Winterizing the trailer?

[Condor1970]

How many of you put your trailer up on jack stands in the winter so the tires/leaf springs don't have all that stress on them from sitting for months until spring?

 

[bruceb58]

I do ever since I had 4 tires have tread separation exactly where it was sitting the previous winter.

 

[ihearth2o]

Guilty but I use cinder blocks. Seems a little more stable.

 

[JimS123]

Fourty six years ago when I bought my first boat I read the "book" and that's what they said to do, but I didn't do it and had issues. The next year I followed the book and all was OK. I also put my batteries on wood blocks in the basement......LOL.

About 20 years ago I got sick that Fall and neglected to do it. That Winter nothing happened. Haven't done it since and haven't had a problem. Tires aren't what they used to be....

 

[redneck joe]

how long is your winter?

 

[bruceb58]

Guilty but I use cinder blocks. Seems a little more stable.

Until they crack! Just don't go crawling under anything that is being supported with cinder blocks. Worst thing you can use.

 

[redneck joe]

landscape timbers ok?

 

[ihearth2o]

Until they crack! Just don't go crawling under anything that is being supported with cinder blocks. Worst thing you can use.

right, that's why they used to support a motor home. Besides, you think I just use one? there is a way to use them properly but hey, don't ask how I use them, just assume if I don't do it your way, I'm doing it wrong.

 

[ihearth2o]

landscape timbers ok?

I like this idea. If you store in garage it wouldn't mark up your floors as bad. I use non-slip shop tiles to protect my floors and I wrap the trailer frame with old bike inner tubes where the cinder blocks will come in contact.

 

[smokeonthewater]

double post

 

[smokeonthewater]

I once had a buddy tell me how unstable jack stands were.... I put my boat and trailer on 4 of them and bet him $100 he couldn't knock it off... He weight 250+ lbs and he ran and hit it with his shoulder several times... then he started trying to rock it....... Hopefully one of these days he will pay up but at least I don't have to listen to any more crap about unstable jack stands from him... concrete blocks ARE the wrong thing to use... ask any concrete guy and he'll tell you that what concrete does is it gets hard and it cracks.... Yes you CAN build proper pillars and use enough that if one fails the rest will take the load but DANG you have to work soooo much harder than placing a few stands, setting height and done...... And in the end the concrete doesn't have a single advantage over stands UNLESS you are on an unstable surface.... THEN the thing to use is WOOD blocking/cribbing Much safer plus lighter and every bit as stable AND it won't damage the finish of a boat or trailer so no inner tubes needed.

back on topic... NOPE I don't waste my time jacking up trailers BUT I park on grass... Much less chance of flat spots.... as for stress.... I find that relaxing music does just as much to combat trailer stress as blocks or stands.

 

[ihearth2o]

Nice story. Want to hear mine? I had my boat on stands but I only had 4 so I used the cinder blocks to provide more stability. They felt fine and no I didn't try do a stupid thing and bet my buddy to try to wreck my boat by trying to knock them off the stands or put my buddy in a hospital for a bum shoulder. Later that winter, my buddy was doing a reframe on an old chevy half ton and I offered to let him use my stands. Had plenty of cinder blocks so I figured it would be fine. That was 4 maybe 5 winters ago. Do you know how many cinder blocks I've had to replace because they cracked? Ya, none. Is it a little more work? sure, but I'm not afraid of work. I'm already in the doghouse with my wife for the day for taking my time winterizing the boat so what's another 10 minutes? and you know what? I don;t have to buy more jacks if I need them during the winter.

EDIT: Oh and the last thing to do is park on grass without somehow supporting the wheels, unless you want them to sink into the grass than how are you gonna pull your rig out in the spring? Hope you're at least putting some plywood under your wheels.

 

[bruceb58]

right, that's why they used to support a motor home. Besides, you think I just use one? there is a way to use them properly but hey, don't ask how I use them, just assume if I don't do it your way, I'm doing it wrong.

Hey no problem. I just posted this in case anyone else decided to try cinder blocks so they wouldn't do it.

I wouldn't bet my life by getting under a vehicle supported with them. Kinda goes with my saying about common sense.

 

[ihearth2o]

Hey no problem. I just posted this in case anyone else decided to try cinder blocks so they wouldn't do it.

I wouldn't bet my life by getting under a vehicle supported with them. Kinda goes with my saying about common sense.

Right and I'm just mentioning other options that might work for others. YMMV

I wouldn't bet my life by getting under a vehicle supported with them. Kinda goes with my saying about common sense.

But you would for a couple sets of jack stands? Stay out from under anything jacked up…blocks, ramps, jacks, whatever. Ok, maybe hydraulic car lifts but if I had money for that, I'd pay someone to winterize for me. LOL

 

[bruceb58]

But you would for a couple sets of jack stands?

I do if they are used properly on a flat concrete surface but I add wood blocks(NOT CINDER BLOCKS) and my hydraulic floor jack just in case.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Oh man now THAT'S terrible news... here I've been parking trailers from 10-40 feet long in the grass for nearly 30 years and never had a single one sink or ever had any trouble pulling one out in the spring and NOW I learn that without plywood I'm gonna lose em all this winter.... sure wish I'd have known that before ....

As for risking my boat... uh noooo I wasn't risking ANYTHING and my buddy was the dope who risked his shoulder... not my problem... I certainly didn't suggest that he run full speed into a 10,000 lb boat but no way was he gonna hurt it...

Do what you like but understand that for every one person who has the sense to stack concrete blocks as I described above there are 40 or 50 bozo's who lay em on their side and might get killed....

Suggesting that jack stands are somehow less safe than concrete blocks is silly

 

[ihearth2o]

Like I said, there is a proper way to use cinder blocks and in the 4-5 winters I;ve used them, have never had a problem. There is a wrong way to use anything though including jacks and wood blocks.

 

[ihearth2o]

Oh man now THAT'S terrible news... here I've been parking trailers from 10-40 feet long in the grass for nearly 30 years and never had a single one sink or ever had any trouble pulling one out in the spring and NOW I learn that without plywood I'm gonna lose em all this winter.... sure wish I'd have known that before ....

As for risking my boat... uh noooo I wasn't risking ANYTHING and my buddy was the dope who risked his shoulder... not my problem... I certainly didn't suggest that he run full speed into a 10,000 lb boat but no way was he gonna hurt it...

Do what you like but understand that for every one person who has the sense to stack concrete blocks as I described above there are 40 or 50 bozo's who lay em on their side and might get killed....

Suggesting that jack stands are somehow less safe than concrete blocks is silly

Ahhh, so from your personal experience your method works. I guess my personal experience doesn't mean as much.

THink what you want but if a 250lb man is running full speed at something jacked up, there is a risk, however small you might think. Real nice of you to let your buddy risk his shoulder. I wouldn't but maybe you don't like your buddy much.

If you read my previous posts, I mentioned pretty early on that there is a proper way to use cinder blocks. So those bozos (your term, not mine) that you mentioned were put on notice. Who the heck takes the word of one guy from the inter webs anyways. You sure don't have a lot of confidence in your fellow man's intelligence or common sense but again, only your experience counts so what does it matter anyways.

I'd love to keep this up but really, it's late. You sleep on it and then post back up and enlighten us some more with all your knowledge...

 

[bruceb58]

there is a proper way to use cinder blocks.

Yep...you use them for walls or to support buildings. You know...what they were made for. Not for point loads.

Jack stands are designed for the purpose that the OP wants to do and is what he asked about.

 

[smokeonthewater]

My advice is not for you... you obviously know everything... MY advice is for those who plainly admit they DON'T know and who might make bad decisions based on your bad advice