How do you know when you have wound them down sufficiently?
In our van we can always feel a little "bounce" in the floor, and I am never sure if it is because the steadies are not wound down enough, or they are wound down too much and the floor is flexing.
Have you got any caravan jack pads attached to each of the corner steady feet?
These will help spread the load and steady the caravan much better. Most people use them but I also use 2 inch wooden blocks under each foot as well which supports the corners even more, especially on a grass pitch.
Jack pads are shown in the link below.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 09/10/2017
Have you got any caravan jack pads attached to each of the corner steady feet?
These will help spread the load and steady the caravan much better. Most people use them but I also use 2 inch wooden blocks under each foot as well which supports the corners even more, especially on a grass pitch.
Jack pads are shown in the link below.
I use a cordless drill attachment and I wind the legs down until they touch the floor, then give it another quick blast. All that happens is that the floor ever so slightly raises up around that leg (quarter of an inch in old money)
This always seem to work fine with no bounce felt ever.
Quote: Originally posted by shaggy2000 on 10/10/2017
I use a cordless drill attachment and I wind the legs down until they touch the floor, then give it another quick blast. All that happens is that the floor ever so slightly raises up around that leg (quarter of an inch in old money)
This always seem to work fine with no bounce felt ever.
That's exactly what I do, and as you say about 1/4 inch or so lift of the floor.
At some point though it would transfer too much load onto the floor and start to stress it.
Quote: Originally posted by Kelper on 10/10/2017
I use the attachment for a power drill ... set it to about 15, then go till the ratchet kicks in ... that way each leg gets exactly the same pressure.
It's a lot less work, too!
As Opensauce says ... check again after a couple of days.
Same here - this way you can adjust the drill setting to whatever works for your van, and you can be certain of not overloading the steadies. Not to mention the time and effort saved.
Bounce could well be the steadies are overtight such they no longer "steady" the van where its weight is as it should be overwhelmingly taken by the axle but are trying to take the weight moving towards forming a long springy beam supported at each end.
This readily happens pitching on soft ground where overnight the main weight carrying wheels settle into the ground, transferring weight and with that the beam effect onto the steadies.
Here it is good practice to simply relax and reset the two rear steadies during your first morning's walk around checking things routine.
Hi
I put my rear legs down on pads, and wood if needed, then half / turn on the jockey wheel.
Then put front legs down.
After going in out and setting up for an hour or so, its normally sank so a turn or what ever on back legs, then tighten with jockey again. and adjust front.
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Topic: Adjusting Corner Steadies
