Having a level and stable RV will keep all of your appliances working and increase your comfort level as you move through the RV. There is nothing worse than sleeping on an incline, trailer sway, or having objects roll across the table. Thankfully, there are various types of Jacks that help to Level and Stabilize the RV.
Three different types of jacks used on RVs are hydraulic, electric, and manual crank jacks. Hydraulic Jacks are the easiest to use and found on Motorhomes and some Fifth Wheels. Electric Jacks are the most common type of jack found on newer RVs and use 12-volt battery power to operate. The last type of jack is a Manual Crank Jack and is commonly found on travel trailers or smaller units. All of these types come in sets of 2, 4, or 6 and replacement parts are easily available.
Stabilizing Jacks are used to help keep your RV from moving around when parked. They are used on most RVs and come in electric, hydraulic, and manual crank styles. These should never be used for lifting your RV! Attempting to lift the RV with this jack can cause it to bend or malfunction.
Common Stabilizing brands: BAL, Husky, Lippert, Stromberg Carlson.
Leveling Jacks are used for lifting the RV and help make the floor level to keep objects from rolling and appliances operational. They are used on most RVs and come in electric, hydraulic, and manual crank styles.
Common Leveling brands: Lippert, Stromberg Carlson.
Tongue Jacks are used for lifting the tongue of Travel Trailers and come in electric and manual crank styles. Electric tongue jacks operate off the 12-volt battery supply and often come with courtesy light to help see when operating at night.
Common Tongue Jack brands: BAL, Bulldog, Husky, Lippert, Stromberg Carlson.