blocking up a pop up

[bearbait]

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[MtnCamper]

I've never felt the need to block, But I think the main reason, if I did, would be for the tires. The Timken Bearings in the wheels are very hard, ~75 on the Rockwell Scale. So I really doubt you would create any flatspots. Rather than blocking, I would be much more inclined to hook it up once a month or so, and run the wheels, That would stir the grease and keep everything moving well. If you look at the dealers lots, they don't remove wheels for the winter.

[GeneF]

"The suggestion was made to put blocks under the axles,"

Is putting the blocks under the axles a wise thing to do?

If I remember corrrectly, a couple of my popup manuals said not to lift the camper by the axle if you were changing a tire.  Possible damage could result.

Would this be doing the same thing by blocking using the axle?

Only thing I ever did for winter storage was put some 2 x 6's under the tires.  Did this with 4 popups and never had a problem.  All were stored outside in NH winters.

[tlhdoc]

"The suggestion was made to put blocks under the axles,"

Is putting the blocks under the axles a wise thing to do?

If I remember corrrectly, a couple of my popup manuals said not to lift the camper by the axle if you were changing a tire.  Possible damage could result.

That is what my manual says too.  It says to lift the trailer by the main frame of the trailer.

[rsmith]

I feel a little bit like an idiot responding to this question because i am brand new to pop-up camping but i have been wondering the same question.  I heard that unless your tires are bias-ply and not steel belted, you don't have to put it on blocks.  Plus, it is less work.

I think I am not going to put it on blocks.

[Gone-Camping]

You're going to find there are a core group who believe in setting the trailer up on blocks, and then there will be everybody else. Most of us don't do this. Here is the way I look at it... If I drive by the dealers lot and see him doing it to all those brand new trailers, then I'll do it too. I'm on my 5th trailer (4th camper) and see no need for this. It won't do anything for your bearings, but might help the tires. However, not sure what it'll do to the axles so you gotta weigh that one out (hint: tires are cheaper than axles)....

[Ab Diver]

*If* you were going to block up the trailer for long term storage, using the main frame would be a better choice than the axle. Locating the blocks near the axle's front and rear spring mounts will replicate the stress normally placed on the frame supported by a Dexter leaf spring axle. I don't think placing the blocks at each end of the frame would be a good idea. No hard evidence, just a "gut" feeling.
 
But since it's an older Starcraft, I'm betting it has a torsion axle. If you've ever crawled under one of these older Starcrafts and looked at the axle plate that bolts to the frame, you'd be amazed at how thin it is. By all means, jack the trailer up and support it using *only* the frame.
 
Ab Diver--- who made a custom 6" lift kit for his '86 Starcraft pop-up, and has given that same axle plate a "wiggle" or two.  

[SkipP]

The suggestion was made to put blocks under the axles, thus taking the pressure off the wheel bearings,  and they told him that it would save the bearings from "flat spotting" in escence.  

I don't understand the "flat-spotting" issue. If the bearings are properly installed, the camper weight should be equally distributed in a 360* circumference, shouldn't it?

SkipP

[bearbait]

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[GeneF]

So if I don't block my wheelbarrow, lawnmower, snowblower, bike, truck, car, roller blades, desk chair, camper, swivel chair or whatever else has some form of metal bearings, I will get "flat spots" if I don't use them?


Ooops, did I just f***f?

[B-flat]

I never used blocks on the 88 Starcraft I had.  However, I did park it on some 2x6" boards to keep the tires off the ground and I think I did it because that was what was recommended somewhere in a manual I read.  It did help to keep the tires cleaner and prevented a lot of rain and mud from splashing onto the tires.  It probably helped make the tires last longer.

[Miller Tyme]

Over the past 5 years, we've had two different weight campers and have parked both of them, outside on 2x6's, in the frigid Wisconsin winters, and have no problems with flat-spotting of tired or bearing problems.

 
I did, however, replace the tires this past spring, due to the age of the rig.(18 yrs old.)