Jacking Points on Unit - Montana Owners Club

montanaman · 03-13-2006, 10:01 AM

Anyone know where the jacking points are on the Montana? We have a 3475RL. My brochures with the unit state nothing on this. I know we have to be careful where we put these jacks. thanks.

rlwhit · 03-13-2006, 10:06 AM

Right under the axle where the spring attaches.

RKassl · 03-13-2006, 12:18 PM

Is that true for all Montana models?

Thanks

joe2speed · 03-13-2006, 01:00 PM

I agree with rlwhit. Thats where I jack my unit when changing a tire. I have watched many tires being changed when I drove 18wheelers and thats where the jacks were placed. The book says to use the frame when jacking up the unit. But with the artic package, with the enclosed under belly you would have to guess where to put the jack. My luck I'd miss and crack something.

Mac · 03-13-2006, 03:19 PM

I think there was a thread on this a few months back, you might want to try a search.

mac

sreigle · 03-26-2006, 08:36 AM

That's the jacking points I use, too. As far as I know that's a good choice on all Montanas. I don't know why it would be different on any other model.

Because of how the suspension works on a tandem axle trailer, you'd have to jack the trailer up a lot higher than I am comfortable with to get a wheel off the ground. That also would shift a lot of weight onto the tires/axle on the opposite side. For me, on the axle at the hangers works well.

Montana_738 · 03-26-2006, 09:44 AM

I agree with Sreigle, that's where I jacked my rig up even when I changed the shackles out.

Bill

patodonn · 04-15-2006, 01:47 PM

I'm a bit confused... "Right under the axle where the spring attaches." Turns into one of those "a picture is worth a thousand words" situations for me.

The Al-Ko Manuas says, in BOLD PRINT, "Never use the axle or any part of the suspension to lift or support the trailer."

The Montana Owner's Manual says ""Position a hydraulic jack on the frame, close to the spring hanger"

Given those two pretty specific instructions, I'm trying to visualize where you are using for the jacking point. Picture, maybe??

Thanks,

Wrenchtraveller · 04-15-2006, 03:42 PM

The axle is the only safe way to raise a trailer and just today, I took my Monty to a very reputable tire shop and had him balance my last tire I had not got around to.

I watched him put the jack under the axle just as I did when I took the other wheels down in my car trunk. As I have mentioned in other posts, jacking on the frame will put stress on your landing gear on the opposite side and you run the risk of bending your frame.

That is why pickups all come with axle jacks and cars come with body or bumper jacks.
Try to lift a loaded pickup with a bumper jack and you risk bending the frame.

The instuctions in the manual are wrong and your spring suspension is made to move, that is what it does when you hit a bump or drop into a pothole.

Just as the instructions tell you to support your slide outs and our local Lippert Pro, MMF2 says this is not the thing to do. Please reseach this and I don't expect you to trust only my advice. Go to a good tire shop that works on RVs and please don't hurt your beautiful Monty by stressing the frame.

dsprik · 04-15-2006, 04:07 PM

OK, here's a question that I hesitate to ask... Does anyone run the rig (if it's atached to the tv) up on a pre-designed "block" to raise the second tire on the same side off the ground? I understand that unhitched the axle is the way to go, but just wondering about lifting a tire off the ground by this method. Not good? Maybe the tires are too close, or the situation is too unstable this way?

H. John Kohl · 04-15-2006, 04:12 PM

Any time I jack a side of the trailer I have it hooked up to the truck so the 5th wheel hitch takes the front pivot. I agree the front landing legs will not hold the side stress or all the weight on one leg.
Now I use to jack the trailer on the center pivot point between the two tires where the springs connect. This year I jacked on the frame just in front of the spring. This is where the I Beam is located. Yes if you have your jack off center of the I beam about 6000 lbs will bend the metal. I placed two 3-ton floor stand centered on the I beam. One floor stand in front of the tires and one behind. I did notice that I had to raise the front of the trailer to get the back-end to put some weight on the rear floor stand.
If Al-Ko says not to jack on their axle why would we say they are wrong? Now Montana, as referenced above, is a different question. Montana does not make the slides or axles.
I do plan on spray-painting exactly where the I-beam is with a bulls eye so in a hurry, on the road, I know where the jacking point is to change a tire.
Just my opinion and that is why they make Fords, GM and Dodges.
Good luck, be safe and Tow Safe.

