I have never been required to change a tyre on my tow vehicle whilst hooked up to our caravan. Is it OK to keep the caravan hooked up or should it be freed from the tow vehicle prior to changing the vehicle tyre?
Leave it on tow vehicle . Can't rely on van brakes ..
Make sure it's WELL OFF THE ROAD!
A punctured tyre isn't worth your life ..
If I have a flat I turn the hazards on and travel at 15 /20 kph or slower till I find a safe area level area ..
Probably OK to do that with the front wheels. However the jack supplied may be too light to do the rear wheels. Also on my ute I can't get the jack handle into its location to release the rear wheel with the van hitched.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
Probably OK to do that with the front wheels. However the jack supplied may be too light to do the rear wheels. Also on my ute I can't get the jack handle into its location to release the rear wheel with the van hitched.
Peter that's food for thought, the ball weight must make jacking up the back wheels that much harder.
For me I would probably find a safe spot, disconnect the van at the hitch, and change the tyre, seems the safest and smartest way. Of course I would re hitch the van at the end and trundle off.
While on this subject, has anyone got an opinion on these "jack bags" that inflate with the exhaust of the tug? It seems they can lift 4000KGs. Your input would be welcomed.
Cheers
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Peter that's food for thought, the ball weight must make jacking up the back wheels that much harder.
For me I would probably find a safe spot, disconnect the van at the hitch, and change the tyre, seems the safest and smartest way. Of course I would re hitch the van at the end and trundle off.
While on this subject, has anyone got an opinion on these "jack bags" that inflate with the exhaust of the tug? It seems they can lift 4000KGs. Your input would be welcomed.
Cheers
Following that logic. one would also assume that, if you were not towing and had a flat, you would empty all the contents from the back of the car before jacking it up. What is the difference between having 350kg of tow ball weight against 350kg of luggage or whatever.
I have used one of those bags to lift the back of the car in order to fit air bags in the springs. Works just fine, very quick and good height.
I've got one Phil, but have never used it in anger. I did a bit of a test with it and the thing is you need something over the bag to stop it being damaged on underbody protrusions (one under it too if the ground is very rough or gravelly). And then you have to be careful you aren't putting pressure on things like exhaust systems when you locate it underneath.
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Yes I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
Peter, if your missus packs 350kg of luggage into your car when you go away you've got bigger problems than a flat tyre
But to be serious, yes, if you have 350kg in the back of your car then you should unload at least a fair amount of it before changing a flat on the rear, the factory supplied jack would more than likely be overloaded otherwise.
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Cheers, Steve.
"Any day above ground is a good day... unless you're a spelunker :)"
Peter that's food for thought, the ball weight must make jacking up the back wheels that much harder.
For me I would probably find a safe spot, disconnect the van at the hitch, and change the tyre, seems the safest and smartest way. Of course I would re hitch the van at the end and trundle off.
While on this subject, has anyone got an opinion on these "jack bags" that inflate with the exhaust of the tug? It seems they can lift 4000KGs. Your input would be welcomed.
Cheers
Following that logic. one would also assume that, if you were not towing and had a flat, you would empty all the contents from the back of the car before jacking it up. What is the difference between having 350kg of tow ball weight against 350kg of luggage or whatever.
I have used one of those bags to lift the back of the car in order to fit air bags in the springs. Works just fine, very quick and good height.
Larry
G'day Larry, m one to be a bit cautious especially with Utes and those useless jacks. Van off each time.
Cheers
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
I have an electric jockey wheel with a flat plate on the bottom connected to A frame all the time and would lower it down as it will act as a brake also and take weight off the jack as I can lift the body when connecting HR WDB. I would raise as lifting wheel off ground.
-- Edited by Baplumber on Tuesday 30th of June 2015 08:49:16 PM
Dunno what kind of jacks you all have, our cars just have a wind up mechanical jack, if it fits under, and you have the muscle to crank it, why unhitch, I changed the left rear wheel on the Fairlane whilst hitched up, no drama, I don't think those jacks have much of a limitation, hydraulic ones do, but in many cases you wouldn't get a hydraulic one under, just remember the golden rule, never get underneath when jacked up unless you have chassis stands.
