I personally use a six ton, but only because thats the smallest I could find. Remember, you arent lifting the whole trailer to change a tire, only 1 tire. at the max about 4000lbs of weight. Put it under the spring shackle and pump away. I carry lynx levelers with me-for the obvious purpose of course, but also in case I cant get the jack under the shackle, pull the flat tire up on 1 or 2 (or 3) and that makes up the difference of the flattened sidewall. 4 tons is plenty.
Rob Mitch wrote: When you place the jack under the trailer it can sometimes be quite difficult to pump the jack from an awkward position. A heaver rated jack, although it will raise less for each pump of the jack, it will pump much easier. I use a 10 ton. I would suggest you try your jack. Remember though, that jacking up a trailer on the side of the road or even in an RV space may not be quite as easy as in your driveway.
Ditto! I have a 6 ton bottle jack, that just does the job. I don't think I would want less. This one I inherited from my dad so it was free. Getting under that trailer is not always easy, along with having to pump that handle as well.
Tom & Beth
05,Grand Junction 35TMS
99, Dodge 3500 Dually.
Be prepared. Doing a test run at jacking is the way to find out if you have what is needed. Blocks of lumber to spread load on soft ground, wedges (what if the ground is not level?), a thick metal 2X2 or 3X3 plate to spread the load at the jack cylinder & maybe an extension to for the jack handle. I have a 12ton jack. It lifts the trailer very easily. So far no need to do a beside the highway jacking but the training has been lifting & leveling for storage. One time in pouring rain. No fun at all.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
I use a 2-ton 6-12" bottle jack. It fits under the spring perch while sitting on a piece of wood plank. The only time it gets used is for a second jack if I need to raise two wheels. If only one wheel, I use the truck's bottle jack with it's long crank handle. Our 5th wheel has about 2150~lbs on each wheel. Either jack is plenty for one wheel at a time.
'05 2500HD Dodge 5.7L Hemi 5spd auto/3.73 SLT. 96k miles
ex '95 Cummins,'98 12v Cummins,'01.5 Cummins,'03 Cummins
'07 KZ Jag 28JFSS.
I recommend carrying at least TWO different sizes and types of jacks..
There are four basic types of vehicle jacks **.
#1. The "Bottle" jack that uses a hydraulic system #2. The "Screw" jack that uses a vertical rotating threaded shaft #3. The "Scissors" jack that uses a horizontal rotating threaded shaft
connected to a mechanical expanding linkage system #4. The "Bumper" jack that uses a ratchet system
I always carry three different jacks with me... A 12 ton and a 6 ton bottle jack... and a Scissors jack..
WHY do I carry so many ?
If I get a flat on an uneven road surface like a dirt road, the truck or trailer axle may be too close to the ground to slide the 6 or 12 ton bottle jack in place..
The scissors jack is shorter and might slide under the axle to raise it high enough for the bottle jack to slide in place and finish the lifting..
Then again if I only had the scissors jack and no bottle jack.. the scissors jack may not lift the axle high enough to get the tire on and off..
"Been There, Done That" .. believe me, it's no fun to have the tools and not be able to use them because they won't fit where they are needed.
Just ask the fellow laying on his back under the car cussing because he has the correct size wrench, but it's a "Closed End" wrench and he needs an Open End" wrench to do the job.
**There are also hydraulic jacks designed for use in places like a service station or your garage with a hard surface floor.
These are often referred to as a "FLOOR JACK". The floor jacks have wheels and a wheeled jack on a soft or muddy dirt road is more aggravation than it's worth.
Yes, some folks carry a floor jack with them,, but they are much more bulky, heavier and contrary to use than a smaller and simpler version like the bottle jack.
This is the way I do things... that doesn't make it the right way or the only way... just my way.
John
John Harrelson
Carson City, Nevada
fulltime since 1977
93 Ford 350 4wd Diesel
95 Prowler 30.5 ft 5th wheel w/slide
TWO CENTS WORTH
The story goes that a man died and was approached by the Devil who told him that he could buy his soul back for a dollar. The man searched his pockets and could only come up with 98 cent. While begging the Devil to forget the two cent he was short, an Angel happened by and hearing the Devil laughing, asked the man, "Would you mind if I put in my two cents ?" The Devil got so mad that he exploded in a puff of smoke and the man's soul was saved. The moral: Sometimes putting in your two cents worth makes a difference.
JOHN "the cook" 1997
I tried a 6 ton job on my trailer and it would barely move, with whatever input I could deliver squatting under the trailer. I then got a 12 ton shorty, works great.
I saw a guy had a 12 ton "double action" shorty (don't know what they are called). It had two "cylinders" and would go twice as high as the single.
States I have spent the night in my current rig, bought three years ago.
Have RV'ed through 49 states and been in all 50, just short of my half-century.
I owned a 5th wheel for more than ten years and I carried a 4-ton and a 6-ton bottle jack with me and there were several times I had to use both jacks to change a tire because the 4-ton would not fit under the axel. I would have to jack up the frame high enough to get the 4-ton under the axel using the 6-ton under the frame. I had tandum axels and I thought it was safer to jack only the axel with the flat than to try and get both tires off the ground. The bottom line is the 4-ton will do the job as long as it will fit under the axle. If you only jack up the frame you have to go a lot higher.
2000 Discovery 37V
Del and Freddie
Portola CA
KD6ZUW
Semper Fi
Offline
