FC is being put to bed again for the winter. We are planning on jacking it up off its wheels this time. The problem is one side will be flush up against the garage wall so there is no access to the wall side wheel to place an axle stand. Has anybody tried axle stands at all 4 corners?. Any other suggestions also welcome Thanks in advance.
I had the same issue. What I did was jack up the side I could get at and fit an axle stand under the axle on that side. Then I went under the camper with the jack, raised up the other side from underneath and slipped the other axle stand under the axle. Worked for me.
Would not recommend the corners as the axle is designed to hold the campers weight, the corners are not.
------------- Phil
Blood, Sweat and Beers.
The more I learn the more I know, the more I know the more I forget, the more I forget the less I know
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If you put a large lump of wood (never a brick) under the jockey wheel and then wind it down until the back end of the FC is on the deck, you should have enough room to crawl under the front end as far back as the axle and jack it up from there.
However, safety first!!!!!
Make sure the handbrake is on hard and take as many precautions as you can think of.
Also be aware that if you jack up an FC and/or remove the wheels, you insurance company may not cover you.
Agree with all of the above re jacking, and, particularly LobeyDosser's comments on safety, as I'm not sure how comfortable I would, personally, be crawling around underneath. Having dismantled a few of these, it is definitely a no no to jack the 4 corners. The chassis is usually an AL-KO one, and rock solid, but the campers are, mostly, flimsy wooden boxes, and much of their strength and rigidity comes from being screwed to the furniture. Jacking at the corners just causes the trailer to twist and puts too much strain on it.
The insurance thing is a pain, and typical of insurance companies. Jacking / removing wheels, in itself, does not invalidate insurance, but it prevents the fitting of a wheel clamp, in a lot of cases, which does invalidate it, so, effectively, the same thing. Some companies require a hitch lock OR a wheel clamp, but many require both. You may need to look at the storage location carefully, as, if it is too tight to jack, is it also too tight to fit a clamp? If so, you may have issues with insurance.
Personally (and this is my own personal perspective, there will be plenty who disagree, I'm sure) I have never seen the point in jacking / Winter wheels. It seems way too much hassle for what it achieves. Whilst it's true that it isn't advisable to leave tyres in one position for long periods, simply moving the camper backwards or forwards a few inches will spread the load more and reduce the risk of bulging etc. The recommendation for camper tyres is that they are changed every 5 - 7 years, anyway, so I always find that there is no real benefit in raising them to prolong the life, as it has a finite length, anyway, but, again, that's just me.
------------- The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others..
My "garage" is 60 feet long and 18 feet wide and when we had our Folding Camper, I spent many uncomfortable hours tinkering with its underside as I fitted my own modifications.
In all seriousness, given your restricted access, I really do not think that what you are proposing is worth the effort.
As Blue Sky Pennine says, you will not be saving any money tyre wise and lying underneath an outfit while you jack it up is downright dangerous.
This was something I wanted to ask about as I've just recently bought a Conway Cardinal after my vintage "Campavan" trailer tent ended up requiring too many repairs to keep viable (Been away from camping - and pretty much everything - for several years so it had been sitting).
I might just do the tyre rotation thing then rather than go to the bother of jacking the unit up onto axle stands. Thx for sharing that info.
------------- "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks" - John Muir.
FC is now in its winter quarters. We decided to go with the leave it option and haven't bothered with taking the weight off the wheels. We need to be thinking of changing the tyres within the next 2 year due to the Countryman being 6 years old next September so its not really worth the bother of taking the weight off them. We will just move it a few inches back and forwards every month.
Quote: Originally posted by Rhj296 on 03/10/2015
I propped my trailer and kit, which weighs in at 600 + kg up on 4 stools. Perfect.
Pictures posted on another thread.
I had already seen your post and was considering that was an option. That was until I saw the reply saying its not a good idea to jack up the 4 corners so I dismissed that idea. It may be OK as the unit is resting on a larger surface area than just axle stands but for reasons already stated we have decided just to leave it. Good lateral thinking though!
Quote: Originally posted by Rhj296 on 03/10/2015
I propped my trailer and kit, which weighs in at 600 + kg up on 4 stools. Perfect.
Pictures posted on another thread.
As the Awaya is a standard tent, I'm guessing this is a small trailer, used to transport the tent, and kit. Probably fine for that, but a larger unit, such as a folding camper, is much larger, and the stresses would be significantly higher. Think the rolling backwards and forwards option will be, by far, the best option here.
------------- The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others..
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Topic: FC axle stands
