RV Bottle Jack size?

[cully]

My 92 Jamboree 22' purchased in Aug had no jack. I've been "lucky or dumb lucky" so far without a problem on 6 or seven trips. I don't feel so lucky currently and want to purchase a bottle jack. What would be the correct size for my 22'? Saw a youtube video and he was using a 20 ton jack. Would that be an over kill or just right?

Also looking for information about where I locate the jack when using, Axel? So far YouTube hasn't had a video that I've viewed that clearly shows Where. Any other tutoring on methods or equipment related to changing a tire would be much appreciated.

thanks,
cully

 

[Rene T]

That is way over kill in my opinion. I have a 38’ fifth wheel with two axles. I carry a 12000 # or 6 ton bottle jack and have used it several times. Just make sure it has a threaded extension so you can extend it to meet the axle before jacking and to allow you to jack it high enough to get the flat tire off and the the spare on.
I put the jack right under where the spring pack is.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Check your axle weight. If you think you'll need to jack up the entire back or entire front then at least that, for my class A the back is 6 tons. Realistically you'll only be jacking up one corner, so you might get away with "less". For some front end work I did I was able to lift one corner with a 2 ton car floor jack.

My class A has hydraulic leveling jacks and I've used those to elevate the RV to move tires around, along with some truck size jackstands. The trick isn't so much jacking things up its having a wrench suitable for the lug nut torque you need. 19.5's aren't too bad but the bigger truck tires have lugs with serious torque and the wheels and tires are pretty hefty to get off and on the hub. Your rig might even have smaller than 19.5's so it probably isn't too hard. Practice with whatever solution you end up with, you don't want to discover a problem once you're on the side of the road.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[cully]

threaded extension, i'll look for that when purchasing, thanks for the clue. I was thinking I'd have to stack my leveling 2x6's to make the height I need to reach the axel. It is the axel I'm reaching/meeting then?

 

[Rene T]

threaded extension, i'll look for that when purchasing, thanks for the clue. I was thinking I'd have to stack my leveling 2x6's to make the height I need to reach the axel. It is the axel I'm reaching/meeting then?

It would be good to put at least one block just to give more surface area under the jack so it doesn’t sink into the ground

 

[cully]

Check your axle weight. If you think you'll need to jack up the entire back or entire front then at least that, for my class A the back is 6 tons. Realistically you'll only be jacking up one corner, so you might get away with "less". For some front end work I did I was able to lift one corner with a 2 ton car floor jack.

My class A has hydraulic leveling jacks and I've used those to elevate the RV to move tires around, along with some truck size jackstands. The trick isn't so much jacking things up its having a wrench suitable for the lug nut torque you need. 19.5's aren't too bad but the bigger truck tires have lugs with serious torque and the wheels and tires are pretty hefty to get off and on the hub. Your rig might even have smaller than 19.5's so it probably isn't too hard. Practice with whatever solution you end up with, you don't want to discover a problem once you're on the side of the road.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

a quality lug nut wrench....okay I will make sure that is included equipment.

thank you

 

[cully]

It would be good to put at least one block just to give more surface area under the jack so it doesn’t sink into the ground

nice trick! noted
thank you

 

[NY_Dutch]

I agree a 4-6 ton jack would be plenty for your trailer. Going bigger would make jacking easier if that's an issue. When needed for my motorhome, I sometimes use my 20 ton jack even when my 9 ton would be plenty simply because I'm 79 and don't have the muscle strength I used to. The 20 ton takes more pumping, but it's easier pumping.

 

[donn]

Go outside, measure bottom of axle to ground. Go to Harbor freight and pick a 10 ton jack that fits.

 

[Matt_C]

Cully,
Don is the closest so far.... But only close.
You need to be able to jack up from a flat tire. So, if the jack fits between the axle or lower control arm now, it won't fit when you need it. It needs to fit under something when the associated tire is FLAT.....
I also suggest that you get a copy of the chassis manual. It should contain jack points. Get a 5 ton (at least) that will fit there - again- when a tire is flat. For a 22' coach, 5 ton should do because it is not likely to be more then 10,000 # and you only have to lift part of it.
Matt

 

[Ex-Calif]

Cully,
Don is the closest so far.... But only close.
You need to be able to jack up from a flat tire. So, if the jack fits between the axle or lower control arm now, it won't fit when you need it. It needs to fit under something when the associated tire is FLAT.....
I also suggest that you get a copy of the chassis manual. It should contain jack points. Get a 5 ton (at least) that will fit there - again- when a tire is flat. For a 22' coach, 5 ton should do because it is not likely to be more then 10,000 # and you only have to lift part of it.
Matt

This is super important point. I put a scissors jack in my MG replacing what was sort of like an old style bumper jack. Even the collapsed scissor jack would not fit under the hard point when the tire went flat.

