BAL Lock-arm stabilizing bar

[marcv]

Hi,

I have a Jayco travel trailer, 28' total length, no slides.
The trailer shakes a little bit when we move inside, during the day it is fine but bother us in during the night as the trailer shakes when my kids move in their beds. My kids sleep in the back of the trailer and I sleep in front of the trailer.

I brought the BAL Lock-Arm Stabilizers from Camping World, it came with two stabilizer bars.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/bal-lock-arm-stabilizing-bar/37028

Are those two enough to stabilize the trailer? If yes where should I put them?

1. Both in the same jack, where one bar will be on the side of the trailer and the other one in the back? This way I will have force against movements from both directions?

2. Different jacks. On the jacks in the back, one bar on the curb side and the other on the street side.

3. Other configuration?!


At Camping World they had two more options. One was the Universal RV Stabilizer, for ~$50. This one is not mounted on the trailer, I will need to setup every time. The sale guy told me it is better to have two of them, one in the back and one in the side at the front of the trailer. This will end up being $100.
The other option was the Eliminator Strut Stabilizer System. This come with 6 struts and the price was too high for me, $260.

The one I got was $70 and the sales guy told me two bars will be good enough, so, I got this one…

Thanks,
Marcelo

[IC2]

They will help but regardless of what anyone says, there will always be a bit of shake as long as you have rubber tires and springs holding the unit off of the ground. Then there's that single wobbly tube hooked to that tripod in the front. A set of the BAL crank down jacks on each of the front corners along with your stabilizers will help even more. What worked for me when I had a TT was the pair of BAL jacks in the rear as the CW photo shows and in the front I had a couple of inexpensive Sears screw jacks (similar to your BAL's). I then loaded them against the rears and in effect took some small percentage of the weight off of the wheel/tire assemblies. While they weren't permanently attached, they were easy to store and set up with a couple of blocks under them - and they could also be used for various other chores around the house as well as changing trailer or TV tires. I even used that arrangement on an older 5th wheel with good success.

[Ray,IN]

Between-the-tires chocks work quite well at keeping our 5er motionless. You may purchase them for around $50ea, or do as I did. I made my own from scraps of treated 4x4 wood, a length of 3/8" all-thread, 3 3/8X16 nuts, and 3 flat washers. I think I spent ~ $7 to make 2, one for each side. Wood 4x4 blocks are cut 6" on top side, 3" on other side, so to make a chock. Drill a 3/8 hole in the middle of the 6" side,assemble the blocks and you now have a set of wheel chocks to keep you from getting awakened.

[marcv]

That's a good one, I will try to make one of those shocks like you described... I didnt buy them because they are expensive... $7 looks a good price


Yesterday I added the two BAL Lock-Arm Stabilizers on the jacks on the back of the trailer. One on the street side and one on the curb side.
When I unlock one of them I can shake the trailer easily by hand, after lock both of them the trailer is much more solid and does not shake that much.
I will be camping during the weekend, lets see how that goes, right now looks very promissing.