supporting camper

[la_morris]

I've searched and read the posts about the need to support the floor of the camper when it is off the truck. What if, while camping, you want to use the truck to get to a trailhead, but you don't want to pack up the camper. Is it okay to leave the camper supported by just the jacks for the day as long as no one is entering the camper? Is it okay to drive with the jacks attached? I have a Fleet shell, so it's pretty light. I have to admit that I'm anxious about taking the camper off and putting it back on. Haven't attempted that task yet.

 

[Pax2525]

You can store the camper on its jacks just fine. As you mentioned I wouldn't recommend entering it that way. You'll spend more time taking it on and off than it would to pack down enough to just move so I would advise just packing down and driving truck to trailhead.

As far as traveling with or without jacks attached you can do either. Just remember you are better off taking off for wind resistance and avoiding hitting things. For short trips that are local I get lazy and leave them on. For anything longer than a couple days and more than local I take the 20 minutes and remove them.

Once you've loaded it a few times you wont even stress about it. Just like anything else you just need some practice to be comfortable with it. Have fun camping and enjoy your camper!

 

[Alley-Kat]

I use the truck as a truck a lot between camping trips and taking the camper off and on is something that improves over time, both your skill in doing it and the time it takes to do it. The first time is the worst and the last time is the best. Just go slow in the beginning, take your time.

When the camper is off the truck I leave in on the jacks for days, no issues. I just don't get in the camper unless I have my plywood, X-braces under the floor.

Driving with the jacks ON is NOT anything I want to do. Of the campers that I see that do that, the damage to the camper is really bad and probably very expensive to repair when they hit something with the jacks. About 30% of the campers I see exhibit this condition. The damage doesn't look recent on most of them, so, I guess that they are willing to live with the damage.

 

[la_morris]

Thank you both. Good to know popping the top down is the more efficient thing to do. But I will work up my nerve to take it off one of these days, just so I'll know I can do it.

 

[longhorn1]

My wife needs 10 minutes to clean up and pack up inside. It takes me 5-6 minutes to drop the top and we are ready for driving to the trail head or to see the sites. When we get back to our camp site we repeat in reverse. If you have a water tank, all of your packed items, you could have the bottom fall out. We remove the jacks for our long trips, less chance of damage if someone backs into the jack. Jd

 

[shellback]

I have a different situation than most with a handicapped wife. My camper has to be down at a one step level for her to access it. So it comes on and off at each campsite. I have electric jacks, a support system under the floor, (it also provides the height I need for the cabover) and screw jacks for each corner of it. I also have external hold downs. The electric jacks make it a snap raising and lowering. The support platform with it's screw jacks and the electric corner jacks make it very stable for use off the truck. My system is very solid and I'm always aware of the jacks hanging off the side. Personally I wouldn't leave a camper on it's own jacks at truck bed level. A bump or wind gust could prove to be a disaster. There's a lot of leverage on those corner brackets with the jack legs extended! Some folks make up a support system by placing plywood sheets vertically and in a X pattern, they saw a slot in each to do this. The plywood sheets lay under the camper during transport. Takes up little room or weight.

 

[Durango1]

One tip if you do move the truck during the day. (which I agree is much more efficient than taking the camper off) If you want the same site that evening bring a small pop-up tent with you to "hold your site" while you are gone.

 

[munchmeister]

PMJI, but just so I am clear, those who answered, if you don't anticipate removing the camper, you take off the jacks, then put em back on only when you anticipate taking the camper off? I just figured I'd leave them on.

BTW, be sure to disconnect the electrical connection between truck and camper when you pull away. Just pulled forward a foot, disconnect the electrical, then finish the dismounting process.

 

[moveinon]

The camper jacks weigh almost 200 lbs. which is a lot of added weight They are very non-aerodynamic and push a lot of air at freeway speeds. They also risk damage both in town and from limbs. So for weight, gas mileage, and risk of costly replacement I would not leave the jacks on my camper at all. I only put them on to remove or install the camper.

 

[la_morris]

Thank you all. Everyone's comments have convinced me to keep the the camper on when traveling and to leave the jacks at home. Now, after I sift through all the forum advice about bears, coolers and food, I'll be ready to go.

 

[nikonron]

My camper jacks only weigh 100 lbs.. Ron

 

[Alley-Kat]

All four of my Rico jacks only weigh 80 lbs, 20 lbs each.

I used to carry two of them inside the truck behind the seats. Once camped, I'd attach them to the front of the camper, lower them to touch the ground, without much pressure (important to apply much force), just to stabilize the camper for the wife as she is prone to motion sickness. After I got better, stronger, stiffer rear leaf springs, I could leave the jacks at home.

BTW, I just got passed on the freeway between Ventura and Santa Barbara by an FWC doing 75mph (nitwit), with a bent right jack and damaged right rear of camper. It looked really bad. I thought about getting a photo (thinking of this thread), then remembered that Photobucket is not doing 3rd party transfers any more.

 

[Squatch]

I'll echo what most have said. My camper comes on and off a bit. When it's off at home I lower it after removing from the truck. I usually support it with milk crates. Depending on what i want to do with it I'll use one or 2 stacked. One set in each corner and one set in the middle. Once the weight is solidly on the crates. I lift each jack till the foot floats. Then lower each till it just touches the ground. This adds stability to the crates under the base.

When my Eagle is lifted high enough to load on a full sized truck the jacks don't exactly give me a warm fuzzy. It wouldn't take a lot of side force to start a chain reaction I don't ever want to witness. I wouldn't be comfortable leaving it unattended all the way up on just the jacks.

Once you have loaded the camper in the truck you can lift a single jack a little and shove it a little to position it.

 

[moveinon]

Thanks, I stand corrected. I have never weighed my jacks just took Amazon’s word for Rieko jack weight at 50 pounds a piece. Must be a different jack than ones used on FWC because mine also weighs 20 lbs a jack. Now I do not feel nearly as strong when I pick one up.

 

[nikonron]

I just confirmed the weight on mine, they are 20 lbs 2 oz. each. Ron