recommendation for removable or low profiles jacks?

[lummy]

Hello everyone,
We just purchased a used 2015 202qbwe. Long story short, our driveway is on a small hill and the rear jacks are hitting when I start to back up the drive. I was doing some research on removable jacks which seems to be hard to find. I did come across some BAL c jacks which are supposed to be low profile.
Does any one have any experience with this problem and or recommendations?

Thanks
Gary

[markdol1]

manual scissors or electric jacks? I have lippert auto leveling ones now and scrapped a rubber jack pad off one on a hill so i just moved the assembly up a couple of holes. i dont know but is it possible to put a couple 2x10x12 planks to drive over those trouble spots?

[lummy]

They're manual scissors. Yeah, I did use a plank to get it up the driveway which works for now. That scissor jack has a bent screw so I was thinking if I needed to replace it, I might as well fix the other problem at the same time

[dutchmensport]

You can always remove the jacks and then use them as stand-alone jacks, not attached to the camper. That way, they are out of the way and not subject to dragging, and still work as designed for your camper. They are just a little more tricky to crank up and down when not bolted or welded to the trailer frame.

[GlasNav]

Years ago we had a similar issue with 33 ft travel trailer dragging the tail end of the frame going over small rises and going up and over rail road tracks etc.
My solution of which I have even seen recently was to add a pair of industrial casters with a load rating of the trailer and large enough to maintain clearance when the casters bottom out. You would know when they were working, as a rumble radiated right up thru the seat when the casters were in contact with the pavement.

[JRTJH]

Lummy,

Thinking out loud for a bit, your problem is that the scissors jacks on the rear of your trailer hang down too far and will not clear some "inclines" when backing.

You are looking for a "REMOVEABLE" scissors jack that you can take off for towing and put on when parked.

First, any "removeable scissors jack" will need to be "tightened securely to prevent wobble" or it simply won't offer any stabilization. That means an extended time under your trailer with wrenches to install and secure the jacks, even when setting up in muddy or rainy campground sites... NOT A FUN PROPOSITION !!!!!

Have you considered the telescoping stabilizers rather than the crank down sicssors stabilizers ??? The retract higher than the scissors jacks and give a bit more road clearance. Also, if you purchase the correct type, they will span the frame rails, so you can move them forward slightly to gain even more "tire to bumper clearance". (you can do the same with scissors jacks, but need to locate a mounting position that has a pad on it).

BAL has one type telescoping stabilizer system that will probably give you more road clearance than most scissors jacks. https://balrvproducts.com/products/#jacksstability

[lummy]

I was looking at the BAL c jacks, which are basically the same as what you suggested but in 2 pieces instead of one? I would think the telescoping jacks would drop the same amount on both sides? How would I compensate for unlevel ground?

https://balrvproducts.com/product/c-jack-series/

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by lummy

I was looking at the BAL c jacks, which are basically the same as what you suggested but in 2 pieces instead of one? I would think the telescoping jacks would drop the same amount on both sides? How would I compensate for unlevel ground?

https://balrvproducts.com/product/c-jack-series/

I believe the telescoping jacks are individually operated just like the scissor jacks which gives each lets each one extend independently of the other. Attached is a link to a video that shows modifying one for an Airstream but at the very start of the video it shows the jacks upside down and you can see how it looks inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nwVK-d4oCg

Reading various reviews and comments on it the telescoping jacks that extend across the width of the trailer with a channel seem to me to be a better way to go than the individual C jacks.

[JRTJH]

Danny is correct in his comparison of the individual "C jacks" and the "beam mounted C jacks"... With the individual jacks, you need two points of stabilization to keep them from buckling as you raise them. So, most people put a steel beam or a 2x4 across the individual jacks mount position or mount them on the bottom of the bumper/rear trailer bulkhead at the rear of the trailer or return the individual jacks and buy the "beam mounted set"...

I wouldn't consider the individual jacks unless your trailer chassis was built to install them originally. Otherwise, you're looking for some pretty extensive mount modifications to get them to actually stabilize the trailer without buckling as you lower them and put pressure on the jack foot.

[lummy]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm reading both install manuals now. One thing that caught my eye is that the c jacks need to be mounted to a cross member that spans the width of the frame which makes sense. If there's no cross member, then you have to buy a bal c channel to connect the 2 c jacks and mount to the frame. The beam mounted set comes with the c channel already and that is what you cut to size to fit between the frame. To me, it sounds like the same thing as the c jacks with their c channel..