tripod vs jackstands

[Wagonmaster]

This might sound crazy to you, it did to me. While camping a while back, a man pulled in and set up, I helped him back up and things. Very pleasant fellow. The next day he was busy doing something in the front of his fifth wheel being friendly,alright being nosey I wondering over to see. He was putting a set of snappins on his landing gear legs. The only trouble was the only thing holding the front was the tripod... I ask him should't you hook back up to your truck? His only reply was that the tripod was more than able to support the front..I even offered to lend him my stack jacks for the frame, he said no..I stood way back and watched, ready to call 911 but he got them on with no incident. thank God. The only bright spot is he wasn't a montana owner Jack

[deerrahn]

Not nice to call people names, but I can still think "IDIOT". Glad you were there, "Just in Case".

[tweir]

Hummm----reminds me of an old saying we mechanics have: "All mechanical things work well until they break." That indeed, is scary to say the least.

[Mac]

Yeah, I would have never trusted the tripod alone. YIKES

mac

[Wrenchtraveller]

Common sense and the instructions that came with my tripod tell you to never use the tripod alone and my tripod is only rated at 1200 pounds much, much lower than most Montys pin weight.

The scary though about someone doing a silly thing like that, it could result in a horrible accident or even a fatality.

I have owned 5 slide in campers over the last 30 years and always treated the loading and unloading of these units very carefully. I always kept them within 2 inches of level while they were on the jacks. I saw an old guy down the street , had his camper at least 12 inches out of level and he had the rear end high , a complete no- no with a camper as most of the weight is on the front jacks because of the big cab over sleeper. I was so happy when the old boy sold that camper. I was so worried he was going to kill himself.

[Montana Sky]

I have seen a few different rv'ers use the tripod to support the entire coach up front. I have still never figured out why someone would be doing this or even think the tripod would support that kind of weight. I have one rule when I see someone doing this, RUN!!! I do not want to be around when the tripod gives way...

[Wordsmith]

Some people seem to believe that they are immune to disaster. I would not like to see either him or the coach if that tripod let go...