To Jack or not to Jack ? (1 Viewer)

Jan 11, 2010
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Well that`s our 13th year & still loving it.
bottle jack

This is so simple, well if you are young and agile enough on a day when the weather is kind and the conditions are flat, safe and you have a solid grounding, we always carry a 1" thick x 12" square plywood base to sit the jack on.

We have an 8 ton bottle jack, bought from Screwfix, cost mmhh I`m thinking £24. jacks up to change the wheel on our Auto-trail Arapaho with ease.
One thing, don`t be kidded into the thought that you are are only jacking up a corner of your 4 ton motorhome, as you watch it going up in the air you will see you are lifting a whole more than just the area where the jack is so for the small extra cost get an 8 ton and be safe. :thumb:
 

JJ

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May 1, 2008
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Can you change a wheel? :Eeek: :Eeek:

Woosies... :winky:

I changed a clutch in an Iveco 60-10 on the roadside all on my own (using two bottle jacks...) :thumb: :thumb:

Ok, it wasn't yesterday and now I might get one of my people to do it but when it comes to a measly wheel... easy peasy...

JJ :Cool:

PS. I carry two bottle jacks (hydraulic)... in the Wagon and the Hymer supplied "bottle jack" (screwed) in the 660...



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sedge

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Jul 7, 2009
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LOL at you all. I know the theory of changing a wheel. Seen it done loadsatimes. Physically capable? - nope. Even on a car. I wouldn't even be capable of undoing a wheel nut. So knowing how to do it ain't much help really.

We haven't got a spare on the motorhome - just the foam stuff - and AFAIK there's nowhere to put one either ...... other than in terms of delay, I don't see it as a major overwhelming problem. I assume we'd just ring the breakdown people, get them to get an appropriate tyre firm to come out to us. You still have to pay for the new tyre anyway and yes, it would be more expensive than if you could shop round, I'm sure.

Just one of those times you have to cough up and look happy, innit?
 

Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
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This is so simple, well if you are young and agile enough on a day when the weather is kind and the conditions are flat, safe and you have a solid grounding, we always carry a 1" thick x 12" square plywood base to sit the jack on.

Blimey !!!!!!!!!!!

Do you wear oven gloves to boil a kettle :winky:
 
Jul 28, 2010
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I Carrie 2x 6ton bottle jacks
had to use them once worked very well on my little RV no problems
best to have a jack as you never know when you may need it
 
Jul 28, 2010
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LOL at you all. I know the theory of changing a wheel. Seen it done loadsatimes. Physically capable? - nope. Even on a car. I wouldn't even be capable of undoing a wheel nut. So knowing how to do it ain't much help really.

We haven't got a spare on the motorhome - just the foam stuff - and AFAIK there's nowhere to put one either ...... other than in terms of delay, I don't see it as a major overwhelming problem. I assume we'd just ring the breakdown people, get them to get an appropriate tyre firm to come out to us. You still have to pay for the new tyre anyway and yes, it would be more expensive than if you could shop round, I'm sure.

Just one of those times you have to cough up and look happy, innit?
we have a carrier on the roof where the spare wheel sits takes up no space at all and only cost £10 to fit
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Whatever type of jack you use, please don't forget to chock the FRONT AND BACK of the diagonally opposite wheel at least.
never rely on the handbrake alone when changing a front wheel, the handbrake can fail and the van roll off the jack.
NEVER place your hands between the wheel and body or wheel and ground once jacked up...hold the wheel at 8oclock and 4oclock to lift it off and on...jacks can fail too !
 
Apr 27, 2008
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I had a puncture on the Toad at the beginning of the year, and because I was on a steep hill (and wearing a decent suit) I didn't try to change it myself. I thought the supplied flimsy screw jack was unsafe, especially on a steep slope.
I phoned the AA who said they were very busy and it would be a couple of hours or they could send a local garage out. I chose the local garage.
Chap turns up about 40 minutes later in an enormous breakdown truck, so I explain about the crappy jack that I thought would be unsafe, his response was that he'd have to use my jack anyway as he hadn't got one :Eeek:
Anyway he changed the wheel (for the emergency pram wheel supplied by Chevrolet) using said crappy jack without mishap.
 

sedge

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we have a carrier on the roof where the spare wheel sits takes up no space at all and only cost £10 to fit

But how much does a roof ladder cost? And could we even fit one to our van?

And would we want one anyway?

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davidallan

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Oct 22, 2007
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26 yrs CVing + 14< MH' ing
...Jacks an all

Very good point 'Sedge' and how many of us could man/woman Handle a spare wheel up/down a ladder from to/from the roof.???:cry:

For those who can do this GREAT. aaand the rest of us just have to do whatever we do.:Smile: As a 'WELL BUILT' "chest that slipped " sort of Guy I do remember putting the solar panels & sat dome up there...Wife liz NOT too happy I was attemting it:shout:
Nothing unusual in that then !!

