Replaced stabilizers with leveling jacks

AldebaranJill

http://norcoind.com/bal/downloads/manuals/Light Trailer Stabilizing Jack.pdf

"...fine leveling and stabilizing..."  @ScottG is correct.

Dalehelman

NAldebaranJill said:

http://norcoind.com/bal/downloads/manuals/Light Trailer Stabilizing Jack.pdf

"...fine leveling and stabilizing..."  @ScottG is correct.

Note the first safety warning ⚠️ do not !

Dalehelman

Note the fact that you must use only the  supplied crank. With that crank lifting would not be possible

ScottG

PXLated said:

Yep - Or my beloved lego blocks :-)

Right on cue, PXL!  ;-)

Nomad

:-)

ScottG

AldebaranJill said:

...
Can't spin on blocks.

Good point. It's pretty hard to manually push the T@B up on block, too, once you've repositioned it. (Don't ask me how I know...)

To clarify, by "fine leveling" I mean just an inch or so side to side--never enough to come close to raising a tire off the ground. Even doing this takes a bit of force on the crank, which makes me think actually lifting the camper would be quite a workout even if the stabilizer itself could take it. I admit I've never tried it though, so YMMV.

My bigger concern remains not so much with the jacks themselves, but with where the load points are positioned on the T@B. They are neither on a main frame tube, nor are they lined up with a frame crossmember--two requirements clearly stated in the installation instructions.

That said, I'm not looking to pick a fight with anyone who wants to do this mod. Things are usually engineered with a large safety margin and if I had to guess, I say this would probably work fine. That is just a guess, however, so in this case I'll let you real-world pioneers test this first on your own trailers.  ;-)

Nomad

I'm rarely on turf where you could manually spin - or reposition - the T@B. It's maneuver into position with TV and that's where she'll be. So blocks work well.

AldebaranJill

PXLated said:

I'm thinking it don't matter as you'd need to be Hercules to turn the cranks to get lift.

Call me Hercules :-) Using the official crank, I was able to get the wheels 5" off the ground, now that I know from Dale's thread this is how you change a flat. With that clearance, you could then put blocks under the wheel you want to stay up and lower other side back down to ground. I was able to easily get the front jacks fully extended too. So having the ability to raise one wheel 5" off the ground, and fully extend both front jacks, all using the official crank, is substantial lift. Now, it will be less mechanically efficient than Dale's method, and take longer in terms of time. You'd have to know how much vertical height adjustment you wanted. But you can get substantial vertical leveling with the jacks, just have to have a procedure (that I didn't know about until this thread, so thanks to Dale for talking me through that!). 

I am still investigating some kind of bracket to make Dale's mod easier though, one that requires no changes to the jack beccause I'm still fantasizing about having two 5000 jacks at the rear of the trailer.

Nomad

I'm a simple man - Sticking with the legos and jacks for stability. If it ain't broke, I ain't fixin it :-)

AldebaranJill

“Progress is made by lazy men (and women) looking for easier ways to do things.” 
― Robert A. Heinlein

Nomad

"easier" is the operative word - I'm as lazy as anyone, sure doesn't sound easier to me...
But, to each their own and you do realize I'm just funnin with you - to a certain degree :-)

AldebaranJill

I do - even the teasing is better than doing a mod alone with no one to talk about it with. And for the record, I own lego blocks and a BAL leveler, they just have both not worked well under very specific circumstances, which just happen to be where I camp most. 

ScottG

AldebaranJill said:

Call me Hercules :-) Using the official crank, I was able to get the wheels 5" off the ground, now that I know from Dale's thread this is how you change a flat.
...

Just to clarify, are you raising the trailer by actually lifting it with the stock stabilizers, or are you tipping the trailer onto the pre-extended stabilizers using the tongue jack? (The latter technique is what is prescribed for changing a flat.)

AldebaranJill

ScottG said:

AldebaranJill said:

Call me Hercules :-) Using the official crank, I was able to get the wheels 5" off the ground, now that I know from Dale's thread this is how you change a flat.
...

Just to clarify, are you raising the trailer by actually lifting it with the stock stabilizers, or are you tipping the trailer onto the pre-extended stabilizers using the tongue jack? (The latter technique is what is prescribed for changing a flat.)

3 trials of what I am physically capable of using crank:

1. I can extend a single front jack to its maximum height (lift)
2. I can extend the rear jacks to increase rear of trailer 3 inches (lift)
3. I can raise entire trailer so wheels are 5" off ground using the change-a-flat method using tongue wheel jack to do lifting

Results 2 and 3 may change after I retest with the BAL low profile foot I just ordered since it will allow me to lower front by additional 6". Then I would use front jack (with foot or wheel) to level front to back, two same side jacks if I need 3" or less side to side, and flat tire method if I need more than 3" side to side (putting block under raised wheel).

