Skywalker assembly
The door position is decided before the first spring goes on.
Skywalker’s net threads inside the springs and attaches to the mat itself, which is what makes it safe. It also means the enclosure opening has to land in a specific place on the frame. Miss it and you take all seventy-two springs back off.
The safety feature is also the trap
Skywalker’s patented no-gap enclosure is the reason to buy one. The net does not sit outside the springs like most trampolines; it rises up from INSIDE them and attaches directly to the jumping mat, so a child cannot slip a foot between the mat and the net and into the springs. Owners rate it highly, and it is genuinely one of the only nets on the market that does this.
The consequence is that the net, the mat and the frame are one interlocking system. The V-rings on the mat have to line up with the spring holes on the frame, and the enclosure DOOR has to end up in the position the instructions specify. All of that is determined before you fit a single spring.
The most upvoted review on the Walmart listing, by a distance, is an owner saying exactly this: had they read all the directions first, they would not have had to put it up twice. The opening, they warn, must be placed in a specific place on the base.
How long a Skywalker takes
Owner-reported. And note what happens if you get it wrong.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart’s claimOptimistic, but not impossible. | 1 to 2 hours | 1 to 2 |
| 12ft / 15ft roundThe most commonly reported figure. | ~2.5 hours | 2 |
| Including laying out and counting partsAnd laying out is what stops you doing it twice. | ~4 hours | 1 |
| 15x9 rectangleMore springs, heavier frame. | 5 to 6 hours | 2 |
| Doing it twiceOne family did. It is entirely avoidable. | double | 4 adults |
The tools in the box will do it, but owners recommend using your own: a proper screwdriver set, and a power drill for the enclosure pole screws.
What goes wrong, specifically
Read the whole manual before you touch the frame
It sounds like generic advice. On this trampoline it is the single most valuable instruction there is, because three separate decisions get locked in at the frame stage: the door position, the V-ring alignment, and which way up the spring holes face. One owner missed the last of those on a single bar and had to flip it. Another family of four adults had to disassemble and rebuild the whole thing.
Count the V-rings. If you are off by one, the springs come off.
An owner’s hard-won advice: count that you have the right number of holes along each section with V-rings, where the springs attach to the mat. If you are off by one, you have to remove and redo the springs. He noted, with feeling, that doing it once is no fun and doing it twice would be a real drag.
The frame is the hardest part, and it wants a hammer
One builder found the pipes would not seat into the T-brackets properly. His solution: compress the square ends of the pipes slightly with groove-joint pliers, then tap the T-brackets on with a hammer. Not in the manual, and exactly the kind of thing somebody who has built a dozen of these already knows.
The last twelve springs are the worst
Universal on any sprung trampoline, and Skywalker is no exception. Of 72 springs, the first two dozen are easy and the last dozen take real force. A spring puller comes in the box; a hammer to seat them is sometimes needed too. Work in a cross pattern so tension stays even and the last few are as easy as they can be.
The ladder and the tie-downs are sold separately
Both matter. Without anchors, owners report the trampoline lifting off the ground, and one lost a previous trampoline entirely to a storm. In Kentucky, order the tie-down kit with the trampoline. And the jump surface sits high enough that small children need the ladder.
Keep it away from window reflections
A strange one, and a real one. An owner found the foam on one of the enclosure poles had melted the day after assembly. Skywalker advised keeping it away from house windows, and replaced the foam. Reflected, concentrated sunlight off a window will do that. Worth a thought when you pick the spot.
The half hour that saves you an afternoon
Lay every part out on the ground, in the positions the manual shows, before you assemble anything. The owner who did this said it gave them a visual of what they were building and confirmed nothing was missing. It is the single best habit on this trampoline.
Then read the whole manual, including the part about where the door goes.
Level ground. One owner shimmed the low side with fence boards under the legs, which works, but level ground works better.
Order the tie-downs and the ladder at the same time as the trampoline.
Why hand this one over
Not because it is hard. It is a two and a half hour job for two people who know what they are doing, and Skywalker make a good, safe, well-priced trampoline that owners are largely happy with. They also sell replacement parts directly, which is more than several brands on this site manage.
It is because the penalty for one early mistake is disproportionate. Get the door in the wrong place and you undo seventy-two springs, in the sun, in front of children who were promised a trampoline today.
Somebody who has built one before puts the door in the right place the first time.
What an installer does
- Lays out and counts every part before assembling anything.
- Gets the enclosure door in the correct position on the frame, first time.
- Aligns the V-rings and the spring holes so the springs go on once.
- Seats the frame pipes into the T-brackets properly, with the right tools.
- Fits all the springs in a cross pattern, so the last dozen are manageable.
- Anchors it with tie-downs, checks the net tension, and takes the boxes away.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Why do people end up assembling a Skywalker twice?
Because the enclosure net threads inside the springs and attaches directly to the jump mat, the door has to land in a specific position on the frame, and the V-rings have to line up with the spring holes. Both are determined before the first spring goes on. Get either wrong and the only fix is to take the springs back off.
How long does a Skywalker take to assemble?
Around two and a half hours with two people for a round model is the most commonly reported figure, five to six for a rectangle, and about four if you include properly laying out and counting the parts first. Which you should.
What is the no-gap enclosure?
Skywalker’s patented net design. The net rises from inside the springs and attaches to the jumping mat itself, so there is no gap for a foot to slip through into the springs. It is the main reason to buy one, and it is also why the assembly order matters so much.
Do I need to anchor it?
Yes, and the tie-down kit is sold separately. Owners report the trampoline lifting off the ground without anchors, and one had a previous trampoline blow away in a storm. Order the anchors with the trampoline.
Why did the foam on my enclosure pole melt?
Almost certainly reflected sunlight off a house window. An owner reported exactly this the day after assembly; Skywalker advised moving it away from windows and replaced the foam. Something to consider when choosing the spot.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Skywalker Trampolines. Skywalker is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly services that independent installers on this directory provide.