Bevan
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Bevan
Friendship is not a relationship with someone whom you've known for a long time, but with someone you trust, under any circumstances.
I can tell you unequivocally if you cannot jack your rear wheel due to ball weight -
YOU NEED TO GET A NEW JACK. Jacks are rated at a minimum 1.5 times the load for the vehicle GVM ( approx. 1/4 to 1/3 of GVM would be on each back wheel when loaded) and often 4 times the load.
If the ball weight is divided by 2 (ie 2 wheels on the back) then only 1/2 of the ball weight is added to the jacking weight of one wheel.
We need to be aware of these things when we respond to queries such as this.
Just my humble opinion based on years of experience
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Why is it so? Professor Julius Sumner Miller, a profound influence on my life, who explained science to us on TV in the 60's.
I can tell you unequivocally if you cannot jack your rear wheel due to ball weight -
YOU NEED TO GET A NEW JACK. Jacks are rated at a minimum 1.5 times the load for the vehicle GVM ( approx. 1/4 to 1/3 of GVM would be on each back wheel when loaded) and often 4 times the load.
If the ball weight is divided by 2 (ie 2 wheels on the back) then only 1/2 of the ball weight is added to the jacking weight of one wheel.
We need to be aware of these things when we respond to queries such as this.
Just my humble opinion based on years of experience
Point taken Baz, I am one for being very anal about safety and would see (not that I have ever done so) jacking a tow vehicle with the caravan attached a tad dangerous due to combined weight and an increase in the potential to roll over the jack.
Your point on jack ratings and each tyre halving the weight etc is taken as well. I just don't like the idea of nearly 6 tonnes of caravan and ute rolling over a flimsy scissor jack. I guess we all have different levels of hazard tolerance and how far we are prepared to go dealing with hazards. I also guess that if I was changing a tyre in the peeing rain on a dirt road I would leave the caravan hitched up and want to get back into the dry asap.
Be safe and thanks for that input, you make some valid points.
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Your only jacking wheel enough to remove wheel weight is still on other wheels .. Plus you can dig some ground out if possible ? Depending on suspension type jacking from axle is way better than from body..
IRS would have jacking points ? I always carry a floor jack as I'm not the size to fit under .. Plus I've had one very bad experience of vehicle falling on me . Never again..
I can tell you unequivocally if you cannot jack your rear wheel due to ball weight -
YOU NEED TO GET A NEW JACK. Jacks are rated at a minimum 1.5 times the load for the vehicle GVM ( approx. 1/4 to 1/3 of GVM would be on each back wheel when loaded) and often 4 times the load.
If the ball weight is divided by 2 (ie 2 wheels on the back) then only 1/2 of the ball weight is added to the jacking weight of one wheel.
We need to be aware of these things when we respond to queries such as this.
Just my humble opinion based on years of experience
Point taken Baz, I am one for being very anal about safety and would see (not that I have ever done so) jacking a tow vehicle with the caravan attached a tad dangerous due to combined weight and an increase in the potential to roll over the jack.
Your point on jack ratings and each tyre halving the weight etc is taken as well. I just don't like the idea of nearly 6 tonnes of caravan and ute rolling over a flimsy scissor jack. I guess we all have different levels of hazard tolerance and how far we are prepared to go dealing with hazards. I also guess that if I was changing a tyre in the peeing rain on a dirt road I would leave the caravan hitched up and want to get back into the dry asap.
Be safe and thanks for that input, you make some valid points.
Hi Phil Just a quick point on scissor jacks,,, throw em away unless you have a buz box sedan. Suggest mechanical winding jack or hydraulic (you can get squat type 3 or 4 stage hydraulic jacks for about $80-120).
If you chock your wheels when jacking the tug the van wheels chocked are an additional safety feature ie lifting a rear tug wheel you have the added benefit of more stability.
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Why is it so? Professor Julius Sumner Miller, a profound influence on my life, who explained science to us on TV in the 60's.
