Rocking Ollie

[BackofBeyond]

During our last Ollie adventure, my wife says the Ollie "rocks" to much when parked and set up correctly. And I agree, there is some movement, but it doesn't bother me.  It is her opinion, however,  that a 4 point jack system would be more solid and secure, more so than the three point system we have. I  offered to add two more anchor points, under the forward frame area - ok,  -  more in jest than actuality.

 

Does anyone else feel the Ollie could be more solid feeling when parked?

 

RB

 

 

 

 

 

 

[topgun2]

I guess that I'm the wrong guy to ask - I rarely put down either of the two rear jacks.  Of course, I am usually in there by myself but even when there is one or two additional people I've not noticed any objectionable movement.

 

Bill

 

p.s.  I totally realize that the above comments don't mean a thing - if Mama ain't happy then nobody is happy!

[Overland]

It doesn't bother me - I notice it on occasion, but it's not something either of us have ever commented on to the other.

 

But a few people have posted about it, so it can be an issue for some.  I've seen one Ollie with scissor jacks installed at the front corners.  To me, they looked like a disaster waiting to happen, but to each his own.  If the rocking really bothers you and you're willing to be super careful, then I guess it's a potential solution.  Personally, I'd lean toward something portable maybe, or at least something that couldn't damage the frame if it got hit.

 

 

I'd suggest that you give it a few more trips before deciding.  Over time you'll probably get used to it, sort of like being on a boat, if a few orders of magnitude less so.

[John E Davies]

I only extend a jack if I need to level the trailer, I try very hard to get it positioned flat so that isn't needed. The only time I have felt a need for extra support is when there are very gusty side winds, they will shake the trailer noticeably and it can be irritating.

 

Try raising the trailer a couple of inches further all around (take more weight off the springs and tires). Make VERY sure your awning is retracted if it is windy.

 

Or try a pair of these ...

 

 

My best suggestion is get used to it, it is a 3 ton trailer not a house, it will never be rock steady.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[Geronimo John]

RB:

 

As a Professional Engineer, I can assure you that your wife's opinion is structurally correct.  With each additional support point under the frame, the less flex the hull will have with variable loads.  This is true all the way up to having the hull sitting on a concrete slab (An infinite number of support points).   I'm 240 pounds and like Overland do not find the flex objectionable... probably due to my past boat life.  However, if your wife feels it is, I recommend adding two additional supports.

 

That said, I would not do it as pictured.  Rather simply get two half ton screw jacks and don't attached them to the hull.  This would provide the same amount of "domestic tranquility" and would not be a permanent eyesore.

 

 

[Trainman]

A sign from the past, I guess they didn't have stabilizers back in the old days to help with wind and trailer movement, trainman

[Rumline]

Or try a pair of these …

 

 

I have a pair of those X-chocks and I'm fairly disappointed with them.  As chocks, they aren't very good because they don't prevent the wheels from rolling if your primaries slip.*  I have applied plenty of pressure but the tires still slipped on the smooth metal plates when I detached the TV.  I am hesitant to increase pressure further because I'm concerned about damaging the tires.  As it was, the tread indented from the pressure from the X-chocks.

 

As stability-increasers, my non-scientific testing (wife was still unhappy with amount of rocking) determined that if they make a difference, it is small and not easily discernible.

 

* I have since upgraded to these chocks and they haven't slipped once, even on gravel: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AXBJU

[BackofBeyond]

Rainman - yep, one of my first thoughts.:-)

 

I do not plan to do anything, what little rocking there is, just doesn't bother me, and my SO, is so happy with the rest of her Ollie experience, it will fall to the wayside.

 

I must admit, I really like hot water showers, heat at night, and a kitchen I don't have to put up each with each meal. Not something we had previously.

 

Thanks all for the feedback.

[Mainiac]

Real soft tires can contribute to sway, or a slight sensation of it.

