When and why to use Steadies (1 Viewer)

[nannyjan]

Can anyone tell me how important it is to use steadies. If only parking up for one night and parked on quite level ground is it necessary to use steadies then.

Is it bad for the suspension if they are not used?

Looking forward to seeing all booked into Newbury. Perhaps someone could show me how best to use steadies if I need to use them there. Thanks


Keep smiling regards Nannyjan

 

[Douglas]

I can only tell youthat in 6 years of MHing I have never used them, in fact I could not use them if I wanted to as there are non fitted.

Doug...

 

[Jim]

Steadies are not always necessary it depends on the motorhome and of course what you are doing in it!. "If this van is rockin, don't come a knockin" was a popular motorhome sticker for a while If you have a Luton with kids in it, you will need the steadies down, any movement up in the luton really shakes the whole van.

Otherwise, I wouldn't bother

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[dazzer]

Steadies are good for taking the bounce out of the suspension or propping up a low corner but thats about all. They are not really strong enough to be used for levelling unlike the RV systems which are capable of actually lifting the vehicle off the ground

 

[Dodgey]

As a rule MHs don't need steadies, they are just there for those that want a stable parked experience.

Our RV has full leveling jacks, sometimes we do sometimes we don't, obviously with our system it can level the van as long as we're not wildly of, but then I tend to 'shuffle' about on a pitch, field whatever and try and start reasonably level in the first place.

If you're far of level, level with ramps under the relevant wheel/s and then drop steadies, though you may find (van dependant) you need a block under to get the reach.

 

[haganap]

as with Doug, I have never ever used them. My current MH has them fitted.

I think Jim's probably right, fitted to stop the van rocking

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[John & Joan]

Can anyone tell me how important it is to use steadies. If only parking up for one night and parked on quite level ground is it necessary to use steadies then.

Is it bad for the suspension if they are not used?

Looking forward to seeing all booked into Newbury. Perhaps someone could show me how best to use steadies if I need to use them there. Thanks


Keep smiling regards Nannyjan[/QUOTE

We have only attempted to use the steadies on our Hymer S700 once. I didn't like it as they creaked with every movement we made and they barely touched the ground. We have 6 good tyres on the ground to keep us steady.

My Hymer only has rear steadies. A friend had a later version of the same van that had front and back steadies and they used them regularly.

Its horses for courses.

 

[Reallyretired]

We have steadys at the rear only, never use them.:thumb:

 

[pappajohn]

would you mind if your house rocked as you walked from room to room ?

of course you would !

then why allow your motorhome to rock and sway ?
after all, this is your home from home.

if you have them, then use them....it only takes a few minutes to lower them and even i can wait a minute or two before the first beers opened.

the only time i'd say dont is if you're wild camping and may need to move sharpish.

same thing applies to levelling......if your house was on a lean you'de do something about it.

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[TonyIsh UK]

Only time I have used them was on soggy ground, to stop the rear wheels "puddling" their way into the ground. Seemed to work as we had a h*ll of job releasing them as the m/home had sunk a bit.

Rgds

 

[dave newell]

I have four fitted to my motorhome, two at the rear and two side facing just behind the rear axle and I deploy them anytime we intend to stay for more than eight hours. My house doesn't wobble when I move around in it and I don't see why it should be acceptable for my MH to either. I have "Atwood" style jacks which can lift up to 500KGs each so in theory I could lift the entire rear end of my motorhome off the ground with all four.

D.

 

[atakd]

My avatar shows the only place we ever used them in Bourg d'Oissan in the Alps when I thought a katabatic wind was going to blow the van over in the middle of the night. Moving wasn't an option as we were in 4 ft of snow at the time.

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[Wintonian]

We have a pair of very heavy duty rear steadies for our old Hymer. They fit into two special sockets attached to the chassis and are ratcheted down to take the weight of the vehicle. Without a doubt it improves the liveability in the vehicle, stopping all sideways movement.

Using them can have no deleterious effect on your suspension.

 

[Minxy]

Just to clear up any confusion, on a standard coachbuilt/camper etc motorhome (ie not American RVs) these are just STEADIES they are NOT meant to support the weight of the motorhome/camper, they are just there to do what they are called and STEADY it and stop if moving from side to side etc so should only be put up sufficiently to do this and not to actually take the weight.