My point is a) you can lift using the stabilizers (front is easier than back and side), and b) you can use change-a-flat method to level side to side if you need more displacement. This is just me learning what my own capacity is regarding leveling where I camp most by rotating so windows face ocean. My two options are BAL big leveler or using jacks (which is why Dale's mod intrigues me).

ScottG

Got it--thanks for the clarification. I do occasionally like to rotate the trailer after unhooking, and this provides some options for doing that.

As you suggested in a previous post, I'd still be inclined to place blocks under the wheels and lower the trailer back onto those.

Dalehelman

I would still contend that words mean things. Stabilizing means stabilizing. Lifting means lifting. There is a contact phone number and name. Why not contact the manufacturer for clarification?

AldebaranJill

I emailed BAL asking about torque specs, and they said that if I over torqued it the screws would bend and make it harder to turn. Said I could check with a straight edge if I suspect this is the case, but keeping well lubricated helps. But I feel comfortable cranking to my strength limit (because of published 700 lb lifting capacity). Still pondering stronger (easier to lift) rear jacks. 

Dalehelman

700 lb lift capacity for a jack is almost nothing. IMHO

Dalehelman

This is a great debate. I hope no one takes offense at mine or anyone else's comments. I think that this is what makes this forum so great.

Nomad

BAL Low-Profile Foot <- Got a pic?

AldebaranJill

Dalehelman said:

This is a great debate. I hope no one takes offense at mine or anyone else's comments. I think that this is what makes this forum so great.

Ditto! 

I've emailed BAL again, and they said that assuming you're using the hand crank (not a drill or other method that applies more torque) - the jack lift capacity will be adequate as long as you respect the resistance you feel via the crank. Note they do make C Jacks, which are like ours, but more heavy duty (3000 - 5000 lbs). Looking at them made me drool a bit. 

AldebaranJill

PXLated said:

BAL Low-Profile Foot <- Got a pic?

Nomad

Ahhh - Thought it was some kind of a foot for the stabilizer jacks.

Dalehelman

AldebaranJill said:

Dalehelman said:

This is a great debate. I hope no one takes offense at mine or anyone else's comments. I think that this is what makes this forum so great.

Ditto! 

I've emailed BAL again, and they said that assuming you're using the hand crank (not a drill or other method that applies more torque) - the jack lift capacity will be adequate as long as you respect the resistance you feel via the crank. Note they do make C Jacks, which are like ours, but more heavy duty (3000 - 5000 lbs). Looking at them made me drool a bit. 

3000-5000 lbs refers to  static weight nowhere does it  specify lifting weight. 

ScottG

I use these under the tongue jack. The one on the right is the "low profile" version.

ericnliz

ScottG, That's a shim [The one on the right]! Nice thing about those, is you can actually enjoy the adjustments.

ScottG

ericnliz said:

ScottG, That's a shim [The one on the right]! Nice thing about those, is you can actually enjoy the adjustments.

Right-O! I find that I need to do a lot of shimming while in camp...  :-)

AldebaranJill

ericnliz said:

ScottG, That's a shim [The one on the right]! Nice thing about those, is you can actually enjoy the adjustments.

Wouldn't these have to be spray painted to match the trim? 

ericnliz

ScottG, you, or the trailer?

AldebaranJill

ScottG said:

Got it--thanks for the clarification. I do occasionally like to rotate the trailer after unhooking, and this provides some options for doing that.

As you suggested in a previous post, I'd still be inclined to place blocks under the wheels and lower the trailer back onto those.

Using Flat Tire Method for Side to Side Leveling (BAL Foot Pad, Lynx Blocks)

I received the BAL low profile foot today, and as expected, it allows me to extend the back stabilizers up much lower (because front is lower). They were nearly at maximum extension (note I wasn't "lifting", I was 'extending'). Using the front jack for lifting (BAL Foot Pad) I was able to raise both wheels off the ground. This allowed me to easily place 5" of Lynx blocks under one tire. From reading the block bag, this is the maximum you're supposed to use. With the wheeled BAL foot, I was unable to get the blocks underneath easily, I could get 4, but not the pack of 5. 

I'd say if you camp where you like to spin the trailer, this is an alternative method. Using the lower profile foot you can get the same amount of side to side leveling as driving up on them. Yes, I know know it's more human effort than driving on the blocks, but when you need to spin the trailer, it's possible, without being Hercules, to use the flat-tire method in conjunction with a low profile foot, to get the height you need and then lower it back down onto blocks.

For reference you need the 2" BAL Foot Pad 29056B $15, Available on Amazon.

(Moderators, if this should be a new thread, let me know)