Scissor jack are only good for stabilising your van as I have seen with a few people, I bought a 4tonne bottle jack that is the same height as the vehicle jack and has a screw adjusted top. No problems changing tyres with it. I can just up the rear of the ute with fill load plus the van connected. As safety measure though I also put the vehicle bottle jack under the vehicle to if I have to change the tyre on a bit of a slope. I suppose I could pull out the car stands and put them underneath to, a bit of overkill though.
I have ordered a purple line 6 tonne bottle jack with all the different adjusters and heads for different locations, so I will get rid of the scissor jack when that arrives.
It goes without saying about the chocks and other safety measures, so I guess I may be over cautious??
I had to change a rear tyre on my ute recently, the hardest part was getting the tyre up and down from its storage spot with the more than useless 3 piece rod and crank, and then sliding it on the ground to where it was needed. Bloody heavy those big tyres, buggered if I know how truckies handle those very large tyres. Then again I don't push iron every day lol
Cheers
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
When changing a tyres always put the spare wheel under the car/van first then remove flat and place this under car/van then pull out spare and fit , lastly pull out flat tyres only when wheel nuts are tight and jack removed. If you follow this system and your vehicle falls of the jack it only falls onto a wheel , hopefully giving you 150mm gap and not landing on the ground or worse YOU.
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Greet everyone as a friend, its up to them to prove you wrong.
I have just purchased one of the lifting bags ready for my new life on the road. It comes with two protectors, One to put on the ground underneath the bag and the other to go on top to prevent damage from the vehicle protrusions. I ave not used it yet but it has to be better than finding flat surfaces to stand the jack on and grovelling about in the dirt under the truck or van.
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David
2014 Colorado Dual cab with canopy and boat loader
23 foot Western Homestead
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got
I have flicked the OEM jack and got a squat 5ton hydrolic a lot better and safer and not hard on the jack if you are fully loaded I have a troopy and I can have 500kgs of tools and parts in there sometimes so emptying the thing out is not an option, same if I am hooked up I leave it all together and change the tyre.
Cheers
The Hats
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It is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. :D
I have just purchased one of the lifting bags ready for my new life on the road. It comes with two protectors, One to put on the ground underneath the bag and the other to go on top to prevent damage from the vehicle protrusions. I ave not used it yet but it has to be better than finding flat surfaces to stand the jack on and grovelling about in the dirt under the truck or van.
Hi David, I would be very keen to hear of your adventures with this device. I am seriously tempted to get one.
Cheers
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
I have used an air bag bellow . Never trust them without support though..
This brings up an important point in not using ( in most cases) the jacks supplied with vehicle ..
Hydraulic jacks are cheap and very small, easy to store...
At home I use a 12 X 2 chunk of wood under jack.
I'm slightly spoiled with new motorhome as it has hydro levellers which lift wheels off the ground..
Reading through this old post, there did not appear to be any type on consensus about leaving the vehicle attached to the van, or unhitch it. The thread drifted into the better option for jacks.
We have a Supreme Territory twin axle van and have had to change a tyre in two separate incidents. On one occasion I left the van attached and the other unhitched. I do not think there was any rhyme or reason for one against the other. However, I have since always wondered if there is a safer or better way, i.e leave it hitched or unhitch.
Does anyone have any valid reasoning for their decision to leave hooked up or unhook?
I think people like to have a definitive answer for every problem. There is no one answer to all problems.
If you have to change a wheel in a flat area when you were able to pull over and plenty of room to chock the wheels and do the work comfortably then leave it on. If you are in a bast*rd of a spot and its not flat and your up to your ar*e in mud then you might need to do something else. Use your common sense as the situation dictates.
this is an old post the op may have worked it out by now but you should try changing a tyre when it is not an emergency make sure everything works and know how it works make sure jack will do the job and if you buy a new jack make sure it fits under lift point with a flat an lifts high enough to get tyre off may have to use two jacks the van may have to be unhitched to get access to wind spare down if underneath or you may find spare is to heavy to get off the back better to find out sooner than in a bad place at a bad time check wheel nuts they may be to tight you may not have the strength to loosen them put a short piece of pipe in your tool box to make it easier
-- Edited by dogbox on Monday 1st of January 2018 10:24:44 PM
nimrod wrote:
