Leveling jacks - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

DennisB · 08-08-2015, 10:45 PM

Hello we just got a used 1508t. It doesn't have its own built-in leveling jacks it came with some cone type jacks and when I have it leveled to still has quite a bit of motion to it. Any suggestions on the best way to employ jacks on this trailer to make it more stable. Should we use another kind of Jack or is there another method?

Thank you for any advice
Dennis

RichR · 08-09-2015, 06:19 AM

This the popular type of jack. It mounts on the trailer and is much easier than what you have. Different places sell them, here is one:RV Scissors Jack - BAL Universal Fit for Sale - PPL Motor Homes

JackandJanet · 08-09-2015, 09:18 AM

Just a small note, Dennis. The jacks you're posting about are not "leveling" jacks. They are stabilization jacks - they are used to keep the trailer from rocking when someone moves around inside. They CAN make a small adjustment to the pitch or tilt of the trailer (maybe half a bubble on a spirit level) but I would not try to do more than that. If you do, you risk distorting the trailer frame, which is not designed to be "jacked" anywhere except by the wheel axle.

If you need to level the trailer, use leveling blocks under the wheels or under the tongue jack if needed. And with a single axle trailer, you need a wheel chock that fits onto a leveling block if the campsite is on an up/downhill pitch, because you need to chock BOTH wheels!

- Jack

DennisB · 08-09-2015, 01:09 PM

Thank you both very much for your replies and useful information.

Regarding the scissor jacks, shold I get 4? One for each corner?
Thanks again for your help.

JackandJanet · 08-09-2015, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DennisB

Thank you both very much for your replies and useful information.

Regarding the scissor jacks, shold I get 4? One for each corner?
Thanks again for your help.

Yes, get four. They don't have to be mounted at the corners exactly. Mine has the one on the forward curb side mounted back somewhat. I haven't checked why, possibly because there was something that would interfere with its mounting in a more forward location. And, I'm away from home for another week, so I can't go look now.

- Jack

sam · 08-09-2015, 06:05 PM

We recently painted the round discs on our stabilizer feet. The front ones are back a little bit from the corner. DH thinks it is over in the tubing and back of the tongue for better stability/weight distribution. The back stabilizers are easily seen from the back of the trailer. Maybe utube has a video of proper placement/instilation. Get back with us if you need more exact measurements.

RichR · 08-10-2015, 07:23 AM

Here is the 2008 HiLo Brochure where you can see the photo of a 1508T and the placement of the stabilizers. The forward one is just aft of the storage compartment door.

http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f52/...2008-hi-lo-10/

DennisB · 08-22-2015, 06:29 PM

Thanks for the brochure--I can see where the photo depicts the leveling jacks.
I got some scissor jacks and when I climbed underneath the trailer and held the attach plate of the jack in place against the frame, it was obvious that they would not work.

the sheetmetal shrouds that make up the bottom edge of the trailer extend further down than the height of the collapsed jack. So the nut you turn to activate the jack would be pretty hard to get at.(about 2.5 inches above the bottom of the shroud)

The jack collapses to a 4 inch height and the bottom of the shroud is about 4.5 inches.

I am reluctant to poke a hole in the shroud of this nice little trailer so i may have to just
accept the use of the cone type jacks (although they are a bit inconvenient)

some kind of a large shim material could be used to drop the height of the jack but it would have to be about 3 inches or so thick and that doesnt seem like a good idea.(clearance and all)

Does anyone have and suggestions?

thanks,
dennis

hilltool · 08-23-2015, 12:52 PM

Looking at the brochure- it certainly shows the jack extending below the skirt on the side of the trailer. S0- it makes me wonder if they didn't use a shim to lower it enough to make it accessible. Remember- you only need 1/2 the distance of the collapsed jack to be able to access the center screw- but on second thought, I guess you are estimating correctly given your description. That said- I don't know why a shim "doesnt seem like a good idea". I "lowered" both axles on my trailer by that amount in order to raise my ground clearance on the trailer and I did it by having a 3 inch "shim" welded in above where the axles attach.. You won't, of course, have to weld it. You should be able to bolt one in with longer bolts than you would normally use for just the jack. The stabelizers are really designed to do just that and should be cranked down just enough to engage the ground. They will not be taking on any significant torquing forces I would imagine- so as long as your bolts are good I wold think that would work fine.

Rick

JackandJanet · 08-23-2015, 02:47 PM

Rick, shimming the jacks is a bit different than shimming the axle. He's worried that shimming the jacks down would lower them so much they'd easily drag the ground when retracted and the trailer was underway.

But, I agree that the mounting does not have to withstand high forces like the mounting for the axle(s) do.

On my trailer, the rear jacks are mounted behind all the skirting, under the storage box in front of the bumper. The front jack nuts are just below the bottom of the skirting, and are mounted between two storage bins located there.

Dennis, you may want to check just how low shimming would put your jacks. Other things, like the black and gray water drain already hangs down quite a bit. And, assuming you use a weight distributing hitch, the front of the trailer will not drag low unless you go over a big speed hump.

- Jack

hilltool · 08-23-2015, 10:54 PM

I hear you Jack. It just seemed strange to me that, seeing as leveling jacks came as an option, that here would not have been a pretty easy way for them to be installed and be functional without major hassle. Thus , I thought maybe hi lo might have included a shim plate that did not creat a nuisance when all was said done. The brochure clearly shows them mounted on a 15.

JackandJanet · 08-23-2015, 11:13 PM

Agreed! I wonder if the jacks he's bought are a differed size than ours? I suppose I should crawl under my trailer to see if any of my jacks are shimmed to clear the skirting. I don't recall seeing any spacers or shims though.

- Jack

JIM L · 08-24-2015, 08:42 AM

On my 2805C there is a spacer welded between the jack and the frame. It is a box tube 4" high X 2" wide X 12" long. We have put aprox 40,000 miles on the HiLo and never drug the jacks. Our trips have included Alaska, Canada. Nova Scotia and all over the lower 48. We do not dry camp in rough back country.

DennisB · 08-24-2015, 10:27 AM

thanks for your interest in my jack question. Attached is a photo of
what I am talking about. I hope you can make it out.

I bought a jack rated at 7500 lbs which I know is overkill, but
I dont think a 5000 lb jack will change my situation any.

they are standard scissor jacks by easy lift.

thanks,
dennis

hilltool · 08-24-2015, 12:27 PM

Interesting

Most of ours are a single "leg" with a floating circular "foot" and , thus, they work regardless of angle they are at. IF I am high because of leveling blocks they may be almost 90 degrees or down to 45. I just looked at mine- on the front there is 1 inch L angle bracket welded to the frame and the leveling bracket is attached to the horizontal part of of it. On the back- it is attached pretty flush to the frame - but mounted at an angle to the frame i.e not horizontal nor in line. I didnt have a camera with me or I would have taken a picture. I will try to get one later. Can you return what you bought? If so- you might want to look around for the other style and then crawl around and see if Hi-Lo had things in place to mount them. On my front ones- from frame to retracted "foot" is four inches.

this is what I have,sort of, with an added pad:

BAL Light Trailer Stabilizing Jacks 20 - $51.90

Rick

JackandJanet · 08-24-2015, 12:35 PM

Dennis, I posted pictures of mine in your other "I'm Not Stable" thread. Use spacers.

- Jack

hilltool · 08-24-2015, 12:41 PM

Also-

Per your photo- theoretically there is not any reason you couldn't mount those with the screw facing towards the back rather than the side, or at least angled towards the corners.

Rick