Parking (storing) Question

[Mr. Adventure]

The wheel on the trailer jack is not terribly useful because of the heavy tongue weight and the roll away risks you mention. If the TM started to roll, there's not a lot you could do to stop it (except maybe grabbing the brake cable as you're jumping out of the way).

So take the wheel off and use the flat plate instead. I carry a 10" block of 6x6 to set the jack on because it provides a good support footprint and reduces the up and down distance the jack has to run. It also travels great between the 2 angle iron brackets on the tongue that support the battery box. With a good block of wood, you could get by without the flat plate if you didn't have one.

Thank you all for your replies. I think I will incorporate a number of them. Will need to get some rubber chocks. Mine are plastic I think. Also don't have plate to replace tongue wheel, but will look into getting one if possible. If not I'll try the wood post, and use the jacks. Would that be the scissor jacks that I would put down in front?

Originally Posted by modhatter

Would that be the scissor jacks that I would put down in front?

The scissors jacks on our Elkmont would certainly be strong enough.

I also use the hard rubber chocks - I think they may have been designed for light aircraft. I chock both sides of the TM. They really grip the concrete. For a little added security I have a trailer wheel dock which is basically an orange plastic pad with a depression that cradles the jack wheel. I am confident that my TM won't move absent malicious mischief - and how can you guard against that? - camp2canoe

Originally Posted by camp2canoe

I am confident that my TM won't move absent malicious mischief - and how can you guard against that? - camp2canoe

Since the TM frame is insulated from ground earth, it would e real tempting to use my 18 kilovolt neon sign transformer. Attach one side to the frame and the other to ground.

If you were standing bare footed on the ground you would likely get shocked before you even touched the TM.

But it might mess with the electronics.

Just a passing thought.

An observation or opinion - stabilizing jacks are used to stabilize a level trailer to prevent rocking and unwanted motion. They are not intended to prevent a trailer, particularly a trailer on a non level surface, from moving. On my two TMs and I assume on all of them the stabilizer jacks are oriented across the trailer width not along its length. If the jacks are being used to hold the trailer on a hill they will roll under and fail if the trailer moves. Good chocks are your best bet whether they are made by you or someone else. Also if you take the time to level the trailer in your driveway it will be less likely to roll on you.

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

Since the TM frame is insulated from ground earth, it would e real tempting to use my 18 kilovolt neon sign transformer. Attach one side to the frame and the other to ground.

If you were standing bare footed on the ground you would likely get shocked before you even touched the TM.

But it might mess with the electronics.

Just a passing thought.

Fun as this sounds, the innocent will get zapped along with the guilty, and even the guilty would probably seem innocent enough to create liabilities. So something like this would never actually be a good idea. I am impressed with the contents of your garage, though, and I'll bet you've got a lot of potential there you haven't told us about yet.

Originally Posted by MisterP

An observation or opinion - stabilizing jacks are used to stabilize a level trailer to prevent rocking and unwanted motion. They are not intended to prevent a trailer, particularly a trailer on a non level surface, from moving. On my two TMs and I assume on all of them the stabilizer jacks are oriented across the trailer width not along its length. If the jacks are being used to hold the trailer on a hill they will roll under and fail if the trailer moves. Good chocks are your best bet whether they are made by you or someone else. Also if you take the time to level the trailer in your driveway it will be less likely to roll on you.

This makes absolutely good sense to me. If you ever drive off with a jack still extended you'll discover that they crumple too easily to be real good stoppers (I haven't done this in a couple decades, but I had this adventure once with a too-hurried popup departure in the rain). While the jacks each provide some additional resistance, the tongue jack is by far the best one and is pretty good for holding the trailer in place. However, a trailer's tendency to roll is the same whether or not it's level.

[Wavery]

I just bought a 2004 2720SL from a private party. The person that I bought it from has been storing the trailer on a steep sloped driveway for years. He just used the plastic chocks and the levelers down......no issues. See the pic below.

When he was showing us the trailer, there were 4 of us inside the trailer, walking around. I would have used the hard rubber chocks in this situation but he's gotten away with the cheap plastic ones (as evidenced in the pic).

[ShrimpBurrito]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

I just bought a 2004 2720SL from a private party. The person that I bought it from has been storing the trailer on a steep sloped driveway for years. He just used the plastic chocks and the levelers down......no issues.

Well I guess that solves that mystery, at least for me. I still wouldn't do it, but I could maybe get comfortable with heavy rubber chocks.

Dave

[ThePair]

That pic isn't too far off from my driveway -- a bit shallower, but not substantially so -- and I use the hard plastic chocks without issue.