27FB International - still shakes after leveled

[CDONA]

Filling and draining the black/grey tanks will cause some settling of the stab jacks. This due to the weight gain/loss using city water, fresh water tank, not so much as the weight is there already.

[Ray Eklund]

[QUOTE=KariRich;1800620]Everyone,

Hoping for some advice on this one. We park our Airstream, level it front to back, then left to right. Once level, we put down the stabilizer jacks and yet when we walk around in it, it still shakes, and at night when the AC runs, it feels like a train is going by.

Any advice? FYI - we don't put anything around the wheels when parked.

Thanks![/QUOTE
******

IceMan was parked near the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico and Off the Grid last month. His 27' had the stabilizer jacks extended. Did you find the irregular surface you were parked affecting the stability of the trailer for not remaining steady?

-On a cement slab... check the stabilizers if problem persists.
-On gravel and leveled with leveling blocks, set stabilizers... check tire pressures if problem persists. Big changes in air pressure would vary tire diameters.
-Ourselves... without stabilizers in use puts this big Baby asleep. Never used them. When not in the trailer, never a problem. When in the trailer, never a problem. Any stabilizer extension should be much better than ours not using them. Maybe you are too sensitive to any motion. Check the wind.

[The Ice Man]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

IceMan was parked near the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico and Off the Grid last month. His 27' had the stabilizer jacks extended.

Yep, Ray parked next us in a beautiful Meadow at 7600'. And the reason the Stabs were down is RULE ONE: you ALWAYS keep the women in the family happy.

Our Border Collie simply refuses to stay in the trailer if it feels unstable to her. A couple of 2X6 wood blocks (because the meadow was soft) and down went the Stabs. Happy Dog, happy camper. Simple as that.

[AtomicNo13]

I see Ray mentioned the tire pressure....
In our 34' if the tires are soft we have more movement despite wheel locks, BAL jacks and whatever else.
if the tires are hard we sit like a rock. No movement whatsoever.

[TomKirk]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Please explain exactly how you accomplish that, without completely destroying the jack and stabilizers.

I drop all 4 stabilizers (just touching the ground), then fine-tune with carpenter's level (close is good enough). I make no attempt to "lift" my rig with stabilizers.

Correction, I misspoke (sorry about that): Tongue jack is the last thing I drop (a little more than touching the ground). It's nothing more than a 5th stabilizer.

Tom

[xrvr]

The tongue jack holds the front of the trailer up..it's much more than a stabilizer.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by TomKirk

I drop all 4 stabilizers (just touching the ground), then fine-tune with carpenter's level (close is good enough). I make no attempt to "lift" my rig with stabilizers.



Correction, I misspoke (sorry about that): Tongue jack is the last thing I drop (a little more than touching the ground). It's nothing more than a 5th stabilizer.



Tom

I'm unclear on how you're leveling side to side. Are you still connected to the tow vehicle and pulling up on blocks or something?

I'm not aware of a way to level otherwise. We pull in to a site and before unhitching, we check the level side to side (with a level in the floor in front of the fridge which is about midway through the trailer. If we need to raise one side or another, we do that with the Andersen levelers.

Then, after unhitching, we again check level front to back. This is going to be controlled by the tongue jack - up or down depending on what the level (still on the floor by the fridge) tells us.

Last - once all is level, we drop the stabilizers and chock the wheels (with tools described earlier in this thread).

I'm sorry I'm not following how exactly you're "leveling" by dropping the stabilizers first...

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by TomKirk

I drop all 4 stabilizers (just touching the ground), then fine-tune with carpenter's level (close is good enough). I make no attempt to "lift" my rig with stabilizers.

Correction, I misspoke (sorry about that): Tongue jack is the last thing I drop (a little more than touching the ground). It's nothing more than a 5th stabilizer.

Tom

That still doesn't explain how you level front-to-back before leveling side-to-side, unless you are digging holes under the tires, or jacking the trailer up on one side. Leveling front-to-back has to involve disconnecting from the tow vehicle, so the tongue jack can be used for leveling.
The trailer is supported by the tires/axles and the tongue jack. It is stabilized by the stabilizers, no more than a half turn of the handle after they hit the ground.

[mpsgolf]

I have a small level we use when setting up. I use it on the floor and kitchen counter. This works for me:

1. level side to side whilst hooked up to TV. I use the plastic pads / levelers but you can use wood too. I put pads under low side (both wheels) until level.
2. Chock wheels just in case AS decides to move whilst adjusting fore and aft while unhooking from TV
3. Disconnect from TV then raise and lower Jack to get level fore and aft. I usually put blocks under the Jack foot too.
4. After leveling put down 4 feet. I put plastic pads under them when on gravel pads or dirt. It helps them not to sink in as much. I do find that I need to go around once and put them all 4 down then go around again and snug up as some tend to be less snug to the ground as I put down the others. I also often need to check them again after a day or so due to settling when not on concrete.

If you put down all the levelers and then adjust fore and aft you can put significant strain on the arms and possibly bend or damage them imho.

Btw, step 5 is of course enjoy a Tennessee sour mash beverage.

[dneff01]

I had the same issue. I bought some xchocks seemed to help out


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