Would like to get a jack to keep on board my 31' Class C, as well as any time needed at home.....to lift one corner at a time. I have 6 ton jack stands to use once lifted.Any tips on jack placement on chassis, storage, tire removal, etc.Thanks!Wondering if this would be good for on board as well as home use...Harbor Freight Jack

I keep a 30 ton jack in my HM. Lifts the rig slowly and easily.

SweetWaterSurprise wrote:I keep a 30 ton jack in my HM. Lifts the rig slowly and easily. Is this particular MH a 4x4 unit? If so, there may be height to work that 30-ton that some of us don't have...OP,That Harbor Fright will lift it easily. 20-ton. Remember, the whole RV is say 14,000 or 7-ton. Problems are:1. Sometimes a really powerful jack (like 20) works out to be too tall to get under the axle when the tire's flat and ground is uneven.2. There aren't very many contact points on the rear axle till you get close to the differential. That means you're lifting say 2/3 of the rear axle weight to get one pair of wheels off the ground. That's only say 6,000 or 3-ton, but3. It gets very awkward to pump a bottle jack from a prone position under a vehicle. So, a 5-ton WILL lift it, IF you have an extension handle with room to swing it, OR you're really strong.I have 2- 4- 5- 10- and 12-ton bottle jacks. So many because I was given most of them. Bought the 10-ton (Harbor Fright) when we got the E450, because I thought my good, big, old, and heavy 12-ton Walker had given up the ghost.The 4-ton will lift one corner of the FRONT. The 5-ton will lift one corner of the rear but the leverage is very difficult. The 12-ton lifts the rear easily. I like the 10-ton because I've found I can get it, and a jack stand, out toward the wheel end on the rear axle and raise the coach without slithering all the way under.Of course if you have a compressor, an air-over jack makes life really easy. So for me, on a Class C, for that matter most any GAS coach, if I had one jack it'd be a 12-ton. I went to HF to get a 12. They were out of stock and 10 was on sale. They don't offer that size anymore, and I think an 8 wouldn't be enough to comfortably lift the rear. The Low Profile 12- and 20-ton are intriguing. Question is do you want to pick up from low, or to be able to lift a little higher (low profile vs. standard)? I have seen double-extending bottle jacks, where they were really squatty but got good height because they had a telescoping ram, a piston within a piston. These low profile HF jacks are NOT that type.

Double-check your jack stand ratings. Sometimes jack stands are rated per pair, not per stand, so a "6-ton" set of jack stands is really two three-ton rated stands. Granted, one corner of a typical class C should not be three tons...but it's starting to get close, and if you're positioning it towards the center or overloaded somewhat or the wind is blowing hard, it's possible things could get ugly.If you aren't going to be underneath the RV while it is lifted, but only changing a tire or something like that which you can do next to it, then the jack stand is arguably not essential equipment.

I carry a 6 ton bottle jack and a torque wrench just in case. Never had to use either on the road. No problem with jacking the front but the 6 ton is marginal for the rear due to the much higher load, even with the jack positioned on the axle near the wheel. The only time I jacked up the rear was to change the brake pads and IIRC I used a short length of pipe over the jack handle for extra leverage to pump the jack up.The biggest issue I had with the dual rear wheels was that they had rusted to the hub and no amount of prying and banging would break them loose. I finally got them loose by putting the lug nuts back on finger tight, dropping off the jack then rolling forward a short way and jamming on the brakes. That broke the rust bond. Before putting the wheels back on, I applied some caliper grease to the hub where it meets the wheels to (hopefully) prevent stuck wheels in the future.

If you have the OEM Ford wheels, there's an extra 7/16" hole in the 8-hole bolt circle. On ours, the wheels were stuck and I did a lot of beating to get them off. Front offered little resistance. Rear outers, moderate. Rear Inners, Awful! I threaded those 7/18" holes with a 1/2" x 20-thread (NF) tap, and carry a boat trailer lug bolt. Cranking it down through the hole, against the hub, pushes the wheel off the rust. I installed the rear outers one hole away from directly opposite. That way the hole in the outer can be used to push against the inner. Otherwise, it'd try to screw the outer TO the inner.

What jack to lift one corner of a Class C E450?

ron_dittmer
Explorer II
Jul 01, 2023
Our class-C on an E350 chassis came with a 6 ton bottle jack. It works.

