Jack Points

[upcountry]

Had a flat on first outing with my Bullet. Question is I now have a 3 ton floor jack but it is the frame is too high which is recommended jacking place.

An alternative in my mind is the equalizer since it is attached to the frame. Is that doable?

If this question has come up before I really apologize since I am a brand new member of the board.

[f6bits]

Here’s a recent jacking thread:
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4890

[SteveC7010]

Cribbing is used to build up jacks so they can reach higher.

Cribbing is just blocks of wood stacked neatly and safely. I have a whole bunch of 4x4's cut to 1' lengths that are perfect for all kinds of jacking and stabilizing around the trailer. Build them up to whatever height is needed log cabin style.

Same idea as the larger stuff they use to jack up houses:

http://myconstructionphotos.smugmug.com/Construction-Galleries/Construction-Support-scaffold/house-cribbing6606/8509507_c5aw8-L-1.jpg

[f6bits]

Saw this just now:
http://www.rvdoctor.com/2012/02/two-flat-tires-one-on-each-side-of-rv.html

Another vote for frame-only jack points. Just sounds odd, as the axle sounds like the best place, though I have to admit that on my TV, the scissor jack is supposed to be used on the unibody lip.

[reubenray]

I will be getting four pieces of rough sawn cedar 4"x10"x12" to put under my front and rear jacks. This will be used in case I need to use my jack, but will that be enough? I have a 3 ton jack. These are light and free for me.

[Terrydactile]

I will be getting four pieces of rough sawn cedar 4"x10"x12" to put under my front and rear jacks. This will be used in case I need to use my jack, but will that be enough? I have a 3 ton jack. These are light and free for me.

Yes they will work.

[cumminsdad08]

any wood block will help. i have picked up crazy heavy things with jacks using wood. just center up the wood on your jack, and this will also help spread the load over several inches of the jack pad. just remember to put plywood under the jack if you are in your black topped driveway in the middle of summer. you won't be happy with the outcome.

[SteveC7010]

I will be getting four pieces of rough sawn cedar 4"x10"x12" to put under my front and rear jacks. This will be used in case I need to use my jack, but will that be enough? I have a 3 ton jack. These are light and free for me.

After a few trips, you'll get a feel for things like this. I carry about a dozen pieces of the 12" 4x4's plus some 4'x'6's cut to the same length. They're left over from our last trailer which did not have the crank-down's so I used old Reese stabilizer stands with the wood.

But we camp in some areas where the sites are always as level as we might like. You may find you need a few more boards and you may not. Whatever meets your needs.

[upcountry]

I want to thank all of your for your kind response. I think I am going to go out and get soome 4 X 4's and cut them to 1 foot lengths. This should do the trick.

[JRTJH]

Another alternative for changing tires is to use a ramp to lift the "bad" tire off the ground. Here is one type of ramp that can be bought locally in many locations. I've used ramps similar to this one, although not nearly as nice looking. This one is made of welded aluminum and should last for years and years. I looked at it at Tractor Supply a few weeks ago and although I haven't measured to be sure, it looks like it will also slip between the tires to act as a chock also.

Here's the link to see what I'm talking about:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/advantek-trade-outdoors-tandem-trailer-wheel-lift-1170010

[kenn209]

Could you use the lynx leveler blocks?

[f6bits]

I believe they recommend against stacking them more than 4 high. But I sure wouldn’t try using it as a jack base. Jacks aren’t kind to the ground beneath them when lifting heavy loads.

Could you use the lynx leveler blocks?

[SteveC7010]

I believe they recommend against stacking them more than 4 high. But I sure wouldn’t try using it as a jack base. Jacks aren’t kind to the ground beneath them when lifting heavy loads.

Very good point! In addition to the 4x4's, I also carry several pieces of 2x10 that have been cut to about 16" in length. They're perfect for a bunch of uses:

Place under a jack to protect a driveway or to slightly elevate the jack.
For leveling the trailer side-to-side, drive the left or right wheels up on one or more them.
Place under landing gear or stabilizers to give a wider footprint for softer soils or sand.
They're kinda handy to keep things from sliding around in storage compartments.
Used with the 4x4 cribbing, you can "fine tune" jack height or spread the cribbing load on soft soil.


They are one of those things that once you have them, you wonder how you ever got along with out them.... :)

[springfield5]

After reading this thread, I remembered a document I had read on the Keystone website. It was about wheel torque. The funny thing is, in the instructional pictures the guy is jacking up the wheel on a fiver on the spring shackle. I have attached the link for your reference.http://www.keystonerv.com/media2/pdf/Lug_Nut_Torque.pdf

Look at page four and notice where the jack is located!

[jbsmith]

I've never understood why you can't/shouldn't jack from the spring shackle. I've got a flat piece of steel that I bent using a press break to cradle the shackle. I figure if the shackle is substantial enough to hold the weight of the trailer, it can withstand jacking a few inches to remove the wheel. It's certainly not a good idea to jack directly on the axle housing since it could cause it to crack or otherwise distort.

Looking at how high the frame rails are on my fiver, it seems that jacking on the frame would be extremely dangerous and put you at very high risk of the jack springing out when under load.

I've thought about welding up a removable "jack point" consisting of a roughly triangular box with a lip and/or pin that allows it to hang far enough below the trailer I-Beam to provide a solid jacking surface without stacking blocks or over extending the jack. I've scribbled it on a napkin a few times, but have yet to draw it up or do the load analysis to see if it would work (safely).

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

End of Sept. 2010 I'm on my way back to Utah from Ohio. About 15
miles East of Effingham, Il. (I-70) I had a blow-out. Front axel, drivers side.
Got off the travel portion of the hiway and had only about a foot, give
or take an inch between me and traffic. The shoulder had a steep slope in that area, like a foot of drop to the low drainage area. Traffic was typical, no one bothered to move over to give me room to work. So, as I didn't have a jack for the old TT I was pulling around, I resorted to using a 2 ton floor jack and a 1 ton bottle jack. Alternating, and using a jackstand as a 'safety catcher'. had the jacks sitting on a couple of 2X8's and used a chunk of 2X4 between the jack tops and the axel (spreads out the pressure point-of-contact area). Oh, I had to be under the trailer as I did all of this. Remember, traffic wouldn't shift lanes...
Such a fun experience ..............:bdance:

hankaye

[jbsmith]

Remember, traffic wouldn't shift lanes...

Typical.

I've lived in Ohio for 15 years and I'm still amazed at how oblivious drivers are around here. I've watched in disbelief as people refuse, despite state law, to move over for emergency vehicles. I've even had people pass me on the right after I've changed lanes for police on the side of the road. There have been several serious accidents involving police and rescue personnel in our area..you've probably seen a few of these on TV.

It amazes me that people don't recognize the danger they put others (and themselves) in by not shifting lanes for cars/trucks/trailers sitting along the side of the road. I keep reflective triangles in the trailer and road flares in a sealed box in my truck...but aside from throwing them at oncoming traffic I'm not sure how much they're gonna help.

With all of this in mind, my first call will be to road-side assistance. If they can't help, then my second will be to get assistance from the state police in slowing traffic or at the very least getting a few folks to move over.