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Dear Mark,
I have a 27 ft travel trailer. I need to know if it's necessary to use my leveling jacks while the trailer is parked at my house while I'm in between uses. I do use them while the camper is in use, but I'd like to know if I need them while the trailer is not being used. Thank you, Joe
Mark says…
It really isn't necessary to use the levelers at home. Some folks like to put them down to make it easier to move around inside the RV at home between trips, but it's entirely up to you. Just make sure that the RV is reasonably level if you intend to run the refrigerator while it's parked.
Dear Mark,
We used our water pump for the first time on our coach that we bought used. It's a 2000 Winnebago. We primed it the way the instruction book said, with the faucets open before we turned on the pump, then turn each one off when the water was flowing without sputtering, including the hot water. Later that same day, the pump began to pulse whenever we used it. What causes that? We don't know how long it has been since the pump was used. We usually only camp with water hookup.
M. Cummins, Kirkland, WA
Mark says…
The pump is probably working fine. RV pumps have a pressure switch on them that controls when the pump runs. The first time you run the pump, you purge the lines at each faucet, then shut them all off. The pump then runs until the water pressure comes up to the pre–set limit (usually 35–45 PSI) and then the pump shuts off. When you open a faucet, the pressure in the plumbing drops, triggering the pump to run. When you close the faucet, the pump will run just long enough to satisfy the pressure switch, and then shut off again. If you only open the faucet a little bit, the pump will cycle on and off rapidly. This is also normal, and does not indicate a problem.
Your water pump can also function as a leak detector! If you have all the faucets closed and nothing is dripping, but the pump still "bumps" (runs briefly) every minute or two, it usually means there is a leak somewhere in the plumbing system.
Dear Mark,
I'm not new to RVing by any means but the 24 ft. trailer we bought brand new last year seems to have a few issues. I can't set it up with the jacks and get it to stop moving. It doesn't roll away or anything but when your sitting there or trying to get to sleep and one of the kids or my wife move the trailer jiggles. I have tried jacking it up to the max. and all that does is make the door not open properly and it still jiggles. I've tried jacking it up just a bit and it still jiggles. It has 4 scissor jacks on it from factory that are mounted at each corner and are 90 degrees to the frame. Any suggestions? I have had it back to the dealer to see if they can get it set properly, with no luck. My wife is not very pleased and to the point of wanting to give the trailer back to the dealer.
D.B.
Mark says…
Unfortunately, most RVs jiggle. Smaller ones jiggle more than larger ones. There are a number of things you can use to reduce the jiggle, but in a trailer the size of yours, nothing will ever completely eliminate it, short of setting the whole thing up on cinder blocks.
Here's what may help: Get a set of chocks that mount between the tandem wheels on the trailer. Roto–Chock (www.rotochok.com) makes a very good unit, and it can be locked into place to immobilize the wheels. Then, use some large wood blocks, like 4X6 or bigger, under your corner jacks. These jacks may be a bit more stable if they are not extended all the way to the ground. You should take up the slack on all corners till the jacks are bearing some of the trailer weight, but not suspending it in the air. Also, leaving the tow vehicle attached at night (when possible) can help still the jiggles a bit.
Dear Mark,
We have a new Sunline 264SR travel trailer and I am having trouble in getting it stable when setting it up. Is there a proper way of doing this? I usually try to level it (have sight levels on front and side) then put in the wheel chocks and then run down the four corner jacks. I do this before we put the slide out and sometimes after doing this the jacks on the other side are loose. I assume this is due to the weight of the slide out unit.
Our bathroom is in the very front and the bedroom in the rear. When someone is in the bathroom or bedroom you can feel the trailer move up or down from front to rear of vice versa! It seems to be o.k. side to side. You can see the window blinds shake or move. I just don't know if I am setting it up in the correct way. I would appreciate any help you could give me on this.
Gene (Skip) DeBarr
Mark says…
Like I told Dave, Some jiggle is going to be there no matter what you do. However, if you take up the slack on all corners till the jacks are bearing some of the trailer weight, it helps a lot. You're going about it correctly, just go back around and check all the jacks again after the slides are out. I like to get my stabilizing jacks pretty tight, so that there's a fair load on each, but don't try to pick up the rig with them. All 4 jacks should be carrying about an equal amount of weight when you are done. That will do the most to help stabilize your rig.
Dear Mark,
I live about 8 miles from the SC coast. My 37ft RV has its own slab about 8ft from the side of my house. In the event of a storm, what is best location for it? I feel that the house would protect it some but who knows.
Bill Pierson
Mark says…
In most common thunderstorm wind conditions, with winds under 60 MPH, your rig will do all right on the slab. You can put down your levelers to help reduce movement, but it isn't a requirement. However, when you are likely to have winds significantly above 60MPH, the best place for the RV to be is somewhere else, with you inside of it! If you are looking at an approaching hurricane or tropical storm, and you are able to jump in the RV and go to safer territory, then that will be the best possible protection for your rig.
If you absolutely must leave it there, you may want to plan ahead and either build a strong building to shelter it, or line something up nearby where the rig can be parked under cover. Once winds get up to 100 MPH or better, an unprotected RV stands little chance of surviving intact.
Dear Mark,
How do you find out about areas that you can get volunteer jobs while obtaining free rent, i.e. ranches, etc. in the west– Montana, Wyoming.
Mark says…
A lot of places advertise in Workamper News. You can learn more about them at www.workamper.com. You can also find volunteer opportunities by contacting state and federal parks service offices, or drop by a volunteer clearing house site like www.volunteer.gov/gov/ or www.volunteermatch.org
Do you have a question for Mark?
Please submit your question via e–mail to woodalls@escapees.com. Questions should be about RV technical issues, general RV or RV lifestyle.
Please, no consumer advocacy or commercial advertising issues. Please remember, material will be edited. Because of the large volume of material and correspondence submitted, individual replies will not be possible, nor can we acknowledge receipt of your material. Selected questions will be answered in future issues of the Diamond Club newsletter in the Mark, My Words column and/or in the Escapees magazine.
 In 1997 Mark Nemeth quit his job, sold his house, bought an RV and became an Escapee. He spent the next five years traveling the country, meeting great folks and writing about his adventures on his traveling Website, "Mark's Full–time RV Adventure." Nowadays, Mark is parked for a while and works on staff for the Escapees RV club as technical advisor, consumer affairs director, and instructor in the Escapees RVer's Boot Camp program.
Some content previously printed in Escapees magazine, published by the Escapees RV Club. All material provided by Mark Nemeth, Escapees Magazine Technical Advisor and Boot Camp Instructor. For more information about the Escapees RV Club, please visit www.escapees.com or call 888–757–2582.
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