Looking for a suitable jack for a 3.5T Ducato
- Thread starter Guff666
- Start date
Don’t forget your not lifting the entire vehicle...just one corner.
Silver-Fox
LIFE MEMBER
Get a decent bottle jack 
Breakdown insurance
Ridgeway
LIFE MEMBER
5t trolley jack at home.
TCS/ADAC when out on the road, not my job when i've paid for insurance.
TCS/ADAC when out on the road, not my job when i've paid for insurance.
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MichaelT
LIFE MEMBER
I recently used the supplied jack on my 4.5t Fiat MH to grease the ALKO chassis and must admit was impressed. Easy to use and quick to get wheels off ground and back, used axle stand whilst under just in case...
Stealaway
Free Member
- Jan 8, 2013
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Even if I could jack it up I wouldn't want to change the wheel. It wieghs a ton.
andy63
Free Member
Mine came with no jack or spare wheel..
But i prefere to carry them..
I carry a small two ton trolley jack..its the only thing I could find that was suitable to fit under the rear axel..and even then after getting a puncture recently I found that when the tyre is flat even the trolley jack won't fit under the axel the clearance is that poor..
Was lucky that I could get a bit air in the tyre and then slip the jack in..
The two ton jack feels like its on its limit as well so I'm still looking for something suitable..maybe an air bag off the exhaust..
Keep meaning to look into that..
I think it pays to remember that when jacking something like a motorhome it pays to have chocks and blocks as well..
Can understand folk wanting to leave it to the breakdown people...but you can be waiting a long time on them ..
Andy.
But i prefere to carry them..
I carry a small two ton trolley jack..its the only thing I could find that was suitable to fit under the rear axel..and even then after getting a puncture recently I found that when the tyre is flat even the trolley jack won't fit under the axel the clearance is that poor..
Was lucky that I could get a bit air in the tyre and then slip the jack in..
The two ton jack feels like its on its limit as well so I'm still looking for something suitable..maybe an air bag off the exhaust..
Keep meaning to look into that..
I think it pays to remember that when jacking something like a motorhome it pays to have chocks and blocks as well..
Can understand folk wanting to leave it to the breakdown people...but you can be waiting a long time on them ..
Andy.
I've used the supplied van jack a few times 3.5 tons seems to be well within its usage for changing tyres, although when I changed the rear shocks I did use a 3.5 ton trolly jack plus axel supports for extra safety.
3.5t is your maximum laden weight.....
Your entire allowable front axel weight will only be something like 1850kg and the rear 2000kg so by lifting one corner you will be nowhere near the OEM jacks capacity, which I believe is 2400kg.
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andy63
Free Member
I mentioned earlier about the lack of clearance to get a jack in on my back axel..
And i remember making a note of it to try and sort a suitable jack..
Never did find a jack that would do the job on its own ....ie fit under the axel and give sufficient lift to change the wheel in one lift..
And i remember making a note of it to try and sort a suitable jack..
Never did find a jack that would do the job on its own ....ie fit under the axel and give sufficient lift to change the wheel in one lift..
Jaws
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- Sep 26, 2008
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I was lucky and found ( by accident ! ) a very low bottle jack.. That is what I have been using for the past 5 or 6 years
Surely the supplied jacks are sufficient to lift the van. Mine is i have used it. Were talking changing a wheel not working under the van. Obviously for that a trolley jack and axle stands is required.
- May 29, 2013
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I saw the same problem on ours with low clearance under back axle. You can get low profile trolley jacks. Think ours is 70mm height when closed down. I got a 2T jack which is, as you say, straining a bit on each corner, but does the job.
Zoobec
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- Aug 11, 2020
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OH got ours from machine mart. Much better than the one that came with the van!
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Simple. Put a leveller under the wheel and drive it forward slowly.
Call out Recovery, as I would not even attempt to try to change a wheel especially if it was on a motorway
No problem using the supplied jack on my Boxer which will be the same.
OP
OP
Guff666
Free Member
I wonder, how much skin did you lose of your knuckles because the supplied handle has too little clearance when compressed at the start of the lift? I did use the supplied jack on my Peugeot, and it was a bugger.
OP
OP
Guff666
Free Member
Thanks, but I am well aware that I am only lifting a corner. My dislike comes from the design of scissor jacks and the propensity to lose skin of the knuckles when starting the lift.
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TerryL
LIFE MEMBER
Not really happy with the look of the Fiat supplied jack I bought and carry a small (3t) hydraulic bottle jack which lives in a corner under the bed. When I had a puncture whilst on a site in Morocco the guy who came out wouldn't use it, and asked for the Fiat one which actually worked very well! I'll keep them both though, you never know!
Maybe take the advice of others with breakdown cover then....
busbuddy
LIFE MEMBER
The sgs low profile trolley Jack's would fit under that, we have the aluminium ones for home and racing but use the standard fiat jack for my 4t motorhome
- Feb 25, 2020
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I have had my PPVC 6+mt up in the air to much lately whilst fabrication mountings for underslung LPG tank, I started using an almost new Clarke 10 ton bottle jack to raise it front corner at a time then to lower onto axle stands, all was fine until bottle jack stopped jacking checked oil, bleed for any trapped air still no good so I expect the seals have gone so beware buying rubbish Clarke stuff, The correct supplied Fiat jack used correctly is absolutely fine especially if you use a socket with a ratchet on the end.
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andy63
Free Member
On mine the back axle is the most suitable jacking point.. its basically a chassis cab transit with an extension bolted to the two box sections..so there is only the two box sections to which the leaf springs and axel are attached..no dedicated jacking points..
And no jack supplied.
Cheers..The sgs low profile trolley Jack's would fit under that, we have the aluminium ones for home and racing but use the standard fiat jack for my 4t motorhome
i do have a large 3 ton low profile trolley jack for use at home.cant remember the make..it as you say will do the job and is lower profile than the little 2 ton trolley that i do carry , but its far to big to be carrying around in the mh..
As I said the van came with no spare and a compressor with a bottle of gunk..imo an unsatisfactory solution..
Andy
- Apr 13, 2019
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£11.99 and 5000kg rating
MichaelT
LIFE MEMBER
its a very small area to be balancing your MH on?
MichaelT
LIFE MEMBER
To grease the rear axle if its an ALKO chassis for one, others will maybe want to do some home servicing etc.
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