Stabilizer Jacks for trailer?

cpw

cpw

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As part of our comp trailer build out we did a couple years ago, we bought some 5000 pound stabilizer jacks and mounted them on the back corners of the trailer to help level the trailer out. This weekend when we went to use one of the jacks, one of them started to buckle, I need to purchase something new to use in it's place, and had a few questions:

1) are stabilizer jacks (even a 7500 pound rated one) strong enough to lift and hold the trailer up? (it's a 16'x8.5' cargo trailer)
2) is there something out there that would work better without breaking the budget?
3) When the stabilizer jack buckled, we pulled out the jack from the truck to use (similar scissor jack style) to use to support the trailer. It was MUCH easier to raise up than the other jack we have, is that because it's geared differently? If we go to a higher rated jack, should it be easier to raise as well?

thanks for any help!
 
Hey There;

If you are using stabilizer jacks that are designed for RV use, be aware that the jacks are not actually designed to lift the trailer, only to help the unit from shaking/rocking. If you tried to lift a significant amount of weight on the jack, that's probably why it buckled.

If you are using the same setup that you had when I cooked next to you earlier this year, you guys were cooking "porch style" off the ramp of your trailer - Since the ramp & your smoker should weigh less than the trailer, I'm hoping that's not the jack that failed...

If you plan on having to lift a great deal of weight, I would get the largest capacity jacks you can find, or perhaps double/triple up the jacks on the trailer corner that you need to lift the most...
 
RV stabilizers are just stabilizers, not jacks. Get a set of jack stands and use a regular jack to raise up the trailer to install them. They are rock solid as well.

3083556_orig.jpg
 
Jeff H said:
RV stabilizers are just stabilizers, not jacks. Get a set of jack stands and use a regular jack to raise up the trailer to install them. They are rock solid as well.
Click to expand...
Jeff H has the right idea -

You usually know which corner/side of the trailer needs to be raised the most, so this is where you would want to place 1 (or 2) jack stands -

You can get a truck jack, or something heavy duty to get it where you need it, then slide the stands under the frame on that corner - that's probably why your truck jack worked so well - it is actually designed to lift more than a stabilizing jack...

Make certain to carry 2 X 10's or conventional RV leveling blocks that you can drive the trailer onto to get it as close to level as possible - that allows you to put less weight on the jacks...
 
SpratBoy said:
Jeff H has the right idea -



Make certain to carry 2 X 10's or conventional RV leveling blocks that you can drive the trailer onto to get it as close to level as possible - that allows you to put less weight on the jacks...
Click to expand...

Yes. Side to side leveling should be done with boards or leveling blocks. I have a set of these and they are hard to beat for temporary stops.

4589f6d7-ca5e-4eaa-886b-7bc292c68b89_1.e3f4b79a5e9058181ba583240f098525.jpeg
 
SpratBoy said:
Hey There;

If you are using stabilizer jacks that are designed for RV use, be aware that the jacks are not actually designed to lift the trailer, only to help the unit from shaking/rocking. If you tried to lift a significant amount of weight on the jack, that's probably why it buckled.

If you are using the same setup that you had when I cooked next to you earlier this year, you guys were cooking "porch style" off the ramp of your trailer - Since the ramp & your smoker should weigh less than the trailer, I'm hoping that's not the jack that failed...

If you plan on having to lift a great deal of weight, I would get the largest capacity jacks you can find, or perhaps double/triple up the jacks on the trailer corner that you need to lift the most...
Click to expand...


It is the same setup we used in Fitzgerald, the jack that buckled was the passenger rear one. Luckily we hadn't set anything up yet, we were still trying to get the trailer leveled.

So this is a dumb question, but why make a stabilizer jack rated for 7500 pounds if it's not designed to lift 7500 pounds?

What do ya'll think about using a couple of those pivoting tongue jacks on the back corners instead? We're trying to limit the amount of "stuff" we have to carry.
 
Jeff H said:
Yes. Side to side leveling should be done with boards or leveling blocks. I have a set of these and they are hard to beat for temporary stops.

4589f6d7-ca5e-4eaa-886b-7bc292c68b89_1.e3f4b79a5e9058181ba583240f098525.jpeg
Click to expand...

I do have a set of those, I guess I need to use them more often.
 
I use the scissor jacks to lift our 9K+ rv all the time. I'd put money on a defective one. I don't know the rating rules for them, but I know if they say 5K, they'll easily lift more, a lot more.
 
You have jacks with lift capacity/ weight capacity..pay attention to this... I had a huge 16 ft trailer and mine never failed me... I put them on myself.... They were the ones that flipped up and locked in.... 200$$ should easily have you hooked up...but I also get good pricing because I buy a lot of trailer supplies
 
sturev said:
What does your trailer weigh loaded?
Click to expand...

somewhere around 7000 pounds.

TuscaloosaQ said:
You have jacks with lift capacity/ weight capacity..pay attention to this... I had a huge 16 ft trailer and mine never failed me... I put them on myself.... They were the ones that flipped up and locked in.... 200$$ should easily have you hooked up...but I also get good pricing because I buy a lot of trailer supplies
Click to expand...

Do you have a link or a picture you can send? I bet lift capacity is my problem.
 
cpw said:
So this is a dumb question, but why make a stabilizer jack rated for 7500 pounds if it's not designed to lift 7500 pounds?
Click to expand...

Not a dumb question whatsoever!
If it is a stabilizer jack, it is only designed to keep a trailer that weighs a certain amount (7500 pounds in this case) from shifting/shaking/etc. The weight rating doesn't actually tell you what it can lift, only what it can "brace".

An actual lift jack or jack stand rating will tell you what it can actually support in weight.

The farther you have to raise a stabilizing jack, the less amount of weight it can actually support - That's why they are called stabilizer jacks, instead of lifting jacks.

You might try and talk to someone at Camping World; I'm sure there's one near Savannah - tell them what you are trying to do and they can probably tell you what it will take...
 
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I'm pretty sure the jack pictured by cpw isn't intended to lift or level, just to stabilize ONCE level. The Jack that Paul posted on the other hand will LIFT the corner of a house (no, not really, just a figure of speech.) Weld the mounting plate on the trailer, install jack, and crank away!
 
4ever3 said:
I'm pretty sure the jack pictured by cpw isn't intended to lift or level, just to stabilize ONCE level. The Jack that Paul posted on the other hand will LIFT the corner of a house (no, not really, just a figure of speech.) Weld the mounting plate on the trailer, install jack, and crank away!
Click to expand...

That's probably the case. The problem with welding anything is that it's an aluminum skinned trailer, so welding isn't really an option.
 
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