supported on each end by aluminum jacks stands which are of top of 8"x16x4"solid cement blocks. I just lower the camper down, level it so that it is very close to the pallet. Then just raise each of the 6 jacks so the pallet is supporting the camper. Then I raise the camper jacks and then lower them to "assist" with taking some of the load. I've had no problems with this storage, the camper is 12-14" off the ground and is very stable.

[towpro]

I used a 4x4 about 4' wide side to side front and rear, with screw jacks on top of 2x8 pieces that we had laying around from the tow behind camper days. The screw jacks make it easy to adjust them and the 2x8 pieces soak up the bug spray to stop intruders from coming in.

this is in addition to the 4 camper legs.

[d3500ram]

When I had mine, I used PT 6x6 that I had acquired for free from CL. When placed on the timbers and the jacks lowered down atop log blocks it was super stable:

[BurbMan]

I have 4 cinder blocks, one at each corner. I run a 4x4 side-to-side across each pair of blocks, then a pair of 2x10's running front-to rear on top of the 4x4's. This keeps the camper close to the ground so I don't need steps to get in/out.

The 2x10's go in the truck bed with the camper for bed rail clearance, so I only have to move 4 blocks and 2 4' 4x4s.

[JohnJM]

I use jack stands, with 2x10 across the bottom of the camper. I only do it when it stored for a long period of time.

[mkirsch]

Why would you think cinder blocks are any less appropriate than any other means to support the camper while it's in storage? As long as you lay them right way up, they'll work as good as anything else that's capable of supporting the weight.

The options to provide extra support during long term storage are endless. You can go as sophisticated or as crude as you want as long as what you use is stable and capable of holding the weight.

[jimh406]

I’ve used small screw jack stands that store inside themselves with boards to add stability. Others have used plywood cut in an X with plywood on top. I think it all depend on the structure underneath your TC how much it needs supported, and whether you want to take it with you.

These are the ones I use that are $35 or so on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000760FWU/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_1mKXFbNX9F24W?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

YMMV, but my TC has been supported on the jacks when off the truck for 14 1/2 years for most of the time with no issues so far.

[specta]

StirCrazy wrote:
I am thinking of making wooden saw horse type stands only because im old and dont like hauling 12 cinder blocks every time I take it on or off haha

Steve

Me too. They keep getting heavier and heavier.

Fortunately I only took my camper off twice this year.




The previous owner added this to the bottom of the camper. I would guess it was for bedrail clearance. It works for my truck too.

So I don't put any boards between the blocks to rest the camper on.