Stabilizers or Scissors...?

[azflycaster]

On the subject of stabilizers, does anyone have these pads attached to them? I saw them at this link which I found on another thread.
http://www.outofdoorsmart.com/

[LI Pets]

This BAL website you can lookup all there distributers and dealers

[Ultradog]

Drag'n,
How much weight did your jacks add to the trailer?
I am very conscious about extraneous weight.

On the cordless drills...
Those 9.6v Makitas were very good drills.
Minnie, I use those drills every day for work. Unless you got pretty good arms get like a 14.5 drill. Those big 18+ volt machines are heavy. If you just used it for your jacks then bigger is better. But if you were going to remodel your AS or help someone with a deck or some sheetrock the 14.5 will do what you need and isn't so clunky.
Makita still makes a good drill.

[Minnie's Mate]

Thanks Ultradog. This will be almost exclusively for the Airstream stabilizers. I hadn't considered weight since I'll just use it for the four corners twice per camping trip. But I will keep it in mind.

As it turns out I didn't get to stop at Sears and may not get to stop this week. If not, I'll either have to use another cordless I have or do like last trip and go manual.

[john hd]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

On the subject of stabilizers, does anyone have these pads attached to them? I saw them at this link which I found on another thread.
http://www.outofdoorsmart.com/

yes,

my trailer was factory equipped with the pads.

i like them because they work well on soft ground. and you don not need blocking for them. less stuff to keep track of!

john

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I still crank my stabilizers by hand. I thought about the cordless idea, but I have cordless drills at home; and some times they work great and sometimes they don't. That's the chance you take with rechargeables. I already have to take chargers for my digital camera, walkie talkies, and cell phone. I think I will just bring a good Makita 3/8" reversable 110 volt corded drill and and use it where I have hook ups and crank it by hand where I don't. A lot cheaper and a lot more dependable than any cordless. Just another thought.

Bob

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I still crank my stabilizers by hand. I thought about the cordless idea, but I have cordless drills at home; and some times they work great and sometimes they don't. That's the chance you take with rechargeables. I already have to take chargers for my digital camera, walkie talkies, and cell phone. I think I will just bring a good Makita 3/8" reversable 110 volt corded drill and and use it where I have hook ups and crank it by hand where I don't. A lot cheaper and a lot more dependable than any cordless. Just another thought.

Bob

I have a bad lower back and bending at the waist without something to lean on for more than a few seconds, and I mean a very few, is a real killer so I have used the cordless drill to make it faster and easier. When on soft surfaces, I have lowered the stabilizers and then gone around and "tightened" them by hand with the hand crank but that is a real pain in the back, so to speak.

[drag'nwagon]

[quote=Ultradog]Drag'n,
How much weight did your jacks add to the trailer?
I am very conscious about extraneous weight.



Ultradog,

The new jacks were considerably lighter than the OEM satbilzer jacks I took off. My gues is by 5 - 10 lbs lighter. The OEM's that I took off are all welded steel and pretty robust at that. The scissors are also steel but much lighter, I still do not understand why the OEM's have a plastic nut with such a robust frame..should have been brass.


Dave.

[drag'nwagon]

Originally Posted by loechli

Dave,

Do you have any pictures of your setup, I have a 72 rear bath and don't

have BAL stabilizers, just these

I would like to get scisors jack mounted on trailer, but not sure best place to mount.



Steve

Hey Steve,

Your so close to me, we should get together and I will show what I did. I drive past Saline twice a day. Send me a PM and lets get together.

[drag'nwagon]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

BTW, if you are interested, Camping World has scissors jacks on sale for $77.77 for a pair + $75 to install:

Minnie's Mate,

I paid $95.00 for 4 5,000 lb. jacks and two cranks from RV xpressions.

[vhord]

Originally Posted by drag'nwagon

OK, so I ordered 4 of the 5,000lb jacks from RV Xcessories they came in a day and half and with two crank handles for $128.00 including shipping. After playing with them with the kids raising them up and down, I hit the hardware for 3/8 - 16 x 1.00" bolts with lock washers and machine washers. Picked up a 3/8 tap and tap drill, oh and grabbed a bottle of permanent (red) loc-tight. The loc-tight really isnt needed with the lock washer but I did it for my peace of mind. First up was the removal of the BAL type satbalizers accomplished with ratchet and a 1/2" socket no issue. I then raised the scissor jack to the exsisting location to check out weather or not I could use exsisting holes. I could obviously use one of the holes and drilled and tapped to 3/8-16. I temporarilly installed one bolt and transfered hole on the other side of jack mount, drilled and tapped, installed both bolts with loc-tight and washer and done. I repeated this 3 more times and within an hour I was done. ..............I will be more than happy to explain more if anybody needs help.


Dave

My A/S does not have (never had) any attached stabilizers. I like the scissor jack idea rather than the jack stands I have now. Can you explain exactly where on the frame that you attached them? Do you have pictures? I still have the belly pan off mine so it I needed to add something now would be the time.

[Jim Foster]

The PO of our Caravel went to a foreign car recycle yard and got four identical Toyota scissor jacks. He attached the base of each jack directly to the Caravel frame. If the ground is really uneven, I will put something under a wheel to get close to level. But if the space is near level, I can raise a side of the trailer a little to make it level. Two much, and it may twist the frame. I carry four 2x6x10 bases for the jacks. The jacks provide the stability of a concrete foundation. I mean, that sucker does not move, once in place. When not in use, they retract and hang down only about 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Don't need a place to carry and store them, and the lift is always in the same place.

Love it.

[drag'nwagon]

vhord,

You will need to make the frame the attachpoint for the jacks. the rear location is more critical due to the possiblility of dragging them and or tearing them off. Since you did not have them, you can take a piece of string and stretch it from the bottom of the rear bumper to the bottom of the rear tire. This will allow you to visualize the space in which the rear jack needs to hang so that you do not rip it off the unit in the event you drag the rear a bit. For my 31' the jacks are place approximately 40" to the rear of the tires or about 30% of the distance from rear tire to bumper.
If you have access to the frame I would suggest nut, lock washer, lok-tite, and bolt for fastening. The frame on the 70's trailers is pretty light gauge.
For the front jacks mine are about 2 foot forward of the entry door.

[vhord]

Originally Posted by drag'nwagon

vhord,
This will allow you to visualize the space in which the rear jack needs to hang so that you do not rip it off the unit in the event you drag the rear a bit.

Thanks for the suggestion. Is this how you came up with your forum name?

[drag'nwagon]

It actaully came from an old '75 Olds wagon we had when I was a kid. It had the reverse 3rd row and a 455, so we aptly named it the Dragon Wagon because the exhaust fell off! When it came to my Airstreams I thought the name would fit with a bit different definition.