I was going to buy an 8 ton or 12 ton bottle jack because more is better. That is until I picked one up. I didn't want to carry and handle so much weight.

At home I use my rolling 4500 pound floor jack to lift a rear corner or the front end. Neither exceed the rating of the jack.
Valpo_Camper
Explorer
May 26, 2023
Well I did not fail the round peg game but I have not honestly looked at the front end if I can get 2 stands side by side. Like I said I want to do the front brakes but I also don’t want to pay for something I can do myself. I can support 4 tons with jacks I have on hand if they will fit or if I can do it with 1 stand then maybe that is the way I will go.
Grit_dog
Navigator
May 24, 2023
Valpo Camper wrote:
Sorry for the old thread posting. So what weight limit jackstand would be best for the front of a class C? I need to jack up the front to look at my front brakes. I have a 10 ton bottle to lift it just not sure how much hold capacity I need to support it. I have car stands on hand that will hold 2 tons each so if I can lift it then set both on the side I am working on then I should be able to support 4 tons.

If you think you can set 2 jack stands side by side and leave the other front wheel on the ground, you may have failed pre school and the square block round hole test.
I’d suggest staying away from things that may injure you.

PS it’s ok to bring the thread back up. It was a weird one anyway….always fun when Baja Man posts!
Valpo_Camper
Explorer
May 24, 2023
Sorry for the old thread posting. So what weight limit jackstand would be best for the front of a class C? I need to jack up the front to look at my front brakes. I have a 10 ton bottle to lift it just not sure how much hold capacity I need to support it. I have car stands on hand that will hold 2 tons each so if I can lift it then set both on the side I am working on then I should be able to support 4 tons.
30sweeds
Explorer
May 19, 2023
There can be problems with almost any jack if you happen to have a flat on the front.A bottle jack won't get under it where you need to be to get the tire off the ground...and more problems if not on concrete.Black top not usually good enough.I built a 6 inch high wedge out of 1 inch plywood to run the wheel up on to get the bottle jack under it and if not on concrete,something relatively thin and extremely sturdy for under the jack to keep it from sinking in the ground.These things are HEAVY! Just went through this.Wished I would have called AAA.
WinMinnie02
Explorer
May 16, 2023
3 ton floor jack 1 wheel at a time is fine. 6 ton jack stands, impact wrench, breaker bar, impact sockets.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Apr 12, 2023
Baja Man wrote:
Would like to get a jack to keep on board my 31' Class C, as well as any time needed at home.....to lift one corner at a time.

I have 6 ton jack stands to use once lifted.

Any tips on jack placement on chassis, storage, tire removal, etc.

Thanks!

Wondering if this would be good for on board as well as home use...

Harbor Freight Jack

I don’t even trust shop towels from Hazard Fraught, but to each their own. I’m sure it’s fine.
Do you have onboard air to use that jack with?
Btosuner
Explorer
Apr 12, 2023
thank you
pnichols
Explorer II
May 16, 2016
j-d wrote:
The Low Profile 12- and 20-ton are intriguing. Question is do you want to pick up from low, or to be able to lift a little higher (low profile vs. standard)? I have seen double-extending bottle jacks, where they were really squatty but got good height because they had a telescoping ram, a piston within a piston. These low profile HF jacks are NOT that type.

Here's the double-ram (for added lift height) low profile 12-ton jack I carry in our Class C:

http://www.site.torinjacksusa.com/bigred/bigred-categories/bigred-bottle-jacks/item/12-ton-dual-stage-bottle-jack.html

To me, the ultimate would be a double-ram low profile 12-ton jack that was air lift with a 4 foot or longer air hose that DID NOT require a compressor - but instead had a levered hand pump at the end of the air hose. This ultimate setup would be the best of all worlds for lifting a Class C: HIgh lift, low profile, 12-ton lifting weight over-kill for long term reliability, air lift via a long hose for operator safety ... with the air pressure not requiring a compressor or air tank for simplicity and minimum storage space.
bzboy
Explorer
May 16, 2016
crasster wrote:
Bottle jack. Get several chunks of scrap lumber too for stacking. Also while we are talking, a LONG breaker bar if this is for tire changing.

How long of a breaker bar do you recommend? They got anywhere from 24 to 40 inches available.