Corner steadies, do they work ??

[scotjimland]

I'm unsure how they could fold back in either direction undamaged due to how the are fitted and work id have thought at minimum the support arms would get bent so that's strange but as I said I've never used them.

if you look at the link it shows how they fold .. all my Euro vans have had that type ..

of course, there may be other types that don't fold.. no idea..

so if you don't have an AL-KO chassis you probably won't have. the AL-KO CLICK FIX - MECHANICAL STEADY LEGS

they look like this

 

[peterc10]

We had these legs on previous and present mohos. Pain to put down and up, had to kneel to see where the nut was, and so were rarely used. When they were used they didn't seem to make much difference to the rocking, especially when getting out of bed in the middle of the night.

Both mohos had long rear overhang with large garage. They would probably work better on shorter overhangs.

We now have hydraulic steadies and they are much better. But much more expensive!

 

[Khizzie]

how do you remind yourself that they are down?

Normally by the grating noise as I drive off.

 

[dalspa]

We have them on our Hymer, and on our previous Hymer. If staying for more than a night then I usually put them down, although it’s clear to see that some movement still takes place. I always put the winding handle over the pedals so that I always have a visual reminder and it’s on our pre flight check list! Ours are different from the ones shown, having a curved plate down which a guide wheel runs. I have just taken them off so that I can (Hammerite) paint them but need to get the primer for painting over galvanising (now tarnished). They have been on for 11yrs now so in need of sprucing up and greasing.

 

[lorger]

We had them on our last van which was 7.5m long with quite an overhang, the van did move about a bit when parked so always used the steadies and everything was fine.

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[TheBig1]

fitting air bags to the rear axle reduces body roll on site and on the road too

 

[pandas]

Can these be used to level as well as steady realising it is just the rear of course?

 

[scotjimland]

Can these be used to level as well as steady realising it is just the rear of course?

no.. they are not jacks.. just steadies..

or are you asking about air bags ?

 

[Speve]

We have full air on our B678DL it certainly makes a better ride and will level van in most instances when parked however it does not stop the rock and roll of the van.
We have found the best way to help that is lower the air bags completely but even then there is still movement.
IMHO jacking system is best solution but not a cheap one?

 

[Stephen Franklin]

We have a Dethleffs Alpa which is quite a tall van which tends to move about a fair bit in wind & when someone is moving inside.
Does anyone have corner steadies fitted, if so how effective are they ?
Many Thanks.

Hi Barney,

Our Alpa has them as standard. They are Alko ones which do the job, if a little fiddly to adjust. If I forget to put them down when we arrive somewhere I soon remember when we notice the swaying. If you do get them my handy tip is to put the winder in the driver's footwell when down so you can't drive off with them down (of course I'd never do anything so daft!)

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[robnchris]

Had them on a 2000yr Autotrail Cheyenne and really need them the van rocked about all over the place, also had them on our Arapaho but being a tag axle they weren't needed.
Our current 2013 Apache is quite stable, doesn't have them and despite getting caught in the storms whilst down in Cornwall last month the motorhome was fairly stable.

 

[Caggsie1]

You’ll probably only do it once. I’ve done it, through having a paddy with a Dutch camper in pitch next door on the Mosel a few years ago. She decided my gas cupboard was the best place to light a bbq(very close to it, not in it)- obviously protecting her tent. I stomped off,after having a few words with Dutch women, to reception to ask to move. We were given a new spot, and I threw myself into the cab and started to pull away- yes you’ve guessed it, I certainly looked like a real toot having to get out and wind them up. Luckily no damage. The pitch we move to was fab too. Never done it since!

 

[maison]

One of the pleasures(?) of life when parked on a slope.

Get out of bed, in the dark, after a few drinks, the floor slopes away from you. Run down the m/h to keep your balance. Trip over the dog. Bounce off the dinette table, end up in the cab. Hit the horn button while trying to keep your balance. Try to convince the wife that you had heard a noise and were sounding the horn to warn them off. Hero!

 

[Caggsie1]

One of the pleasures(?) of life when parked on a slope.

Get out of bed, in the dark, after a few drinks, the floor slopes away from you. Run down the m/h to keep your balance. Trip over the dog. Bounce off the dinette table, end up in the cab. Hit the horn button while trying to keep your balance. Try to convince the wife that you had heard a noise and were sounding the horn to warn them off. Hero!

Hilarious!

 

[EuroTrotters]

Yes, ours always have.

Mrs. TM Calls them "shagging legs"

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[tonyidle]

Two things I haven't understood throughout his discussion: why does it matter if the van wobbles a bit? I/we rather like the sensation when it's very windy; and how can there be any movement at all (at the rear) with legs deployed?

 

[Burgo]

I fitted some on our Dethleffs Globus definitely stops rocking in the wind and when moving around, and as we always wind them down winding them back up has become part of the departure routine.

What make did you fit, please?

 

[peterc10]

Two things I haven't understood throughout his discussion: why does it matter if the van wobbles a bit? I/we rather like the sensation when it's very windy; and how can there be any movement at all (at the rear) with legs deployed?

Q1. We get up at various times during the night for calls of nature. If the van rocks it disturbs/wakes the other person.

