stabilizers unwind.

[Horizonchase]

I know this might sound silly but when my wife and I tried to level our trailer using the attached stabilizers a strange thing happened. The weight of the trailer caused the scissor jacks to unwind! In other words, when I get it to where it is somewhat level the jack automatically retracts! Am I doing something wrong here? How the heck to I keep it from unwinding? When it unwinds it is no longer level!

[wandering1]

Stabilizers are not for leveling trailers.

[jperry29]

Your stabilizer jacks are just that, stabilizers. Proper use of them would include lowering them to just the point where they begin to bear a load and then do one full revolution, that's it.

But be sure to do your front to back leveling first with the landing gear and the side to side leveling has to be done before that by driving up on blocks on the low side. Only after these two things are done should you deploy the stabilizers as described above.

[Horizonchase]

Originally Posted by jperry29

Your stabilizer jacks are just that, stabilizers. Proper use of them would include lowering them to just the point where they begin to bear a load and then do one full revolution, that's it.

But be sure to do your front to back leveling first with the landing gear and the side to side leveling has to be done before that by driving up on blocks on the low side. Only after these two things are done should you deploy the stabilizers as described above.

Thanks. I wasn't using the leveling blocks properly.
What is the "landing gear" if you don't mind my asking? Sorry for my ignorance. This is all very new to me and the Mrs.

[Dunner]

On a 5er, it is the jacks you use to un-hook from the tow vehicle. Some are electric, some are manual.

[jperry29]

Like Dunner said; it's the two big legs up front. They either crank down manually (don't see this very often), are actuated by an electric motor (probably the most common method) or hydraulically (usually found on higher-end rigs).

If you have the electric motor style jacks, then there is a strong likelyhood that they will be the pin-style. There are two sections to the jacks; one is moved up and down by the electric motor and the other is adjusted manually by you. You pull the pin and extend the footpad in a way that allows each jack (landing gear) to touch the ground and begin bearing a load at the same time.

Getting the side-to-side level and then having the landing gear bear the load equally helps keep you from having frustrating problems like a sticking entry door and round things from rolling off the counter tops. If things are not level and jacks are not uniformly lifting, then you can potentially flex the frame in a way that twists it and cause these inconveniences.

One other thing about getting the rig level. While everything I have talked about so far relates to your comfort, there is at least one good technical reason to get your rig level - the refrigerator. For the fridge to work at its maximum efficiency it needs to be level. I am not talking about dead-on, a degree or two in any direction is not going to make or break whether it works. But you should give your fridge every advantage and not make it work extra hard because one set of wheels is in a hole.

[Horizonchase]

Thanks all for explaining that to me. I won't feel so foolish now on my first attempt to level the trailer at the campground. I actually knew that the refrigerator had to be level in order for it to work properly.

[Dunner]

When I had a 33' toy hauler, I never used the landing gear at the dunes(only place I go). If the trailer was high in the front, I would dig 4" holes in front of the truck rear tires and pull forward to let the truck settle in them to level the trailer. There was no need to un-hook. Being just me and the dog, I didn't need the stabilizers. I did use the landing gear and stabilizers when I went to Rocky Point, Mexico and had to un-hook.