Scissors jack stabilizers - a word of warning

[gregangsten]

Recently we camped on a very uneven site and I needed to run one jack nearly all the way up to level the rear of the trailer. Also, the ground in front was higher than the rear so that jack was shortened to the limit though it still left our heads higher than our feet. All was fine until we set up to leave.

Because of the slope I thought it would be better to leave the rear jack up to keep the trailer stable when hitching to the car but that turned out to be a bad idea. I chocked the other wheels and cranked up the front jack to get it high enough to get the ball under but after raising it several inches the high rear jack collapsed. The additional torque bent the bolted plate on the jack and it rolled rearward, driving the adjusting nut into the ground making it impossible to lower. Pulling forward just plowed the mess through the ground. Fortunately the camp host had an angled block of wood that I could pull the trailer up on, raising it enough to crank jack down and head out.

The jack however had to be replaced. Cary told me the original jack was no longer available but pointed me to some possible substitutes. I got this one and as far as I can tell, it is identical to the original. It was a pain to get at the bolts to remove the old and replace with the new but it all fit fine eventually.

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[SethB]

Recently we camped on a very uneven site and I needed to run one jack nearly all the way up to level the rear of the trailer. Also, the ground in front was higher than the rear so that jack was shortened to the limit though it still left our heads higher than our feet. All was fine until we set up to leave.

Because of the slope I thought it would be better to leave the rear jack up to keep the trailer stable when hitching to the car but that turned out to be a bad idea. I chocked the other wheels and cranked up the front jack to get it high enough to get the ball under but after raising it several inches the high rear jack collapsed. The additional torque bent the bolted plate on the jack and it rolled rearward, driving the adjusting nut into the ground making it impossible to lower. Pulling forward just plowed the mess through the ground. Fortunately the camp host had an angled block of wood that I could pull the trailer up on, raising it enough to crank jack down and head out.

The jack however had to be replaced. Cary told me the original jack was no longer available but pointed me to some possible substitutes. I got this one and as far as I can tell, it is identical to the original. It was a pain to get at the bolts to remove the old and replace with the new but it all fit fine eventually.

View attachment 11790

A previous owner of our 560 likely tried to drive away with the jacks down. They still worked, but were very hard extending and retracting. Same experience as you @gregangsten in replacing them. Some very difficult angles for reaching nuts and bolts. Probably a set of (obscure but still available) crows foot wrenches would help.

Cary and Craig point out in the manual that the rear jacks are rated for stabilizing but not to have both wheels off the ground at the same time. I’d guess that raising the front jack with lots of extension on the rears may have lifted the wheels off the ground, or nearly so.

 

[TheSongDogHouse]

@gregangsten thanks for the warning.
I like to park in out of the way places boondocking
or on less than level "tent-only" sites for a better view or cheaper cost, if the camphosts allow it and/or the full service RV sites are taken.
So that takes a bit of leveling, as you say, for a best nites sleep.

Even tho its verboten I've jacked both up, but then lowered one enough for the wheel on one side to sit on a couple blocks of wood or some other support to provide a more or less level bed, and avoid both sides up in the air overnite.

I guess you could try and chock the wheels some to keep it from sliding and the jacks tilting.

I've also left the tow hitch connected
(With 12v plug disconnected so I dont drain the car battery)
if I think I might need thst extra stability fore and aft...might come in handy or I need to pull out in the middle of the nite..

.that dry camp is a free site on old horse pasture just south of Petrified Forest Natl Park )which has no camping)
...next to now closed tourist shop...

Apple Maps

TY for the replacement part info handy!

 

[Sweeney]

I tried driving off wtih mine down last year --- its easy to do. All it takes is som eone to distract you when you're doing those checks....