How many jacks?

[Greybeard]

Going to pick up a 17' Casita tomorrow and when I first saw the unit, it had the 2 standard attached jacks in the back and the current owner had 2 vehicle jacks in the front, all holding the frame.
What do YOU use? Is the standard eqpt, the 2 in the rear sufficient or do I need 4?
Of course, the tongue jack (wheel) was in use as well.
I'm new to this so don't know what is really needed and what is nice to have and what is not needed at all :-)
It seems to me that unless the 4 jacks (if one uses 4) would have to be pretty well balanced with the tongue and the wheels and they may suspend the frame off the ground, if that's what you want. Do I want to?
Thanks,
Richard

[Donna D.]

Hi Richard. I use two stabilizers in the back, two in the front and the tongue jack. It makes it solid as a rock and no, I wouldn't suspend the frame off the ground with this method... it may tweak the frame because the stabilizers are at the ends of the frame.

[Pam Garlow]

I have a 13 footer and also use 4 jacks plus the tongue. The back two are crank downs. Once my trailer is leve, I bring them down tight to the ground, then give them a small 1/8 turn more. Under the door, and also opposite on the other side of trailer, I use small scissor jacks. I tighten them up under the frame, and again, give them jsut a tweak more. This keeps my trailer from bouncing when I move around.

[Daniel A.]

Four will do the job.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Greybeard

Going to pick up a 17' Casita tomorrow and when I first saw the unit, it had the 2 standard attached jacks in the back and the current owner had 2 vehicle jacks in the front, all holding the frame.
What do YOU use? Is the standard eqpt, the 2 in the rear sufficient or do I need 4?
Of course, the tongue jack (wheel) was in use as well.
I'm new to this so don't know what is really needed and what is nice to have and what is not needed at all :-)
It seems to me that unless the 4 jacks (if one uses 4) would have to be pretty well balanced with the tongue and the wheels and they may suspend the frame off the ground, if that's what you want. Do I want to?
Thanks,
Richard

I simply use what came with and are attached to my 13' Scamp. The rear stabilizers and the tongue jack seem to work well for me.

Here's how I do the stabilization and leveling. After leveling side to side with a BAL leveler. You can use plastic leveling blocks or wood blocks if you like the main thing here is to level by raising the low side wheel.
Then I lower the tongue to about 1/2 bubble below level. Deploy the the stabilizers and raise the tongue back to level. All level stable.

[mcbrew]

Like Byron, I use two rear and the tongue jack. I don't use the BAL levelers, though. I use "legos" under the wheels, which also include wheel chocks. I haven't been anywhere that the rear stabilizer jacks weren't about to level the trail side to side.

My class-A RV (totaled by a tree during hurricane Irene this year) only had three leveling jacks (hydraulic), and they worked perfectly. You could easily raise the wheels off the ground, and it was still rock solid.

[Herb Sutton]

One 16' stick built, two 20' stick builts, and now our second Casita 17, never used more than two jacks in the rear plus the tongue jack. The only time I ever used the tongue jack wheel was when the 16' broke down and we used the wheel in winching it aboard the flatbed truck. All the rest of the time the wheel has lay in the garage.

[Donna D.]

I believe the number of stabilizers is in direct porportion to the length of the trailer. A 13' trailer may use two, a 25' trailer four or more. Those inbetween, the number needed/wanted to prevent trailer hop when someone is sitting and someone else is walking around. If you camp by yourself, you may find you don't need any stabilizers. Although I'd suggest putting something at the rear to prevent the tongue from leaving the ground when all the weight is at the back.

[Marv]

On the Casita 17, the added front stabilizers eliminate the sponginess. They are cheap and easy to install. We used a pair of stack jacks in the front for awhile before I installed the stabilizers. They work great too.

Marv

[rabbit]

Two stackajacks under the A-frame tongue in front; retractable bumper jacks aft AND the tongue jack. I also have a folding wheel jack on the right side of the tongue and never use it for lateral maneuvers as I have a sloping driveway. A ton and 1/2 egg may not seem like much to the Rookwood types but it ain't no garden cart. Once it's chocked (even at a relatively level parking space in campground) those chocks stay in place; if I miss the coupler laterally, I pull forward and try again.

jack

[Greybeard]

Thank you all for the great input and options.
I suppose we will do a bit of trial and error.
I ask the question because we just got the Casita, never did this before and it came with 2 read jacks attached and obviously supplied by the manufacturer. Additionally, the previous owner gave us two scissors jacks he had under the A hitch, close to the trailer.
I am just getting used to trying to level and thought if I really don't need the front 2 it would be a lot easier :-)
Also thought if the manufacturer thought 2 jacks were needed in front they would have provided them (hopefully).
So we will try various combinations when we get on the road.
Thanks again.
Richard

[rabbit]

Could be that misuse of nomenclature (certainly by me) effects what we think we are doing and what we need. I said I have bumper jacks but of course they're stabilizers as they have no ability to jack or lift anything. On the other hand, jacks can be used as stabilizers, as is the case when the trailer has been leveled fore and aft by the tongue jack and screw or scissor jacks are put under the legs of the "A' for a wider stance. You don't actually have to do much more than get them snug and the tongue jack may still be bearing the weight.

