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Old 04-16-2015, 04:38 AM   #21
grampscamper
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I carry a torque wrench, bottle jack, jack stands, 4 way wrench, 1/2 inch socket set, various blocks of wood, work gloves and a 12 volt Viair compressor. I use a TPMS and have RV roadside assistance. I also carry a folding pad to kneel on.
Maybe a little overkill but I like to be prepared.
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Old 04-16-2015, 08:41 AM   #22
OurLuckyPenny
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Jack On Frame or Axle?

My question is, which way is better to jack your rig up with---the frame or the axle?

I know it says in the owners manual to jack on the frame. And to quote a couple of contributors to this thread: Barbell: Dexter says not to jack on the axle. Have the truck jack and a number of blocks so can jack on the frame. And: CathCartww: I prefer to jack on the frame to avoid any chance of damage to the axle.

Is it possible that jacking on the axle is not such a bad idea? Does it really damage the axle to jack the rig up on it? For example, on my Cougar 21rbs it it guite a long distance from the frame to the ground; so like CDathCartww says above, you need a pretty good stack of blocks to raise your jack high enough to raise the rig. Then, too, raising the rig by the frame will tend to hyper-extend the axle and springs, making it necessary to raise the rig higher than normal to raise the tires off the ground. Jacking the rig in either way is bound to have a twisting or torque-ing effect on the frame of your rig, no? And there have been some examples on the Forum of broken/damaged frames on various rigs.

Which brings up another question: Is the frame on the XLite tt's and 5ers of lighter construction than on the regular rigs? Just how much twisting of the frame can an XLite rv take? The higher you raise the rv, the more twist you put on the frame.

Some haudraulic jacks come with a v-shaped or cupped flange to fit the axle of a vehicle. Such a jack should help prevent the jack from slipping off the axle as you raise the rv. And jacking on the axle will allow you to eliminate that pile of (wobbly) blocks that you must place the jack on when you jack from the frame.

I recently jacked up my Cougar 21rbs to place blocks under the tires which were sitting on dirt. It took only one 2x8 block laying flat on the ground under my large haudraulic jack under the axle to raise each wheel.

My question is (sorry for the long-winded dissertation), does it really harm the rv axle to jack up the rv via the axle rather than the frame?

Sure would like some expert opinion on this question. Thanks!
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Old 04-16-2015, 09:45 AM   #23
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I will stick with jacking on the plate where the springs are attached to the axle. It is less stress on the axle than going down a curb. If one is jacking on the frame, not only is it necessary to first jack high enough to clear the spring tension, THEN it is necessary to jack high enough to get the new tire in position.
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Old 04-16-2015, 11:36 AM   #24
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^^^ what he said. Like Jim, I jack my trailers on the U-bolts that secure the axles to the springs. I use a 2x6 block under the U-bolt, place the jack under the wooden block and jack the axle high enough so the tire clears the ground.

I also am concerned with trying to lift the frame rail which is about 24" above the ground another 10" (or more) to get the tire that same distance off the ground. In my experience (haven't had too many flats, but I do rotate my tires every year) it seems much safer to jack the axle 4" than to jack the frame 10"+. So far, I've never damaged an axle and the U-bolts haven't been damaged, scraped, scuffed, nor have they ever "screamed" the word "abuse".

To me is just doesn't seem practical to try to jack something 36"+ off the ground when I can effectively do the same thing with 4" of movement. If you look at the way the axles are secured to the springs, it's my impression that the road shock from hitting a pothole or even from a bumpy road in a campground would put more stress on the axle (at the point of attachment) than the static load of lifting it 4" while the trailer is not in motion.

Others may have a different opinion, but that's my "take on jacking"
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Old 04-16-2015, 03:02 PM   #25
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Have to agree with John and others. I think the Dexter prohibition on jacking under the axle stems from their liability phobia. Probably the result of some yahoo at a tire shop putting a floor jack under the middle of the axle and lifting both sides at once thus destroying the axle/alignment. As long as you place the jack directly under where the axle attaches to the spring, and using a block of wood as John described, there is no way you could damage the axle. Think about it - that axle is designed to carry the weight of the trailer and the wheel bearing the load is bolted to the hub at least 8" outboard of the spring. Drove/owned/operated semi's for millions of miles. ALWAYS jacked under the u-bolts - loaded and empty. MUCH safer than lifting the frame 2 or 3 feet into the air to get the tire off the ground. Just sayin'
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Old 04-24-2015, 10:57 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OurLuckyPenny View Post
My question is, which way is better to jack your rig up with---the frame or the axle?

