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Old 09-21-2011, 05:02 PM   #1
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Leveling Scissor Jacks on our 19

I have installed 24" scissors leveling jacks on our 19 foot trailer, they make all the difference in the world as to stability on site and ease of leveling when on site, as well I no longer have to carry blocking.

The jacks I purchased and installed are;

RV-Pro 14-0842 24" static load 7500 pounds Cost for four jacks $254.00 plus change lacally here in Whitehorse.

Two hours of labor were all it took to install the jacks, I left the old stabalizer arms in place as Vestigal limbs, there but useless

I can now arrive on site and with a few turns of the crank, level the trailer.

The trailer has 17" of clearance and the jacks lift 24" so I have seven inches to play with (No Pun Intended)

Doug
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Old 09-21-2011, 05:32 PM   #2
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Re: Leveling Scissor Jacks on our 19

Hi Doug,

Could you elaborate a bit as to how you did the install? Some photos would be nice if it's not too much trouble. I'm considering doing that to our new 19 next year.

Also, who sells them in Canada?

Thanks much.

Doug
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Old 09-21-2011, 06:55 PM   #3
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Re: Leveling Scissor Jacks on our 19

When I first saw thought of this in the past, Ilooked for jacks in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Fairbanks Alaska, then on returning home I found the jacks at our local rv repair shop. go figure.
The jacks come as pairs in the carton, each carton has two jacks, a crank, and mountiong screws, as well complete instructions.

The jacks come in three sizes, 20" 24" and 28".
I would think 24" is the ideal size, as when mounted they extend "just" to the side of the trailer where they are easy to see, one does not have to get down to find them.
The end of the crank has a 3/4" socket on it for easy attachment and cranking.

As a test run I cranked the trailer up until all four whells were off the ground, as well as the tongue jack.

I would think you would never find this required even for bush camping but it is nice to know it can be done.

To mounting;
Just behind the existing leveling legs you will find a 5/16" bolt used to attach the trailer body to the frame, this bolt is long enough to use in one of the jack mounting holes, to position and hold the jack in place, while you drill the remainder of the holes to make the jack secure.

You have to drill 12 11/32" holes to take the mounting (self Tapping) screws supplied with the jacks.

I took the nut and lock washer off the 5/16"bolt, placed the jack under the trailer and raised the jack in place, over the bolt, put a 5/16" fender washer as well as a new lock washer on the bolt then tightend the nut back on.
This held the jack in place so I could raise it and line it up square with the frame, once it was lined up I drilled the 11/32" holes for the jack and with a socket wrench tightend the screws in place. repeat this four times. You have to drill three holes for each jack

First drill a pilot hole 3/16" then drill the 11/32" holes, it is easier that way (perhaps buy new bits, the frame is a square tube 1/8" thick)

By using the existing 5/16" bolts this saved me a lot of measuing to get locations right, and places the jacks immediately behind the existing legs, so the lifting points are as close as damn is to swearing to the original. I also purchased a mechanics creeper to make my life easier.

As I stated you would not believe how stable this makes the trailer, and it is a tribute to Escape, the body of the trailer is ridgid enough to take the lifting with out twisting, as all the doors stayed in line.
As noted the jacks are rated at 7500 pounds so lifting the trailer to level it is very easy.

RV-Pro has a number you can call, to locate dealers or jacks. (1-877-787-7655) ask for part number 14-0842 for the 24" jacks

As noted it cost me $254.00 plus change for the jacks so if you have to suffer a shipping cost I will ship from here if you dealer wants more than that. We do not have procincial tax in the Yukon, we only pay GST

Hope this helps.

Doug
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Old 08-13-2019, 01:42 PM   #4
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installing scissor jacks

I'm tempted to buy 4 scissor jacks to bolt onto the bottom of my 2019 21`' footer.

But........what the existing screw-down stabilizing arms bolt to underneath may not be stout enough or wide enough to drill the requisite holes into.

Has anybody done this? Remove the Escape stabilizers in order to replace them with more substantial scissor jacks (that can level the trailer as well as stabilize it).

It looks to me like a flat steel plate may need to be bolted or welded onto the existing frame, in order to make a stout place to bolt on the (hang down a few inches) scissor jacks.
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Old 08-13-2019, 02:12 PM   #5
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I am under the impression that one should not level a trailer via stabilizers as it can cause frame issues, if that is indeed true then it would seem scissor jacks would cause the same.
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Old 08-13-2019, 02:32 PM   #6
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That's my understanding of scissor jacks and or stabilizing jacks. They are made for stabilization ONLY. Not for excessive lift or leveling of trailer.
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Old 08-13-2019, 02:42 PM   #7
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Hmm. Yes. The existing stablizers cannot be used for leveling. They are not stout enough. That's why I was thinking of replacing them. Many if not most heavier, aluminum-sheeting-on-wooden-frame trailers are sold with scissor jacks, installed when they are made.

Is there also an Escape trailer frame issue? That's why I asked about adding flat steel plating under the existing Escape frame, as a first step. And then to bolt the scissor jacks to that additional, hacked-on steel.

