Jacking points on a travel trailer

[ssthrd]

I have read and heard that you should never jack a travel trailer using the frame, the axle, or any suspension part. Kinda eliminates all options as far as I can see, other than rolling one tire up a ramp to raise the other one off the ground.

I have a Wilderness 2750RL. Are the frames on these things too flimsy to be used as jacking points? I would hate to jack the thing up and have the frame fold up on me.

Any real world opinions based on experience?

[ssthrd]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Rapid jack or a Trailer aid or any device that ramps up the good tire to change a flat out on the road.... be sure and make a dry run at home.
Some trailer owners report their device didn't raise the flat off the ground or if it did it wasn't high enough to mount the good tire/wheel.

I bought a ramp similar to the Trailer Aid and found that I had to use a piece of 2X10 under it to get high enough. No big deal. Perfect for a flat when on the road-for me at least.

I also found that with the ramp on a smooth hard surface, it slid backward a bit when backing onto it. A bit of fine sand from the edge of my driveway between the ramp and the 2X solved that problem. Blocked under the frame just for fun while I was under the trailer, and Bob's your uncle.

[JIMNLIN]

What I wonder is will it bend the axle with the good tire? The weight that had been carried on 2 wheels now is carried by just one. My 7500GVWR trailer has 2 3500lb axles.

Mine never has. I don't use ramps for changing a flat or working on a wheel assy. It takes a lot of force to bend a axle tube or the stub.
Pulling non rv trailers with axle sizes from 1750 lb on up to 11000 lbs around worksites with ditches cut here and there or just across the ditch to get on the road (or off the road) where the first wheel drops in and places all the weight on the following wheel I've never came out with a bent axle.
And lets not forget we can chain up one end of a ruined axle or lost hub/etc and limp on home or find a repair shop....at reduced speeds.

I'm sure owners using ramp up devices would report a bent axle from doing so.

[ssthrd]

JIMNLIN wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
“Now having said that I did bend a frame on a fully loaded 38'..”

Interesting. Do as I say, not as I did?

And your point is ??

The OP has a short trailer probably well under 10k lbs vs a fully loaded 38' 22k trailer jacked from a single point.

Yep. 10.5 feet shorter and 7k as it is.

Some good ideas here. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to answer.

[Mike134]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Rapid jack or a Trailer aid or any device that ramps up the good tire to change a flat out on the road.... be sure and make a dry run at home.
Some trailer owners report their device didn't raise the flat off the ground or if it did it wasn't high enough to mount the good tire/wheel.

What I wonder is will it bend the axle with the good tire? The weight that had been carried on 2 wheels now is carried by just one. My 7500GVWR trailer has 2 3500lb axles.

[JIMNLIN]

Rapid jack or a Trailer aid or any device that ramps up the good tire to change a flat out on the road.... be sure and make a dry run at home.
Some trailer owners report their device didn't raise the flat off the ground or if it did it wasn't high enough to mount the good tire/wheel.

[Grit_dog]

Gdetrailer wrote:

IPegasus wrote:
Here is the quickest and easiest way to change a tire on a dual axle trailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=andersen+rapid+jack

How about the EASIEST and FASTEST way to get killed!



That IS what that solution can do to you, there is no way on this earth I would ever try that trick.

You are depending on a tire to NOT slide off the side, you are depending on the trailer and tow vehicle to not move front to back, you are depending on hitting the exact center of said device and not driving off the side or right over the other side.

All I can say is lazy folks around here just seem to gravitate to get the chance of winning a Darwin award..

Listen up, the safest way is to use real jacks and jack stands on firm level ground and even that can be questionable at times.

And we've come full circle. From you'll kill yourself if you use jacks and Jack stands and now you'll kill yourself if you use a ramp and don't use a jack.

How many of you actually stop and think before you post, that there may, just may be more than one "right" or "ok" way to do something, even if it doesn't fit within your limited experience?

[Grit_dog]

Lwiddis wrote:
“Now having said that I did bend a frame on a fully loaded 38'..”

Interesting. Do as I say, not as I did?

And get off my lawn! Lol

[GrandpaKip]

Umm...with truck in park, parking brake on, opposite side chocked, it ain’t going anywhere.
If the user can’t see that the tire is centered, that could be a problem.
Really can’t see how you’d be killed, since you are not underneath anything.
I’ve used the Trailer-Aid many times and have no qualms of continuing to use it.
Now, when I am going to underneath, or the trailer is going to be up for quite a while, jack stands are recommended. I also stack up some 6x6’s for redundancy.

[Gdetrailer]

IPegasus wrote:
Here is the quickest and easiest way to change a tire on a dual axle trailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=andersen+rapid+jack

How about the EASIEST and FASTEST way to get killed!



That IS what that solution can do to you, there is no way on this earth I would ever try that trick.

You are depending on a tire to NOT slide off the side, you are depending on the trailer and tow vehicle to not move front to back, you are depending on hitting the exact center of said device and not driving off the side or right over the other side.

All I can say is lazy folks around here just seem to gravitate to get the chance of winning a Darwin award..

Listen up, the safest way is to use real jacks and jack stands on firm level ground and even that can be questionable at times.

[IPegasus]

Here is the quickest and easiest way to change a tire on a dual axle trailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=andersen+rapid+jack

[penguin149]

Not wanting to hijack this thread but....I'm about to repack the bearings on my single axle Jayco. It has the Dexter torsion axle (guessing it's a 3500#). It's a hybrid and the frame is paper thin! Was going to put the jack where the axle is attached to the trailer but what about jack stands? Or do I just squash my anxieties and not use them? I'm taking the tires to a shop to have new Goodyear Endurance tires mounted during this process, so the HTT will be on a jack/stands for several hours until all is complete.

[GrandpaKip]

For general maintenance such as brakes and bearings, I use theTrailer-Aid I got for changing tires. It requires the truck to be hooked up, which is better than chocks.
For suspension work, I put jack stands on the frame on either side of the tires, with the truck hooked up.

[Esacnj]

Yes. What Mike 134 says. I've had 2 different manufacturers and 2 different dealers say only from frame.

[deltabravo]

2oldman wrote:
I jack my 5er on the very end of the axle, using the plate that holds the springs to the axle. The idea is to not just use the bare axle itself.

That's exactly what I do as well. The spring plate give a nice flat surface for the jack to mate to.