Looking at the name, one may assume that the legs of a caravan are intended to support its weight. In reality, these legs, also known as caravan steadies, are used to provide stabilisation and extra support to the caravan required for safety and security.
This article may be helpful if you want to learn how to remove caravan legs for any reason. Continue reading to find out how you can safely remove caravan legs and all you need to consider.
What is the purpose of caravan legs?
Caravan legs or caravan steadies provide stability and support to a caravan and are bolted underneath a caravan. In most cases, they are made from galvanised steel to ensure they are sturdy and can serve their intended purpose.
For instance, if there is a strong wind, the steadies may help stabilise your caravan and prevent damage to its structure. When you are parked, having the steadies down helps ensure your caravan will not budge in case there is a strong wind current. Alternatively, when you are inside the caravan, the legs help provide support when you are moving inside.
Many people do not consider them a necessary part of the vehicle and only consider them an additional burden on the caravan’s weight. Some people even prefer to remove them.
Why remove caravan legs
There may be multiple instances of why one would want to remove caravan legs.
For instance, as suggested earlier, some people only consider them an added weight to the caravan, particularly in the rear end, and prefer to have them removed. To be fair, these corner steadies provided added support, and having them attached to the caravan may be the sensible thing to do.
Similarly, in some instances, the caravan legs may be damaged, and you may need to remove them. If they do not come up and down easily, this indicates a problem that must be considered.
For instance, when you tow your caravan, the corner steadies bear significant wear and tear. The dirt, dust, or grit from the road surface is thrown on the legs, especially when driving fast.
Alternatively, a heavy storm bearing down heavily on your caravan parked outdoors may take a toll on the steadies, bending them or breaking them. Your caravan may be saved, but you may need to remove and replace the legs.
Also, when it rains, the steadies are exposed to water, and the water carrying more dirt from the road roughs them up even more.
Alternatively, if the grease from the caravan wears off, the pivot points may become stiff. If you do not lubricate them in time, they may be damaged beyond repair, and removing them to replace them with new ones may be the only solution.
How to remove caravan legs
As mentioned earlier, the legs are bolted underneath the caravan, and ideally, it must be a matter of unscrewing the nuts and bolts to loosen the leg and take it off.
You will need to get under the caravan, so you must arrange a jack of appropriate size to elevate the caravan just enough to get underneath and b able to remove the leg easily.
If the leg is damaged, taking it off may be a bit trickier. For instance, if the nuts are damaged and cannot be reused, you can use a nut splitter to remove the nuts, clean the threads and place new nuts. If the nut doesn’t budge due to corrosion, you can use a penetrant spray in aerosol form.
If the corner steady has gone rusty, you may need to go back and forth a few times to remove the leg. Loosen a fraction of the steady, re-tighten it, and loosen it a bit more. Repeat this process a few times and keep going back and forth slowly to loosen and remove any rust and, eventually, the leg.
While damage to the legs due to external conditions cannot be prevented, it is good thinking to ensure maintenance of the steadies to ensure they remain in good working condition for a long time. To ensure your steadies are in good condition, you must grease them at least once or twice a year.
The first thing to do is clean the screw thoroughly and remove old grease, if any. Use rags or wipes to remove as much grease as possible from the screws and the contact surface between the caravan’s underside and the nut. You can also use a degreasing solution for the purpose.
Now spray the contact surface and screw with a lithium-based grease that both sticks to the threads and the surface. This kind of grease is resistant to grime and will not come off easily by water. Now wind the legs up and down a few times to ensure they move freely.
What do corner steadies do?
The corner steadies help stabilise the caravan when parked at home or on a camping ground. Hence when the caravan is stationary, the legs prevent the caravan from swaying or moving and provide support.
Are the legs of a caravan weight-bearing?
The caravan legs are corner steadies and are not designed to carry the caravan’s weight. The major load of the caravan must remain with the axle.
Should the legs of the caravan be straight or angled?
The caravan legs are intended for stability and must be placed straight up and down at an angle of 90 degrees to enable their maximum load-bearing capacity.
