Well, this is the place to learn about AS. I've had pop ups, travel trailers, hybrids, and truck camper (my fav) and this forum has enough folks that have been there and done that who are more than willing to help us newbies figure out these great trailers. I joined a local AS club and I'm looking forward to meeting some new common interest friends. In fact, there is a guy I graduated from high school with (1970) that is in the same club. It was great to get back in touch with him.
Great price and best of luck with your new AS.
BTW, my son is being stationed at Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo in April. It's a far piece from VA, but closer than the 15 months he spent in Iraq!
You don't need to jack up the trailer. What's all the fuss about.
Just use your front mount jack. Jack the front of the trailer so the front are off the ground. They have collapse so you should have plenty of room. Get them off however you want. Then lower the front main jack so the front is lower and the back ones come off the ground. Then take them off. then jack the front back up. hook it up and drag it out. The tires are probably no good so I would guess not putting air in them won't hurt since you will need new ones.
Don't make this harder than it is. It should be a piece of cake.
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Jason
May you have at least one sunny day, and a soft chair to sit in..
Good idea purman, if the jack still works and it doesn't distort the frame when the stabilizers at one end are further compressed.
I wouldn't trust the old tires not to blow out when you're under there so I wouldn't rely on them to hold up the trailer without something else raising it.
I'd think that jacking from both sides little by little would not compress any stabilizers further and hopefully provide enough room to get them off. Or, dig a hole under them would be another way if it weren't sitting on concrete.
Just lifting slightly may be enough to get the pavers out and release tension. Before anything, I'd squirt WD40 on the bolts and any part that may be frozen in place, then squirt a few more times, to allow the penetrating oil to penetrate. Then use jacks under the jacking points and raise the trailer slightly and see what happens. Two of the stabilizers are on their "knees". There has to be a pin at that point and maybe it can be drilled out to get the lower part out of the way. All of them appear to have pins to allow them to articulate and maybe all the pins can be drilled out once the weight of the trailer is taken off the stabilizers—otherwise, releasing the pin (if you can) could pop something at you with considerable force. Perhaps a bottle jack to the mounting plate of the stabilizer would help stabilize that area while working on it, but I'd be concerned about something slipping.
The most important part of this seems to me is to safely lift the trailer and make sure it is not going to move. As I think out loud, perhaps the best way is putting on new tires with just enough air in them to keep them on the wheels (if you can fit them in space) and then putting a little more air in (without hitting the roof above) to release the tension on the stabilizers. The trailer will then be supported the safest way.
And, another thought—can you take the AC cover off or the whole unit out to be able to lift the trailer higher? That may give you enough space to mount new tires, or at least lift it enough to work on it.
You don't need to jack up the trailer. What's all the fuss about.
Just use your front mount jack. Jack the front of the trailer so the front are off the ground. They have collapse so you should have plenty of room. Get them off however you want. Then lower the front main jack so the front is lower and the back ones come off the ground. Then take them off. then jack the front back up. hook it up and drag it out. The tires are probably no good so I would guess not putting air in them won't hurt since you will need new ones.
Don't make this harder than it is. It should be a piece of cake.
I had thought about using the tounge jack to raise or lower the trailer, but all four stabilizers are on the ground. If I lift the front, it will crush the rear stabilizers further. If I lower the front, it will crush the front stabilizers. I'm concerned that any further compression of the stabilizers, especially the back ones, could possibly cause frame damage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrawfordGene
Just lifting slightly may be enough to get the pavers out and release tension.
This seems to be my best bet in this case. I have plenty of heavy duty safety stands and will be using them a lot anytime I even think about getting underneath this thing.
As far as lifting it enough to get new tires on while it 's still under the house? I don't think there's enough room. Even if there was, I wouldn't be able to get it out from under the house without letting the air out of the new tires first. I think I'll be better off just leaving the old tires in place until I get it pulled out from under the house.
I think I may only have about 1' to work with up there. It would be tricky at best, if even possible, to remove the cover while the AS is still under the house. The top of the AC cover has disintegrated so there really isn't any point in trying to pull it off first. You can see what I mean in the pics below...
It's been fun trying to figure this out—fun for me, not for you. Looks like there's some air in the tires now, so you'll know if they'll hold air. Maybe you could raise the house? Ha! The AC cover looks like it was broken bringing it in there, so maybe it'll pull off with a little cutting and you'll be able to see just how much room you have, or strip off one side with some wire cutters so you can watch what's happening. I think you'll have to play with how much air is in the tires depending what you're doing—can always subtract after you add.
I'd love to watch the process of how you do this, but will be content with photos. Good luck.
My experience with A/C covers, if it had much UV exposure prior to sliding under the roof (mine had 2-3 years) you can probably just whack with a hammer and it will shatter and you can remove the pieces. (No, I didn't deliberately do this! Things just happen sometimes.)
Agree with Gene - fun following this thread and I think you've received some solid ideas here. It looks manageable.
__________________ Cam 2005 25' Safari SS 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbodiesel WBCCI #3580 - Region 12 NorCal AIR #8752
Roseville, CA
How about airring up the tires and removing the pavers let air back out slightly and pull the trailer out with your TV. With the pavers gone there may be enough clearence that the stabilizers don't make contact with the ground. Once the trailer is out remove the stabilizers from the trailer.
The trailer did get there with the tires pumped up? Correct?
>>>>>>>>>Action
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1966 Mercury Park Lane 4 DR Breezeway 410 4V, C-6, 2.80 - towing a - 1966 Overlander International Twin Bed
1996 Lincoln Mark VIII Diamond Anniversary 4.6L (275hp), 4R70W - 1990 Ford E 150 5.8L, E4OD, 3.55 ____________________________________
Phoenix ~ Yeah it's hot however it's a dry heat!
The trailer did get there with the tires pumped up? Correct?
>>>>>>>>>Action
Nope. They had to let about half the air of the tires to get it to fit under the house (as per the PO).
I'll try to air up the tires first as that may give me just enough room to get the paver stones out. Then I could unbolt the brackets and be done with them. That's assuming they'll hold any air in their current condition. If not, I'll fall back on the original "jack up one side at a time" plan.
I'm with Action. Take out the pavers, raise the stabilisers if they will move. If they won't move you should still have enough clearance to slowly and gently tow the trailer out.
Once it is clear of the building you can jack up the trailer, put it on good blocks or jack stands so there is NO CHANCE of it falling off. Then repair or remove the stabilisers.
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Living in the trailer park of sense, looking out the window at a tornado of stupidity.
I've got a BIG chainsaw...cut the house...not the AS. I'll be right over.
That would be something to see! Maybe you could get those guys who do that program about moving big things like the Cape Hatteras lighthouse to film it.
I've got a BIG chainsaw...cut the house...not the AS. I'll be right over.
I like the way you think. Simple, yet brutally effective.
I don't think the PO would allow it though, as it's HIS house...
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrewfordGene
That would be something to see! Maybe you could get those guys who do that program about moving big things like the Cape Hatteras lighthouse to film it.
I just so happen to have a video cam lying around somewhere...
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