Taking the weight off the tires during winter storage.

[Bogie]

I have Ground Control 3.0 on my Sundance. After storing over winter I took it out last weekend. After leveling it up in my driveway, with two of the wheels slightly off the ground, I noticed that the tires had a slight, but definite, flat spot. So I am thinking that it might be best to use the Ground Control to take the weight off the tires during storage.

My question: Is there any reason not to raise the 5er up and leave it that way for a long period of time?

My initial inclination is that this should not be a problem since the front jacks are used this way and they are more or less the same mechanism. But, I since I disconnect the battery during winter storage, I'm not sure if that would affect the electronics of the Ground Control control module.

Any thoughts form others with Ground Control would be appreciated.

 

[caissiel]

Never do it if the ground is going to freeze or the chance of one or more feet could sink in soft ground in the spring or big rain. the unit could twist enough to damage the frame like a friend did with all stabilizers used. with the weight still on the tires.

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[danemayer]

You could extend the jacks just enough to take some weight off the tires. Leaving it that way for an extended period would be like staying at a season site all summer.

 

[JohnDar]

My winter storage area is gravel/dirt, which turns to rocky mud in the Spring (like a recent post I put up). I don't raise the rig up on the Ground Control jacks other than level front-back with the front jacks. The rears are not extended. No flat spots on my OEM tires yet. I also remove the battery during the winter and the controller doesn't seem to mind. But then, I have the original Reico-Titan Ground Control system, not the Lippert version.

 

[Bogie]

Thanks for all your replies. My current winter storage site has solid gravel base, so mud or soft surface shouldn't be a problem. However my intentions are to create a site on the back of my property with at least a 6 inch rock and gravel base to rest on. I guess I'll just have to give it a try.

 

[NHCelt]

My previous unit utilized a 4 point leveling system. I have been storing with all wheels off the ground for years.

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[dbbls59]

I think if you towed it long enough for the tires to get warmed up the flat spot would disappear. If it doesn't then you probably have a tire problem. I'll not be lifting mine for storage.

 

[ndmac]

Mine stays on the same site year around. I auto level mine during camping season and the wheels are sometimes lifted off the ground. In the winter I put them down to take the weight off of the tires for the winter, but I do not lift them for winter storage.

 

[brianlajoie]

I level my trailer using twin 4x4 blocks and a yellow plastic block for each level up leg. The storage unit uses recycled asphalt so it's not muddy. The 4x4's seems to keep the trailers pretty level. When I went to get my trailer out of storage at the end of January, I had to use a hammer to get the 4x4's out of the ice, but the level up legs and yellow plastic blocks were dry. The tires are covered and barely touch the ground. If I hadn't kept the level up feet off the ground, I would have had to figure out how to unfreeze them in an inch of ice.