Newbie questions

We will put our stabs down until we have firm contact, then make a second round giving each one 3/4 to 1 full turn again, depends on how firm the soil/sand is.

True, small RVs will have some noticeable movements. My friend was dealing with the fifth wheel transportation as he has to transport his Redwood fifth wheel and he was lucky enough to get the best fifth wheel transportation company and got his vehicle shipped, by taking the benefits of their extra resources and services at the right time.

Originally posted by NoDak We have a similar question on our 180. On our last setup, we were still wiggly with the stab jacks down.

Congratulations on your new R-Pod. We got our 179 in December of last year. Like you, we had many questions. Searching this forum has been very helpful.

1. Do NOT use a floor jack! The one place you especially should not place it is on the axle. Use of a jack for raising the pod to change a tire is sometimes necessary. Where the axle is bolted to the frame (or riser), there is a bracket. I made a block that has a V shaped cutout for the axle with flat parts on either side that sit on the bracket. No pressure is on the axle. If you have the tools to do so, it would be good to make such a block to have on hand if you need to change a tire. Also, don't count on your auto's scissor jack to be able to jack up the pod. The one time I tried, the jack bent.

2. Stabilizer jacks are just that. I use a battery operated drill/driver with a 3/4" socket. I have it set for #3, which is not very much pressure. You can put pressure on them. You should not put enough pressure that it raises the tires. Forest River's docs say that if you do raise the tires off the ground with the stabilizers, it can bend the frame and make it so the door does not work. An additional turn after you feel resistance is a good starting point. The stabilizers still won't take away all movement. There is some flex. It isn't like a house which has a foundation all around the perimeter.

Hello,
    A couple newbie questions on my new 179:
1. I plan to set the camper up myself on a regular basis and thought using a floor jack would be easier than backing onto leveling blocks but I can't find where on the RPod to place the jack. I don't see it marked but may have missed it. Can you help?
2. How to use the stabilizer jacks? I understand they are not to raise the camper, ie for a tire change but how hard should I crank them down? Just until they reach the ground, or can I add a half or 3/4 turn to make the camper rock solid. It has been parked in my driveway for a week with the jacks just cranked to the pavement and there are a lot of creaks, and it doesn't feel 100% stable.

     I appreciate any help I can get here.

Thanks
Dan