Beginners' Lippert rear stabilizers experience

[GRHooper]

We were in Las Cruces, NM all packed and shut down, ready for the road. Rear stabilizers wouldn't retract, though, and we were unable to find the lead to unplug the motor before we manually cranked them up. We called a service company who came out, put a bottle jack under the rear of the RV, lifted a bit and the stabilizers retracted smooth as silk. Lesson learned: rear stabilizer motor has little power and can't take much pressure. If the rear stabilizers won't retract, either lift the rear with a jack or lower the front to take pressure off the rear.

[HamRad]

The rear stabilizers must come up first. Don't know if that is what you were doing or not but always bring them up first. We don't have the electric ones so can't help you with the electric side of things. But I can tell you we learned the hard way that the rear stabilizers will get bent and or be very difficult to bring up...... Even manually it can be very difficult to retract them.

Good luck and Happy Travels.
HamRad

[swanny]

Also a caution, make sure your level front to back before you put the stabilizers down. If you have them down and need to lift the front it will put a lot of extra pressure on the stabilizers.

kevin

[Art-n-Marge]

If you use this order to set up, then the reverse for break down, you should be able to avoid this problem:

1. Locate your site.
2. Position the rig.
3. Level Side to Side.
4. Chock the wheels.
5. Unhitch.
6. Level front to back.
7. Drop stabilizers.
8. Open Slides.
9. Perform hookups. (Test and connect electrical, Make water connections, Make sewer connections.)
10. Setup rest of campsite.

For some, Step 9 may be done earlier to provide electrical sooner, or because some sewer drains would require crawling under a slide, but the hookups aren't of concern for this topic. Note that the stabilizers are lowered after the leveling is complete and prior to opening slides because they help prevent movement as the slides move. This should prevent undue pressure when breaking down. They should never be last.

It helps a lot to develop a consistent procedure and to complete each step for the best success when setting up and breaking down. On the otherhand, your stabilizers might still get jammed from time to time if the tire pressure drops slightly, a tire goes flat (ouch!) or the trailer shifts unexpectedly or something else. Just don't throw away that jack wrench, just in case.

[Emmel]

With the installation of our JT's, we now have to lower the front legs 1/2 inch from level, set the rear JT's, then raise the front back to level, 1/2inch.
This puts a tremendous strain on the rear JT's, but not on the rear stabilizers. This is the instructions included with the JT Strongarm stabilizers.

[timandsusan]

I have a mental and a printed check list. I use both of them EVERYTIME that I hook up or unhook. Sure saves alot of "OOPS--I did not do that!" with the ensuing expletive deleted--this is a family activity!

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by Emmel

With the installation of our JT's, we now have to lower the front legs 1/2 inch from level, set the rear JT's, then raise the front back to level, 1/2inch.
This puts a tremendous strain on the rear JT's, but not on the rear stabilizers. This is the instructions included with the JT Strongarm stabilizers.

We do this same thing that Steve does.

As for doing the stabilizers first, I think what he meant is he could lower the nose by retracting the landing gear, thus raising the rear and removing some pressure from the rear stabilizers, allowing its motor to do the rest of the work. That sounds like a good option to me.