Axle Storage

[Jerry in Colorado]

We have a 2008 5th wheel Scamp. It has a torsion bar suspension. We have been told to jack the trailer up when it is put away for long periods of time. Do you jack the trailer up from the axle itself or from the frame? How much weight needs to be lifted to save the rubber cords of the suspension system?
Thanks for your help: Jerry

[stevebaz]

Myself I jack up the frame as close to the axle as I can and take off as much weight to take most of the bulge off the tire. I do not lift the tire.

[CPW]

Never jack it up by the axle. That is a no-no. Always jack it by the frame.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by CPW

Never jack it up by the axle. That is a no-no. Always jack it by the frame.

I hear people say that a lot, but just out of curiosity, why is jacking by the axle a "no-no". I'd wager the axle housing is the single strongest structure on most fiberglass travel trailers. On torsion axles, the axle housing is bolted/welded solid to the frame, in a way that the axle supports the full weight of both the frame and the fiberglass cabin (it's even rated in such a way so as to guarantee supporting that total weight plus an additional amount of cabin contents). And then manufactures design jack stands to place under the axle to support the full weight of the trailer once a jack has lifted it. If you can support a trailer by placing a jack stand under the axel, seems like you should be able to jack it by that same axle. Granted, you might not want to place the jack in the middle of the axle where I guess it could potentially bow up in the center, but why would anyone want to jack a trailer from the center? So again, why do people say not to jack a trailer (or vehicle for that matter) by the axle? Just curious. I've done it for ages, usually placing the head of the jack as near the frame mount or leaf spring bracket as possible, and never had a problem. Just lucky, maybe?

[CPW]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

I hear people say that a lot, but just out of curiosity, why is jacking by the axle a "no-no". I'd wager the axle housing is the single strongest structure on most fiberglass travel trailers.

Guilty of posting a quick answer without going into great detail. I would not jack the axle where it is not supported by or perhaps I should say where it supports the frame or contacts the frame. Nor would I place a jack where it contacts the torsion arm while lifting (the real no-no), which is what I meant by not jacking "by the axle." I generally try to jack using a block of wood to distribute weight along the frame member immediately in front of or behind the axle mounting point, or where the axle attaches to the frame. That is what I meant by jacking on the frame. And actually, I would hope that the coupler/safety chains, not the axle housing, is/are the single strongest structure on all trailers, fiberglass or otherwise.

[Borrego Dave]

War Eagle I think you have the right idea. Supporting the axle close to the frame or on the frame close to the axle. The whole reason would be to take part of the full weight load off the suspension to preserve the rubber torsion axle and tires from a constant non moving load. Both points would do the job.

[CPW]

The real question is, where would you place the jack on this Scamp 19. And no, this is not photoshopped. It is a read mod.

[Mike Sullivan]

I saw that rig at Scamp Camp this past week. He did a nice job. great conversation piece.

[Donna D.]

That's Merle's tandem-axle Scamp. I worked with Merle 5-6 years ago developing the documentation on the swap. If you're really interested in how he did it, check out this info in the Document Center, it's the TandemAxleSetup: Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Axles and Running Gear

BTW: the center of a torsion axle tube is hollow. You don't want to jack up anywhere on the axle or you might collapse it. Jack on the frame as close to the tire as you can get.

[Jared J]

I always jack it up by the axle, and will continue to do so. I wouldn't do it under the center of it, but that's just common sense. The axle tube is much stronger than the frame on my scamp, so if the axle would collapse, so would the frame.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Jared J

I always jack it up by the axle, and will continue to do so. I wouldn't do it under the center of it, but that's just common sense. The axle tube is much stronger than the frame on my scamp, so if the axle would collapse, so would the frame.

You know the risks, you take your chances. You also weld and can replace the axle if needed. Most of us don't weld. Where to put a jack that will prevent damage is a no brainer for me. YMMV

[Jared J]

It would be riskier to jack it on the frame (not that I'm worried about doing it that way, either), at least on my camper. The axle housing is twice as thick as the frame. It's also much lower. Even my 2.5 ton long frame jack would be iffy on lifting it high enough by the frame.