On the opposite end once you find a jack that will fit under frame, axle or hard point it also has to have enough extension so that an inflated tire can fit on the hub. If shopping for a bottle jack they make many types that are telescoping with like a double concentric piston type action as well as the threaded tip extender.

I carry a 4 ton bottle jack for all kinds of reasons but so far every time I have jacked my RV it has been with the levelling jacks then supported with a jack stand.

 

[gwinger]

threaded extension, i'll look for that when purchasing, thanks for the clue. I was thinking I'd have to stack my leveling 2x6's to make the height I need to reach the axel. It is the axel I'm reaching/meeting then?

Also make sure the jack will extend enough to lift the axle far enough to put on the spare. Some of the shorter, higher weigh, jacks may not extend far enough even after the extension is all the way out. I'd also use a block on top of the jack where it meets the u-bolts on the axle.

 

[gwinger]

Go outside, measure bottom of axle to ground. Go to Harbor freight and pick a 10 ton jack that fits.

Pesonally, I would not buy an HF jack. Too many bad reviews of losing pressure or not working at all after a while.

 

[John From Detroit]

Well for my 38' class A I got a 12 ton air/hydraulic jack from harbor freight.
If you also have a good air compressor (120 volt tank type mine was a 6 gallon) I strongly recommend this type of jack (Air/hydraulic) as it can be hand pumped or use the compressor.
It may be overkill.. But it's so much easier to jack-jack than to just hand -jack.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I bought a super cheap 1 ton(?) from Walmart. It lasted a year before the piston started leaking.

My Harbor freight jack is still doing fine after 5 years.

 

[tlmgcamp]

OK...should have read this before buying my jack last week. GVW on trailer is 4700lbs so a 2ton was fine with me. I figured that I have plenty of leveling blocks to get the fully dpressed jack up to the axle. However, the lift height is just a bit less than the tire sidewall height so the axle wirh a flat tire will be too low for the jack to fit under and still lift high enough to get the good tire on, unless I put blocks under the tireless hub and reset the jack. Fortunately the jack was only $30

 

[Rene T]

As long as you have a compressor I would let all the air out of one of the tires and the measure what you have for clearance between the axle jacking point and the ground. Then go get a jack that will fit there.

 

[CharlesinGA]

OP has not told us what they have. A single rear wheel van, a Class C dully, chassis Make? Or is it a 22 ft trailer?

EDIT: I see is is a 92 Jamboree 22' and after a search I find this is a Fleetwood Class C on a Ford E series chassis.

If its a Sprinter chassis, you already have a jack, its under the passengers feet, along with a tool kit. The jack needs to be removed and checked once in a while as the pump will stick sometimes. Its a two stage jack and goes rather high.

I don't think Ford provides a jack on their cab/chassis, a shorty two stage is the best to fit under the axle and still go high enough. If 8 inches is short enough, I think this one would be a good choice, Strongway 6-Ton Hydraulic High Lift Double Ram Bottle Jack

The Sprinter jacks can be purchased "used" as removed from older Sprinters being salvaged. I see them on Ebay all the time. They have a nice curved top to fit the jackpoints on a Sprinter frame. Sprinters do not jack under the axle! This is a two stage jack like the red one above.

Something a little shorter that is two stage and goes high is this BAOSHISHAN 6 Ton Double Ram Bottle Jack 6-1/4" to 15-3/4" Lifting Range Hydraulic Welded Bottle Jack Car Jack

If you are using a travel trailer I suspect the jack in your pickup would work. My RAM has a screw type "bottle" jack and it worked perfectly under the axle on my trailer with a flat, shredded tire. You are not getting under the spring if the tire is flat and shredded, it will be necessary to get under the axle inboard of the spring, so you need a jack with a U or Y type top as a flat top on a small trailer axle won't work, it will either dent the axle or slip off.

Charles

 

[TonyL]

The idea of stacking levelling blocks to give a jack more lift is a definite safety no-no. If the unit should wobble and the blocks are too narrow, the stack could tumble. A good wide block at the bottom however, is a really good idea.

 

[tlmgcamp]

The idea of stacking levelling blocks to give a jack more lift is a definite safety no-no. If the unit should wobble and the blocks are too narrow, the stack could tumble. A good wide block at the bottom however, is a really good idea.

Not sure where you see the safety issue in leveling blocks under a jack. The base of the bottle jack is relatively small making it inherently unstable unless the vehicle is secured from movement. (I wouldn't lift a trailer unless it was attached to a tow vehicle and chocked for further stabilization.) The higher the bottle jack is extended, the less stable it becomes. As long as the blocks under the jack are bigger than the base of the jack (my blocks are made from 2x8's) a partially extended jack on proper blocks would be more stable than a fully extended jack on no blocks