Flat Tire - How to Jack?

[dsttexas]

These have worked great for me on several occasions. The only issue is sometimes the ramp will start slipping as you back or drive forward to put the good tire on it.

It has bolt heads on the bottom to help grip, but on slick hardtop they sometimes still slip. On a right side flat, you may have to drive off the pavement to get some better grip even in dirt. Left side? Oh well.

[mlh]

I have a little three ton bottle jack. Three tons is all you need that is almost one half of your camper and you are only lifting one wheel and it comes in a 5x5x6 box. Just don’t jack on the axle.
Lynwood

[whutfles]

The manual with my 2010 Montana Mountaineer explicitly says to jack on the frame next to the flat and not to jack under the axle. I've done it 4 times with a Sears bottle jack which took all of the blocking that I had the first time. I now carry 2 bottle jacks so that when one gets as high as it can go, I add blocking under the other and continue. If your initial blocking is long enough for 2 jacks, when the first jack reaches it's limit, you simply add blocking beside the jack on top of the blocks already in use and add the 2nd jack.

If I was going to make a bracket, I would cut a little window in the cover under the RV where I wanted to jack on the frame and make a bracket that fit around the frame and around the top of my jack so that I could make sure the jack wouldn't slip off the frame when sitting on a sloped road shoulder. I have never had my jack slip off though.

These teardrop levelers under the good tire should raise the frame a little prior to jacking.

https://www.amazon.ca/Camco-44425-Cu...v+tire+leveler

[dieselguy]

Use whatever method you're at ease with. I typed this reply sometime in 2015 and it still holds true in this thread.

"This has been cussed and discussed at length several times over the years. You're going to put way more strain on your unit trying to jack one side up high enough to get a tire to clear ground. Your unit will pop and creak and you will sweat trying to pile cribbing high enough to get to the frame while you move back and forth between two jacks. Many of us have used the jack beneath the spring perch method with constant success and no damage to alignment. I made a little V block that fits in between the UBolts to go on top of my jack to further distribute the load. I have access to load cells similar to what the mobile hiway patrol units use. You're not picking up anywhere near 6000# jacking under a single axle to allow the tire to clear about 1/2" ... on my 3150RL, measured weight via load cell was @2650#. Of course the higher you jack the axle, the weight will increase a bit as you are taking on more weight from the suspension as you compress the leaf springs. Dexter has their opinions which have merit for their company. They can't prevent some individual who hasn't a clue from placing a big bottle jack right in the middle of the axle and trying to hoist her all up in on big grunt killing the axle."

[Fremont]

I use 3 or 4 2 x 6 to drive the good tire on after losing the lug nuts. Just stager the shoring to drive up on or back on if it is the rear tire.

[northern lights]

This is the reason we have road service membership. Let them deal with it.

[rohrmann]

Got one of these kits maybe five years ago, along with their bottle jack adapter.

https://safejacks.com/collections/bo...ut-bottle-jack

https://safejacks.com/collections/bo...n-bottle-jacks

Was very glad I've carried this kit around all that time, as this past April had to use it to put the spare on our rig after we lost a valve stem and ended up in a bad location where I couldn't use the hydraulic jacks to lift the rig. I used my 12 ton jack with the kit to lift the rig, then had to use my little 6 ton bottle jack to lift the axle maybe an inch to get the spare on. Otherwise, we might have been stranded along the road for hours before we could have expected help. Done and back on the road in less than an hour. I figured the investment has already paid for itself just this one time.

[DmaxDually]

rohrmann..I also purchased from Safe Jack when I got my RV. Since I already had a good bottle jack I purchased one of their recovery kits without a bottle jack and also their orange big foot bottle jack stabilizer pad, which they don't make any more. They now make a universal jack stabilizer pad. The price is not cheap but I am very satisfied. Their products are high quality and heavy duty.

https://safejacks.com/collections/bo...ut-bottle-jack

https://safejacks.com/collections/bo...ack-stabilizer

[jcurryii]

If you use level up, be sure to use floor jacks. I have removed all 4 wheels at the same time for tire replacement using level up and floor jacks for safety.

[Dreamersandtravelers]

I carry extra blocks of wood to set under jacks to minimize how far they extend (less stable) and have on many occasions found one or both wheels airborne when 'leveled'. Thus I have used to change flats, inspect brakes & bearing or rotate when needed. Problem with raising only one side doesn't work IF your level safety sys senses too much lean and stops. As mentioned before - loosen lugs first. Also buy a good torque wrench to tighten lugs back into specs. (90-120 ft. lbs.)

[jcurryii]

Jack stands not floor jacks.

[dieselguy]

Previous reply ... "This is the reason we have road service membership. Let them deal with it." I never was one who could just sit for a couple of hours waiting on some guy in a service truck to finally show up when I could have it changed and down the road in 20 minutes taking my time. There may come a time when I just flat can't do it anymore, but that time is a ways down the road.

[AZ Traveler]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Previous reply ... "This is the reason we have road service membership. Let them deal with it." I never was one who could just sit for a couple of hours waiting on some guy in a service truck to finally show up when I could have it changed and down the road in 20 minutes taking my time. There may come a time when I just flat can't do it anymore, but that time is a ways down the road.

Agree! Some places you could spend a good part of the day waiting for roadside service and that's if you have cell service there to call someone.

[Mr. C]

Since getting our 2013 Montana 3582RL and on our second trip I blew out two of the GY Marathons on a trip last October. Both times I used the hydraulic jacks to lift and change the flat. I have some leveling blocks that I put under the jacks first then raise up that side. I first set the opposite side for stabilization then jack up the flat side. Can't see how that would damage anything if you watch it and use some common sense. That is what the jacks are made for, jacking up the Montana. Both times I had it jacked up, changed and back on the ground in about 30 minutes.


I was lucky both times, as I had a good place to pull over with level concrete all the way around. I have wondering how to do this when it wasn't. Thanks to the comments now I have a better idea. Need to buy a bottle jack before the next trip.

[PeteMorris]

As freemont stated place 3 leveling planks on the ground and either drive forward, or back onto them, (depending where the bad tire is), and that will lift the tire far enough off of the ground to loosen the lugs and change the tire, or you could just get a roadside assistance membership.