Sometime you might need to level trailer in a situation which isn't optimum (like my sloping driveway). In that case you max out elevation on the tongue jack, put in the platform jacks to bear the load while the winder foot is retracted to allow a concrete block, dimensional lumber, or what have you to be placed under the foot. Its a case of leveling the ground rather than the trailer. You could switch back and forth adding pads under each in turn but there are limits; my limit is one solid concrete block (8" under each stackajack. This can look precarious and can BE precarious. If you engage in this sort of levitation, make sure of your wheel chocks; stay on your feet while you wind the crank, and keep your eyes on the trailer. Better yet, just take this as a hypothetical illustration of the usefulness of jacks (plural).

jack

[DavidSo]

On my scamp 16 I use the two rear stabilizers and the tongue jack most of the time. If I'm staying somewhere for a while I use 2 additional screw jacks towards the front.

It's probably worth mentioning that it's not just about stabilizing the trailers. The more weight you can lift off a torsion axle, the longer it will last. It reduces the compression of the rubber rods.

David

[Rick G]

Originally Posted by Greybeard

Going to pick up a 17' Casita tomorrow and when I first saw the unit, it had the 2 standard attached jacks in the back and the current owner had 2 vehicle jacks in the front, all holding the frame.
What do YOU use? Is the standard eqpt, the 2 in the rear sufficient or do I need 4?
Richard

Hi Richard,

You have enough opinions to show that there are many possibilities, all of which will work. Like Byron and mcbrew, we use two rear jack-stand-type stabilizers welded on the back bumper that came with the trailer originally, which also level the trailer side to side to a modest degree. We lower the tongue until the rear stabilizers can be deployed, then raise the tongue back up to level. We have two tongue jacks installed, one on each side of the tongue (one with wheels). Using both tongue jacks usually allows us to level it side to side as well if the ground is moderately level. If not, I have occasionally put one piece of ¾ inch plywood under a wheel. Picture attached.

Unless there is something seriously wrong with the ground level, the whole process takes less than 5 minutes and provides a solid footing when we are inside. We don’t lift the trailer enough to put the wheels off the ground, just enough to put some of the load on the rest of the frame. Easy and effective.

Rick G.

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Rick G

Hi Richard,

You have enough opinions to show that there are many possibilities, all of which will work. Like Byron and mcbrew, we use two rear jack-stand-type stabilizers welded on the back bumper that came with the trailer originally, which also level the trailer side to side to a modest degree. We lower the tongue until the rear stabilizers can be deployed, then raise the tongue back up to level. We have two tongue jacks installed, one on each side of the tongue (one with wheels). Using both tongue jacks usually allows us to level it side to side as well if the ground is moderately level. If not, I have occasionally put one piece of ¾ inch plywood under a wheel. Picture attached.

Unless there is something seriously wrong with the ground level, the whole process takes less than 5 minutes and provides a solid footing when we are inside. We don’t lift the trailer enough to put the wheels off the ground, just enough to put some of the load on the rest of the frame. Easy and effective.

Rick G.

Thanks Rick
First, let me explain I have not had my new (2000) Casita out and was trying to figure out what I was going to do and how, when I first do venture out.
I have enough input now to know I was likely over estimating what I was going to need to do.
I am presently set up in my driveway which is not even and where I have had to make adjustments to make the trailer level even though we are only storing it here.
I was trying to determine why I the previous owners used front levelers (other than the tongue) if the manufacturer only provided 2 in the rear.
Now I know, its an option and I can use what I need to, if I am not comfortable or if I just want to :-)
Thanks again. Now I can't wait to get out!
Richard

[Herb Sutton]

Take it on a short trip to try it out. Bring a pencil and pad to note "surprises" that may turn up and mods that you might want to make.

I did that a year ago and found the wash basin was cracked in an inconspicuous place. My favorite RV parts store got me a new one in a few days. It is a generic part. The mods are ongoing but fun.

[Greybeard]

Good suggestion.
Thanks,
Richard

[BCDave]

I always used 4 "stack-a-jack" units on my Boler 17. My "new" Bigfoot has 4 "crank-down" units installed. (Hint - use a cordless drill to power them up & down - just like expen$ive power units!)

[Loren G. Hedahl]

I probably shouldn't admit this but I need to 'shape-up' and 'clean-up-my-act', I can see!

When enroute, I have never used a jack. As long as the level is not so far out that the refrigerator doesn't work, I'm just fine. Guess this is because we also have a cruising sailboat and "level" is a word that isn't in sailboat vocabulary, but "heel" is! :>)

When disconnected from the tow vehicle I have a couple of those aluminum screw-type camper stands. I just set it somewhere under the rear bumper so when we both get in the back the tongue doesn't fly up.

That's what I like about the Scamp over the Avion that sits while the Scamp goes. With the Scamp, folks can fuss as much or as little as they want. We choose the latter and we love our Scamp! :>)

[Greybeard]

Originally Posted by Rick G

Hi Richard,

You have enough opinions to show that there are many possibilities, all of which will work. Like Byron and mcbrew, we use two rear jack-stand-type stabilizers welded on the back bumper that came with the trailer originally, which also level the trailer side to side to a modest degree. We lower the tongue until the rear stabilizers can be deployed, then raise the tongue back up to level. We have two tongue jacks installed, one on each side of the tongue (one with wheels). Using both tongue jacks usually allows us to level it side to side as well if the ground is moderately level. If not, I have occasionally put one piece of ¾ inch plywood under a wheel. Picture attached.

Unless there is something seriously wrong with the ground level, the whole process takes less than 5 minutes and provides a solid footing when we are inside. We don’t lift the trailer enough to put the wheels off the ground, just enough to put some of the load on the rest of the frame. Easy and effective.

Rick G.

Thanks to all for all the help. Now, just got to get going :-)
Richard