5th wheel pin tripod can be used for leveling?

[oldryder]

I have a very stout tripod to support the overhang. I am wondering if it is safe to temporarily raise the front jacks enough (maybe 1 -2 ") to add spacer(s) to raise a low side of the trailer.

thx to anyone taking the time to offer advice.

 

[Joezeppy]

While it may be stout, tripods are for "stabilizing" not "supporting". If you have to add blocks under the landing gear and can't hitch up to a truck, I'd support the frame just behind the landing gear with concrete blocks or wood, raise the gear, and then place your lifting blocks.

 

[Rene T]

I haven’t seen any tripods capable of lifting the front end. Would not be safe IMHO.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

When I needed to do that [back in my 5W days!] I would ease off on one landing leg and let the other leg & tripod hold the weight for the moment it took to adjust the raised leg. Then quickly lower that leg to take the strain and repeat the process with the other leg. The tripod helped but never had to carry the entire load.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Temporarily hitch the trailer to the truck, then adjust the legs. Much safer.

 

[Rene T]

I’m assuming that when you backed the trailer in, you should have made the trailer perfectly level from side to side by shimming the rear tires. Then it’s just a matter of extending the front legs and raise it high enough to disconnect from truck. If that’s why what you did then the front should also be level side to side. Just need to level it front to back. Doing it in that order should produce excellent results.
I would hook it up to the truck and start over. It should only take 10 minutes

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Temporarily hitch the trailer to the truck, then adjust the legs. Much safer.

Agree, but once in a (rare) while the truck is at an odd down angle to the truck and you can't get enough adjustment on the legs with the pin resting on the hitch. I recall one where I had to back down a grade to a short site and it gave me fits trying to get leveled up. I really needed a better site for the size of the 5W, but it was the only one left I could get on at all. Sometimes you do what ya gotta do.

 

[Derby6]

While it may be stout, tripods are for "stabilizing" not "supporting". If you have to add blocks under the landing gear and can't hitch up to a truck, I'd support the frame just behind the landing gear with concrete blocks or wood, raise the gear, and then place your lifting blocks.

What he said. That’s what I did when I got my Anderson buckets and was excited to try them immediately. Lol