[CPW]

Maybe I am missing something here, but it would seem to me that jacking at the axle, as long as the torsion arm is avoided, is essentially jacking on the frame since the frame is supported by the axle. My preference is to jack on the frame immediately behind the axle using a piece of 2 x 4 to spread out the load. I generally place the jack on top a large block I have. That is for servicing wheels, tires, and bearings at home. Emergencies on the road are handled with whatever works. I also agree with Jared that the axle housing is much thicker than the frame and can be used without causing any damage. And Donna is right, that is Merle's Scamp. He lives a couple of hours from me. He has also put shocks on his "tandem."

[Mike Magee]

"Axle storage". Always store your axle outdoors, under the trailer.

I would venture to say that any frame too fragile to take a jack is too fragile to be towed. But axles are made in a certain shape to allow the torsion rubber to operate properly, and doing anything that could compromise that shape may also compromise the axle's function. I guess if the jack's load were distributed across a wide enough portion of the axle (with a board, perhaps), it would greatly minimize the risk.

[Francesca Knowles]

The whole reason folks started "jacking up" trailers/vehicles to begin with had nothing whatever to do with axles. It had to do with preventing tires from becoming misshapen due to sitting unused for long periods of time. That was before radial tires, of course.

That problem has virtually disappeared now that nearly everyone uses radials...but the "jacking up" practice seems to persist in some quarters, now attributed to axle preservation.

Speaking as someone with an almost forty year old trailer that has spent most/all of those years on its still-original torsion axle ( however long it's going unused), I question the utility of the practice.

[Borrego Dave]

Francesca I remember the old nylon tires thumping for a while after sitting a few days, you jogged old memories with that comment. I agree with you on the tires used today but think the torsion axles would benefit by having 50% of the trailer weight off of it for long periods of non use. The four trailers I have with leaf springs I don't lift and it's never been a problem but if the Casita were to be parked for more than three months or so I do believe I would put a pair of jackstands under it just to maybe save the axle rubber. May or may not help, but for a few minutes work it can't hurt anything. Glad you've had good luck with your practices and happy camping to you.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Francesca I remember the old nylon tires thumping for a while after sitting a few days, you jogged old memories with that comment. I agree with you on the tires used today but think the torsion axles would benefit by having 50% of the trailer weight off of it for long periods of non use. The four trailers I have with leaf springs I don't lift and it's never been a problem but if the Casita were to be parked for more than three months or so I do believe I would put a pair of jackstands under it just to maybe save the axle rubber. May or may not help, but for a few minutes work it can't hurt anything. Glad you've had good luck with your practices and happy camping to you.

So, you're saying.... don't let the trailer sit for longer than two months, save yourself even the little bit of trouble jacking it up.

GO CAMPING INSTEAD! I like that idea!!!

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

So, you're saying.... don't let the trailer sit for longer than two months, save yourself even the little bit of trouble jacking it up.

GO CAMPING INSTEAD! I like that idea!!!

I like that idea too!

Someone here awhile ago indicated the guys at Scamp suggested to them they could simple take the weight off the axle by dropping the rear stabilizers and cranking up the tongue when the trailer is in storage. Although I personally wouldn't crank it up to much as the rear stabilizers are not the strongest item on the trailer.

[War Eagle]

From the Dextor website FAQ page:

"MISCELLANEOUS - Is it okay to jack up my trailer?
Dexter recommends that you do not jack up the trailer on the suspension components because there is always the potential for damage. Bent hangers, leaf springs, or axle tubes can cause bad axle alignment with bad tire wear resulting. Also, many trailer builders do not use Dexter hangers and we have no idea how strong these hangers may or may not be. Therefore, we take the conservative approach and recommend jacking up only on the trailer frame."

Makes sense, especially for suspended leaf spring setups, but I have a sneaky suspicion their lawyer told them to post that to cover their rear end just in case something unfortunate were to happen to someone. Puts the risk and liability on the person doing the jacking....

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I like that idea too!

Someone here awhile ago indicated the guys at Scamp suggested to them they could simple take the weight off the axle by dropping the rear stabilizers and cranking up the tongue when the trailer is in storage. Although I personally wouldn't crank it up to much as the rear stabilizers are not the strongest item on the trailer.

Scamp actually suggested that?

Stabilizer jacks are only that- stabilizers. They're not meant to do any "lifting", nor are they installed in locations on the frame intended to bear such weight. Unless I miss my guess lifting/storing at extreme front and rear would put a lot of stress on the trailer's frame.