Putting the Brakes On Some sites are especially steep, so for additional peace of
mind, I install my wheel brake. I have used this for many years, and now they are available at the RV dealers. It is a simple scissor jack. I welded a bracket onto the top that fi ts around the wheel. T is works very well on the simple fact that if the trailer starts to roll in either direction, the wheels will rotate in opposite directions and lock the jack in place acting as a brake. I will let you think about that for a while so you can grasp the concept. But it works.
You can use it to crank your jacks up or down with little eff ort on your part. Some jacks need a special bent rod and others need a simple socket that most of us already own. I carry my cordless drill when I travel because I usually fi nd a use for it maintaining any repairs I have to make while away from home.
I took a 12 inch long piece of 3/8 inch round stock, heated it with my torch and made the bend in my vise, and “viola” the tool was ready to use.
Prior to getting a new 19.2-volt cordless drill as a Christmas giſt , my old 12-volt drill worked just fi ne.
Leveling the rig end to end A simple bubble level adhered to the trailer tong with
silicone gives a quick reference as to ther level without having to go over to the side level on your trailer. I use the side level for the fi nal fi ne-tuning.
In seconds I can have the jacks down.
THE HOW-TO’S OF BACKING UP:
Your hand position to start backing up. One hand is best. Using two hands gets too confusing. Do not put your other hand on the steering wheel until you get the hang of this.
Aſt er leveling side-to-side and disconnecting the trailer, I
start the end-to-end leveling process by keeping the front of the trailer just slightly lower than the back. 1. Lower or install your rear stabilizer jacks to touch the ground.
2. Crank the rig up just slightly higher than level on the front, lower the front jacks to touch the ground.
3. Now lower the front until the crank foot has no weight, then crank it back up to take a small amount of weight. T e trailer is now stable and level. T is is something you will need to do a few times to get a feel for how accurate your level indicators are on your trailer.
Speed the setup with powered jacks If your rig has crank-down stabilizer jacks, you know how
long and hot this process can sometimes be. Here is a tip you can use without any expense. Most people own a cordless drill.
Remember the mantra:
Hand on the Bottom of the steering wheel, swing hand in the Direction I want the Back of the trailer to go.
RVT 144 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 27
From driver side rearview mirrors, look at the back end of the trailer.
If you want the back to go RIGHT, swing the bottom of the steering wheel to the RIGHT.
From driver side rearview mirrors, look at the back end of the trailer.
If you want the back to go LEFT, swing the bottom of the steering wheel to the LEFT.
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