What do you use to jack up your trailer?

[path1]

I use a floor jack when ever possible but when I use a bottle jack seems like a lot of weight centered at one spot.

When I use a floor jack the stress is spread out over 4 or 5 inches.

Using a bottle jack all the weight/stress is centered around 1 inch. I don't feel good about balancing 2X4 on top of the disk thing at top of jack.

Is there anything to dissipate the stress over a larger area when using a bottle jack?

If so what is it called and do you have a link? The search term "axle protector" didn't turn up much.

What do you use to jack up trailer?

Thanks

[Terryallan]

VegasScotty wrote:
@Drew_K: I didn't know you could do that. I'll have to practice that maneuver in case I need it some day.

@path1: The last time I had to change a flat on the trailer I was boondocking in the desert and my *&(#! truck jack broke. So, what I had to do was pile firewood under the axle and then dig a big hole under the tire.

Probably not what you were asking though... 🙂

I now own a very nice 10 ton bottle jack that I keep in my truck and have used on both the truck and the camp trailer. I don't think the pressure point of the bottle jack is any greater than my floor jack at home. The floor jack has a sort of cup on the end and only hits the frame or the axle in a couple of small spots.

Rolling up on blocks does not work with all trailers. Only ones that do not have floating axles. with floating axles. the flat will stay firmly planted on the ground, So try it at home before you try it in an emergency

[VegasScotty]

@Drew_K: I didn't know you could do that. I'll have to practice that maneuver in case I need it some day.

@path1: The last time I had to change a flat on the trailer I was boondocking in the desert and my *&(#! truck jack broke. So, what I had to do was pile firewood under the axle and then dig a big hole under the tire.

Probably not what you were asking though... 🙂

I now own a very nice 10 ton bottle jack that I keep in my truck and have used on both the truck and the camp trailer. I don't think the pressure point of the bottle jack is any greater than my floor jack at home. The floor jack has a sort of cup on the end and only hits the frame or the axle in a couple of small spots.

[Drew_K]

How I lift depend on why I'm lifting. If it's just to remove one wheel, such as a flat tire, I use my leveling blocks to create a ramp. I drive the good wheel up the ramp, which lifts the other wheel off the ground. You can obviously just buy a ramp that's made for this purpose, but I already carrying leveling blocks anyways.

If I want to lift the entire side of my RV, I put a short piece of pressure treated 2x4, maybe 6 inches long, underneath the steel frame of the RV neat the axles and use a bottle jack. The 2x4 spreads the load, although I don't think it's really necessary, and I use pressure treated wood because it's harder and stands up to the elements.

[fallsrider]

I use a 6 ton bottle jack with a piece of decking board on top of the jack. Thankfully, I haven't had to do that away from home yet. At home, I hook up to the TV to give stability fore and aft.

My mobile RV repair guy has a slick setup. He uses a pneumatic bottle jack, a really big one (in diameter) which a large base on it. It looks like he maybe had a metal shop fabricate him a U-shaped channel 5" or 6" long that slides up around the main rail. It has a metal ring welded on the bottom center that the bottle jack goes up inside (I'll call it a jack plate for lack of a better term). It would be difficult for the jack to slide off, and the jack plate distributes out the load over a much larger area than that one small circle.

If I did a lot of long distance trips, I might consider having one of these plates made up.

[Dr_Quick]

This is how I do it. To change a tire on the road, I use the truck jack under the axle at the bottom of the 'U' bolt. Jacking up one tire at a time at home use bottle jack in same location. Jacking at frame to lift one side, I use bottle jack and put a 1 1/2" X 3" X 1/4" steel plate on top of bottle jack to frame, and jack up behind rear tire. Never have had a problem with a hint of damage.

[donn0128]

10 ton bottle jack.

[wing_zealot]

I use my floor jack. Much quicker, easier to maneuver, longer handle.