Wheels on jacks

[WANA__B]

Has anyone ever put wheels on the 4 jacks to assist in loading the camper? I'm thinking about putting 3 inch steel swivel wheels on the jacks to help me get the unit straight when loading it.

[sonuvabug]

ScottG wrote:
My TC was always like a drunken spider on its jacks.
Now I'm picturing a drunken spider on skates.

Awesome imagery ... very well stated!

[DWeikert]

I'd also thought about the getting a set of those 3-wheeled furniture movers to put under the jacks just to allow that little nudge you often need to get the camper centered. Hopefully sometime this year I'll have a concrete floor under the camper. For general storage/moving I'd prefer a frame of some sort that supports the tub, not just the jacks, with wheels under that. Problem I'm having is finding a set of wheeled movers with the appropriate weight rating.

For those concerned about lateral forces being exerted on the jacks, check out this video.
Loading a truck camper, by HalmarkRV
:E

[Joe417]

I thought about guides in the truck bed, but what are the chances of bending the jacks if they are firmly on the ground and the guides push the camper over trying to center the TC.

I haven't worried if it isn't exactly centered. We just try to get it close.

[finsruskw]

Make the same thing from a few pieces of 2x6 lumber and save about $110!!

[Tom_Anderson]

jimh425 wrote:

WANA B wrote:
Do you know where I might get the metal guides??

Here's one source.

https://squareup.com/store/truckcampersupply/item/lance-camper-centering-guides

Those look great. Nice and simple. I'm totally going to make myself some.

[burningman]

Centering guides are a MUCH better idea, they're a good idea for every camper. Campers tend to walk around a bit, guides keep them in proper position without having to get too crazy-tight on the tiedowns.

[jimh406]

WANA B wrote:
Do you know where I might get the metal guides??

Here's one source.

https://squareup.com/store/truckcampersupply/item/lance-camper-centering-guides

[Tom_Anderson]

ticki2 wrote:

Tom_Anderson wrote:


But at least the side load would be shared among all the jacks, since one would not be able to move independently of the others.

I think the wheels would make it easier for the jacks to react independently of each other . The jack friction at the ground aides in the overall system . Look at anything that rolls on casters and it s usually braced heavily between all the legs down low near the wheels . Camper jack mounting is not nearly sturdy enough for this .

It would be braced down low. We're talking about a frame at the bottom of the jacks, with the casters under it.

volzalum wrote:

But at least the side load would be shared among all the jacks, since one would not be able to move independently of the others.

How would you back the truck in if it was a single platform?

Not a platform, just a perimeter frame. You could make the front piece low enough to drive over, or make it u-shaped instead of rectangular.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, or that it would work, just that the frame thing might make it harder to bend the jacks.

[volzalum]

But at least the side load would be shared among all the jacks, since one would not be able to move independently of the others.

How would you back the truck in if it was a single platform?

[ticki2]

Tom_Anderson wrote:


But at least the side load would be shared among all the jacks, since one would not be able to move independently of the others.

I think the wheels would make it easier for the jacks to react independently of each other . The jack friction at the ground aides in the overall system . Look at anything that rolls on casters and it s usually braced heavily between all the legs down low near the wheels . Camper jack mounting is not nearly sturdy enough for this .

[Tom_Anderson]

d3500ram wrote:

...how about lowering it onto a frame that has caster wheels on bottom?

The relationship of lever-to-fulcrum pivot point will still be present... that is, the weakest point affected by a lateral force acting sideways is still at the jack mounting location at the camper carcass.

But at least the side load would be shared among all the jacks, since one would not be able to move independently of the others.

[d3500ram]

In my opinion, the only way that jacks-on-wheels will work is if there is a true moment connection in all direction (relative to plan view) of the jacks at the camper.

Even if this were achievable, the camper sides would need to be able to withstand the forces transmitted upon it. If both of these could be achieved, then the weakest point would be along the length of the jacks themselves (i.e. you would not want the jacks to bend when rolling the camper as a whole.)

(...sorry, the engineer in me comes out when analyzing things like this along with too much coffee and boredom at work.)

[d3500ram]

...how about lowering it onto a frame that has caster wheels on bottom?

The relationship of lever-to-fulcrum pivot point will still be present... that is, the weakest point affected by a lateral force acting sideways is still at the jack mounting location at the camper carcass.

[towpro]

how about lowering it onto a frame that has caster wheels on bottom?

I must have been asleep when they typed this. The OP was hooking to use wheels to load campet