# Still Trying To Get The Thing Stable!!



## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Hello everybody,

I still am not sure if I have gotten my Outback as stable as it should be when we are set up in the campground.

Here is my usual routine, tell me what you think and let me know if you have any suggestions to make it more stable. Thanks

Set up for my 28RSS:

1. chock tires, both sides front and back
2. install homemade wheel chocks on both sides of camper and tighten well
3. lower rear stabilizer jacks, one turn past point of contact with ground/Lynx block
4. lower front stabilizer jacks, one turn past point of contact with ground/Lynx block

My problem is that the trailer seems to shake with every movement. If I walk from the front to the back the whole trailer seems to be moving with me. I don't expect the camper to be solid as a house, I just want to make sure that I am setting up properly and that the movement I experience is what most people would view as 'Normal'. The movement does not hinder sleeping, eating or the enjoyment we are getting out of the camper, I have had a couple of people mention that it seemed to move a lot and want to make sure I am setting up correctly.

Thanks for any and all advice!

Jason


----------



## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Seems ok to me. Sometimes the blocks under the stabilizers can settle in and maybe just recheck after a while. The little movement in the morning tells me the kids woke up










John


----------



## Sidewinder (Feb 25, 2005)

Jason,

I was having a similar issue with our old pop-up and figured this out:

The "shakiness" was worse when we were on uneven sites. I looked at it one day and simple physics kicked in. As the stabilizers go further down, they also come closer to the center of the trailer. Try putting muliple links blocks or blocks of wood (I use pieces of 6x6 block) under each stabilizer. This will allow them to "tighten up" sooner and further from the ground. As stated before, re-tighten them after you have walked around in the trailer a little.

Ben


----------



## begood (Jun 9, 2004)

I use these jacks:

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/product...D=1714&src=SRQB

first, i put the trailer near level,
then i lower the front a 3 turns of the crank
put 2 jacks at the rear
now raise the front 6 turns of crank
put 2 jacks at the front
then lower again 3 turns
after that you use your 4 stabilizers

if the ground is soft or hard you can lower & raise more(soft) or less(hard) .

it works for me.


----------



## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Jason, all I can think of is perhaps your stabilizers are not set properly. Do you have sand pads on the stab's? Like John said, I usually give the stab's a little more after a few hours, as the ground underneath may settle a bit.

Tim


----------



## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

another little trick is to fill up your fresh water tank even if your not going to use it .. this adds about 400 pounds of downward force to help stabalize -- ....


----------



## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Thanks for the tips guys!
















Tim and John, usually the sites are concrete pads, is that what you were referring to 'sand pads' or is there something else I need to buy! I will still try tightening up again after a few hours in case they work themselves loose or anything during the set up and settling process.

Ghosty, I will try your idea with the fresh water tank. I had never really thought of it before. I will use the water at the campground to fill it up and see if that helps. The only time our fresh water tank has had anything in it was during our PDI. We usually just stop for bathroom breaks at resteraunts or gas stations that we know are clean!

Ben, i may make some blocks to put under the stabilizers to bring them up a little more. I don't have any 6X6 but I may be able to "create" something with some of the scraps I have at home. I built a deck a few years back, maybe screwing some of 3 or 4 8 inch pieces of decking board together will do the trick?! We'll see!

BEGood, I have wondered if using jack stands would help, but have not actually tried it. I do like your idea of putting the rear jack down and then cranking onto them. That would seem to place the added pressure I'm looking for. Thanks for the link, not sure if I'll purchase but it does give me some additional ideas.

Jason


----------



## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Sand pads are pads that attach to the foot of the stabilizer to disitribute the weight a little more. They were on my trailer when I bought it, but I have heard that some Outbacks do not have them.

If your setting up on concrete, then there shouldn't be much settling. Perhaps you are not putting enough pressure on the stab's. I usually lower until they are snug, not tight, but snug.

Be careful though to avoid overloading the stab's, or jacks for that matter. I have read that the Outback frame is the limiting factor in using jacks to level the trailer. Too much pressure can cause frame bending. Then your TT will track down the road like a '73 Nova.

Tim


----------



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

He may not have sand pads but is using Lynx blocks under the stabs.

Sounds mostly normal but you could give the stabilizers a little more and see how that does.

The only other thing you could try is loading the wheel chocks. Once you place the wheel chocks behind or in front of the wheels (depends on which way the trailer will want to roll). Drive up on them some to really put some pressure on them and then have the better half put a set of chocks kicked in tightly on the other side of the wheel. Then let the trailer settle. Both the Front and Back side chocks should be tight. Most of the movement you feel when walking around the trailer is the trailer rocking on the wheel bearings.

Where I camp the sites are never that level so we tend to have natural loading on the chocks.


----------



## begood (Jun 9, 2004)

hatcityhosehauler said:


> Be careful though to avoid overloading the stab's, or jacks for that matter. I have read that the Outback frame is the limiting factor in using jacks to level the trailer. Too much pressure can cause frame bending. Then your TT will track down the road like a '73 Nova.
> 
> Tim
> [snapback]44581[/snapback]​


These frames are not SO soft. We are talking about stabilizing not jacking! Using jacks on concrete with 2 turns of crank will probably be enough to put enough pressure.

have a nice sunny day


----------



## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

If the frames can carry the load of the trailer bouncing down the road, they better be able to withstand a leveling jack pressure. The stabilizers, now thats another story.

John


----------



## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

As to sand pads, ours were not installed on the trailer when we picked it up. The service guy gave us a a blank look when we asked about them. We found the pads stuffed in the back of a drawer after we got home.







Our old hybrid never had any, so we used to just use blocks of wood we carried from home. This worked OK, as do the sand pads, but as you mentioned, we do tend to get some bounce, mostly when the kids are hopping around.


----------



## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

You also might want to consider rotating the front stabilizers. As I recall they are forward, if you turn them to the side it may alleviate some of the movement side to side that you are experiencing. We felt similar movement in our previous 28RSS. The BAL chocks seem to take a lot of that out and I had been looking at rotating the stabilizers - just hadn't gotten around to it.


----------



## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

We also use the jacks that begood said.
The camper is alot more stable with them under the frame.

Don


----------



## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

We use the stock stabilizers with sand pads. Haven't had any issues with rocking or shifting on concrete or gravel.


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

shake1969 said:


> We use the stock stabilizers with sand pads. Haven't had any issues with rocking or shifting on concrete or gravel.
> [snapback]44799[/snapback]​


I would seriously consider stabilzation advice from "shake"


----------