I know it says in the owners manual to jack on the frame.

Which brings up another question: Is the frame on the XLite tt's and 5ers of lighter construction than on the regular rigs? Just how much twisting of the frame can an XLite rv take? The higher you raise the rv, the more twist you put on the frame.

I recently jacked up my Cougar 21rbs to place blocks under the tires which were sitting on dirt. It took only one 2x8 block laying flat on the ground under my large haudraulic jack under the axle to raise each wheel.

My question is (sorry for the long-winded dissertation), does it really harm the rv axle to jack up the rv via the axle rather than the frame?

Sure would like some expert opinion on this question. Thanks!
We have a 21RBSWE and last week I used a Trailer Aid Plus to lift all four wheels off the ground one at a time to adjust the brakes and lube the bearings. Just towed 1300 miles this week back home from SoCal. The Trailer Aid Plus had plenty of lift even with the spread axles. I do still carry 2 bottle jacks, an impact wrench and generator along with a cheater bar and compressor.
I admit I carried the Trailer Aid last year without trying it but I can't believe I went so many years without one.
BTW I watched the installer at Discount Tire Center lift my trailer with 4 floor jacks at once using the axles. I asked him if that was common and he said all day every day and they do a lot of toys coming out of SoCal doing the desert runs. Love the new Maxxis tires!
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Old 04-25-2015, 04:49 AM   #27
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Tire lift

Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
X2 With this post, used it last weekend to grease the axle bearings in the driveway.
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Old 04-25-2015, 08:19 PM   #28
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Jacking on the frame can be a difficult proposition, especially if on the side of the road on soft gravel or dirt when the trailer is not level. When jacking on the spring u-bolts with a bottle jack you are only compressing the spring enough to raise the tire off the ground...you are not raising or supporting the trailer by doing this.

I have roadside service, but I think being capable of safely changing a tire while on a road trip is a capability everyone should have in the event it becomes the only reasonable option given your location.
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Old 05-02-2015, 08:57 AM   #29
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Talking

I've used the trailer aid - on a hill, on an inside curve. I had no trouble with the exchange - my problem came later when I realized the steel belt had literally shredded the copper tubing to my refer, furnace and stove. All three were on a "T" for lack of a better description. Steel belt didn't damage the trailer, but cost me $450 to repair the copper tubing. ('03 23' Komfot) FORTUNATELY the gas wasn't on!!!
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Old 06-12-2015, 06:45 AM   #30
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On my old trailer, I got lots of practice with changing tires. At first I was unprepared, now I can get a flat and be back on the road in 15 minutes.

I carry a truck jack with me and 4x6 blocks of wood that are sectioned in 1 and 2ft pieces. I stack the wood high enough so the jack will reach the frame and have plenty of room to get the trailer high enough to get a new tire on. I learned this trick from the Florida Road Rangers after I got a flat tire and was in a spot where I was on grass and there was no way my jack would reach. A concrete block would shatter from the weight and well...I was pretty much screwed. From that point on I made sure I ALWAYS had plenty of wood in the truck and a jack AND I made sure the spare tire was always filled with air at the same PSI as the other tires, so I didn't put it on and blow that one out too.

