Should we carry a bottle jack? MoHo is 8 by 2.35 mts (1 Viewer)

[bigguspeckus]

Chunnel booked April 4th. We're looking at the "Our Tour" list and they have included a B/Jack?
I'm very capable with all things mechanical/electrical (ac) (last 15 years self employed electrician/plumber) but not sure about a jack?
Your comments appreciated.

 

[mpdcymru]

A decent bottle jack is going to be quite a heavy piece of kit. I think I would rely on the professionals to change a wheel on the road. I certainly would not use the nit of kit supplied by the manufacturers.

If you do intend to change your own wheels at the side of the road, do make sure you can undo the wheels nuts, sometimes, when they have been put on with an air gun, you will need a bar of at least 2 metres to budge the things again.

 

[Jim]

Definitely, and if you have the payload, take two. A bottle jack (or two) when really stuck and relying on self recovery can be a godsend as some Funster's are well aware

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[chaser]

Think I would leave it to green flag, it's what you pay for.

 

[teddybear]

First thing I did was to take the jack out of the new van.Only had 2 punctures in last 15th years,but they were both on motorways. Let the professionals deal with it.

 

[Reallyretired]

Good point. My Rapido comes with a bottle jack and dedicated storage for it. It doesn't have a spare wheel though so may remove the jack as it is right at the front where the front axle loading is close to max, it must weigh a few kg.

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[Jim]

Good point. My Rapido comes with a bottle jack and dedicated storage for it. It doesn't have a spare wheel though so may remove the jack as it is right at the front where the front axle loading is close to max, it must weigh a few kg.

You can't take it out now, have you not heard of Sods Law?

 

[JeanLuc]

Ours has a bottle jack as standard equipment and it is fitted beneath a panel below the passenger's feet (Sprinter). I would not be without it. On one tour of France and Italy, I had to change a wheel on two occasions. It might also be worth taking a pair of axle stands for added security whilst the wheel is off.
Also, I carry a long breaker-bar and socket to remove the wheel bolts and a torque wrench to do them up again. The supplied wheel brace may be a bit on the short side if the nuts/bolts are tight: on ours they have to be tightened to 190 Nm.

 

[bigguspeckus]

As usual, your replies are swift, informative and thought provoking, tarzee muchesslottass....

I think I'm inclined to follow the "Doctrine according to Jim",,,
If I don't take one (or two) I'm doubledoggone sure to flippin need one before Calais slips below the horizon,,, in'I Borr,?!!!

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[gus-lopez]

Ours has a bottle jack as standard equipment and it is fitted beneath a panel below the passenger's feet (Sprinter). I would not be without it. On one tour of France and Italy, I had to change a wheel on two occasions. It might also be worth taking a pair of axle stands for added security whilst the wheel is off.
Also, I carry a long breaker-bar and socket to remove the wheel bolts and a torque wrench to do them up again. The supplied wheel brace may be a bit on the short side if the nuts/bolts are tight: on ours they have to be tightened to 190 Nm.

& that's 140ft/lbs in old money.

 

[Tea Bag]

Good point. My Rapido comes with a bottle jack and dedicated storage for it. It doesn't have a spare wheel though so may remove the jack as it is right at the front where the front axle loading is close to max, it must weigh a few kg.

Hi.
Check with Gus-lopez,i believe it is Law in Spain,you have to have a Spare wheel,so i will be watching this post as well.
Tea Bag

 

[PhilG]

Always.. the scissor type things are rubbish, I have a 5 tonne 1, its not light, but I lobbed the scissor one out.

And +1 with the breaker bar, I every bolt on my wheels is tightened by me. with the kit I have on board, so I know I can get them off.

On my 7.5 tonner I had a torque multiplier as well , and a sledgehammer so could get the wheels off myself..

Even if you personally aren't capable of changing the wheel, someone who is can do it for you , if you have the means on board.

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[Larrynwin]

If a wheel change is necessary don't forget a torque wrench for correct tightening , jumping on on a wheelbrace not best method.

