Re: [A/S] Campgrounds and Batteries

[Jack Canavera <jackcanavera@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hmmm....

My instructions were to level the the trailer and
extend the stabilizers prior to opening the slide out.
 I have followed those instructions in my driveway and
have had no problems locking the doors.  

This is my first trailer with electric stabilizers so
I'm pretty much using the same technique you are.  My
method is to lower the stabilizer jack until I see a
slight rise to the trailer.  At that point I back off
to remove the rise, without taking the pressure off
the stabilizer.  This tends to correspond to a pitch
change in the motor once it encounters some
resistance.

I haven't made any mental note as to which leveler I
am dropping first, although I'm guessing my order of
operations so far has been to drop the front leveler
on the slide out side first, then the curb side front.
 No one told me to do it that way though.

I've seen other door locking problems on non slide out
units and it always is the fact that too much pressure
is being applied on one of the stabilizers.

I can see that obviously Airstream's instructions to
you are countering some torque which is occuring on
the frame but quite honestly if the stabilizers are
down and creating the proper amount of force, you
shouldn't get much torque.  Are you finding that this
problem is occuring on certain terrains or surfaces?

So we come back to the question of how much pressure
on the stabilizers is enough?  Maybe the real issue is
the fact that you have a situation where the door may
be slightly out of adjustment or some other malady
with the door frame where your tolerance is so close
that any minor torque on the frame now puts you out of
alignment for your dead bolt.

Unfortunately I won't be using the trailer until this
spring so my adventures are yet to begin.  I know I
always have used a Lynx Leveler block under each
stabilizer on my Safari.  It usually gave the
stabilizer a little more footprint, especially over
ground that may sink or is uneven.  Again I'm just
guessing at this point.

You might want to stand on the door side while someone
opens the slide out and see what kind of torquing is
taking place.  A little experimentation may allow you
to get a good feel as to how much stabilizer pressure
is required to resist the torquing caused by the slide
out extending.

Jack Canavera
STL. Mo.
'04 Classic S.O. 30' 
WBCCI 5024