Things You'll Need:
- Jacks
- Jack Stands
- 2 pieces of 2x10 lumber
- Hatchet
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Step 1
It rained all night. As you exited your camp trailer early the next morning you noticed that the tires had begun to sink into the rain-softened earth. You knew that it would mean a project later in the day, but for now, it was time to head out after trophy bass.
As you turned your boat back toward shore after a morning of fishing, your mind returned to those camper tires buried nearly to the axles in mud. You began to formulate a plan to extract your camper trailer from this situation. Getting a camp trailer unstuck is not as difficult as it may sound. You do not need a crane or a wench. It is just a matter of applying some common sense and having the right materials handy.
The job will be easier if your camper has its own jack system.
Some trailers are built with jacks that are mostly intended to be used for leveling the trailer in rough terrain. However, in this situation, these jacks are the perfect solution to your problem. You need a couple of 2x10 boards about 6 or 8 feet long. You also need a short length of board to go under the feet of the jacks to give a solid surface so the jacks can lift the trailer out of the mud. Put one piece of lumber under each jack. Raise the trailer until the wheels are high enough that a 2x10 can be slid under each of the tires. Lower the camper onto the boards and raise the jacks until they no longer touch the ground. -
Step 2
Attach the camper to your truck or vehicle.
If the ground is too soft to back the truck up to the camper, you will need to find some more lumber to back the truck onto. If this is not possible, consider cutting enough limbs from nearby trees until you can make makeshift road to back onto. Lay the limbs perpendicular to the path of the truck. This way the full length of the limb will act as a support on top of the soft surface. Attach the trailer to the hitch. You may need to cut enough limbs to make a surface from the end of the 2x10's to the spot that you believe will support the trailer. Once you start to move the trailer, do not stop until it has been completely relocated.
If the trailer does not have a jack system, you will need at least 2 jacks.
Almost all people who camp will carry 2 jacks with them to help in leveling the trailer. Once the jacks have lifted the trailer, the stands are used to hold it in place. Following the same pattern as above, jack up one side of the trailer until the wheels on that side are high enough to put the boards underneath them. Take the jacks to the other side and lift it the same way. Use the same method for the truck hookup and extract the trailer. -
Step 3
You can do the same project with one jack and one stand.
Raise one corner of the trailer until it is high enough to have the wheel out of the mud. Put the stand under that part of the trailer to hold it in place and go the the other corner on the same side. Jack up that corner. When the wheel is high enough, put the board under it. Lower the stand until it can be removed and repeat the process on the other side. You may have to jack up the corner to remove the stand. Use the former technique and relocate the trailer to firmer territory.