Bolted in place scissor jacks underneath would (if possible) be a nice upgrade. Leveling with scissor jacks is a snap. And with scissor jacks there is no bounce at all underfoot, as you walk around inside the trailer.
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Old 08-13-2019, 02:52 PM   #8
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those stick trailers, I've always seen them being leveled with blocks of wood or whatever, and the sciissors jacks used as stabilizers. its not til you get into the really big 5th wheel and class A stuff that they have actual leveling jacks, and those are generally pistons.
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Old 08-13-2019, 03:03 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pittendrigh View Post
Hmm. Yes. The existing stablizers cannot be used for leveling. They are not stout enough. That's why I was thinking of replacing them. Many if not most heavier, aluminum-sheeting-on-wooden-frame trailers are sold with scissor jacks, installed when they are made.

Is there also an Escape trailer frame issue? That's why I asked about adding flat steel plating under the existing Escape frame, as a first step. And then to bolt the scissor jacks to that additional, hacked-on steel.

Bolted in place scissor jacks underneath would (if possible) be a nice upgrade. Leveling with scissor jacks is a snap. And with scissor jacks there is no bounce at all underfoot, as you walk around inside the trailer.
As Bob stated above, I would still be concerned with warping or damaging frame even if steel plates were utilized. Guess you won't know until you try it.
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Old 08-13-2019, 03:25 PM   #10
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Looks like you have a 19 by your info and that you will be getting a 21.

Either way, the trailer is designed to be supported by the axles as the frame in the rear jogs up and is not as big as the main frame.

Jacking the trailer up in each corner and possibly adding the weight of the axles as well would not be my recommendation.
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Old 08-13-2019, 03:29 PM   #11
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Ok. Good answer. I sold my 19 and bought a 21, which I am happy with. But I do see many trailers can be leveled with built-in scissor jacks (I was just at a local RV place and saw many that worked that way). If this truly is not possible with the Escape it might be a design upgrade the manufacturers should consider.

This is a structural issue nobody seems to be certain about. Perhaps an Escape person could answer.
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:30 PM   #12
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I wouldn't wait for an Escape employee to possibly read this thread, and then respond, I would make the inquiry directly to Escape.
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:32 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pittendrigh View Post
Ok. Good answer. I sold my 19 and bought a 21, which I am happy with. But I do see many trailers can be leveled with built-in scissor jacks (I was just at a local RV place and saw many that worked that way). If this truly is not possible with the Escape it might be a design upgrade the manufacturers should consider.

This is a structural issue nobody seems to be certain about. Perhaps an Escape person could answer.
You may want to update your avatar to reflect the Escape you currently own, thanks.
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:32 PM   #14
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Just email them at partsandservice@escapetrailer.com, I have always found them to be very responsive and helpful.
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Old 08-13-2019, 05:30 PM   #15
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Leveling Scissor Jacks on our 19

This is the title of a thread you might search. I don’t know how to link directly to the thread.

The person who did this was Yukon Escape, and he seemed happy with the results. However I recall some discussion about Escape using scissor jacks in the past and discontinuing them because of stress on the frame.
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Old 08-13-2019, 05:43 PM   #16
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Once in a while we camp on an area that is basically flat overall and while the levels read level the axles are not level but somewhat flexed as they do when on rough ground. Then we put the stabilizers down with light contact on the ground and get ready to camp. Immediately we often noice that the door closes and latches differently than when on level pavement. My conclusion is that I really wouldn’t want to put down what I call a hard jack even if the the jacks were designed to do it. I use Anderson levelers, blocks of wood or a little light surface landscaping. I like the door to open and close and latch properly without forcing anything.
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Old 08-13-2019, 09:46 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Viajante View Post
Leveling Scissor Jacks on our 19

This is the title of a thread you might search. I don’t know how to link directly to the thread.

The person who did this was Yukon Escape, and he seemed happy with the results. However I recall some discussion about Escape using scissor jacks in the past and discontinuing them because of stress on the frame.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...19-a-1263.html
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Old 08-14-2019, 12:04 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Viajante View Post
... However I recall some discussion about Escape using scissor jacks in the past and discontinuing them because of stress on the frame.
As I recall, the scissor jacks used by Escape for a while were just received in error, and installed because the were an acceptable substitute for the intended single-leg jacks.

The stress on the frame is not changed by the style of jack; you could use four hydraulic bottle jacks at the same points and the frame wouldn't know the difference. The issues with jacking at four corners to level are
  1. supporting the trailer at the ends (so it bends down in the middle) instead the suspension supporting it at the middle (so it bends down at the ends), and
  2. twisting the trailer by not coordinating the jacks well enough.
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Old 08-14-2019, 04:14 AM   #19
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We damaged one of our front stabilizer jacks in a very rough campground last year. For replacement, I purchased a set of scissor jacks from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I then moved the original rear jacks to the front and installed the new scissor jacks on the rear. Installation involved drilling one new hole because the hole spacing is slightly wider.
I do like the scissor jacks better for several reasons. First, they are easier to operate. The amount of effort to operate the jack is only about half of the original jacks. Secondly, the jacks have much greater lifting capacity. Lastly, the scissor jack places the head of the drive screw closer to the outside wall of the trailer. This makes it much easier to locate and operate.
I do not use these jacks to level the trailer, only to stabilize! Leveling is done with a set of Anderson levelers first! I then drop the jacks until they touch the ground and add two more turns of the crank to allow for any settling.
In my opinion, scissor jacks have been a good improvement.
Peter
Frewsburg, NY
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Old 08-14-2019, 07:01 AM   #20
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We choose a level site, use the front hitch jack to level front to back, wheel pads to level side to side, then make final leveling adjustments to enhance shower drainage with the stabilizing jacks. Wonder if this is ok or we are engaging in unsafe practice. We've been doing it for several years.
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