RVs are absolutely the best vehicle for camping because they provide the most convenience and comfort. However, when using an RV, you have to stabilize your RV using stabilizer jacks to make sure it’s safe.
As you can tell from the name, the purpose of this tool is to prevent the RV from swaying or moving, meaning it stabilizes the vehicle. If you're going camping with an RV, this is a necessary tool.
However, If you haven't used one before, you might be thinking about how to use RV stabilizer jacks. Look no further because we've got the easiest guide for you to follow here!
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Why Are RV Stabilizer Jacks Needed?
Like we have said before, using RV stabilizer jacks helps to make sure that the wheels of the RV are completely stable.
If you don’t use this tool, your RV will sway, making your belongings inside the vehicle topple over. Moreover, your car can get damaged as well.
When the RV is parked on even ground, you should still use these stabilizers, but it is especially necessary on uneven land like dirt or grass. For light RVs, you must use this tool because the weight of the vehicle isn’t enough to stabilize itself. Heavier RVs can still do that by themselves.
The most important function of this tool is to prevent the RV itself from being damaged. If your RV is frequently swaying, then it is likely that parts will sustain some level of damage.
If you have an absorption fridge in your RV, you also need to get this tool. Because, without it, the fluids inside the refrigerator will not be level. When this happens, the fluids can’t circulate completely, which can cause the appliance to become overheated, resulting in severe damage.
Tools Needed to Stabilize Your RV
There aren’t many supplies you need for the process of how to use trailer stabilizer jacks, but everything that we have listed below is needed for stabilizing your RV.
- Hand Crank Or Power drill – You will need to use either of these tools to set up the stabilizer jacks.
- Level – When you’re stabilizing your RV, parking it on level ground is very important. So, check whether the surface is level before you attach the stabilizer jacks.
- Chock Blocks – To prevent the wheels of the vehicle from rolling, these things are kept under them.
- Stabilizing Jack Pad – If the ground is soft, then your RV might sink into it a bit. To avoid that, you have to use these stabilizing jack pads. You should also use this when parking your RV on asphalt, or else the surface could get damaged.
5 Step To Use The RV Stabilizer Jacks Safely
It’s not very difficult to use RV stabilizer jacks. In fact, we have broken down this process into simple steps so you can easily comprehend our guidelines. So, if you read our instructions thoroughly, there is no reason why you won’t be able to stabilize your RV with these stabilizer jacks.
Step 1 – Ensure The Parking Surface Is Level
When the parking surface is uneven, it is very difficult to keep the RV stable. It's even quite risky to park it on a sloped surface because your RV might start moving by itself in such circumstances.
Although you can actually stabilize your RV on uneven ground, the process is much more challenging. Hence, we would highly recommend using a level to ensure your parking surface is level.
Step 2 – Find Suitable Tools for Stabilizing Your RV
A lot of the time, RVs come with a stabilizer scissor jack, and they are automatic. So, in situations like these, you won't have to worry about attaching stabilizer jacks by yourself.
Otherwise, you will have to get stabilizer jacks separately. When buying the stabilizer jacks, you should check the length and width of the tool and then check it with all the other specifications of your RV.
Step 3 – Place The Chock Blocks in Place.
As you already know, the job of chock blocks is to prevent the RV’s wheels from moving. When positioning the chock blocks, you have to check whether the height is appropriate for the wheels of your RV. Then, you should use an electronic level to ensure the blocks are level.
A lot of the time, the blocks will look like ramps, and you will have to drive your RV into the correct position of the blocks. There is also another type of chock block, which is positioned on the front and back of the wheels.
When you're using a chock block, you will have to ensure that the blocks are placed properly on both sides of the wheel, or else the RV will still move.
Step 4 – Slip A Jack Pad Between The Jack & The Parking Surface
Before you pull out the stabilizer jacks, you have to place a jack pad where the jack will hit the ground. This tool will prevent the RV from sinking into soft surfaces and damage from hard surfaces such as asphalt.
While some may say that this step isn’t necessary, we would strictly advise you to follow it because the jack pad is cheap, and positioning it isn’t difficult either.
Step 5 – Take The Stabilizer Jacks Out And Stabilize Your RV
You will find the stabilizer jacks of your RV in the vanguard and back of the vehicle. By using a handheld power drill or even a hand crank, you will pull on each of the jacks to extend them.
We would recommend using a handheld drill if possible because it makes the job easier.
You should extend them till they hit the jack pad. Be careful not to extend them beyond that point. It could make the jacks unstable and may possibly even damage them.
Final Words
From reading the article, you now know how to use RV stabilizer jacks. And it isn't something difficult at all. You just need to have the right set of tools, which we have made a list for in this article.
Never skip stabilizing your RV when you're out camping because it could cause damages that would need hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair!