We love our new Montana 3400RL, but have one complaint about it. When you walk in it, or even turn over in bed, it really moves alot. We level it as much as possible, and have the rear crank legs firmly on the ground, but it moves with every step or turn in bed. Are we missing something? I know it's not a house, but it doesn't seem right. I've seen those hitch tripod stablizers and wonder if those make much difference.
Our 5th wheel doesn't feel stable when you move around in it
- Thread starter leahkb
- Start date
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
A king pin stabilizer can help - we needed one on one of our fifth wheels that had a rocking problem. But first I would suggest wheel locking chocks such as the Chock & Lock. It is common for the trailer to rock on its suspension a bit and the wheels actually move forward and back when this happens. Locking them in place usually stops a lot of this movement.
Chock & Lock
BAL Deluxe Wheel Chock
BAL Standard wheel chock
You may also get some extra movement if you have the front legs jacked to high. Extend the manual drop portion of the front legs as close as possible to the ground so that the powered portion of the leg only has to move a little bit to reach the ground. This is usually more stable.
Chock & Lock
BAL Deluxe Wheel Chock
BAL Standard wheel chock
You may also get some extra movement if you have the front legs jacked to high. Extend the manual drop portion of the front legs as close as possible to the ground so that the powered portion of the leg only has to move a little bit to reach the ground. This is usually more stable.
2006F350
Well-known member
RV Roamer said:
Don't know if it's still a problem with Keystone products, but there is the possibility to drop the inner slide portion of the landing gear too far and you wouldn't know it until the 'oops'. I did exactly what RV Roamer suggested and the sliding portion actually dropped enough that the pin's were on top of the leg, and when I pulled forward, the legs rotated right out of the landing gear and the trailer followed the truck for about 6" until we both came to an abrupt halt. I lower the landing gear about 6", then drop the legs until the hit the ground, then raise them until the pin snaps in, then proceed to lift.
Another excellent chock is the RotoChocks . Little bit more expensive, but the do work ver well.
Larry
janpaul
Well-known member
We had the same with ours, when anyone moved at night, everyone felt it. We now have a kingpin stabilizer, slideout stabilizers, BAL wheel chocks, and it has made a major difference. We have the wheel chocks that sit on the ground between the wheels and extend outward, like Gary said, it makes a big difference with the wheels locked in place. The first time we camped, every time my eight year old rolled over in the dinette bed, I could feel it, now it is not an issue.
Thanks for the ideas. Are all of those things expensive? I'm finding that the expense sure doesn't stop at the dealership! We bought the cheap plastic wheel chokes. We have 4 slideouts, one at the head of our bed and one where the couch makes a bed. The slideout braces sound like they might really work best for us. Which of those items should we buy first, if we don't want to buy them all at once?
Leah
Leah
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
First crank down your rear stabilizers a bit more and set the front jack legs as suggested earlier. See what that does.
If you still have a problem, buy a good set of locking wheel chocks and see how much that helps.
For a third step I would try the king pin stabilizer. Slide out supports would be a last resort and frankly I don't recommend them anyway.
Out of curiosity, does your fixed home have a concrete or other solid floor? E.g. a home built on a concrete pad or a multi-story condo? People who do not have floors that vibrate/move tend to be much more sensitive to RV floor movement. Eventually you get more used to it.
If you still have a problem, buy a good set of locking wheel chocks and see how much that helps.
For a third step I would try the king pin stabilizer. Slide out supports would be a last resort and frankly I don't recommend them anyway.
Out of curiosity, does your fixed home have a concrete or other solid floor? E.g. a home built on a concrete pad or a multi-story condo? People who do not have floors that vibrate/move tend to be much more sensitive to RV floor movement. Eventually you get more used to it.
Is it possible to crank the back legs down too much and brake them? They seem really hard to crank a couple of turns after on the ground. We do what was suggested about the front leg jacks already. Our house isn't built on a concrete pad.We have a railroad really close to our house and can feel it slightly shaking our bed at night. Doesn't bother us, but you can notice it. When you can feel someone move in the bed at night, that doesn't seem right. I will try your recommendations.Thanks.
