How Do I Stop My Travel Trailer from Rocking?
The need for stabilization usually comes when you are camping and moving around inside; the whole vehicle shakes, rocks, or even bounces. Most of us take this as a part of RV living and deal with it.
This can be done by using different support parts available on the market today. These are of different styles, materials, categories, and prices. Most RV owners waste money in the experimental journey to find the ideal stabilizer.
So, scroll down to refrain from any inconvenience.
Table of Contents
How to stabilize an RV?
We all hate living in RVs how much they shake and bounce in different directions. This unnecessary movement might end up giving you motion sickness. You might have kids and pets; moving around means lots of shaking and no sleep! This is why stabilizing your RV is of supreme importance. You need to ensure you are comfortable while living in the camper.
You will notice most travel trailers and some fifth wheels rely on scissor jacks to stabilize your camper once you park it. These scissor jacks are fine, and the way they work is how you put your jack extender in there.
And with your crowbar, you crank it down until it touches the ground. Although these are at all corners, they have a single point of contact. So, with the slightest movement, you can see heavy rocking.
You can stop this from happening by using different stabilization methods. Ranging from wedges to chocks, you have a lot of options. You need to know which one is right for you. We have gathered some options that will most definitely be helpful for you!
RV leveling blocks
An RV leveling block is a small ramp that your tires can rest on in one place. These come in multiple material and price categories.
You need to have information about all these to decide which might be the best choice for you.
First off, you have the Quality Plastics Utility RV leveling blocks. Although prospective customers might find this a bit on the pricier end, its quality completely justifies its price. Additionally, this is on a different level altogether, having no maximum weight for these utility blocks.
As a result, they can park one of the heaviest RV making sure they stay firmly in place. This is of rubber. It creates friction against the ground and is called an anti-slip product.
You will end up particularly loving the nylon cord on every block to be easily retrieved. They provide security and work well on all surfaces!
Next, you have light trailer tire levelers. This is a popular product, especially with lightweight trailers. This tire leveler eradicates the need to drive your trailer onto blocks or ramps. Instead, all you need is a wrench to turn the drive screw to elevate or lower the tire lifting pads to level.
This is durable for long-term use; the corrosion-resistant finish will convince you to buy this. Likewise, the large 13, 14, and 15-inch wheels will comfortably fit inside the tire leveler.
You also have your Oxgord camper leveling blocks for RVs. These raise the wheels for up to 2.5 inches, and a non-slip surface grants customers peace of mind.
This leveling and stabilizing process occur in three levels to keep your motor home secure and rocking-free! It has a very rigid grip and a non-slip surface, allowing traction to hold your trailer in place firmly.
Wheel chocks
Looking for the best RV wheel chocks to stabilize your vehicle? Look no more!
You will find three different types of wheel chocks in the market. First off, we have the urethane wheel chocks. These are up of durable plastic and are available almost everywhere.
These are good but not the best option out there. These wheel chocks come with wheel size limitations as well as weight limitations. With these, they are generally for lightweight trailers.
Another thing that you may find difficult about these wheel chocks because they tend to get wedged underneath the tire. It causes great difficulty when trying to pull out. They do the job for the most part but do not trust these with heavy vehicles and steep slopes.
The next type is the huge honking rubber wheel chocks. These are very solid and better than the urethane wheel chocks. One of the few things you will like about these is their height.
Because of this, they are not limited by wheel size. Big or small, they are very easy to place and remove.
Next, these come with a rubber bottom that prevents ant slippage when you move around. It does not create a chock between the wheel when you move.
Now, what’s the best option out there? The X chock. This is used not by itself but in tandem with the rubber wheel chocks. These things are on the downside and work only with trailers. You place this in between the two sets of wheels and let it do its job! This will give you the confidence and comfort you need in your RV. It will not shake, wiggle, move or rock no matter what you do.
Stabilizers
If the above two don’t work for you, you can also opt for stabilizers for your RV.
First off, we have the tripod. It is precisely for fifth wheels and does not work on any other vehicle or trailer. This is of aluminum and has a weight capacity of 1200 lbs.
With your stabilizing tripod, you will find it’s very difficult to get any shaky movement with your fifth wheel.
This is an excellent heavy-duty product, all zinc-coated and corrosion-free. It is convenient to install and use. For each of your tripod legs, you will find a nice large footplate.
They are larger than what you see at other models and do a good job dissipating the energy over a greater area. So, it prevents from sinking into the ground. Just remember that this is a support stabilizer.
In the second place, we have a steady fast system. For this, you do need to make an upfront installation in your RVs. However, this is a product that works, is easy to use, and is economical. The steady fast stabilizing system is of three core elements.
You need to make sure you have something solid to stop your trailer from moving. This is achieved by using a three-padded footplate that has a brace attached to it. This brace has one swivel and allows the jack to go up and down, and unique to other products has no play in it.
Finally, the last mechanism you will like is kind of unique. The locking mechanism has a nice big handle to tighten and get a hold of. It’s a versatile bracket that enables amazing stabilization.
You also have the JT strong arms. This works because they are similar to expandable tubes that connect to the frame of your RV. The other end of it connects to the bottom of your scissor jacks.
When you have your jack fully extended, you tighten up this tube, preventing your scissor jack’s left or right motion. You get 6 of these in one packaging.
You add two at the front and back going left to right, and then you add two on the sides going front to back. This provides you with amazing stabilization preventing lateral and front-to-back swaying.
FAQs
How do I stop my camper from shaking when walking?
To stop your camper from shaking while walking, you need to use some stabilizer. This can be either one of the options available at the market. It just needs to be the right fit for the kind of camper you own.
How can I make my travel trailer more stable?
You can make your travel trailer more stable by using stabilizers such as tripods, jacks, wedges, and even wheel chocks.
Why is my travel trailer so bouncy?
Travel trailers tend to be bouncy when they are not appropriately leveled on the ground. Therefore, leveling and then using some stabilizer is important to stop all that bouncing.
How do you set up a travel trailer permanently?
One of the most important things to do while setting up your travel trailer properly is leveling it. Minor tilts can also result in dangerous and annoying circumstances.
Conclusion
For decades living on an unlevelled surface, the trailer was just something RV lovers just dealt with. Now, with all these amazing stabilizing systems. All you need is the right direction and information, and you can live in your RV peacefully without all that rocking.
I`m a current Law Enforcement Officer working within the Counterterrorism Bureau in New York State. I have been Camping for over 20 years. My styles of camping include tent, car, truck, van, and RV travel trailer. I have a YouTube channel where I teach all types of camping with an entertaining method: https://youtube.com/@TheSmallsRVAdventures