Bear in mind that they are not always attached to points underneath which are load bearing and therefore if you do use them to actually take the weight of your motorhome you can do some damage to the structure/floor etc. Dave's van conversion, being a home build, is very much the exception - if you tried to lift the motorhome on standard steadies you could be in for a lot of grief and serious wallet trouble!

Steadies - we had them on our Rapido 709F (why I really don't know as it had such a pert little bottom it never needed them! ), our Rimor Sailer on the other hand had a very large bottom and although we could have used them to steady it, as we'd had air-ride suspension assistance put on the rear, we never bothered and didnt' have a problem. But, if you have a saggy bottom or swing then there's no harm in using them so long as you do it sensibly.:thumb:

 

[656]

Airide is the answer, stability on the road and when parked

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[GJH]

No steadies fitted to our Autoquest 100 but because of the short rear overhang we've never had a problem with the van rocking.

Graham

 

[Stephen & Jeannie]

Wow !!!!

Jack 'em right down and watch the sparks fly as you hurtle down the road !!!
Better than fireworks.....Thunderbird 69..Eat your heart out !!

 

[williat1]

using steadies

Hi,

I have a rear wheel drive Ford based motorhome and I use the steadies when on soft slippery wet ground. I use a foot square 1" thick plywood board under the steadies to prevent them sinking into the ground.

I've found that in these adverse conditions if I'm sited for about a week without steadies then it's possible for the rear wheels to be sunk in a depression which might reduce traction when driving out. Evenings I often have six adults in my motorhome which is a bit of extra weight which can cause some movement when moving about.

I've never been stuck yet and it's quite possible that I may not have been stuck without the use of steadies, but If the're fitted why not use them, that's what they are for.

If you're never going to use them you might as well remove them to reduce weight!

Regards

Williat1

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[derekfaeberwick]

Hi,

I have a rear wheel drive Ford based motorhome and I use the steadies when on soft slippery wet ground. I use a foot square 1" thick plywood board under the steadies to prevent them sinking into the ground.

I've found that in these adverse conditions if I'm sited for about a week without steadies then it's possible for the rear wheels to be sunk in a depression which might reduce traction when driving out. Evenings I often have six adults in my motorhome which is a bit of extra weight which can cause some movement when moving about.

I've never been stuck yet and it's quite possible that I may not have been stuck without the use of steadies, but If the're fitted why not use them, that's what they are for.

If you're never going to use them you might as well remove them to reduce weight!

Regards

Williat1

Just park on a board or two then, Simples.

Steadies, you cannot be serious. Watch the damage when you pull away in the morning. ( What the ^eck was that ^ecking noise dahling?)

( That was the ^ecking arse ripping out of the ^ecking unwobbly housevan dahlingoh

 

[williat1]

steadies

HI

Parking on a board or two won't improve stability with a few people moving about in a motorhome!


regards

Williat1

 

[Big Momma]

Have been M'Homing for 12 years and never had reason to use corner steadies. On M'Homes with a long overhang they may help with stability when parked. However, I have just got my new twin axle Autotrail Comanche and have used it twice, I do not have corner steadies fitted and there is a long overhang but have not felt the need to get corner steadies fitted. Also worth considering the extra weight that corner steadies may add which will reduce your payload for more essential items. Where is your spare wheel, if underslung would corner steadies impede removal ? If you have already got them fitted then above is an obsolete point.

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[Mr Colpot]

We had them on our Hymer and Used them whenever we parked up, it became a habit I think. The Sundance didnt have them and we didnt miss them. The Rapido has them but we havent used them yet!

 

[Liane]

We haven't got steadies on our MH, but on the strength of some of these posts, and from our own experience I think I would quite like to get some fitted. We have a CI Carioca 656 and I wonder if any other Carioca owners have them and where or how I go about getting some fitted.

 

[Wintonian]

For the wind-down permanently fitted steadies, it would appear to be essential to have a micro-switch fitted that would activate a buzzer in the cab if the ignition switch is activated with them down (like a step warning).

I may have to organise something similar for my 'plug-in' steadies. Driving off with those down would do a lot of damage, and at my age I could very easily forget them! :Sad:

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[Jaws]

Had em on our previous M/home and must admit I miss them on the new one
I have often been woken by the van moving a little just in the wind of woman rolling over !

With the legs down it never happened ....