Leah
Leah
We live in our 5th wheel for three months each winter. My wife does beadwork and I am a lampworker, making beads with molten glass. Obviously we want our trailer as stable as possible. I had done all the things Gary suggested plus using the slide supports (we only have one slide). Things were OK, but I was still looking for a more solid feel. Then last year I noticed two rigs at the RV resort were using the aluminum stabilizing jacks (like we used with trailers years ago) and they had them under the mid-frame area on both sides. I went out and bought two pair and, in my opinion, they made a big difference. And they are inexpensive! In my humble opinion they take the trailer's suspension out of the picture when you're parked for a long period.
Regarding Gary's suggestion the front legs, you might wish to experiment a little. With my rig it is more stable if I do things pretty much opposite of what works best for him. I find that I am better off extending the power portion a great deal and using the manual section as little as possible. On my trailer the tolerances are much tighter on the power section and therefore I end up with less "slop" by limiting the length of the manual section.
Good luck,
Herm
Regarding Gary's suggestion the front legs, you might wish to experiment a little. With my rig it is more stable if I do things pretty much opposite of what works best for him. I find that I am better off extending the power portion a great deal and using the manual section as little as possible. On my trailer the tolerances are much tighter on the power section and therefore I end up with less "slop" by limiting the length of the manual section.
Good luck,
Herm
rickparadis
New member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2007
- Posts
- 2
My wife and I live in our RV pretty much the entire year, I have tried everything under the sun to keep the trailer from rocking. The best solution that I have been able to come up with is this.
I first get the trailer level, I extend the rear stabilizer jacks. When they hit the ground, give them one more good effort..
Second, I went to wal-mart and bought the four pack of jacks that look like little bottle jacks, I put one in front of each of the wheels and I put one behind each wheel. If you look there should be a little flat metal piece on each end of the leaf spring that is the best place to put them, because you are trying to disable the leaf spring from bouncing. I will tighten each one and then go from one jack to another, until I cant turn them anymore. They basically take the leaf springs out of the picture. That's the rocking you feel, when someone moves, it's the trailer moving on the suspension.
Third I put the king pin stabilizer in place, and turn it until I cant turn it anymore...
This is the best solution that I have been able to come up with our 38ft Cardinal 3 slides.
The cost of the whole set up was about 150 dollars... 110 for my king pin stabilizer and 40 for the jacks at wal-mart.
If you use the bottle jacks, make sure you check for fire ants, made that mistake the first time out, and it wasn't pleasant.
I hope this helps a little
Rick
I first get the trailer level, I extend the rear stabilizer jacks. When they hit the ground, give them one more good effort..
Second, I went to wal-mart and bought the four pack of jacks that look like little bottle jacks, I put one in front of each of the wheels and I put one behind each wheel. If you look there should be a little flat metal piece on each end of the leaf spring that is the best place to put them, because you are trying to disable the leaf spring from bouncing. I will tighten each one and then go from one jack to another, until I cant turn them anymore. They basically take the leaf springs out of the picture. That's the rocking you feel, when someone moves, it's the trailer moving on the suspension.
Third I put the king pin stabilizer in place, and turn it until I cant turn it anymore...
This is the best solution that I have been able to come up with our 38ft Cardinal 3 slides.
The cost of the whole set up was about 150 dollars... 110 for my king pin stabilizer and 40 for the jacks at wal-mart.
If you use the bottle jacks, make sure you check for fire ants, made that mistake the first time out, and it wasn't pleasant.
I hope this helps a little
Rick
sierramann
Well-known member
i'm going to try these "bottle jacks" that have been mentioned. my forest river sierra has quite a bit of bounce in it, even though i use a king pin stabilizer and choc and locs. certainly worth a try........
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The bottle jacks are a good (and inexpensive) addition - they can apply a lot more pressure than the standard stabilizers and placing them behind and in front of the axles is a good way to eliminate spring bounce. Any appreciable weight on the springs will translate into fore & aft movement of the wheels, even with the front and rear jacks down. That's what the locking wheel chocks are for - to stop the fore & aft motion as the springs compress.
Kenneth
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Posts
- 438
Saw a 5'ver set up with some really big blocks under the front jacks, seemed like a pretty good way of taking all the sway from the front jacks. They looked to be a solid block of resin about 16" X 16" square. When I catch him outside I'll ask him if those are retail items or custom made.
Ron
Moderator Emeritus
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you have the problem solved.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Thanks for letting us know, Leah. When we had a fiver the chocks worked wonders on it too.
