As part of camping in an RV, it can be normal to experience occasional rocking and jostling; however, excessive movement may become uncomfortable or unsafe for those inside.
Stabilizing your camper can prevent back-and-forth motions that disturb the peace. We will discuss some products available that can keep your RV stable.
Leveling Blocks
Uneven RV floors can make life uncomfortable for passengers and the driver alike, leading them to constantly rock and sway from side-to-side, leading to frustration down the line.
To counter this issue, there are various strategies you can employ to stabilize your camper. Leveling blocks provide one solution; simply place them underneath your tires to raise them off of the ground and stop your rig from rocking back and forth. They come in different sizes with weight limits to accommodate different trailer weights. Wheel chocks also can help stop front-to-back movements by stiffening up wheel movements between wheels.
Stabilizer jacks can also help your trailer from rocking by being placed at each corner. By reducing side-to-side motion that occurs with most trailers, stabilizer jacks help reduce any sideways motion that might arise – though remember these should only ever be used as weight-bearing support rather than load bearing mechanisms! When raising these up using blocks or lumber you should take great care not to lift too high and support the frame of your camper too much!
As an easy and quick leveling solution, RV leveling blocks offer another simple leveling solution. They’re designed for quick use – simply drive on and off! Plus they come with their own carrying bag which fits up to 10 blocks! Use them under travel trailer tongue jacks, fifth wheel landing gears or under travel trailer tongue jacks; just be mindful not to extend their tongue too much during extension time!
Camco Heavy-Duty RV Leveling Blocks are an incredibly popular option for leveling blocks for RVs. Based on a simple concept familiar from playing Legos as a child, these leveling blocks interlock so that you can stack them as high or low as necessary to level your rig – an ideal choice for dual and single axle campers alike; their weight limit extends up to 40,000 pounds!
Wheel Chocks
As you walk around your RV, any slight bouncing is perfectly normal, but any excessive movement could indicate something is amiss. Some key indicators are your level of camper and whether or not your stabilizer jacks are set correctly; additionally if it’s single axle model then additional stabilizing tools such as wheel chocks may need to be implemented to prevent front-to-back motion.
Wheel chocks are triangle-like pieces you put under tires to prevent them from rolling away, often used when re-hitching on slippery ramps or blocking off wheeled vehicles such as trailers while working on them, though they can also help block off campers to keep them from rocking and swaying.
If you’re using these to block off an RV, make sure that they’re not too close to its tires; friction between them and their surface could cause them to slip and lose effectiveness. When selecting the type of chock suitable for your specific situation – considering wheel size, ground conditions, GVWR and loading dock considerations as well – selecting an effective type is also key; such as multiple resilient metal models might be better in slippery environments like an icy lot than just one chock with cleats alone.
The best RV stabilizing chocks are those constructed of durable rubber, as this will offer better grip than plastic wedges or other types. MLTools ones, for instance, feature rugged rubber that’s resistant to oil and chemicals that could otherwise compromise them over time – yet are lightweight enough for everyday carry. Amazon users have given these five stars for being easy and providing plenty of grip!
Another way to improve the stability of your RV is to ensure its tires are inflated according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Underinflated or flat tires will make driving at high speeds less stable and can pose an imminent safety threat – check tire pressure regularly and keep in line with manufacturer recommendations.
Stabilizer Jacks
RV stabilizing jacks are designed to prevent your camper from rocking when walking inside it or when the wind blows, usually by being located in front and rear corners, under both slides if desired, under both slide out areas if applicable and sometimes using wheel chocks as needed to level. Stabilizer jacks may also come in handy if your campground features loose ground that prevents you from properly leveling the vehicle with wheel chocks alone.
Stabilizing jacks may help stop your camper from rocking, but they cannot support its weight on their own. Depending on the model of your RV, these may already be installed or you can purchase separate ones separately – however as leveling blocks have specific capacities they should fit within for optimal support of your camper’s weight.
Manual stabilizer jacks can be manually operated with a handle, while electric versions can be deployed by pressing a button. When extending or retracting them, make sure they make contact with something solid such as a jack pad or piece of wood instead of the ground; otherwise they’ll sink into it and do no good.
After disconnecting your tow vehicle and placing wheel chocks in place, locate the crank handle or socket adapter included with manual jacks (if available) or, for electric ones, simply locate the button to activate them. It is important not to overextend them as that could make your trailer unstable.
Once your stabilizer jacks have been lowered to where they touch something solid like a jack pad or wood block, give them several turns so as to ensure full contact with the ground. Preferably this should be done on a hard surface like cement or asphalt but alternatively wooden blocks or pieces of 2×6 may work just as effectively.
Fifth Wheel Kingpin Tripod
Although fifth wheel tripods aren’t essential, they do help stabilize an RV while also reducing shaking and rattling due to movement within. They’re especially helpful for people who are highly sensitive to such movement within.
Though not absolutely essential, many fifth wheel owners find installing a fifth wheel tripod under their front overhang to be an enjoyable camping experience. Installation usually only requires minimal time and effort once at your campsite.
Fifth wheel tripods may be cumbersome to transport when packing up and leaving, taking up space in your front pass-thru cargo bay and being difficult to store when not in use.
The UF Ultra-Fab Products 19-950001 Steel Kingpin Tripod is an ideal way for fifth wheelers looking to reduce rocking and bounce when parking their fifth wheeler in their driveway. Designed specifically to work with fifth wheel kingpins, its weight rating extends up to 5,000 pounds. Furthermore, this unit can be easily adjusted via its built-in handle for quick fine tuning as well as featuring large 5″x 5-1/2″ footpads which counter slide/tilting issues.
To assemble the UF Ultra-Fab Kingpin tripod, first you will need to secure it to your trailer’s king pin and spread out its legs until they are all even. Next, adjust its height until it sits directly underneath your king pin before tightening its locking nuts and bolts at each bottom pad until all locks are secure.
Once this step is complete, all that remains to do is place the included flag over your landing gear switch to remind yourself to remove it before extending legs upon departure. That way, you’ll be free from worrying about an annoying bounce whenever someone walks into your living area or kitchen.