Wrenchtraveller · 04-15-2006, 05:47 PM

I would venture to say that 95% of the trailers, RV and Utility are jacked up by their axle.

My utility trailer would be completely destroyed if I ever tried to lift it up by the frame when I had it loaded with 2 tons of gravel.

They do make AXLE JACKS for a reason and the axle right under the U bolt is the best and safest place to raise your wheel off the ground.

Dave, I have heard of people doing it your way but to take a hydraulic jack and raise the axle of a trailer is so easy and quick and I have been doing it for the last 30 years.
And none of my trailers ever had cracks in the frame or the siding.

rvfirefighter · 04-16-2006, 02:28 AM

I have had to change tires and service wheel bearings several times. I use my leveling boards under one wheel to lift the other wheel off the ground. This is much easier and accomplishes what I want to do, plus i uses the equipment attached to the RV to lift the unit. I cannot see this putting any excess stress on the frame, plus I do not need to carry another jack just for this purpose. Plus you have the truck attached for extra support and safety.

Wrenchtraveller · 04-16-2006, 03:33 AM

David, that method is just fine and you are putting no stress on the frame at all.

Easy is what we get used to and I can slide a hydraulic jack under my axle and have my wheel off the ground in less than 45 seconds.

If I had to stack boards, hook up the truck to tow the trailer onto the boards, that would be harder and more time consuming. When I do my wheel bearings, my trailer is in the side yard and my truck is in the front yard, with no hitch on. Take care, Don.

rvfirefighter · 04-16-2006, 05:19 AM

I hear what you are saying, I understand from a homeowners view, from a fulltimers view, I am on the road, my unit is my home, and I do all this when needed and where ever. I carry board to level my unit, I have seen some not so level campsites as I stay in State Parks, Nat. Parks, etc. Stack boards are standard issue.

Thunderman · 04-16-2006, 06:24 PM

I use the boards to raise the trailer. Much faster if you are on the side of a busy freeway with a flat tire.
Weldon

dsprik · 04-16-2006, 06:36 PM

Oops... Didn't mean to open a can of worms here. Sounds like it just depends on what you feel more comfortable doing. With my shoulders in the shape they are in, I may initially try the boards. But I have used jacks an awful lot in my life...

virgil47 · 04-17-2006, 01:27 AM

I thought I remembered previous threads on this subject. After searching I found at least 3. Below is the link to the one that seemed most appropriate to me but do your on search.

http://montanaadministrator.forumco....hTerms~8x8.asp

I started out thinking I was going to make myself an 8X8 ramp to change tires but after reading all the experiences mentioned, I chose to buy a 6 ton bottle jack. If I had a need today, I'm first going to call the GS emergency roadside service plan but if that is not an option at the time, I'm going to place the bottle jack under the shackle on the axle and barely raise the tire off the ground with the fiver attached to the truck.

There are arguments for using the frame and there are arguments for using the axle as the jackpoint. Today, based on the info I've read so far, I'd choose the axle under the shackle BUT I keep reading.

rickfox · 04-20-2006, 10:09 AM

As the link above will ultimately conclude, using the one good tire that is on the same side as the bad tire, will "double" the weight this good time must support. In almost all situations, this will grossly overload the good tire. I witnessed a situation where doing so caused that good tire to blow.

Rolling the good tire upon a higher surface is not a good idea. Even if it the tire change is successful doing this, internal structural damage to the good tire could still have been caused.

Why take the chance? Use a jack!

sreigle · 04-20-2006, 05:09 PM

I have done the stacking board method twice but am really wary of doing it again. The first time it seemed to work well. The second time that tire on the boards was nearly flat from all the weight on it. We were getting ready to pull out so I know that tire had full pressure. That tire is gone now (replaced with new tires) and never failed and I don't see that we had any axle damage but want I saw concerned me a lot. I probably will just use the bottle jack in the future. Or call Good Sam Road Service, which we did the last time.

Maybe I raised the wheel too high. I might just try it again one time. Carefully.

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