 

[Madcaravanner]

I prefer a Trolley jack

OK they can be heavier than a bottle jack but they are a lot more stable as we found it's sods law that when you get a puncture and need to use it the ground is so uneven getting a bottle jack to sit perfectly vertical is very trying

 

[hilldweller]

I certainly would not use the nit of kit supplied by the manufacturers..

I have a few times, it's cheap and cheerful but it works. What have bought it an extending wheel brace, need the extra leverage on van nuts.

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[Eddystone]

Just a few thoughts on the practicality of using a tall bottle jack.

Do you know where it is safe to place the jack to lift all that weight? In the wrong place you may distort the chassis and twist the bodywork.
Can you actually get at the jacking point when the tyre is flat?
Will you have enough room to operate the jack lever?

It depends on your vehicle of course. It will be a lot easier on a large/RV than on a 3500kg PVC or Coachbuilt.

 

[JeanLuc]

On our Sprinter chassis (2003) the jacking points are identified in the manual and are easily seen. The supplied bottle jack has a curved top to fit the jacking points.

 

[Eddystone]

On our Sprinter chassis (2003) the jacking points are identified in the manual and are easily seen. The supplied bottle jack has a curved top to fit the jacking points.

Yes. I understand that as your vehicle is supplied with a bottle jack but if someone is thinking of using one instead of what they have supplied than my thoughts need consideration.

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[JeanLuc]

Absolutely agree.

 

[MickyP]

Hi.
Check with Gus-lopez,i believe it is Law in Spain,you have to have a Spare wheel,so i will be watching this post as well.
Tea Bag

I have a Spanish reg van it is not required to carry a spare wheel came without like many new motorhomes and Spanish insurance includes breakdown cover.

 

[gus-lopez]

Hi.
Check with Gus-lopez,i believe it is Law in Spain,you have to have a Spare wheel,so i will be watching this post as well.
Tea Bag

Yes , as @MickyP said it is no longer the law. They did away with it as a result of so many vehicles coming new with run .flat tyres. About the same time as carrying bulbs & tools to change went as well.

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[TerryL]

Recently had a puncture whilst at a small campsite in deepest Morocco. Asked the site guardian and within 30 mins a guy turned up on a moped. Offered him the bottle jack I've carried around for a few years now but he wasn't happy with it and instead used the scissor jack supplied with the vehicle with no problem.

I'd already checked the wheelnuts were free - I carry a decent sized bar and socket and also a torque wrench.

But I wish I'd been quicker with the camera when he, the site guardian and the wheel all got onto his moped and went to get it repaired!

 

[Alistair33]

Sorry in advance ........ but I've been looking at this thread header for a couple of days and wondering if it's a quest of punctuation ....

"Should we carry a bottle, Jack ?" hic hic

Sorry

 

[SuperMike]

I carry no form of jack. With a gross weight of 10.5tons, I have no intention of ever personally jacking it up. I do carry a spare wheel, but when I once needed to use it, it took both the recovery guy and me to get it out of its locker and lift it onto the hub studs. And yes LarryHarryChappy @Larrynwin I carry a torque wrench as the nuts need tightening to 644nm. Further the RAC man had no form of torque wrench and so then the fight between me and the RAC began.

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[obanvanman]

Time for new tyres before we came abroad.

Serves me right for leaving the little buggers unsupervised.

 

[DavidG58]

Time for new tyres before we came abroad.

Serves me right for leaving the little buggers unsupervised.


View attachment 151582

have you really had three punctures??? talk about bad luck, but you need more than a bottle jack to sort that

 

[Tea Bag]

I have a Spanish reg van it is not required to carry a spare wheel came without like many new motorhomes and Spanish insurance includes breakdown cover.

Hi
I know now,thanks to you and Gus. As it happens my Portugues Insurance comes with breakdown cover on both the car and Mo/ho, and the insurance is for the vehicle,so any driver can drive
Just an observation,the insurance here,gets dearer the older the vehicle is,so i have been told,thats why most Portugues drivers have only Third Party cover on oder cars. The plus side is that you have to have a little square of paper,off of the schedule on show in the windscreen with the dates your insurance runs from and to...Its that simple.
Tea Bag

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