[snowlakemike]

Snowball's photo could well be of my unit, Hull 64. The two front jacks were installed by the previous owner at some point in response to his wife's complaint (same as your wife).  I agree they are an eyesore. I agree that there is some degree of risk in having them sticking out from the frame. They DO, however, help to greatly decrease trailer movement as you walk about the diniang and bath areas.

 

That said, we never bother to deploy them unless we are to be parked a week or greater. The little rocking in the Ollie as delivered by the factory, does not bother us.

 

 

[Overland]

Could be, Mike.  That would have been last April at the factory when I snapped that shot.

 

I was thinking about it the other day and thinking that if you selected just the right sized bolts for mounting the jacks, that it's possible they would just break off if hit rather than damage the frame.

 

Still, it would make me nervous.  I bonked our steps once, turning from a paved road with a low shoulder onto gravel, and took good chunk of asphalt out of the road in doing so.  It did no damage to the trailer other than slightly ding the mount to the steps.  I probably wouldn't have been as lucky if the road had been concrete.

[Rumline]

Off topic: does anybody else start singing "Rockin Robin" in their head when they see the subject line of this thread?

[SeaDawg]

I like " Rockin Robin." :)

What came into my head was a rather old, and quite bad, country song by Billy Joe Shaver.

 

"Rockin robin" is sooo much happier, and fun!

 

[Townesw]

Last fall we parked in a really steep campsite with the tongue high off the ground. I had purchased a pair of Camco screw type stabilizer jacks on the way to this campsite. I rigged them as shown in the photos. I only snugged them up against the frame so as to stabilize the camper, not to take weight off of the front jack. With these stabilizers in place and the rear jacks extended the trailer was very stable for the 4 days we were at that campsite. I will continue to use these as shown, probably not for “one night stands” but for extended stays in one campsite. I would not use these as jack stands, only stabilizers. They are very light but work well in this application.

 

 

[Raspy]

I think you guys are missing where the movement is actually coming from.  Additional jacks under the frame will not cure it.

 

First thing to do is get set up at at camp with your jacks down and the trailer leveled, in the normal way, with the Oliver jacks.

 

Now, sit down and look at the body and how it moves compared to one of the tires, while someone steps into and out of the trailer.  Compare the movement you see to the frame in the same area, near the tire.  You'll begin to see that the movement is in the body and not in the frame.  That's right, the body is flexing outboard of the frame.  So stabilizing the frame means nothing.

 

Several of us have noticed this, and I have been planning to tour Oliver again to see how this area of the body is made, such that it can flex outboard of the frame and not fatigue over time.

 

Bottom line:  Stabilizing the frame will do next to nothing to correct this movement.  Look more carefully at where the movement is and you'll see what I mean.

 

 

[ScubaRx]

The frame fits up inside longitudinal channels that are molded into the underside of the body. The only thing between the body and the frame is a layer of 3/16"-1/4" rubber glued to the top of the frame. The body is then bolted solidly to the frame. If the frame moves the body moves with it and vice versa. The movement of the body (and the frame with it) relative to the tires that you see is because of the springs.  If you support the frame in four places the perceived movement will be far less.

[Raspy]

Scuba,

 

 

 

I know very well how the body sits on and is mounted to the frame. I've carefully looked at that joint on mine and at the factory. That's not what I'm talking about.

 

There is a lot of flex in the body outside of the frame/body joint.

 

This can be observed easily, as I described, by observing the frame/body relationship back by the tires, as someone steps into or out or the trailer, or rocks the trailer.

 

Next time you are set up, look for this on your trailer.   At the last rally, a group of us Ollie owners were in camp discussing this and wondering about it.  This area seems to have a lot more movement than simple frame flexing.  In fact, back by the tires, the jacks are so close, that there is no frame flexing.

 

That's why I said I'd like to look further at this area at the factory.  Not how the frame attaches, but how the structure is made outside the frame and how the inner shell is supported in that area.  The inner shell has the floor and that load is transferred to the outer shell which transfers the load to the frame.  There is no direct and short path from the frame to the floor.  This path is where the flex is occurring.