Winter storage and stabilzer jacks

[roned2]

We are storing our 3124 outside with a cover during our usually harsh winter in Ontario. Would using the stabilzer jacks help take some weight off the tires? Is there any reason to use or not use the jacks? How many people store with the jacks down?

[ShrimpBurrito]

It certainly wouldn't hurt, and can only help by taking some weight off the wheels. That theoretically should help preserve your wheel bearings as well as your tires.

I store mine with the jacks up, but we camp about once every month or two, year round, so I don't think we'd derive any real benefit. If I were to store it for 6 months, I would definitely deploy the jacks and remove nearly all of the weight from the wheels.

Dave

I know you can use the corner jacks for use to change a flat tire but I'm wondering if supporting the camper over a prolonged period of time would stress the frame? Maybe an alternative solution would be to stabilize with the corner jacks but do the lifting at the part of the frame where the axle is? Just a thought since the frame is designed to carry the load over the axle..

I store ours in the garage with the jacks extended so the wheels are completely off the ground. There seems to be no issue doing this, but in your case snow might add unwanted weight. Some load math might be in order.

We never did it that way but noticed where we store ours that everybody else does it so it must be good. We have to be concerned with the extreme heat in the summer and dry rot.

[ThePair]

I asked the factory about this when I first purchased, and was told that there is no good way to stress the frame using the corner jacks. In other words, no problem using them for this type of thing.

That being said, I didn't bother last year, but will likely try to do something this year in storage. I do have some jack stands to try in the corners, only because reaching the curb side jacks will be nearly impossible once I have the TM parked in my garage. We'll see how it works out...

[roned2]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be storing this winter with the stabilizers down.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by roned2

Thanks for all the replies. I will be storing this winter with the stabilizers down.

I think that I would buy 4-jack stands, if I were going to do this. The bigger risk in using the trailers levelers is that they might get damaged. A heavy layer of snow or buffeting winds could be a risk if the entire weight of the trailer is on the levelers. Not worth the risk, in my mind.

One nice thing about having the wheels off the ground is that you could go out and spin the wheels once a week. That may help keep the bearings from pitting and the tires in better shape..

[ShrimpBurrito]

Aren't those jacks rated for several thousand pounds a piece? Even if they were only rated for 3,000 lbs, that's a total rating of 12,000 lbs. Where is the risk of damage?

Dave

Just to add to the chorus, I store mine in the garage with at least the forward two jacks down if only to take the tongue weight so that I can swing the hitch. I am probably 50/50 on whether the rear jacks are down. My TM typically gets used every 2-3 weeks between April and September and then sparingly during the winter months. However, it still gets moved in and out of the garage during the winter months so that I can play with, er work on, it.

As for damaging the stabilizer jacks by using them, I am a bit skeptical. Damage from snow loading seems like it would affect other things before the stabilizer jacks became the weak spot. If wind loading is the concern, isn't the whole rig at risk of damage? If your jacks are installed like mine, replacing a damaged one is probably the easiest repair one could have to do to the TM. But wouldn't conditions which would "damage" a stabilizer jack cause issues with jack stands as well? If the wind is strong enough to bend a stabilizer jack, wouldn't it be enough to dislodge the TM from the top of a jack stand too?