Trailer Aid Tandem Tire Changing Ramp

[timandsusan]

I have recently read an article about the Trailer Aid Tandem Tire Changing Ramp. Seem to work well with light travel trailers. One comment by another user was that it did not work well with Mor-Ryde suspension. I can see why--
Has anyone use this device? Cost about $50 on Amazon--I think.

[GreatWhite]

I've used it on other trailers and they work great.. Have not had the opportunity to try it on my new Mountaineer. I also have one of the big aluminum teardrop shaped ramps. I use that under a wheel rather than the plastic blocks when I need to adjust one side of the rv just a little for leveling.. but it's also good for changing the tire. Don't remember the name of it.. but it's a teardrop shape.. concave on one side and convex on the other forming a rolling ramp.

FWIW, here is a home made one demo'd by a group of kids in a high school program. YouTube. They even have a video on how to make it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFBmO8xQvk8

[dieselguy]

For $50 you could buy a very nice bottle jack, take your better half out to eat after you bought it, and have a nice jack for other needs as life presents them. For the larger trailers, I'm just not a big supporter of those kinds of lifting devices. It puts the weight sitting on two spindles onto one for whatever amount of time you're using it which is tough on camber if you happen to have a "soft" axle.

[Rainer]

Here's how I changed my tires on my previous trailer. And I've done it three times using this method. I've only had our Monte a couple of months and only have 1500 miles of towing on it, so no tire failure yet (I'm of the frame of mind it's not "if" you have a tire problem, but rather "when").

As you can see by the photos we using the yellow stacking blocks in the shape of a pyramid makes it a breeze, and since the trailer is still attached to the truck, I believe it's not going to move.

http://smu.gs/122Arf1

[Rainer]

quote:Originally posted by dieselguy
I'm just not a big supporter of those kinds of lifting devices. It puts the weight sitting on two spindles onto one for whatever amount of time you're using it which is tough on camber if you happen to have a "soft" axle.

I'm of the opinion that one puts many more G-forces on the tires and axles when doing curves at highway speed. And for real entertainment, watch what happens to your inside trailer tires when doing a tight 180° turn - now that's scary - much more so than raising the trailer to change a tire.

YMMV

[timandsusan]

I carry a 12T bottle jack. Just checking experience of other MOCers. I have used it several times--always works!

[Rob Walters]

I have one of those Trailer Aid do-hickeys. Used it once. If you're near Grandview, Texas IM me and I'll give it to you. Bottle Jack seems the only way to go. If the Monty didn't weigh more that 7K lbs, maybe the Trailer Aid thing would work well. Didn't on mine.

[GreatWhite]

Bottle jack is great on stable and level ground.. but, if you are on a slope.. as in the side of a road.. the trailer tilt and then add to that the increased tilt from the jack can cause things to slip. Not for me.

[dieselguy]

I reckon we all have our own ideas "cemented" in our minds of what we're comfortable with. After looking at the photos of the Outback's tire dilemma ... although documenting success, they just reinforced my bottle jack choice for larger RV's. As for jacking on slopes ... it's pretty easy to scrape out enough dirt or gravel to stand it pretty straight. I jack between the axle Ubolts, so I'm only lifting about 4" - 5" to get a flat off.

[mobil]

I have a Trailer Aid. Used it one time. Worked great on our Montana. Won't travel without it. We had a Marathon blowout in I-75 in Kentucky, descending a mountain, on a blind curve, with a narrow shoulder. I guarantee you if you have a bottle jack(we did and still carry one also)and a Trailer Aid, you'll choose the Trailer Aid. It's faster to get the tire off the ground and has a large contact area on the good tire. A bottle jack only has about an inch and a half circular contact area for the frame or axle(which ever spot you want to use)and a six or eight inch square contact patch on the ground. Bottle jacks are fine for level ground and calm conditions. On the interstate, with cars and especially trucks, that trailer is going to ROCK. Scarey rock! Traffic didn't slow down and most didn't even change lanes despite having two flares and traffic cones out. It was a very hairy tire change. The Trailer Aid didn't stop the rocking or even slow it down, never thought it would. But I never thought it would have a chance to fall off of it(thought it might with the bottle jack) and it was quick and easy. I think the longer you're sitting on the side of the road the greater your chances are of an accident. Our blown tire was the front passenger side. The driver side would've been even hairier. The best solution would've been having roadside assistance come out and change it for you. We had AAA(for our vehicles and trailer) at the time and all they did was tell us they had nobody in the area. They did call the state police for us who showed up as we were pulling away with the spare installed. Thanks! We now have Good Sam Roadside Assistance, with an Android app, but we still carry that Trailer Aid.

[mobil]

By the way, we do have the Mor-ryde suspension. It was worth the fifty bucks.

[rapidrobert]

I used it once to adjust brakes, had to replace both axles. Wore out all four tires in the next 1000 miles. Would never use it again.