Good luck to anyone stuck in this situation. Every time I see a trailer on the side of the road with a blown out tire, I feel that person's pain.
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Old 06-18-2015, 03:56 PM   #31
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First blow out two weeks ago. Luckily happened just before a government rest area so we limped in. It was raining so called Good Sam. 30 mins later and still on the phone because she couldn't determine my location??? Gave up and changed it myself in 15 mins. 10T bottle jack, heavy duty torque wrench and wood blocking all stored together for quick and easy access. Heading out again in a few days on a last minute decision so ended up purchasing GY Marathons because of their availabilty. Hope they last a few years. This snowbird season we're staying in one spot in FL so won't be putting all the mileage on that we did the last two winters.
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Old 06-19-2015, 09:42 AM   #32
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Had to change my first "China Bomb" this spring. One other thing to add to the equation, Road safety flairs or triangles. Where I had the blowout, the shoulder was quite narrow and even after getting to the right as far as possible, was barely 2' off the lane. You would be "AMAZED" at how many, and a lot of times large trucks, seem to get as close as possible when passing. Luckily, this time, the flat was on the shoulder side. Would have been a real fright to have had to changed it on the left side. That said, sure would have liked to had a reflective triangle to set out a couple hundred feet behind me. Didn't have one then but bought a real nice one yesterday at Walmart that was large and heavy enough that I doubt would be blown over by traffic or high winds. A semi sure will rock your world when it passes about 2' from your trailer. Make sure that you use chalks tightly set on both sides of your tires. Even 1' of movement has the potential to uncenter the jack from the axle. PS. also bought a pair of 4 ton aluminum jack stands that I also use. Feel more safe anyway.
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Old 06-20-2015, 02:41 PM   #33
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Let me jump in just to give our OTR drivers a little pat on the back. We travel about 40K a year, some with the Raptor, some with our 16ft motorcycle trailer. Almost invariably when someone is broken down alongside the road it will be the tractor/trailer rigs moving over to the next lane to "give 'em a break" and the four wheelers blowing by close enough to lift your skirt (One shouldn't change a tire in a skirt anyway, especially if you're a man)
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Old 06-21-2015, 10:28 AM   #34
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Most if not all states now have laws requiring you to either slow down or pull to the other lane when passing an emergency vehicle on the shoulder. Nearly all truckers now pull to the other lane when passing anything stopped on the shoulder, emergency vehicle or not. You never know when some one is going to open a door or walk around the left side of that stopped vehicle.
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Old 06-21-2015, 12:39 PM   #35
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(One shouldn't change a tire in a skirt anyway, especially if you're a man)
Would a kilt be okay? With what many wear beneath their kilts, maybe not... [emoji33]
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Old 06-26-2015, 10:53 AM   #36
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We got really lucky yesterday hauling home from Maine to Connecticut. We were just north of Boston on I-95 when a car pulled up along side, and signaled that we had a problem in back.

I dropped into the Granny Lane with my 4 ways on and limped into a wide spot in the shoulder less than a quarter mile from the car's signaling us. On this part of 95 the average shoulder is probably 8' to 10'. The place we landed was at least 15' wide, and long enough to safely maneuver.

I just had enough time to hop out to inspect the rig, and discover a left front axle blowout on the 5'er, when here comes the Good Samaritan Patrol Vehicle complete with Strobe lights and help.

We broke loose the lugs nuts, and used my 6 point Lippert System to lift the rig enough to put the spare on, after chocking, and unhooking the TV. Total time, probably about 20 minutes! Best news of all... no damage to the rig or the wheel.

It all went so smoothly that I figure my GOOD LUCK is about all used up for a long while!
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Old 06-26-2015, 03:33 PM   #37
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Tire pressure monitor system

You may want to consider a TPMS for your rig. It would have warned you immediately of your flat tire.

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Old 06-27-2015, 04:45 AM   #38
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Good idea.

Thanks for the input.
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Old 06-27-2015, 06:56 AM   #39
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I don't like the idea of the trailer teetering on stacked wood. The ground gives, an 18 wheeler blows by, etc.; too many chances for someone getting hurt. The Trailer Aid Plus with a 1" x 6" under it lifts my 16" tires high enough.
But I do carry 2 bottle jacks and an assortment of wood.
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Old 06-29-2015, 06:18 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by LaTundra View Post
You may want to consider a TPMS for your rig. It would have warned you immediately of your flat tire.

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Not only does it warn you of low/high pressure but also high temps in case you have a dragging brake. The cost of the system is far less than even a "cheap" fix to the bodywork of a trailer IMO. I LOVE our TST507 setup, and wouldn't even trust our awesome new Kuhmos without it. You just never know.
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