THE one thing I have not yet managed to do is UNDO the twin rear wheel nuts [inset some 7"] Of course the Wrench extension bar just wants to wobble about PLUS a 4' scaffold pole extension bar [ supported at the wheel with an axle stand] will not move them:cry::cry:

AND the BAR did bend a great deal., and a second socket bar Bent also ??

RESULT= Just bought a proper electric 'IMPACT' wrench thingy off - Fleebay = £50
NB The cheaper version did not want to know the problem !

I shall be playing with it shorly :thumb::thumb:
 

hilldweller

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we have a carrier on the roof where the spare wheel sits takes up no space at all and only cost £10 to fit

But it is the worst possible place for a heavy load, contributing to your body roll.

4x4 style on the back would be better but the bikes are normally there.

Low down underneath is technically best, actually reducing body roll.

It's a no-win situation, but made *very* much worse by FIAT's crap carrier.
 

Snowbird

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I did have a similar problem when I fitted the second fuel tank to my VW. The fuel tank would only go were the spare wheel carrier was, so got a 4X4 door carrier from the scrapyard and fitted it to the rear.

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pappajohn

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THE one thing I have not yet managed to do is UNDO the twin rear wheel nuts [inset some 7"] Of course the Wrench extension bar just wants to wobble about PLUS a 4' scaffold pole extension bar [ supported at the wheel with an axle stand] will not move them:cry::cry:

AND the BAR did bend a great deal., and a second socket bar Bent also ??
sounds to me like the nuts are far too tight.....i can loosen the eight nuts on the RV's twin wheels with a 30" torque wrench and they are torqued to 190nm...around 140ftlbs
 

Jaws

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Reckon that is an understatement PJ !
Overtightened to the point of being dangerous and almost certainly will have stretched the bolts..
Would suggest you look at having the studs checked carefully and all refitted to the correct torque
 
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beachcaster

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Dec 18, 2010
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After all the input on jacking I saw a 6 ton bottle jack in Lidl today...and bought it.

Its heavy of course.........well made and If I have the capacity I may carry it
for emergencies........just need to sort out my jacking points on the
Autotrail. Though nine times out of ten I would still prefer someone else to do it for me .

Was about £16.

barry

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bigmalc

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Oct 17, 2011
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malcolm

Be PREPARED, have you seen what breakdown people do to you premiums after being called out!, and while i am on, how many people think that the wheel brace from the base vehichle will undo the rear nuts on a c class???? i carry a socket to fit, an extension bar to reach outside the bodywork:Doh:, and a long torque wrench and tube for power(foot pounds).
 

pappajohn

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Reckon that is an understatement PJ !
Overtightened to the point of being dangerous and almost certainly will have stretched the bolts..
Would suggest you look at having the studs checked carefully and all refitted to the correct torque
no need to John.....the torque setting is stamped into the wheel nuts at factory....and it was checked with RVOC's professional wheel/tyre man, Brian Evans
also in the Ford F53 handbook...dont forget, this is a 10 ton (downplated) truck chassis not a 4 ton van.

looking at this reply on an american rv site to the same question it appears I'm under-tightened.
mine is a 1999 Ford F-53 chassis


The Lug nut torque should be 150 ft lbs to 165 ft lbs for the 99 F-53. I would personally go to 165 ft lbs then check the re-torque after about 100 miles of driving

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Jaws

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Sorry, did not notice David was talking about an RV.............

As a matter of interest John, would you happen to known the stud size ? I would guess 7/8 or 1" at that level of torque ?
 

pappajohn

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Sorry, did not notice David was talking about an RV.............

As a matter of interest John, would you happen to known the stud size ? I would guess 7/8 or 1" at that level of torque ?
no apology needed mate, from memory the nuts are either 1-1/8" or 1-1/4". I just carry a socket that fits, a 10" extension bar and the 200ftlb torque wrench:thumb:

the point I was making is David couldn't undo the nuts with a 4ft scaffold tube and bent the socket bar whereas I can undo mine with a 30" torque wrench....that points to over-tightened nuts to me.
 

Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
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no apology needed mate, from memory the nuts are either 1-1/8" or 1-1/4". I just carry a socket that fits, a 10" extension bar and the 200ftlb torque wrench:thumb:

the point I was making is David couldn't undo the nuts with a 4ft scaffold tube and bent the socket bar whereas I can undo mine with a 30" torque wrench....that points to over-tightened nuts to me.

Must be 1 1/4 nuts and 7/8 studding.. Do they ever come loose as on lorries ?
 

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