Corner steady winders

[Nathan]

I am collecting my new caravan (Swift Classic Danette) this weekend but I'm concerned about having enough room to put the corner steadies down when I put it on my driveway. There is enough room (just) to get it onto the drive but Iooking at the corner steady winders I'm a bit worried about having enough room to low the front ones because of the clearance either side of my driveway. I could reverse it onto the drive but I'm not keen because it means the tow-hitch is facing the road and would be easier for thieves to make off with it. Are there any shorter steady winders out there? Alternatively, is it absolutely necessary to have the front corner steadies lowered when on the driveway or does this put too much pressure on the jockey wheel?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Damian]

You can use any socket which fits the steady nut, like a ratchet handle and socket from a socket set, with or without an extension bar, or leave the steadies up.
The jockey wheel is built to take the weight of the van , the steadies are not, they are just supports

 

[Parksy]

I never wind my corner steadies down when the caravan is not in use. My caravan is stored on a farm and there's less chance of any mice or other small critters entering the caravan if they can't climb up the steadies. The jockey wheel has shown no adverse effects and the raised steadies make for a quicker hitch up when I collect the caravan. If your drive is sloping and you don't lower the steadies make sure that the wheels are chocked.

 

[chrisn7]

Leaving the front steadies up will not cause a problem with the jockey, provided that it has a solid tyre. Occasionally some vans have an inflatable tyre which will be destroyed if left for any length of time and it loses air.

 

[Jaydug]

I too park my van alongside the house and always without lowering the steadies.. Also with the handbrake off but with a brick fore and aft of a wheel. It has a pneumatic jockey wheel which needs topping up with air every three months or so.

 

[chrisn7]

Please tell more about the pneumatic JW? How does this work?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

You put air in it. The tyre, that is, just like you can in a wheel barrow.

 

[Jaydug]

This is it................

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[chrisn7]

Ah yes - I though for a minute you had some device that raised the front end pneumatically!
Now the inflatable tyre - had one of those on an old Bucanneer once. It always seemed that tyre valve was blocked by the axle support yoke. Then once I forgot to lower the front steadies in storage, and of course the tyre went flat, sidewalls cracked and that was it. They hold so little air that a slight loss results in the thing looking nearly flat, so I ditched it in the end-hope you have more luck.