Q2. the legs only add a bit of stability. They and the members they are bolted to are not strong enough to lift the rear wheels at all, that is made clear in the instructions. So the van remains on its suspension both front and rear. And that means it still rocks on that suspension.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I bought hydraulic levelling but now regret them, they work just great BUT now I am looking at dropping the weightI find that the kit is just too heavy and stops me getting the weight down enough to get to 3500kgs. Very heavy at 65 kilos.
They are good to have are handy to use but just the weight issue.

 

[grumps147]

SWMBO suffers with balance problems sometimes. It may seem strange to those who have not experienced it or it’s effects, but the rocking of the motorhome just by walking can be quite distressing when it kicks in. We don’t have fixed steadies, as they aren’t needed all the time, but I do have a pair of the fiamma tripod floor mounted Steadies that we put under when needed. No good in gales, but ample for day to day use when the need arises. http://www.fiammastore.com/Fiamma-J...d-motorhomes/Fiamma-Plastic-Stabilising-Jacks

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[scotjimland]

The AL-KO steadies can exert enough 'lift' on the chassis to make the van rock solid..

you don't lift the wheels, but you are taking load off of the torsion bar suspension.. this stops the van moving when you walk about..

If you have another type then the may not be as good.. I can't comment on other types

 

[Steve N Tracy]

What make did you fit, please?

Very good service they arrived within 3 days, the steadies are well made and very light as well.

 

[bigtwin]

The AL-KO steadies can exert enough 'lift' on the chassis to make the van rock solid..

you don't lift the wheels, but you are taking load off of the torsion bar suspension.. this stops the van moving when you walk about..

If you have another type then the may not be as good.. I can't comment on other types

Indeed, and, if not on hard standing, their effectiveness is enhanced if you spread the load at the foot of the steadies (I use a short length of decking).

Ian

 

[tjay]

get these, share a pair with a friend, ebay number - 161327318321 only £11.61

 

[bigtwin]

get these, share a pair with a friend, ebay number - 161327318321 only £11.61

Gosh, if people think the ALKO type steadies are difficult to operate I can’t imagine what they’d think of these!

Ian

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[Feltwell]

Corner steadies, do they work ??

Depends! If they are the "drop down leg" type, where it's just a leg that folds out with an extension piece that drops down to the ground, then they are pretty useless - that was what was fitted as standard to my van. By the morning they had either crept up a bit or pushed their way into soft ground. Don't waste your money.

So, I replaced them with the Al-Ko steady legs that others have already mentioned - much, much, much better! The key difference is you wind them down with a caravan-type steady handle so you can put some pre-load on them and take some weight off the van's suspension. Dead easy to use, if the right size is fitted then the winding nut extends beyond the edge of the bottom of the van, no grovelling on the ground required. I've never "tested" driving off with them down but the design should mean that if you drive off forwards or backwards they'll just pivot up and drag harmlessly along the ground, not getting damaged but still making a horrendous noise to alert you to your stupidity.

Do you need them? Well, we do. 2 adults & 3 kids moving about in the van and you really notice the difference if they're not down, they also help a lot if it's windy. But, going away last weekend with just me & my youngest son in the van, in calm weather, I didn't use them and didn't miss them either.

I had the axle-stand style steadies for a bit. Far too much faffing around and grovelling on the ground to be worth it.

Are hydraulic jack systems better than all the above? Of course they are - much better - and much more expensive and heavy as well. Horses for courses.

 

[tonyidle]

Q1. We get up at various times during the night for calls of nature. If the van rocks it disturbs/wakes the other person.

Q2. the legs only add a bit of stability. They and the members they are bolted to are not strong enough to lift the rear wheels at all, that is made clear in the instructions. So the van remains on its suspension both front and rear. And that means it still rocks on that suspension.

I understand the disturbance although we're unaffected. Not sure of the stability issue - if both legs are firmly on the ground the van rear can't move downward. Although I hadn't thought of it the front can of course still move .

 

[pappajohn]

Two things I haven't understood throughout his discussion: why does it matter if the van wobbles a bit? I/we rather like the sensation when it's very windy; and how can there be any movement at all (at the rear) with legs deployed?

Some folks could sleep on a water bed.... Remember those ... I certainly couldn't.
Even if she gets up during the night at home the movement of the mattress wakes me.

 

[pappajohn]

I understand the disturbance although we're unaffected. Not sure of the stability issue - if both legs are firmly on the ground the van rear can't move downward. Although I hadn't thought of it the front can of course still move .

It can't rock sideways either unless one leg lifts off the ground which with maybe a ton or more pressing down in it won't happen.
The front can't move either unless your chassis is made of rubber..... It would have to twist to rock if the rear couldn't rock.
Steadies main purpose are to prevent rocking not vertical movement which won't really be noticeable.

 

[pappajohn]

Indeed, and, if not on hard standing, their effectiveness is enhanced if you spread the load at the foot of the steadies (I use a short length of decking).

Ian

Always carried a couple of 6" x 6" x 1/2" ply plates just for that.
Caravan type wind down steadies would keep going on wet ground til they hit bedrock without them... The foot is too small.

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