Camper Jacked up... need some input

[Yay!Gurrr]

Ok, i got my camper jacks put on the camper. I made some plates ~8x10 that were welded into each corner with a socket that the jack plugs into.. The plates are welded around the edge and several plug welds.. The jacks are on ~16" stand offs. My plate and jack mount have little/no flex but the bottom framing of the camper is actually flexing this is causing the jacks to lean in and twist with the load....

This setup will suffice to allow me to get the trailer loaded up.. But not sturdy enough for long term use... So.... ideas ???

Only requirements is to lift it over the wheels and drive the trailer out... At this point I'm open to sugestions and crazy ideas... I really dont want to redo the camper sub frame.. Its not very heavy duty and has some fair amount of rust.. I'm sure i will need to be fully replace down the road.. NP as the rest is aluminum and in good shape..

Some I've thought about..

A ~fork type device that lifted the up from the side and pull it up and away from the trailer..
A device that lifted it up and back again pulling it above the wheels..


Pretty scary with this thing 3' in the air !!

 

[BRUISER]

Cam you build a sub frame out of 2x2 angle to help with the support of the jacks.. that Is what I need to do to my bed camper..

 

[Caver Dave]

Close ups of the plate/socket assy. please!

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

The current sub frame is a stamped/formed structure out of 1/8" its ~2" box around the perimeter with some flat extensions added in some areas. Then there are 2 center tubes that are the same width of a big trucks frame rails and designed to support the weight.. The structure is rivited to the alum box.. Seems every 10-12 " The problem seems to be where my stuff is welded on.. Its simple flexing the structure between the rivets since the frame doesn't have enough beef..

I really don't want to weld more junk to it as the design really allowed crap to collect up there and its got some decent rust on it..

The other issue is the camper only overhangs the trailer by 4" on each side.. The subframe is enclosed/recessed and the sides are not vissable. I don't want to add any height to the camper..

I guess if i redid the subframe I could incorporate the socket into the framework and cut a [] in the alum for the jacks to slide in.. .

btw; the jacks them selfs worked fine.. other then alot of cranking.. the drop leg part allowed me to walk it up pretty easily...

I'll snaps some pics in the am...

 

[uglyjeepoffroad]

Would these help?

Would they still clear the fenders?

 

[upnover]

WHy not some saw horse type things to lower it on for long term? Raise it up drive out, lower it a few inches to the stands??

 

[thecarman]

WHy not some saw horse type things to lower it on for long term? Raise it up drive out, lower it a few inches to the stands??

That's what I have for my slide-in camper. My jacks SUCK and the *wood* they are attached to SUCKS so I hate raising the camper because it sways all around and I feel like it's going to crash over. But some sawhorses came with it, so I only have to raise and lower it a minimal amount - I don't have to go all the way up from the ground. When the camper is not in the truck, it rests on the sawhorses with the jacks down also, so it is stable.

Also, I think connecting the 4 plates together is a good idea, like Ken suggested. That's what I plan to do on mine when I get the time. The metal wouldn't *have* to be connected to the camper, just something to keep the plates from moving relative to each other. But like you said Mike, it would raise the camper up of the trailer by the height of the metal.

 

[dvandiver]

How about going all the way across the bottom front and rear with 2" box and leaving them under the camper and you would still be able to use them for the sockets for your jacks? make like a sub frame of sorts with a few spacer bars in between. like the worker carying cleopatra to the honky tonk!

 

[MR. GADGET]

Yager, Thinking out side the lines of what you have now was what I had planned to do with a box on mine.
I was going to put a roller setup on mine that way I can move it were I want to put it, to balance it on the trailer. To load it use your ramps or a set of ramps like what I use now for the cannons. We also use a cart that we put the two mortars on and just pull it up the ramp with the winch..thats about 1000lb or more and the cannon is about 4000 lbs or so. one person can load it with a winch, if you use wheels, you can off load it or move it around fast if needed to .
What you would need to do is put wheels on all 4 corners and a track of some type to mount on your ramps and just pull it up and tie it in place with four camper turn buckles. You could put a track of some type to center it and lock it in place up front if wanted. There are all kinds of wheels or rollers that would work plus you should be able to use the frame you have now and after you off load it you could get in and out of it easy. As for jacks you would not need them at all and that would lower the weight on your trailer.
JOn

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

Thanks for the input.. I snaped a few pics this am..

1) the jacks don't flex where it joins the extension tube..
2) The tube has some minimal in the socket as its a slip fit..

I don't really want to do the saw horse deal as I thought it better to lower it back down.. But.. Maybe a platform wouldn't be to bad.. It would help speed up the process..

After sleeping on it.... Maybe its not as bad as I think it is... I've always wondered how the campers jacks are when they are up high.. While it does flex some it doesn't flex...

Here are the pics..

 

[Yay!Gurrr]

based on the pics here is a crossection of the sub frame.. As you can see its not very structural.. I really didn't think this through when I decided to slap the plates on..

The dotted line is the extra piece that is added on in a few areas..