Necessary to unhook?

[captbanjo]

When overnighting only at a campground is there any reason to unhook the rig from the truck or is it OK to simply plop the landing gear down while the truck stays hooked up?

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Been there, done that.

Most of the time I don't even bother with the jacks or stabilizers.
Pull in, hook up water and electric and hit the sack.

[cargary]

Captbanjo:
Sure, if you have the room. Quite often, I find that the sites aren't long enoungh to leave it hooked up and not be in the campground roadway or to close to it for comfort. I definitely would leave it hooked up if the site had the room and I was only staying a night or two and didn't need to go anywhere with the truck. I do like to extend the landing gear to take some of the weight off the truck suspension though.
Gary & Carole

[Montana_657]

We don't normally pop the slides. Just climb in turn on the inverter, watch a bit of TV over supper and get a good nights sleep.

No jacks, stabilizers etc. find a dark corner and lights out.

[Dave e Victoria]

I agree, pop the slides and hang out. BUT DON'T FORGET We were in a campground in SW missouri last year when a neighbor did just taht. Then, deciding not to partake of camp fare, he decided to visit a local reataurant. Of course he forgot the tailer was still attached. Wiped out about two feet of slide as well as the parks electrical and plumbing stantion. It was a pretty expensive supper.

[Montana_2694]

We done that too just for overnight stays. Just as long as she is fairly level......

[Parrothead]

We've stayed hooked up a lot on one nighters. We do not put the landing gears down. When we go from No. Calif. to So. Calif. we have two parks we like that accomodate the full length. One is in Bakersfield and the other is the Almond Tree Park off I 5. You just can't go out to dinner. But it does save a lot of work.

[kdeiss]

When we travel, just over night stays we never unhook from the truck ,but I think if you extend slides as I do we use the rear stabilizer jacks think it just a good idea and may have read that.

[prariepoodle]

On our recent trip from Nevada to Mississippi we never unhooked or put the jacks down. I guess we were lucky all the camp grounds we stopped at the sites were large enough for the truck and the monty.

[Treecounter]

When traveling we don't unhitch unless we have to. When parked in Wally World camp grounds we try to get close to a light pole so we can straddle it with the slide outs. Keeps traffic away.

[Bill and Ann]

When we stop at Flying J's we try to get near the grass and put the slides out on that side. I usually drop the front stabs. to take the load off the truck, but I don't unhook.

[rames14]

Looks like we all have the same opinion. Find a level spot and stay hitched, especially if you're traveling through. I recommend at least putting the jacks down just to stabilize. Remember, you're adding another ??? pounds (was going to use XXX but that didn't seem appropriate) to your truck if you don't put down the front landing gear. I also use a cordless drill on my rear jacks, which makes it quick and easy to lower and raise them.

[sreigle]

We haven't done this (yet) but probably will one of these days, especially when traveling in cold weather. I'd want to make sure to level the trailer with blocks under trailer and truck wheels as needed. I'd probably put out the rear stabilizers, too, just for the stability. But that's just me. From reading through the above posts it sounds like lots of people don't bother with the stabilizers and are just fine. I assume you all make sure you're reasonably level before extending slides plus for health of the fridge, right? Or am I too picky about that?

[rames14]

Steve -

I agree on the level and rear stabilizer jacks. As for level, within half a bubble - just like me - is fine.

[Parrothead]

Yes, leveling is a must but we agree with the 1/2 bubble. That is why I mentioned the two CG - both have very level spots. We are noticing more and more CG have level spots. We do unplug from the truck before plugging electric in and I'm not sure that is necessary.

[BillyRay]

if just staying overnight, I leave the truck hooked up and don't even bother with the jacks. the only down fall is the camper will slightly move when there is no stabilization, but won't hurt anything.

[mobilrvn]

Another two cents---think that most folks down't unhook for an overnighter. Hopefully all of us are towing in a fairly level position. If we're in a CG, the slides will go out (45 seconds) since it is our house and the jacks will go down to take some of the weight off the poor old truck, besides who wants a wiggly house.

[DrivesBGM]

My Chevy 3500 doesn't provide an isolation relay so 12v is provided to the trailer umbilical even when the ignition switch is off! To make sure that I don't run the truck battery down, I unhook the umbilical even if I leave the trailer hitched to the truck for the night.

Craig